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JAMAICA
PLANTERSHIR

BY BENJAMIN M^AHON,

EIGHTEEN TEAKS EMPLOYED IN THE PLANTING LINE IN
THAT ISLAND

LONDON:-EFFINGHAM WILSON.

BIUIOPSGATE SIRBST.
1889,

J. Matthew, Printer, 12, Nassau Place, Cummercial Road,

DESCRIPTION OF

JAMAICA PLANTERS

VIZ.

ATTORNEYS, OVERSEERS, AND
BOOK-KEEPERS,

VITH

SEVERAL INTERESTING ANECDOTES,
Comvnrlr iis ttir Slittlior,

DURING A BESIDENCE Of EIGHTEEN YEARS
ON TWENTY-FOUR PROPERTIES, IN THE ABOVE
CAPACITY, SITUATED >IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF
THE ISLAND.

PREFACE.

Thrice have I taken up my pen^ and ag
often have I laid it down^ not knowing in
what way I could best account to my
readers for the introduction of the follow-
ing pages to their notice. As a Planter
by profession, it may very fairly be asked^
why I should have obtruded upon the
public a narrative so replete with charges
against my professional brethren, and so
calculated to brand with infamy the
names of so many individuals entrusted
with the administration of a£Fairs in our
West Indian Colonies. My reasons are
the following, and they are as simple and
as unvarnished as the narrativ<e itself.

First. — As a friend of civil and reli-
gious liberty, I abhor slavery in my very

▲

276567

soul: knowing, as {do, that no man has
/ a just right to depriye his fellow- man of
/ his property, of his limbs, or of his life
r except for some crime against society.

Secondly. — I regard slavery in all
its forms, and under all the modifications
it has assumed, as calculated to depriye
its victims of those habits and energies,
which are necessary to effective and bene-
ficial labour.

Thirdly. — I am anxious to expose the
treachery, the torture, and the tyranny,
practised by the overseers and attorneys
of Jamaica, towards the slaves, and even
in many instances towards the Book-
keepers, by such a succinct detail of
facts as my experience and observations
for the last eighteen years may enable me
to supply. .

Fourthly. — I wish to shew to the
pubhc why it is, that men, who have not

111.

scorned to sacrifice their own honor, and
who have not hesitated to risk the pro-
perty and the lives of others, are the men
who have almost exclusively been promo-
jtied to the highest offices, and to the most
lucrative employments in our Colonies.

Fifthly. — I am anxious to lay before
my readers some brief notices of the
opposition made to the ministers of the
Gospel, together with the destruction of
their property, and the persecution of
their congregations.

Sixthly. — I wish to call the attention
of the Public generally to the profligate
conduct of some of the Special Magis*
trates, who notwithstanding their appoint-
ment under the twenty million act,
under the influence of the Attomies and
Overseers, became the instruments, of the
vilest persecution to the Apprentices.

Sevbnthly. — I cannot satisfy my own

IT,

conscience without making an exposure
of the cruel fraud and treachery almost
universally practised by colonial exe-
cutors . towards the defenceless orphans
committed to their care.

And EiGHTLY, — I wish to submit to
the absentee proprietor some remarks
upon the nature and cultivation of the
soil, upon the manner in which their pro-
perties may be most effectually managed,
upon the plan of treatment which should
now be adopted towards the emancipated
negroes, and upon the circumstances under
which European emigration to the colo-
nies jpay be honorably and profitably
encouraged, — remarks which are the re-
sult of my own experience and observa-
tion, and which, I flatter myself, it will be
the interest of every absentee proprietor
to peruse for himself.

I am quite aware that, in the following

narrative, the tone of remark into which
at times I have been led, is calculated rather
to make me enemies than friends — I had
however no other course to pursue. To
have divested it of its thrilling and horri- ^
bl^details, would have been to have shorn .
it of all its pretensions to truth. Many v
and painful have been the struggles be-
tween inclination and duty, whilst com-
piling the following pages. The recollec-
tion of intimacies, or perhaps of former
acts of kindness, sometimes almost induced
me to suppress facts, which, in my own
conscience, 1 was convinced the public
ought to know* Butthistemptation,! thank
God, I have been enabled to overcome :
No man has been spared because he was^
my friend, nor has any one been treated ,
with undue severity on account of any ^
personal injuries I may have sustained ^
at his hands. Whenever I have met with a

Tl.

tyrant, whether he were friend or foe, t

have always felt as though the great

I black devil had crossed my path, and that

* I was bound as the friend of liberty and hu-

f manity notwithstanding the guise he wore^

^ to exhibit his cloven hoof, and to hold

iUp his delinquencies to public execration.

I entreat my readers generally, but

more especially the absentee proprietor

to do me the favor of perusing the whole

narrative. It is an accumulation of facts,

and upon that accumulative evidence,

I. wish to rest my case. Instances

of extreme cruelty may be selected, which

will serve to expose the odiousness of

the system upon which the legislature

has now placed its final veto ; but the

narrative must be read as a whole, if

my readers would form an adequate con-^

ception of the total unfitness of the old

Planters to manage the estates in the

Til.

Colonies under their present altered cir-
cumstances. The tiger from the jungle .
may be tamed, but it is a matter of rare x
occurrence : it is far more probable, s
that he will retain his native ferocious- %
ness, though confined to his cage. But
what cage is sufficiently strong to re- ,
strain these human tigers from the exer- ^
cise of the brutality which has been ^
sucked in with their mothers milk ? Pub^ .
lie opinion is a bugbear, and legislative
enactments but the gossamer playing in
the wind. Cruelty and oppression must
ooze out, so long as a pore in their
bodies remains open, the salvation

OF THE COLONIES DEPENDS UPON THE
DESTRUCTION OP THAT CONTROL WHICH
THEY AT PRESENT EXERCISE OVER THE
EMANCIPATED NEGROES. NEVER CAN THE
RESOURCES OF THE BRITISH WEST INDIAN
COLONIES BE FAIRLY BROUGHT OUT,UNTIL

Vlll.

THE WHOLE RACE OF THE PLANTERS ARE
SUPERSEDED BY A NEW ONE.

B. M'Mahon.
London Dec. 1838.

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NARRATIVE.

On the 28th of July in the year 1818 1 left my
native country, Ireland, as a volunteer in the
patriot service of the Columbian army, for the
purpose of assisting in the liberation of the
South Americans from the Spanish yoke. We
sailed for the island of Margueritta.

During our passage the most remarkable
thing that occurred was the frequency of petty
quarrels amongst the oflBcers, which invariably
led to a duel. There were no less than fifteen
duels fought on board the ship during the two>
months' passage ; but, strange to say, only one
person was wounded, and that in the heel— *the
motion of the vessel, perhaps, prevented them
from taking good aim. These duels arose out

of the most foolish and childish disputes, gene-
rally through gambling transactions* Towards,
the end of the voyage the captain put a stop to
thijs altogether, because, although they missed
one another, yet they constantly hit the rigging
and cut it up. We had no quarrels amongst
the men.

We arrived in the harbour of Juan Grego, in
the island of Margueritta, on the 28th of Sep-
tember. It was .well we did not arrive a day
earlier, as there were seven of the Spanish line
cruising on that coast, by whom to a certainty
i^e should have been made prisoners, although
we had been entered, at the Custom-house in
Dublin, as passengers bound to Trinidad. We
remained in Margueritta drilling the men, and
preparing them for active service, until March,
1819.

It is not my intention, however, to enter into

details of what I went through in South Ame-
rica. It will be sufficient to state, that we tra-
velled between four and five hundred miles into
the interior, and met with opposition from the
Spanish troops at almost every place ; but it
was very easily overcome, in consequence of
the rank cowardice of our opponents. In fact,
we did not lose a single man in warfare, but
two, who lagged behind and were taken prison-
ers, were murdered in cold blood in the^rost
barbarous manner — and we lost several in our
march, from fatigue and thirst. About the
month of June, the patriot army had been sa
successful, that the Spanish troops were alto-
gether disbanded and withdrawn, and the flag
of liberty was hoisted in every part of Vene-
zuela. At the end of this campaign we were so
dissatisfied with our treatment by the comman-
ders, that mauy of us threw up our engagements,
and became scattered about. I, together with
about 200 others, determined to go to the. West

Indiei ; and we sailed for Jamaica in the begiD-
ning of June. I must mention that, while I
was in Mslrgneritta, I had an opportunity of
seeing nearly all the inhabitants who had for-
^merly been slaves, and who had only been made
, free a few months before I got there. I believe
/ 1 can safely say, that 1 never saw one, either
/ man or woman, that had not their bodies covered
f with scars, — ^their faces, necks, arms, legs and
» bact, were all marked with cuts crossing each
f other. My ignorance of the nature of slavery
in those days, left me entirely at a loss to know
how all the black inhabitants could have re-
ceived such horrible wounds; and the truth
never struck me, till after I had been a little,
time in Jamaica. The people about forty years,
/old were grey-headed, emaciated, worn -down
/ and often deformed, occasioned by the barba-
/rous cruelty of the inhuman Spaniards, calling
' themselves Christians.

PLANTERSHIP.

PLANTING.

