L E T T E R V I .
ATótit to thé CofhmèW^è^'Descriptioh ó f ikeUpptr Commewyne ttfid
Cöftióa Mibéfs.—A Cotton Plantation.—-Tfie 'pfèper Situation for*ti'
plefMfül Pïö&Uöè ofCotton,—sometimes fails by the Devastation ojfon
'I n s e c t,a Method how it might lie'prevented.— The'&?Mrid‘‘kof-
fwdurAble for the growth o f ^vegetables föF*the1 SwsislehceJ Óff f e
fflèjpöês.—The Means useÊt as a Substitute.—The Canal'óf the'
M'èiöpicü R i v e r a n intended 'Alteration of its present ’Commiim^
dithoH With, the Sea.—fieturn to' Pararndrim by the HoerJielêha
Creek.—Grêai Hospitality o f the Inhabitants o f this Country.
’ My Dear Si®,, M - : <• PariM0tbd,^itot^
R^wifl surprisejmu, perhaps, to find that I have, not long since,;
iftade’a journey into" the country, but I Can assure.you that this is.
attended with many difficulties, particularly jto a stranger; my
desire^ to make this tour was much abated by an obggrvation q£
Mr. ■ ^ , who told me that I should probably be greatly disappointed,.
if. I expected to get much information respecting the
mode) of cultivation in this^ttlement, by a jopiTney tp t^e<|if-.
ferent plat^ t i ans;. especially., adijed Jbe, as is known here
that yoü intend, after a ,short stay m this ;cpuntry, to return to
Europe, where many of those residing^ on the plantations me by*
some means Or' other particularly connected. They ^consider
it therefore as of little utility to yourself, to gain this kind of information,
and that it may possibly bring them into some trouble,
should their, eon duct be misunderstood, or things be misrepresented,
which sometimes may have .been the case; for this reason they look
upon all enquiries respecting the cultivation of the plantations, at
least as improper, if.not impertinent; and I have heard of some
gèntlemeri; who, when they stopped in their excursions a t different
plantations, and seeing the negroes working, have asked some ques-
tions respeeting the produce, have received) uncivil answers, from the
Europeanmafiager. However; asbhadnot the least doubt bu t that
there must be some amongst them; who hadnothing to fear from
generakenquiries, I was therefore highly pleased; when Mr. S---- -g
came and invited me to take a tour with him to the Warappef
creek. M riS ^—s himself possesses landed properly in this colony,
and I have heard that under his administration several of the plan-
tations prosper.. There is but one method of travelling in this
country, for there is. no public road, exeept t e a v e r y short distance
from the town, .and the. military road, which surrounds the
most distant points of the cultivated parts of thé colony. But $g all
the «plantations are either situated on the banks of the large rivers,
or have a communication withthem by navigable canals, all in«
tcrcourse between the town and the country js carried otebywater;
and as there arenopublirr inns On the sides o f the rivers, those who
intend t-o make a journey procure letters .of introduction, 'and take
with. them, some provisions in theMbarge* The Smiting off de-?
pends ion !lhe tid e ; and aftersome hours of rowing, thO -boat stops
at the destined plantation, where the travellers arerejeeiyed with
great hospitality, and; a couple of hours is- Usually spent at dinner
in cheerful company. After dinner, when there4sdiot time,to take
a walk in the fields,
tains the crop of the estate m the barge; fiejng inow made ready, tea
is presented wbjie;she is proceeding ; and after a few hours she stops
again at the plantation, where it is intended to remain the nighf;
and the strangers pré received with the same urbanity as; at the last
place; a supper is immediately prepared, and-tfie móstichhvepeht
place chosen for slinging the; hammocks, -wlfieh^eyery traveller
takes with him. Thus the first day’s journey is finished; and the
following day begins in the same manner, either first, taking