fuch laws being generally made throughout the islands, is a proof that the planters have been negligent in furnishing their negroes with provifions. Thofe laws are ftill neceffary, as proprietors are apt to truft too much to their negroes, to provide themfelves from their grounds; and even where the planter fupplies his people, the most liberally, from his own ftock, it sometimes happens, they suffer at a particular time of the year, even more than those who depend upon their mafters indulgence. It will be rather difficult to make this understood by perfons unacquainted with the œconomy of Weft India plantations. The negroes who confider themselves of character, at the time of the year when provifions are plenty, scarcely deign to receive their allowance of plantation provifions; they have more than they can confume of their own. If they take it from their mafters, it is to feed their pigs or their poultry. They always, however, take their allowance of falt provifions, which is what they cannot fo readily procure themselves. Perhaps neither the quality nor quantity of that kind generally allowed, may be fufficient for a robuft, healthy negro; I fhould be of that opinion myself, but from the confideration that fuch negroes, as well from the fuper-abundance of their own ground provifions, as from their other refources, are enabled, by way of purchase or exchange, to obtain from the Hucksters, or others, falt fish, pork, &c. to make up for any deficiency.

In this island, a scarcity of provisions will not occur fo frequently as in the Windward Iflands, owing to the great extent of the country, fo that if there is a want of rain, and a confequent failure of the provifion crops in one part of the ifland, a ready fupply is always

to

to be obtained from a neighbouring one, and the high mountains, which are in no part far diftant from the fhore, and now generally cultivated in the vicinity of the plantations, afford a very confiderable refource. In the Windward iflands the crops of provifions oftener fail, nor have the inhabitants there the fame resources as are found in the mountains and interior parts of Jamaica; their plantain walks, which are by no means fo extenfive or numerous, often fail them; particularly in the months of June, July, and Auguft, which are emphatically called by the negroes in the Windward iflands, the hungry time. Maize or Indian corn is kept, with great difficulty, from the weavil, in granaries : These infects not only deftroy the greater part of the flour, but render the remainder unwholesome, from the impoffibility of separating it from their excrement and their exuvia. Neither are yams, eddowes, &c. more eafily preferved; as (like the onions and potatoes in England, in the fpring,) they sprout as foon as the rains fet in, from the moisture of the atmosphere, all thefe kind of provifions are much better and eafier preferved by the negroes, in their houfes, where the fmoke of their fires, and the attention they can pay to fuch matters, conftantly under their eyes, equally contribute to prevent the injury of infects and moisture. The mafters are however obliged to have fufficient to fupply what is called the pot gang, which confifts of fuch negroes, as from idleness, imbecility, or youth, either cannot, or do not take care of themselves; the fe people's provifions are cooked for them, and as it is looked upon disgraceful for a negro to have his provifions dreffed for him in the pot, when from the accident of the corn and other things spoiling in the mafter's ftore, he finds it difficult to provide, or fupply

his

his negroes with as full an allowance as he would with to do; the negroes who have not been fo careful in the cultivation of their ground, or have fquandered away their stock of provifions improvidently, are ashamed to demand aid, and refuse being fed in the pot, by which means they often fuffer for fome time before they will make their wants known. Thus, fome of the ftouteft (though not the best) negroes, who in time of plenty would refuse their allowance, or, if they receive it, would give it to their hogs, goats, or fowls, find themselves at a greater lofs in the time of scarcity, than those whose known weakness, or idlenefs, make them more particularly the objects of their masters care and attention.