BLOXBUROH ESTATE

On my arrival in Jamaica, a gentleman named
Burke who kept a druggist's shop in Kingston,
got me a berth in the planting line. I was em-
ployed at Bloxbargh Coffee Plantation, in the
Port Royal Mountains : there were nearly 300
slaves upon it. The first morning I went to the
field I was accompanied by another bookkeeper.
I observed an extensive gang weeding young
coffee, and two ferocious looking fellows, with«
long whips, vv ^ll tarred , walking from right to*
left behind the gang, who were almost naked. ^
These two men were the drivers. Occasionally
they flogged all hands to make them work faster,
and if any one dared to put up his hand to stop
the lash, woe betide him. He was sure to be^
taken out and stretched on the ground, and '
there flogged without mercy.

Several of the slaves had iron bands about their
necks, and were chained together in pairs with
long chains, and were made to work in this way
from morning till night. I was not long in detect-
ing fbe folly as well as cruelty of this system,
because those that were in irons, although quite
unable to make use of their proper strength, were
compelled to work equal to those that had free
use of their limbs, and any one may see that, in
this way, although the poor creatures that were
loaded with irons, were compelled to work be-
yond their strength, those that had no chains on
did less work than they might. Yet this plan was
pursued to the very end of slavery. The cries and
groans of these persecuted people were so heart-
rending, and so sickened me with the horrible
scene of cruelty, that I could not refrain from
expressing what was gushing at my heart. I ob-
served to the book-keeper, that if I had a thou-
sand men such as I had left behind me in South
America, I would hang every rascal who carried

a whip to mangle the flesh of his fellow-creatures
or the monster who gave such directions. My
observations at this time only occasioned a laugh
I was ^t the same time full of spirit of liberty
even to a dangerous degree, but as I was young
then, the planters did not much mind what I said
about slavery and cruelty, but attributed it to my
want of experience. After some time had passed,
my feelings became a good deal blunted by seeing
these things so often, and 1 could not help myself,
being poor Add unprotected, and ray remarks
never did any good.

My usual routine of duty on Bloxbnrgh, was
to rise every morning at or before four o'clock
A. Ms and go straight to the fields and call the list
of the slaves in the gang by the light of a torch ;
and if any one was absent when his name was
called, a most unmerciful flogging was his por-
tion. If he happened to have on clean clothes,

although they might be only rags he was sure to

B 21

/be laid down in the filthiest place, the driver
/ could find, and there receive his flogging so as
' to create a laugh, this wasdoue especially to wo-
/Uien, and was the general practice through
^Jamaica.

Although the whip wasemployed on Bloxburgh
from daylight to dusk, and was combined with
collars, chains, dungeons, and heavy labour, &c.
yet I believe there wa« not a property in Port
Royal Mountains, or perhaps in all Jamaica, at
that time, that was managed with less severity
than Bloxburgh ; ofthis, every one of the slaves
was fully sensible, and will remember it to this
day. The overseer, Henry P. Roberts was really
a good man, and detested the brutal practices of
slavery as much as any man, but he was obliged
to go with the stream, and to wink at the cruelties
practised by the drivers ; so that although he car-
ried on his professional duties according to the
general rules laid down, he was considered by his

neighbours unfit to have charge of a gang of
slaves, on account of his meekness, and it is my
firm belief, he could not have obtained a situation
any where else in the parish.

The proprietor of Bloxburgh, Mr. T. P. Kel-
lerman, was also a kind hearted and good na-
tured man, but at last he became intimate with
a monster in human shape, Sir. Charles Austin,
who owned a small property in the neighbour-
hood. By Austin's seductive and treacherous
arts, Kellerman, was at last utterly ruined. He
formed a connexion with one of Austin's daugh-
ters in the island fashion and was entirely ruled
by Austin's villanous advice. From this time,
by gambling, cock-fighting, and horse-racing,
Kellerman, involved his fine property deeper and
deeper in the rapacious jaws of a mortgagee —
his disappointment soured his temper— his mild
policy was changed for persecution, and, under
the influence of Charles Austin and his locust
brood, he became as great a tyrant as his neigh-

bours- IVIr. Roberts fou&d himself uuable to
give satisfHctioD under the inhuman system re-
commended by Austin, and be was therefore
necessitated to throw up bis situation, and leave
the country. He afterwards returned to the
island and lived in Kingston as an honest and
upright man for several years, but at length
died bearing with him the prayers and good
wishes of all good men.

Roberts was succeeded by one Daniel Wait,
if^rho was the very opposite of his predecessor;
he was crafty and cruel^-*a man that had no
feeling for any human being but himself*«-his
orders were announced like a tempest sending
every reed weeping to the ground. I could not
put up with bis tyraBmcal harshness, and ridi-
culed the idea of submitting to such barbarous
imposition. But Mr. Kellerman^ gave advice
saying, that if '^ I did not do exactly as directed
'by the Overseer, I would bav^to walk the coun-
»try as a vagrant, and becomNS a nuisance to my

colour/' At this time I was reduced in circttm^
stances, friendless, in a strange country, and
almost heart-broken to think of being compelled
to adopt the horrible creed of a Planter and to
abandon that independence which was natural
to me. It was hard to submit, though destruc-
tion stared me in the face. In those days no
man could succeed in the Planting line, but one
whose heart was as hard adamant; he must have
no pity for the negro, and the lamentations of
the hungry. The groans of the half-murdered
victims must be unheeded. To force labour,
and keep up subordination by the terrors of
the lash, the dungeon, and the stocks, was all
that was looked for. Such poor creatures as
were accused of ojQTences ever so venial, had iron
collars pui upon their necks— were worked
under the lash of the driver from morning till
night during the seven days of the week^-at
night made to sleep in the stocks, and fed on
nothing but raw corn-^were only allowed six
hours sleep, and were then dragged, out ags^i

and sent to the field of slaughter. If a negro
r called upon the name of his God, or offered up
rhis prayers in those days, he would be flogged;
« and if a book-keeper did so, he might certainly
'reckon on his discharge.

About the 20th of June 1821, Doctor Craig,
who was the medical man practising in that part
of the country, accused Mr. Levy, the proprietor
of a small place, called Phillips Valley, of having
buried a negro clandestinely, who met with
his death by poison. The circumstances as 1
heard them, were as follows : '' The man often
came to the hospital complaining of sickness.
Mr. Levy said it was nothing but skulking, and
on this occasion said he would cure him of it,
and for this purpose he gave him six grains of
tarter emetic which brought on excessive
retching for several hours, until he died." It
is likely Mr. Levy did not mean to destroy the
man, but by giving him an extra dose of a
powerful medicine, he clearly caused his death

which deserved to be noticed. Dr. Craig ar-
rived at the place shortly after the man's death,
and inserted a note in the hospital book, that
the man had died from an over-dose of tartar
emetic. Immediately on this being done, Mr.
Levy discharged Craig from attendance on
Phillip's Valley. Craig then wrote to the
authorities in Kingston, stating the particulars
of the man's death. An inquest was ordered,
and was held three weeks afterwards. I accom-
panied the doctor to the place* On entering
he was ordered out by Mr. Levy, until called
for ; and, on his refusing, the coroner ordered
him to be withdrawn. When the jurors were
sworn, I observed them all laughing and shaking
their heads at each other, as. if in ridicule
of their oaths; and it appeared to me, that
their oath, only served as a cloak to their
abominable designs. The coroner, Mr. Charles,
Austin, was a particular friend of Mr. Levy,
and he, of course, took care to have every thing
his own way. Craig was constantly interrupted,

Yfhen be tried to get out the truth from the
witnesses by cross-examination ; and whenever
he attempted to make any explanations himself,
it caused a terrible uproar : — ^it was easy to see
that they did not desire to hear the truth, but
just to smother up the case. After going through
this sham investigation, the jury returned a ver-
dict according to custom,—" Died by the visi-
tation of God." A few weeks after this, Craig
was discharged from the practice of every estate
in the district ; and, in order to crush him still
more, Mr. Levy sued him for defamation of
character, and obtained a verdict, from a jury of
planters like himself, of "one thousand pounds,"
when poor Craig had not one thousand pence.
The jury were quite exasperated at the idea of
any white man daring to expose another, merely
for being the cause of the death of a common
negro. Craig was entirely ruined by this mat-
ter, and died not long after.

Craig's practice was afterwards given to Dr.

