^atch.gatiiɓin the wood^; besides, on many plantations they rear
-poultryipigs, See. which they carry to market in town, apd it is-said
•tbatsome •who are good economists are worth money. Every
'considerate planter encourages his negroes, by. allowing them a
piece of ground .;- and by this the negro becomes more attached
tb the plantation.: Besides the articles óf nourishinêrit which are
allotted them, they receive when sick, extra Gongótèé, madé of the
flour of banana, rice,sbup, broth, and whatever the surgeon thinks
proper for them; There is on every estate a black surgeon to a ttend
th e sick in edmmon cases, and there Tesides also on every principal
plantation a -white surgeon, who has under his care several'óf the'
neighbouring plantations, as it is ofevioffely to the planters intérest
•to have his -negroes, in good health.
An European at his first arrival here is struck with the almost
naked appearance of the negroes; but hè will soon -bè’ méde
acquainted that it * is often their own choice. They 'rèceive-,
according to the laws of the colony, and Hipve myself seen given to
them on the new-year’s day, blue cheeked cotton for shirts, &c. a
jacket for the rainy season, a hat, a knife, some tobacco-pipes, and a
tinder box; they have given them besidësinall well regulated plantations,
every three months, a quantity of salt meat; salt fish, and
tobacco, for which last article“they always evince a great inclination,
and arc particularly pleased when they receive it. But as to
cloathing, they séem well enough disposed to decline it altogether,
thinking it rather an incumbrance, and therefore they only use it
when they go to town.
The female negroes receive on the plantation, a piece of bine of
blue and white calico, to make their camisas,: or shifts, which
reach from the waist to the knees; but what they like most is a
belt, a necklace, and bracelets of different coloured glass beads*
On all well regulated plantations, there is given, to the negroes
a dance four times -a year, when they have a certain quantity of
njm : and,th^|males obtain as rauc|itiq^lasses or syrupas they like
to drink, mixed with water. A gopd and sensible master will never
fail tb allow these dances to hisjn«Mbes^§& they are very fond Qf;tha
d£v^tfl|an. and it gigp-tlaem fresh life and activity to go cheerfully
to work .again ; at those plantations which I have visited,, the ne-
groes receive each of them a glass of rum, on their .return in the
evenings from their work.
In^Europe^i^liigeiigfally admitted, that 4here are situations in
which i ^ | a b s o l u t e t o keep up a yery strict discipline,
particularly in tjhe army and navy. Now it is evidently,very difficult,
for the few Europeans here, to keep the negroes in good
order, ^considering how very numerous they are, and little ^i-yi-
licpd1:^fofi_ even the free negroes in the colony possess but little
humani ty ; as a proof of which a European inaster .canuot punish
his negro mare than by threatening to sell him to a,free negro; and.
how far opr methods of reasoning respecting the negroes is often
mistaken,S^ s shewn itself in a new instanpe, which has happened
sine©, my arrival here'.
A negro regiment of rangers was formerly chosen from the plantations,
out.of those who had given proofs all their lives of a good
cbipapler, and they behaved with great fidelity and brav^iy w|ien they
became soldiers ; however, it was found latterly, that, for recruiting
the black troops, planters sold very bad-tejnpered negroes, and gave
them a good character, in qrder to obtain.a better price for them;
i,t was therefore resolved to choose recruits from among the freshim-*
ported negroes, as it was,thought they would serve much more wil-
lingly, when-they found that their destination had beep to become
slaves for the plantations, but that now they were liberated, and
treated like European soldiers.. But these negroes reasoned otherwise
; and not contented with what had been granted them in their situation,;
they wanted to be entirely independent; and this they could
have effected easily and without bloodshed, as the post of Orange,
P