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There is, as may be observed, a difference in the quantity of falt provifions given by different masters to their flaves, and notwithstanding the laws made to oblige them to deliver plantation provifions, many people truft much to their able negroes fupplying themselves with ground provifions; neither do they in general get from their masters beef or pork, except at Christmas, unless fome of the principal tradesmen or head drivers; but they are, particularly on fugar eftates, where their labour is hardeft, allowed as much rum as they ought to have. And befides the provifions the flave grows in his grounds and receives from his mafter, the poultry he raises, fell from fod. to 2s. 6d. sterling the head; a fucking pig, or a young d; a dollar, (about 4s. 6d. fterling) a capon, a pair of ducks, or Guinea fowls, as much; the meat of a wether goat, 6d. or 10d. per pound; and the more he raises of these things, the better is his master pleafed. A female goat brings two or three kids, generally, at a birth; a eweF

goa

goat in full milk, is eagerly fought for, by perfons who are going a voyage to Europe, or elsewhere, and fells for 40s. to 31. 10s. fterling; befides which advantages, the negroes catch crabs, fish, and birds,-there are no game laws in the West Indies. Negroes in the vicinity of the fea, often catch turtle, when they come on shore to lay their eggs; they weigh from 160, or 170, to 300 lb. the flesh of them is worth about five pence fterling the lb. Is this a state of misery?—is this a fituation, which the Legislature of the Mother Country is to be called upon to deplore, and to remedy? Compare the fituation of these oppressed faves with that of the labourer in England, with a wife and five or fix children!

This is, however, only a part of the picture. This is the fituation of the poor flave in health. He is attacked by disease! An accident happens to him! A leg or an arm is broke! If his fituation is preferable to that of an European, even of an English peasant in health, the difference in fickness is ftill more confpicuous! Remember only, gentle reader, that this negro is worth from 50 to 300l. fterling, or upwards, and you will the lefs wonder at it! Recollect alfo, if you pleafe, that this negro is not only as capable of gratitude, at least, as the farmer's horfe, but he is capable of expreffing that gratitude, and making his acknowledgments for the care taken of him; and if the fervant, or the furgeon, who is employed to attend him, is neglectful, he can complain, and you will not doubt but his owner, even without a virtue belonging to him, will

have

*The flesh of the Hawkfbill Turtle is lefs valuable; but the value of the fhell compenfates for the inferiority of the price of the flesh.

have him carefully attended.* A nurfe is always ́attending in the hofpital. The Doctor is paid by the year, not by the vifit; therefore avarice, which is by fome confidered as the spring of the planter's actions, will not induce him to neglect the doctor's affistance. A father of a family, thus fent to the hospital, feldom is denied the additional attendance of his wife; or, at any rate, he has the comfort of reflecting, that neither her, nor his children, are dependant upon his labour for their support. In general, whatever is neceffary for him, wine, fago, rice, flour, broth, four foups, tamarinds, oranges, pine apples, &c. and other grateful afcefent fruits, which the opulent in Europe can

*The following Anecdote will shew, how far an attention to his intereft, will fometimes lead the master of a flave :-The author was many years ago at New-York, in North America, and made a trip to Long Island, with two or three friends, on a party of pleafure. It was in the latter end of the month of October, that to fhelter themselves from the cold and rain, they entered a kind of Inn, or Tavern, at a place called Gravefend. The mafter of the house, a furly German, was applied to, to order more wood to be put upon the fire. There were in the room (a kind of kitchen) the landlord and his wife, and a ftout negro woman, which latter was standing within the hearth in the chimney corner. The man ordered his wife, a decent, pretty little woman, but who appeared rather fickly," to go and fetch wood for make up de fire, for de gentlemens, -The author afked him how he could be fuch a brute to fend his wife out in fuch weather, when fuch a ftout ftrapping negro woman ftood idle by the fire-fide; when he answered, "no, by G— dat negro vench may catch cold if he goes out in fuch vedder." Upon being asked whether there was not the fame, or a greater, risque in his wife fuffering the fame inconvenience; he replied, with an oath, "that dere was great difference between de cafes; if my negro catch cold and die, it vill cost me 70 or 80l. to get fuch anoder, but if de fame ting happens to my vife, I not only can get anoder for noting, but may, perhaps, get money along vid her.

F 2

fcarcely,

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