Palqier^ who lia4 long been practisiog in the
adjainiog district. He attended upon Blox-
burgb. I reoiieinber one day, when he visited,
there were twelve or thirteen people sick in that
boase ; — he prescribed, at full length; for every
one of them. After be had gone, the overseer.
Wait and n^yself, went to the hospital; and
when Wait looked at the book, and saw that the
people, instead of being ordered out, were all
ordered medicine and nourishment, he got into
a rage, stamped and swore, and called out, '' You

w.ortbless skulking s and brutes, out with

you; the doctor has ordered you all out, and if
you don't be olflT, I will cut your livers out." The
poor people refused, saying, '^ Busha, me no
able, and the doctor say me quite sick, and for
have physic" Wait sent for the driver to en-
force his orders; he began cutting and slashing,
and soon cleared the hot-bouse; — he then ran
after them, flogging, knocking them down, and
tumbling them into the susumber bushes, fnll of
thorns. Such a brutal scene I had never before

witnessed — the yells and screams of the poor
creatures, as they tried to crawl out of the reach
of their tormentor, were shocking to the ears of
any but a callous hearted planter. "Several of
them were afterwards brought back to the
hospital in a dangerous state; and two of them,
a man and a woman, soon after died. On the
occasion of their being buried, there was sad
wailing and lamentation. The people called
out, ** Dis is the way Busha kill me, oh ! — if
massa no drive away Mr. Wait, he will kill we
all same fashion. Poor neger, oh ! we flesh be-
long to buckra, aud no more ; we bones belong
to we self" These, and many other remarks,
were called forth by the loss of their destroyed
relations and friends. I afterwards found that
this was a common mode of discipline amongst
the planters, to keep the hot-house clear. About
this time, I was very much persecuted by Mr.
Wait, as it appeared I stood in the way of his
gratifying his inclination with regard to a par-

ticular woman on the estate, which led to her
being very mach ill-treated. He did all in his
power to make me discharge myself^ and my life
became a torment to me. 1 wrote to Mr.
French, a surveyor, who had promised to be-
friend me, and requested him to procure me a
berth elsewhere, stating my reason. In my
letter I made some strong reflections on Mr.
Charles Austin. It so happened, that the man
who carried my letter to the post-office was met
by Austin, and he took the letter from him, and
opened it. He then wrote to my employer, Mr.
Kellerman, declaring that he would prosecute
me for defamation of character, in the same
way Levy had done by Craig. When I was in-
formed of all this, and knowing that, as a poor
man, I could get no satisfaction for the opening
of my letter, I thought it best to discharge my-
self at once.

Having no horse, I was obliged to walk all

the way to SpuDish town, thirty miles, and the
next day I went to St. ThomaB-in -the- Vale,
about seventeen miles in the iBterior;-^there I
met with Mr. French, who procured me a situ-
ation as book-keeper on

Stirling Castle Estate.

The overseer of this estate was named Sharkey
— he was a, shark by nature; his vehement bar-
barity to the negroes was most awful. I could
fill a volume with the accounts of his cruelties.
Every morning daylight was ushered in with
the most terrible floggings, all arising out of
the most frivolous complaints, chiefly about
night-watchmen. I was induced to ask the
other book-keeper if it was ctistomary to mangle
the flesh of the labourers every morning in this
manner, as a part of the discipline of the estate,
— as, if it was, I could never hold the situation.

The book-keeper (Thomas Lally) told me I was
a fool to notice the overseer's actions — ^if he
were to kill, burn, and destroy the people, I
should say nothing about it ; and if the over-
seer had the slightest idea of my observations,
he wonld instantly discharge me, and leave me
unable to get another berth.

My usual employment was first to go to the
corn-store, long before day-light, with the night
watchmen, those who had been in the stocks all
night, and the hot-house people, and to shell a
barrel of corn ; after that I had to go to the
field, and call the list by the light of a burning-
stick, and every one not present was of course
laid down and flogged by the driver. I had
then to go to the cattle-pens, to see the cattle
turned out, by which time it began to be day-
light* I then returned home, fed the small stock,
made out my return bf the distribution of the
gangs, then to breakfast, and immediately after

it I weDt to superintend the gang in the field and
dare not go home out of it in the heaviest rain
that ever fell. One morning, as I was coming from
the field, I observed a very sickly looking man
named Tom dragged out of the hospital by the
driver, under Sharkey's orders, to be sent to the
field — the man was so weak that he could hardly
walk : he was proceeding slowly down the hill,
when Sharkey ran after him, and gave him a
dreadful blow on the back; — ^the poor creature
immediately threw up blood, was taken back
to the hospital, and, a few days afterwards, was
a corpse. He was buried without the slightest
notice being taken of the cause of his death.
The slaves upon this estate, as might be ex-
pected, were in a miserable state of debility,
and the annual decrease of their numbers was
perfectly frightful.

1 lived only twenty-eight days upon Stirling
castle, when I discharged myself. During the time

I lived there, the only sleep I ever got was in the
cattle-pens, or in the field before day-light; M
to my bedchamber, it was so infested with bugs,
as to bid defiance to rest or sleep. During the
time I was on Stirling Castle, I several times
saw the people flogged severely, only for laugh-
ing. One day I left my own gang to go and speak
to Lally, who was superintending the great
gang ; he remarked, that he heard some of the
young people in my gang laughing and tittering,
and said, stop till I catch any of my people
doing the same, and I will show you how I will
treat them. While I was standing talking to him,
a woman, who was running across thecane-holes
with a basket of manure on her head, fell flat
on her face; several of the people burst out a
laughing at her, when the book-keeper called
out to the driver to lay down three of them who
had giggled the loudest, and they immediately
received a severe flogging. Lally said it was
disrespectful to him to laugh in his presence.

The slaves were never allowed more than four
or five hours' rest every night, even out of crop.
One-fourth of the men were employed watching
every night, over different parts of the pro-
perty; and if the overseer got annoyed, he
would make one half of the gang keep watch, so
that they only got one night*s rest out of two-
being obliged to work the whole day besides.
About three in the morning, the driver*s whip
cracked for all hands to turn out, when they had
to do any odd jobs about the works by moon-
light or torch-light, in the corn-store, or such
places. Not a morning ever passed without
the most dreadful punishments. The labourer,
to avoid punishmentj used to go to the field soon
after midnight, and sleep on the ground in the
mud or on the wet grass, waiting for daylight
to commence work— this for fear of over-sleep-
ing himself, and not being present when the list
was called. If one did happen to sleep in his
house till day-light, he might make up bis mind

to ran away, or meet his certain fate in the
shape of a severe scourging. The reader may
think sttch cruelty was confined to this estate,
but I must tell him the practice was general on
every estate, whether leniently or severely ma-
naged— 'it was a standing rule with all planters
— 4he morning fare was nothing but the whip.

If a book-keeper was not in the field before
day-light, he would be sure of his discharge,
if seen by the overseer. I have often run nearly
naked to the field, under the heavy tropical
dew, with my clothes in my hand, so as to escape
being seen by the overseer, and then dressed
myself under cover of the canes, amongst the
negroes.

Charelton Estate.

I was next employed on Charelton estate, about
three miles from Stirling Castle. A few days

afterwards I got leave to go to StirliDg Castle,
to bring away my clothes; on entering the yard,
I met Mr. Sharkey, who demanded, in an impe-
rious tone, why I left him so abrnptly ? I replied,
— " Mr. Sharkey, consult your own feelings, if
you have any, they can best tell you : I would
^not live under any man who practised spilling
/the blood of his fellow-creatures as deliberately
/as a swine butcher."— He was ever afterwards
/my enemy, wherever his influence could extend.

Mr. M*Kenzie was overseer of Charelton. He
was not like Sharkey — he carried on the routine
duties of the estate according to general cus-
tom, but was by no means cruel to the negroes.
In fact, he was one of the most lenient in the
whole quarter; but he treated the book-keepers
very badly, neglected their comforts, and half-
starved them. He lived in a very low, mean,
and disgusting way himself, and was very filthy.
But the worst thing about him was his shocking

immorality. He was actually living with two
sisters at one and the same time, and in the
same apartment.

In the month of October, I was lining cane
holes— rain fell every day, and I had to continue
at work all day in my wet clothes. At the end
of the month I was seized with fever, and con-
fined to my bed. Here I was entirely neglected,
both as to attendance and nourishment. I got
worse rapidly, and the doctor despaired of me,
but still I got no more attendance. I had on
three blisters at once, and an old woman, the
hot-house doctress. was sent to dress them. She^
had not a spark of feeling, and tore them off my n
body as if I had been a wild beast : I begged
and prayed her to be a little more gentle, but it
was of no use. I mention these things to shew
what a poor book-keeper has to go through ; and
such is, or rather was, the general treatment of
book-keepers throughout the island. When 1

recovered a little^ I went to the house of a
brown gentleman, named Cheese^ for change of
air, and shall never forget the kindness and
humanity I experienced from him and his ami-
able mother. Shortly after my return to the
estate, when I had recovered, a young man
arrived from England, sent out on purpose to
act as book-keeper on Charelton. I was there-
fore removed to

Palm Estate.

Colin Graham Simpson was the overseer.
He was mean and miserly in his habits — ^not
violent in bis temper, but terribly vindictive;—
if once he took a dislike, he never stopped till
he destroyed his victim, if he were able. He
sent me to the boiling-house, as the mill was
then about, and after a few days he told me that
the two head-boilers were most rebellious ras-
cals, and he therefore ordered me to keep a

sharp look out after them, and try to catch
them Id fault. I accordingly watched them
closely, but never detected any thing wrong,—
in fact, they were two of the best men on the
place. But I soon found that Simpson was
determined on the destruction of these men, and
merely wanted to make me the instrument of
his vengeance* Every night at supper he de-
manded if I had found nothing against them
yet, and my constant reply was, "No, sir,
nothing of harm as yet." This reply made him
growl like a disappointed bear. At length, he
seemed determined to bring matters to a crisis,
and he took me aside, and said, " Young man,
consider, you have no home, no friends, and are
far from your country and family, therefore,
reflect on it. You are aware that, in the plant-
ing line, no favour or friendship can be ex-
pected if a book-keeper disagrees with his over-
seer. It is his duty to assist the overseer in
every plan he lays down— to do as he doe»—

and say as he says ; by such conduct alone can
he expect to succeed, and therefore I now give
you my last trial : — you will therefore under-
stand that, right or wrong, your efforts must
be directed to assist me in accomplishing the
object of my determination. It is my intention
to have the two boilermen, old Quamin and
William Thomas, transported off the island.
They complained against me to the attorney,
and I am determined to bring them to their
bearings. I have already reported them as
dangerous characters. If you have any wish
to secure my friendship, now is your time. I
have suiflcient interest to procure you an over-
seer's appointment in less than six months.
Take your time with the black rascals — give
^them rope and they will hang themselves— let
# them have plenty of opportunities to steal sugar
> or any thing else that can lead to their being
/Shipped off—the damned laws will not allow us
f to hang the rascals for such things now. But

your evidence against thera, together with mine,
will be enough to do their business."

After this lesson, I was allowed to remain at
rest for nearly a month, during which, every
thing was done to make me comfortable — no-
thing in fact was too good for me. I was intro-
duced to his acquaintance in the most flattering
manner, and every sort of attention was paid to
me. It was, however, all in vain, for I could
never think of perjuring myself for the purpose
of destroying two innocent and defenceless fel-
low-c'.eatures. I dreaded the day when Simpson
should break silence about it — at last it came.
It was at dinner one day, when Simpson said,
*' Well, Mr. M'Mahon, I suppose by this time
you know as well as I do of the villany of those
notorious rascals, and we will now bring them
to their doom— they have long laboured for it.
I am confident you must know enough to con-^

vict them, — speak up, Mr, M'MahoD, my friend,
ia a maoly manuer.'^ I tbaoked him for his
directions^ and then told him, in plain terms,
that I had watched the men closely day and
night, and had never detected them in any fault,
and was convinced they were as honest and
correct in their conduct as any men in the
parish, and that I should decline in future
having to do with any plans for the destruction
of innocent men. Simpson clenched his teeth
together with a ferocious grin, and said, " TU
make you trip your heels for this, young man/*
He did not, however, discharge me then— per-
haps he was afraid of the story getting wind,
but be resorted to every sort of persecution to
make me discharge myself. 1 will not stop to
tell all his dirty acts of tyranny, but must ob-
serve that, in trying to injure me, he deprived
the property of fully ten puncheons of rum, by
destroying the sweets, and not allowing me to

be supplied with fire- wood. Od one occasion,
when I asked him for wood for the stilUhonse,
he replied, '* Go sir, and get a large green cotton
tree, and drag it to the still-house." As he said
this to insult and ridicule me, I replied, '' If
you allow me the benefit of a spell of steers and
a cart, I can go to the pasture and bring home^
a load of the bones of the cattle you have killed »
this crop, and they will do for me for a few^
days* burning." He shook his head, and or-
dered me out of the house, muttering through
his clenched teeth, *• I will crush you to the
earth yet."

I will give one anecdote about Simpson,
which will show his mode of management. Old
Quamin, the head-boiler, was taken very sick,
and confined to his bed. While he was away
from the boiling-house, Simpson found fault
with the quality of the sugar, and sent for old
Quamin to be brought to the boiling-house.

sick fts he was, to superiDtend and give direc-
tions. The old inau was not able to move
about, but sat down and gave his orders.
After being at this a couple of days, Simpson
ordered him to take entire charge. At this
time, Simpson was constantly finding fault, al-
though there was no fault to be found ; and on
the third day of Quamin resuming his duties,
Simpson came down immediately after break-
fast, and the moment he entered, began to curse
and swear, and called to me to stand at one
door while he guarded the other. He then
called the boatswain of the yard, to punish all
hands in the boiling-house: — the first laid down
was poor old Quamin, sick, weak, and emaciated
as he was. He said, " Busha, you bring me
from my house when me no able to walk, to
look after the work, and me do all me can to
please busha, but busha won't be satisfied. If
busha flog me, he will kill me ; me no able to
stand it, but busha must have him own way.

and if me dead me can't help it.*' With that he
was laid on the ground, and the lash came
down ; he cried out at first at each lash, '* Busha
kill me." " Me dead, oh," &c. but after five or
six lashes he became silent, and then only shook
his head in a despairing manner at each blow,
but soon even that ceased, and he lay motionless
as a log ; the whip however still went on, and
he received a dreadful punishment. I really
thought he was dead; he lay without moving
for a considerable time after the punishment
was over, and during that time the others were
successively laid down, and flogged to the satis-
faction of the brutal overseer. I did not at that
time think there was a man in all Jamaica that
could have had the heart to flog a poor weakly
old man, like Quamin. This scene, however,
during crop, was several times repeated.

Simpson, by sneaking into my room, during
my absence, got a sight of a letter I was writing

to my brother, Id which 1 stated, that to the great
mortification of my feelings, I was a planter,
and compelled to view daily the most brutal
tyranny and treachery that was ever exercised
under the reign of the monster Caligula, &c.
This expression was repeated through the
neighbourhood, and the doors of planters were
shut against me. 1 then discharged myself
from Palm, and for some days lived amongst the
people of colour, by whom I was much respected.
In a short time, a gentleman named Blake, who
was a planter of a very different character from
any of his neighbours,-^-*humane, liberal and in-
dependent, procured me a berth in another part
of the parish.

Crawle Estate.

On the 20th of July, 1822, I was employed
on this estate by Mr. Ralph Cocking, the over-

seer. He was a youDg man, very plausible and
cunning, and ready to do any thing to get into
favour with his employers. He was very am-
bitious, and ready to make any sacrifices to
accomplish his aim. He was a cruel tyrant to
the poor slaves; he flogged without mercy,
and was unkind and unfeeling to them in every
respect. The only good point I ever saw in
Mr. Cocking was, that he was liberal to his
book-keepers, at table.

My employment during the week was so in-
cessant, that 1 had not as much time as would ena-
ble me to reckon my clothes to the washerwoman.
The negroes were in a state of great debility
from cruel oppressions; the only strong and ac-
tive man was the driver (John Clark), a power-
ful and muscular fellow, whose savage barbarity
over the rest was terrifying. I remember on
one occasion Mr. Cocking found fault with this
driver for not having forced enough of work out

of the gang, and laid him down and gave him a
severe flogging, which obliged him to go to the
pond, to wash off the blood. After it was over,
he said, '' Never mind, I donH blame busha for
this; but I will know what to do— Fm not going
to take lick for all the gang in this way, and I
dun't care what I do, — I will cut and chop away
right and left." He went to the field, and took
ample revenge on the poor slaves— flogging them
all round till night ; he wore 6ut three different
lashes on his whip ; he literally cut the clothes
on their backs, and slashed the arms, necks, and
faces of several young females, who dared not
complain : the man, in fact, worked himself up
to frenzy, and I dared not interfere, or I should
have had my discharge, and the slaves dared not
complain, for fear of another punishment in-
stead of redress. On the following morning,
several of these unfortunate people went to the
hospital with fever, and many were entirely lame
and unable to walk, and although the property

lost the benefit of these people^s labour for seve-
ral days, yet this was good management! I
saw plainly enough that this estate was ruined
and could not last long, and accordingly I find
that it has since been sold and broken up.
Mr. Ralph Cocking is now a special magistrate,
but I have had no opportunity of seeing how he
has conducted himself in that capacity; from
what I know of his unmerciful disposition, and
his deceit and hj^pocrisy, I cannot think that his
principles are changed, and I am sure that the
negroes can never have the least confidence in
him. No planter ought ever to have been made
a special magistrate — they can never forget
their old habits.

Harmony Hall,
Mr. Adam Steel, the proprietor of an exten-

sive jobbipg gang, induced me to leave Crawle
estate, to take charge of his gang as overseer,
as I had a good reputation for industry and at-
tention to business. I accepted his offer. His
gang was employed in jobbing on estates in
that a^d the neighbouring parishes. They were
a fine effective set of people, whom he had
picked and ^elected by Yarioua crafty meaniL
Before I had b^n two months in his employ, I
fo1^ld out that he was a dangerous character to
have apy dealings with — a man totally without
principle, either oi honesty or honour: as to
humanity or morality, that was out of the ques-
tion. Besides having his own property and
gang, he was overseer of Byndloss estate, which
enabled him to plunder on a very extensive
scale. He stole timber from his neighbours'
woods by moonlight* using Byndloss steers for
the purpose, and in this way he built his house
on Harmony Hall. He was an expert hand at
converting a deed of sale into a deed of gift to

his own advantage, and there was no villainy
that he was not capable of acting. Females at
the age of ten and eleven fell victims to his
brutal lust, and if ever he heard of any of the
negro men at ail interfering with any of the
women he had once cast his eye upon, the cruel
butchery that followed was sufficient to strike
terror into their hearts.

I was present on the following occasion, and
can speak from personal observation :—^Steel
was living in the fashion of the country, with a
free woman of colour, named Miss Marshall.
She owned a young brown slave girl, named
Sarahs about 14 or 15 years of age, who was a
great favourite of her mistress. Steel, it ap-
peared, was constantly trying to seduce this
poor creature. Miss Marshall became jealous,
and vented her spleen upon the girl^ and one
day accused her of being impudent to her,

which, in her jealousy, she imputed to Steel's
improper attentions to her, and at the same
time threatened the girl that she would make
Mr. Steel give her a flogging.

Steel overheard all this, and determined to
revenge himself, both on the girl and Miss Mar-
shall. He called out, '' I'll take care you two
shall have no more quarrels about me." He
sent for the driver, John Taylor, and four able
people; poor Sarah was dragged out to the
terrace in front of the house; Steel took his
chair out, and sat down, so that he might not be
tired during the prolonged punishment he de-
signed to inflict. The girl was stretched out,
and her body laid bare. I shall never forget the
sight, she was a most beautiful creature, the
picture of symmetry ; her skin like velvet, with-
out a mark upon it — alas! so soon to be dis-
figured by the horrid lacerations of the whip.
The punishment commenced at half-past four.

and was not finished till six o'clock, during
which time the driTer had to stop three different
times to put new lashes to his whip. When
first the flogging began, the girl gave the
most piercing shrieks I ever heard from a
human being, and continued shrieking until
entirely exhausted ; she then lay writhing and
shuddering, giving a dreadful groan at each
lash — still the horrid whip went on-*H9he was
covered with blood — her body from the shoul-
ders to the thighs, was one frightful mass of
mangled flesh. In the midst of this, I saw the
suffering girl raise her head — ^her eyes glared
wildly-H8he was panting, or gasping for breath
— ^and in a broken voice scarcely audible, she
cried, ** Water! water! water!" Her appear-
ance was awful — I thought she was dying— I
was sick at heart— •! could bear no more, and
rushed into the plaintain walk to get out of
sight and hearing of the murderous work. I
had then counted upwards of 300 lashes. Pre-

Tiou0 to this 1 had applied to Steel to stop the
puoishaient, but be told me to go and mind my
owD business, as I had nothing to do with the
quarrels between Miss Marshall's people and
himself. Miss Marshall herself, three times
during the punishment, went and entreated him
not to murder the poor girl; but it was of no
use, he swore the most dreadful oaths, and made
use of the foulest and most obscene language
his tongue could utter. He did not care if she
died on the spot. At last Miss Marshall, in a
distracted state, ran to the back part of the
house into the plaintain walk, wringing her
hands, and calling out, '' Mr. Steel has mur-
dered my poor slave — ^poor Sarah's killed."
Steel at length was satisfied* He had glutted
his vengeance on his helpless victim — she was
carried away, and I saw no more of her, I left
Steel's employ soon after, and the next time I
visited the parish, ou inquiring after poor
Sarah, I learned that, shortly after I left the

place, poor Sarah was laid in a cold gf ave.
This murder took place close to the residence of
two magistrates, but, as they were perhaps
doing quite as bad themselres^ no notice was
taken of this. I could repeat facts without end
of the shocking conduct of Adam Steel, but
what I have said will be enough to show his
general character; he has gone to his account
before his God, and a terrible account it must
be. I must not forget to mention, that while I
was following Steel's gang, I had once to take
them to a job on St. Clairs* plantation, St.
John's, the property of Mr. William Moor. Be-
fore starting, the driver, John Taylor, told me
1 should see negroes in such a state as I had
nerer seen before. I found his words true.
There were about twenty of them, thirteen of
whom were in chains. If a gentleman unac-
quainted with slavery had suddenly met these
people, I am sure, if he survived the shock, he
would never forget it, if he lived for a thousand

yeanu They were not black like negroes, but
yellow, from constant confinement and monstrous
persecution. They looked more like phantoms
than human beings ; the rags with which they
were coTered could not be distinguished from
their skin, nor from the ground on which they
were working* They were wretchedly meagre,
and ghastly enough to make any Christian run
away at the sight of them. Yet these wretched
creatures did more work than I could have
thought possible. Every one of them was
covered from head to foot with cuts and scars
— «ven their faces had not been spared from the
lash.

While, working under the rays of a broiliag
sun, the iron collars on their necks got so hot as
to burn their skin, which caused them intolera*
ble pain, and kept them constantly wailing and
moaning; All day they were making their
sad lamentations, in the most piteous tones, the

burden of their heart-rendiDg song being their
miserable condition. '' Poor nega da dead we
hungry — poor nega cut up worsa than cow—
buckra have pity 'pon dum ting, but him kill
poor nega — we flesh belongs only to whip, and
we blood belongs to the ground — whip when we
complain of hungry — whip when we no get to
field before day — whip when we tired — 'Whip
when we look cross — whip when we laugh-
whip when we complain of busha to massa —
whip when we complain of book-keeper to*
busha — whip when we go to hot-house sick —
whip every Monday for dem have sore foot— *
Buckra give poor nega whip for medicine — whip
for make him strong at work— whip for make*
him weak to go to hot-house — whip to maker
him leave hot-house and go to work and whip
to make him work more than him 'trength able^
Buckra make whip contradiction, same like the-
punch him drink, when him take rum for make
fttrong— wata for make weak— Kmes for make*

sour, and sugar for make sweet. Backra make
/Whip do every ting, but make life, and that it no
>'able to do, but it make plenty dead* We pray
to God to take poor nega, before Buckra kill
him done.'* This U a correct picture of the general
state of negro feeling on the subject of slavery ^
There was another jobbing gang working at
the same time at St. Clair's belonging to Mr.
M'Innes, which was under the charge of Mr.
Edbury. Of this latter person, I must make
some mention : — Soon after I met with him, he
set up a provision store, where he was well sup-
][»ed by the planters ; along with this be was
appointed supervisor of Rodney Hall work-
house, which, under his management, acquired
the reputation of being the very severest in the
island. He is said to have made large sums of
money by purchasing rotten provisions for the
slaves, and charging the public the highest price;
but as compensation for this, be managed to have
seldom less thaa one inquest, and sometimes

three, every week, on the anfortaoate slaves who
were put under bis diseipline for punishmeDt ;
-^in fact, the establighment almost required the
entire services of a coroner, so frightful was the
mortality. The most athletic negro, of the
strongest constitution, could not long survive
the barbarous discipline of Rodney Hall work-
house. Mr, Edbury has made a rapid fortune^
and he has gained the applause of tyrants ; but
he can never enjoy the esteem of the orphans
and widows of the starved, mangled, and mur-
dered victims who have been borne out of the
institution under his control.

Worthy Park.

On leaving the employ of Adam Steel, I re^
c^ved a letter of recommendation to Mr. John?
Blair, then residing at Spring Vale, who had just
received the attorneyship of Worthy Park. Ott

my first arrival at Spring Vale, he was from home
but as he was expected in the afternoon,! waited
his return and walked about. As I passed a
field where the negroes were cutting canes on
the road side, I observed that a great number of
/ them had handkerchiefs tied round their loins, as
^ a substitute for trowsers, rendered necessary by
the sore and raw state of their bodies, from se-
. vere floggings. I was curious enough to call
the driver, and ask him the reason. He replied
^' Sir, so you see us now, so we stand all the year
round. Don*t you know our massa \ He is no
boy — he don't play with we 1" When I got to
the works, I stopped there for a while, and du-
ring that short time I saw the book- keeper come
,t)ut of the still -house, and lay down every one
r of the dry trash and green trash carriers (all
r women), and the stoker, and flog them all most
# unmercifully. The book-keeper's name was
Jackson , and he told me he was authorised^ and
IB fact compelled to act in this manner, by Mr,

Blatr. After this, I walked into the boiling-
house, and there saw three men out of the four
boilermen, with handkerchiefs round their bodies ^
instead of trowsers, and all besmeared with^
blood. I had some conversation with them, as
no book-keeper was present, and they told me^
they were obliged to wet the handkerchiefs fre-x
quently, to keep them from adhering to, and dry- «
ing in, their raw and inflamed flesh, which always ^
gave intolerable pain.

At the stoke hole I observed one man who
was feeding the fire, and was chained by the
neck to a 561b. weight.

I had some conversation afterwards with Mr.
Rutledge, a book-keeper, who had just discharged
himself. He remarked that if Blair had not the,
satisfaction of mangling the flesh of ten or a «
dozen negroes before breakfast every morning, ,
his countenance would be black and threatening; «

bat, on the contrary, after indulging in this
morning's amusement, he would be cheerful and
pleasant. Mr. Grant, a book-keeper on Worthy
Park, repeated the same thing, and although he
had seen enough as a midshipman in the navy,
he shuddered at the deliberate cruelty of Mr.
John Blair.

I am told that Mr. Blair is now an altered
man — ^that he is mild and quiet ; but whether
this comes from a change of heart, or only a
change of policy, must rest between God and
himself

When Mr. Blair came home, 1 waited upon
him with my letter of introduction ; he imme-
diately gave me the situation of book-keeper at
Worthy Park, and made me stop to dine with
him, His conversation was all about estates
discijiline, and amongst other things I remember
his saying, if the negroes were seen without wear-

iDg faandkerchiefs daring crop time, people^
might well say Spring Yale was going to hell 1 >

I was at Worthy Park for only two weeks.
During thitt time I was altogether in the still-
hottse, and knew nothing of the general manage-
ment. I frequently heard the whip going out-
side, but knew nothing of the circumstances at-
tending the punishment.

Ardock Pen, St Ann's.

Mr. David Finlay, the proprietor of the above
pen, wrote me, offering me the situation of over-
seer. I gladly accepted it. The time I remained
here was the happiest in my life. Mr. Finlay
was one of the best men I ever knew ; he was
exceedingly kind and humane to all his slaves in
every respect : they were truly happy, and con-
ducted themselves i n the most orderly and respect-

fiii manDer, The work went on cheerfully with-
out the necessity of the whip, and although the
place was worn out and barren, the net pro-
ceeds were comparatively very large. Yet for all
this he was denounced and ridiculed by his neigh-
bours as an old fooL The increase of the slaves
on this property, from a few women, was truly
remarkable* The compensation alone must have
amounted to a large sum. I was induced to
leave this place at the instigation of a neighbour-
ing overseer, who was leaving the country, and
recommended me to take his place, where I should
get a better salary. In an evil hour I complied.
Mr. Finlay was very much hurt at my leaving
him, but we parted on friendly terms, and I
procured an overseer to put in my place.

Amity Hall Pen, St. Ann's.
1 went to this place on the 20th of July, 1828,

Mr. James Betty, who afterwards so much dis*
graced himself in the case of the uDfortunate
Heory Williams, was executor to Mr. Ratigan.
and trustee of Amity Hall. The place was left to a
poor family of colour by their father, and Betty
was the guardian. I had an opportunity here of
witnessing the ficandalou« practices adopted by
guardians and executors. I will just give one
instance out of several acts of villany. I receiv*
ed orders to select twenty-four head of cattle
to be sent to pasture to be fattened for sale; they
were to be sent to Prosper Hall Pen, which was
also under Betty's charge, and where he received
a certain percentage for all the stock he provided
for that pen. On the same day I was offered
£18. a head for the cattle. This I communica-
ted to Betty, but he told me to comply with his
orders, and to make no observation on his mode
of management, if I cared for my berth. It
was evident he determined to make his profit out

of them before they were sold. When they had
been at grass for a month I went to inspect them,
and found them in w orse condition than when I
sent them, from want of water and bad grass.
I again waited on Mr. Betty, and reported it to
him; he got quite exasperated at my interference.
The cattle were kept at pasture for a considera-
ble time, and when sold at last, after deducting
the pasturage account from the gross amount,
it netted only £5. a head for the cattle that ought
to have been sold for £18. each. This is the
way in which the poor orphans of colour are
robbed and plundered of their property, when
left to the care of greedy and unprincipled plan-
ters. The poor children to whom this property
^belonged were kept in a state of comparative
/ destitution, with barely sufficient clothing to
/ cover their nakedness, or food to keep them from
, starving, while Mr. Betty, their father's friend,
/ was fattening on the spoils of the property that
9 was consigned to his charge. I am of opinion

that there are not fifty cases in all Jamaica
better than this, under executors.

Russell Hall Estate.

From Amity Hall I removed to Russell Hall
Estate, St. Mary's; but as the severity of the
discipline did not exceed the ordinary standard
of cruelty, I need not go into particulars. The
mill, during crop, was put about on Sunday eve-
ning, and kept going night and day till the fol-
lowing Sunday morning, so that the negroes had
only a few hours in the middle of the day (Sunday)
to procure their provisions for the following
week.

Cherry Garden Estate^ St. Dorothy's

1 lived on this estate for eighteen months, as

head book-keeper under Mr. Francis M* Cook,
the overseer and attorney. By some M r. M*
Cook was looked upon as a great tyrant, but I
cannot accuse him of any thing of the kind. He
was certainly fond of keeping np steady dis-
cipline in the gang; but I never knew him to be
guilty of any outrage. He was a man of strict
integrity, and very upright in his dealings with
every one ; in fact he was particularly generous
towards the slaves. He was fond of jovial com-
pany at times, and now and then would indulge
in an Olympic shine, similar to the Marquis of
Waterford. Still Mr* M'Cook was and is a safe
man for the protection of property, and the
best servant by far in Mr. Bernal's employ.
— If he deserved otherwise, T would say so — he
was no friend of mine after I left him. I dis-
charged myself foolishly, because I was told by
a brother book-keeper that Mr. M'Cook had cast

reflections on my country men, from which I
supposed I should stand no chance of pro-
motion*

While on Cherry Garden, there was another
book-keeper, named Donald Boss, who had been
removed from Richmond estate^ in St. Ann's, to
Cherry Garden. He related to me several anec-
dotes about Mr. Charles Smith, the attorney of
Richmond, and co-nttorney of Cherry Garden.
Amongst other things he told me the following.
Shortly after Mr. Smith was married to Miss
Hurlock, he one day ordered a little girl about
eleven or twelve years of age to go to a distant
part of the estate, under the pretence of taking
a message to the cattle -men. He followed
and overtook her on horse-back. He then alight-
ed, called her to him, and insisted on her sub-
mittingtohisbrutalinclinations. The poor thing
resisted, and pleaded her extreme youth. After
struggling for some time, and finding himself

baffled, he savagely took bis walking stick, and
beat her over the head till she fell dowD and every
time she attempted to rise he repeated the blows
on her head, till he at last fairly stunned the poor
child, and during the time she lay in that state
he accomplished his horrible purpose ! Donald
Ross declared that all this he witnessed with
his own eyes. He happened to be among the
cattle at the time, and under cover of the bushes^
had unseen been an unwilling spectator of the
terrible outrage. Donald Ross was not a man
of any tenderness of heart for the negro race,
yet he declared that his feelings so overcame
him when he heard the poor child's piercing
shrieks, that it was as much as he could do to
command himself, though he knew that his cer-
tain ruin would be the consequence of his inter-
ference. He spoke of the affair with the deepest
horror, and entered into particulars which I
cannot commit to paper. It is almost superfluous
to say that the mother of the child, so far from

obtaining any redress, dare not even give utter-
ance to a murmur.

Exeter Estate, Vere.

I was employed on this estate by an old Irish-
man, named Kelly who many years before, had
made a fortune and left the country, but like
many others, entirely lost it in speculations; and
seventeen years after leaving Jamaica, he retur-
ned to it to begin the world again as an over-
seer. One of the modes by which he made his
fortune, was by becoming an executor on a large
scale. He had imported twenty *one poor Irish-
men, to act as book-keepers and tradesmen on
estates. Eighteen out of these twenty-one died
at various periods after their arrival, every one
of whom left him their executor. Kelly told me
he was confident that there were not three of

these poar fellows, who had been book-keepers,
who had not met their deaths from the tyranny
and oppression of the overseers they were under.
Mr. Kelly was a very lenient manager, a father-
ly old man to the slaves, but no person that
lived in Mr. Ashley's employ dared to be other-
wise : Mr. Ashley was a noble minded gentleman,
who abhorred the villanous proceedings of those
around him. He was well aware of the infamous
conduct of planting attorneys in general; for he
had been made to suffer during his own absence
from the country — ^he was nearly ruined by
them*

I was taken with a very severe fit of illness
just as Mr. Ashley was onthe point of promoting
me to the rank of overseer ; and after being three
months ill, I found myself compelled to leave
that part of the country.

Osborne Estate, St. George's.

I went over to St. George's in August, 1827,
and was employed as book-keeper by Edward
Stirling the overseer, one of the most atrocious
monsters I had yet met with. The poor slaves
were in a most deplorable condition. There were
not ten effective negroes on the whole estate ;
they were utterly disabled and worn down, by
the dreadful cruelties heaped upon them by three
successive brutal tyrants.

The general subject of conversation amongst
the overseers in this quarter, when they assem-
bled together, was the different modes of torture
they adopted in punishing the negroes. I can-
not stop to describe all that were invented, but
I must mention one which I saw Stirling adopt

on several occasions. There was a young cocoa
nut-tree close to the end of the piazza; a rope was
passed over the top of it, and the offender, after
being stripped stark naked^ was tied by the wrists
and hauled up till his toes just touched the
ground, and in that torturing position he was
lashed by the driver till Stirling gave orders to
stop, which was seldom done till the victim was
flayed, from theshoulders downwards. There was
one young man, named Sammy, who was so fre-
quently flogged in this manner, that the tree was
generally called Sammy's tree. After one of these
punishments, Sammy's back was in such a state
of corruption, that he got maggots in the sores;
he showed it to M'Keoy, one of the attorneys,
but as usual without any effect. I must pass
over the rest of the horrors I witnessed on this
estate during the few weeks I lived there. One
night I was keeping spell in the boiling-house
and, as every thing was going on well, I was
walking up and down, whistling. Stirling came

in, and said '^ Mr. M'Mahou, is this the way yon
are doing your duty 1 You are whistling for the
amusement of the negroes" — and he forthwith
discharged me for whistling.

Agualta Vale Estate, St, Mary's.

I have but little to say about this place. I
was employed by the overseer, Mr. Holworthy ;
and, although he did not act fairly by me, I
must do him the justice to say that he was kind-
hearted, honourable, and high-spirited, but he
had an unfortunate, hasty, and irascible temper,
which sometimes betrayed him into acts which
in his cooler moments he must have regretted.
In his treatment of the slaves he was strict, but
generally just in his dealings with* them ; the
only outrage I ever knew of his committing, was
his keeping a woman for six months working
in and out of the stocks, under a suspicion of

her haviog attempted to poison a book-keeper
of the Dame of Bannister, but which I believe
to have been maliciously false. I left this estate
on account of a quarrel with Holworthy's con-
cubine.

Spring Garden Estate^ St. George's-

The overseer of this estate, Mr. Gladwidge,
was one of the mildest and most amiable men 1
ever met with ; he was deeply respected and be-
loved by every slave upon the place — he was in
fact altogether too good to be placed in the so-
ciety of planters. He was always in good
humour, and there was no flogging on the
estate by his orders— ^whatever took place in
that way was by the drivers or book-keepers.
His kindness and humanity to the sick was most
exemplary. He was at length removed from
hence to Petersfield, in St. Thomas-in-the-East,

to the mortification and regret of white and
black.

Mr. Gladwidge was succeeded by Mr. Robert
Grey Kirkland, a gentleman of considerable
abilities, a clever planter, a strict disciplina-
rian, but judicious and humane in his treatment.
I remember his once punishing two men for
robbery ; and before flogging them he told them,
*'he would rather go to the store and give them
out a half barrel of pork, than give them punish-
ment, that he hated flogging, but unfortunately
he had no other means of putting a stop to
their misconduct.''

I i^ain fell into very bad health here, and
for a long time was unable to do any thing*
Three times I sent to discharge myself, as I was
doing nothing for the salary I was receiving,
but Mr. Kirkland, in the most honourable man-
ner, insisted on my remaining till 1 could re-

cover. At last, findiDg 1 could get no better, I
finally left the estate. 1 went down to Kings-
ton with the intention of going to the island of
Cuba, where I had very good prospects ; but I
was taken so ill just at the time I was about to
embark, that I was obliged to forfeit my paissage,
and remain in the island.

Passley Garden Estate, Portland.

On my recovery I returned to Portland, and
soon afterwards received the appointment of
overseer on Passley Garden estate. It was in
chancery, and Mr. John Sutton Minot, an at-
torney-at-law in Kingston, was the receiver,
and a legatee of the estate. It was a small
place, but very fertile, and would have yielded
a valuable income, had it been properly ma-
naged. The slaves had been exceedingly ill-
treated — half starved and worn out with merci-

less floggiDg; they were squalid, meagre, and
miserable; they did not receive even the trifling
allowances ordered by law ; as to salt allow-
ances, they never saw a salt-herring from new-
year's day to Christmas. The consequence was
they did but little effective labour, and were
sadly given to theft, driven to it by sheer star-
vation ; they chiefly supported themselves by
night-fishing, and the wild fruits in the pastures.
Mr, Minot was very poor, and very capricious
in his temper; he seldom kept an overseer more
than a few months, and generally left his salary
unpaid on discharging him. Whilst I was there,
the book-keeper discharged himself, and Mr.
Minot requested me to pay him his salary. I
did so, but was never repaid. Mr. Minot died
intestate, and I never was able to recover one
farthing for my services on the estate.

Stirling Castle, St. Thomas in- the- Vale.

I was employed oo this estate, as overseer, in
Jaouary 1830. The proprietor, Mr. Kinkead,
who some years previously had left the island
with a fortune, had been compelled to return a
ruined man« His annual crops, under the ma-
nagement of his conscientious attorney, M'Innes
and a succession of ruffian tyrants of overseers,
had been reduced from 170 hogsheads down to
40 ! This was clearly caused by the bad sys-
tem of cultivation, and the murderous severity
towards the gang weakening their strength, and
diminishing their Dumber. Yet so blinded was
Mr. Kinkead, on this matter, and I believe he
still remains so, that he was constantly speaking
of Sharkey as being the best overseer that ever
managed the estate, because Sharkey had made
some large crops, yet those very large crops

were actually the ruin of the estate. This is the
way in which proprietors delude themselves* .

Od my return to this estate after a ten years*
absence, I found that nearly the whole of those
who composed the great gang ia 1820, had been
flogged into their graves by the year 1830.
This wholesale butchery was stopped from
the time Mr. Kinkead returned to the country ;
be was no lover of the whip; but his people
were in a wretchedly poor condition owing to
the extreme poverty of their master, yet they
cheerfully submitted to their privations, as
they were much attached to the old gentleman*

I succeeded a person of the name of Twy ford;
who was a drunken worthless vagabond. Mn
Kinkead told me, *' that, on one occasion Twy*
ford laid down a young fellow, named Sammy^
andgave him so dreadful a flogging as caused hira
to commit a nuisance; when the punishment

was over, Twyford had the unparalled barba-
rity ta force the mao to eat some of his own
filth." This, by the way, was not at all uncom-
mon with some of the planters in Jamaica.

Manchester Estate, Trelawney,

After being at Stirling Castle about sixteen
months I left it, and went to Trelawney, where I
was employed by Mr. Lewis, the attorney of
Manchester estate, as book-keeper, with a pro-
mise of an overseer's situation in three weeks, at
the end of crop. The overseers name was
Scanlon. I was so much confined to the still-
house» that I had no time to dine at the over-
seer's table till crop was finished. The first
Sunday after crop, several of the neighbouring
planters dined with us on the estate. About that
time the whole country was getting very much
exasperated at the spread of religion amongst

iHe slaves; and on this occasion the conversation
at table was chiefly on that subject. They rela-
ted to each other the different sorts of panish-
ment they inflicted on the ** biack rascalr' for
their praying, and going to the sectarian chapels
on Sundays. Their bitterest curses fell upon the
Baptists, and one of the missionaries (Mr«
Whitehorn) came in for the largest share of their
abuse. Nothing but his destruction would sa-
tisfy them, I felt indignant at such language,
and my feelings getting the better of my pru-
dence, I ventured to take up the cudgels for
Mr. Whitehorn and the other ministers of reli-
gion, and declared they were doing a'great deal
of good in the country, aad ought to be encou-
raged by every one. While I was speaking is
this manner I was frequently interrupted by the
loud cursing and swearing of those present, and
finding I would persevere in my remarks, they
one by one rose from the table and went away.

The sentiments I had expressed were soon con-

veyed to Mr Lewis, my employer, aDd had the
effect of stopping my promotion. He would not
discharge me openly for what I said, but perse-
cuted me, to compel me to discharge myself.

I remained for some time doing the duty of a
book-keeper, before 1 was removed, One day I
was superintending about twenty selected peo-
ple, who were digging trenches. One of them
asked me, " if I knew Mr. Wilberforce, Mr.
Macaulay, and Buxton, who, they were told,
were their friends ;'* and as they never saw me
drinking*) with the others, telling lies upon
and abusing the negroes, or cursing the parsons,
they supposed I must be their friend also* I felt
surprised and much pleased at this mark of con-
fidence, and replied* " that if they behaved them-
selves properly, their friends in England would
do good for them." They remarked, " that was
just what their minister told them," but added,
'* Pon't you see,Massa, that buckra constant pu-

oisb we, only for going to God on Sunday; or
saying our prayers in negro-house — and you
know that's not right."

Hopewell Estate, Trelawney.

I was removed from Manchester estate to
Hopewell, by order of the attorney, Lewis, in
order that I might be more effectually sickened
of my quarters. Lewis himself had formerly
been one of the most savage despots over the
slaves under his charge* when he was overseer
of Hopewell; but he was by this time a changed
man, advocating lenient measures, in all cases
excepting those connected with religion — he
would have uo mercy on those who attended dis«
senting chapels, or were guilty of praying. To
convey an idea of Mr. Charles Lewis's morality «
I need but mention that he carried on an in«
cestuous intercourse with his own daughter, a

86
girl tiamed Eliza, who was a slave on Hopewell.

A Mr. Kennedy was the overseer, He was an
ill tempered, malicious and vindictive character;
he tyrannised over both white and black. One
of the book-keepers^ named Grey, after being
harassed with incessant labour, fell sick, and
was left without the smallest care or attention
—he could not even get a drop of cold water to
cool his parched tongue. He died, and in his
dying moments he laid his death a:t Kennedy's
door.

I was sent to line cane-holes for a gang
of jobbers. It was the rainy season — for the
space of four days it rained in torrents without
ceasing; the jobbers and myself were compelled
to continue at work; they were tasked to perfoim
each a certain amount of work, without any de-
duction for weather; the consequence was that
they had to be at it from daylight till dark, with-

out even stopping for meals; they ate as tbey
could, while working; they stripped themselves
stark-naked on account of the rain, and in that
way worked the whole day. Ou the fourth day
I was seized with a severe attack of fever, from
this constant exposure, and in two days was so
alarmingly ill, that my medical attendant pro-
nounced me past recovery ; but as I had always
led an abstemious life, and had a strong consti-
tution, to the surprise of all I began to recover.
After that, I had fever and ague every second
day, which tormented me for a considerable
time. The first day I was able to leave my
room, and appear at dinner, was in the Christ-
mas week ; it was the awful period at which the
rebellion (as it was called) broke out. Shortly
after sitting down to dinner, we were startled
by the sound of a horse galloping into the yard ;
the rider instantly entered, calling out, ''the
negroes are up in rebellion, and are burning all
before them in St. James's and Hanover ; every

fnaa must immediately joio his compaoy.'* This
iotelligeDce was like an electric shock on our
company; a dead sileuce followed for several
moments; all pale and ghastly ; eating our din-
flerwas out of the question, but I could not help
laughing at their agitation and cowardice.

At last, all prepared to go down to Falmouth,
and the overseer ordered me to join them, aU
though scarcely able to walk from my room.
The negroes were very attentive to me, assisted
in my preparations, and lifted me on my horse ;
when I rode away , they took charge of my clothes,
&c. during my absence. Change of air and good
nourishment very rapidly restored me to health.

Martial Law, 1832.

I shall not pretend to enter into a minute ac*
count of the rise and progress of the fatal in-

sarrectiou amongst tbe slaves at this period, but
Mrill briefly mentioD some of the priucipal inci-
dents which occurred uuder my observation,
and some which came to my knowledge from
the most authentic sources.

On Friday, the 30th of December, three com-
panies of the Trelawney regiment, to which I
was attached, were ordered up to Good Hope
Estate, about eight miles from Falmouth ; here
they mounted guard. On the very first night
I had an opportunity of witnessing the courage
of the valiant heroes of the militia, who were as
bold as lions when torturing the poor slaves
with the whip. I was a sentry on guard, and
about ten o'clock at night a crash was heard
near the guard-house: the instant it took place
the officers, who were standing outside near me^
rushed into the guard-room, terribly alarmed,
and bolted themselves in, leaving me alone out-
side! After this there was a profound silence

for nearly fifteen minutes. I went to the place
whence the noise proceeded, and I found it was
caused by a drunken comrade, who had tumbled
against a rotten paling, which had given way
under the weight of his body! Such is the
courage of tyrants, when apprehending the re-
venge of their persecuted victims !

On Sunday^ New-year's day, martial law was
proclaimed, and we were ordered up to Golden
"Grove Estate that same night. In endeavouring
to go there by a short cut, the night being ex-
tjeedingly dark, we lost our way; and after
stumbling over one another for some hours, we
were obliged to return, and take the main road.
It was a providential circumstance that this de-
tention occurred, because it was settled that we
were to have surrounded the negro houses, and
in that case the slaughter of the innocent and
defenceless people would have been tremendous.
As it was, we did not reach the estate till day-

light. As we approached, I observed them ruD-
DiDg out of their houses iu great coofusioD ; the
militia then rushed forward, and commeDced fir-
ing iu every direction on the unarmed and unre-
sisting negroes, men and women, old and young,
indiscriminately. The ground was fortunately
exceedingly uneven, which favoured the escape
of the people. One of the head drivers, who had
been protecting his master's property all night,,
was shot through both thighs; another man,,
who was going to his work with a hoe on his
shoulder, was shot through the head, and fell
dead on the spot. Two or three others were re-
ported to have been shot, but I saw none but
these two. So wild and ungovernable was the
fury of the militia-men in seeking to destroy
the poor negroes, that, in their haste and con-
fusion in running about the negro houses, firing
in all directions, it wa« a miracle they did not
kill one another. Some of the poor people
rushed down to the overseer's house, and claim-

ed fais protectiou. He behaved very properly,
remonstrated with the cowardly raffians, and
succeeded in stopping the carnage. It mast be
remarked, that the negroes on Golden Grove
had committed no offence, they had taken no
part in the insurrection, but had been quietly
pursuing their labours ; but they were suspected
of some intention that way, on a mere idle ru-
mour of the evening before. By this outrageous
act they were driven into the woods. After
this exhibition of folly and wickedness, we re-
turned to Good Hope. That night Captain
Brown, our commanding officer, in a drunken fit
visited the guard-room, and put us through our
manoeuvres in a place scarcely large enough to
hold us. He addressed us as follows — "' Men!
we have got a challenge from the rebels. Men!
won't you follow me 1 Men ! won't you die
with your captain I Your captain will die with
you ! Now, prime and load— <make ready—pre-
sent — fire! Now, port arms— charge bayonetsV

On this the men rushed with their bayonets
to the opposite side of the room, and ran their
bayonets through the window, and smashed the
panes of glass. These drunken freaks were com-
mon throughout the disturbed district, and at
these times a score of resolute men would have
been able to destroy a hundred of these braggart
militia-men. The next morning we were march-
ed to Bunker's-Hill, and surrounded the houses
at day-break. There was only one man in the
negro village, and as he came out the whole
company fired at him, and killed him on the
spot. An old woman scarcely able to crawl
was found, and dragged before the captain, who
demanded where the negroes had gone, &c.
She declared her ignorance, on which this Cap-
tain Brown took his sword, and laid on the poor
old woman with all his strength, using the flat
side of his sword. After this we passed through
several estates, which we found deserted, and
we came to Dromily Estate, where the alarm

was given that there were rebels in the Cane-
piece. The militia was formed into line, and a
rustling being at the moment observed in the
canes, a volley was fired, by which several
cattle, which were the cause of the alarm, were
shot. We were then ordered to search the Cane-
piece : while I was engaged in this duty, I
found a stout able negro, with a cutlass in his
hand, crouching down among the canes* No
one being near, I said to him in a low tone,
** lie down where, you are, and do not move, I
won't touch you, but if you attempt to come
near me with your cutlass, I'll shoot you." The
poor man expressed his gratitude in dumb show
with his hands ; immediately afterwards several
others of the militia passed close to where the
man lay, but did not see him. I pretended that
I heard a noise in another direction, so as to
draw them off, and thus the poor fellow escaped.
After this fruitless search, the head ranger of
the estate was called, ^nd asked where the people

were concealed. He pointed out a place where
he supposed they might be ; we marched to the
spot, but found no one ; it was not to be ex-
pected that the people would remain to be
butchered in cold blood. The valiant militia
then fell upon the poor ranger; the officers beat
him with their swords, and several of the men
in the most brutal manner struck the man with
the butt end of their muskets, and smashed his
head and face, the poor fellow calling out, " O
Lord ! I beg you will shoot me one time !" He
was not, however, quite killed then, but wa»
afterwards taken to the bay, and hanged.

After this we again returned to Good Hope.
Every day afterwards we were sent on short
excursions amongst the neighbouring estates,^
to find out any of the poor blacks to put ta
death, but without effect ; they knew that no
mercy would be shown, and therefore kept out
of sight.

Some days afterwards we were ordered to
march to St, James's. We came to Barrett-Hall
estate, the property of Mr. Speaker Barrett. In
approaching the estate we met a man on the
road, who became terrified at our appearance,
and jumped over a wall to escape; the whole
company immediately fired upon him ; he was
struck but rose again, and ran, bleeding ; again
he fell, rose up again, and several times fell and
rose, running a few paces each time— ^the militia
still firing on him. At length, one of the troop-
ers sprang over the wall, went up to the poor
creature, and began to hack and chop him with
his sword, but without killing him; when finally,
one of the others finished the brutal tragedy, by
shooting him through the head«

None of the people on Barrett-Hall had left
the estate. They were all called out, and ranged
ifl a row, the men separate from the women.
The major (Dr. Neilson) demanded of the head^

driver, who it was that pulled down tho pvocla-
matioD that had been posted on the door of th«
works. He denied any knowledge about it.
Major Neilson then ordered the company to
direct their pieces at the driver, and if he of-
fered to move, to blow his brains out. Neilson
then addressed the gang, and said, " if they did
not point out the man who had doneit^ he would
shoot them from right to left;'' and turning to
the driver once more, he demanded *'who it
was;" the driver immediately pointed out a fine
handsome young fellow as the delinquent. In
an instant Neilson gave the fearful order— *'' tak^
that fellow ta the rear, and shoot him." He was
seized, and had just time to call out, '' O, Lord,
massa, don*t kill me," when just as he passed the
rear rank, a blood-thirsty wretch, named "Wat-
son, anxious to be foremost in the work of death,
levelled his gun close to my breast, the muzzW
within six inches of the poor man, and fired; th«

ball passed through his wrist, then into tb^
mouth and through the back part of his head,
and he fell dead without a groan ! The scene
that followed beggars description. The poor
slaves were overwhelmed with terror; some
threw themselves on their knees, and raised their
hands tp heaven, under the impression that the
slaughter of the whole was intended; the women
and children screamed fearfully, and the whole
of them in the most piteous manner begged that
their lives might be spared. After some fierce
threats of vengeance in case of any thing going
wrong, we were drawn off, and returned to
Bounty -Hall. On the way we were divided into
small parties hunting for negroes — ^it reminded
me of a pack of harriers on the scent after hares.
We met with no one on whom to gratify the
planter's thirst for blood.

The next place we visited was Leyden Estate,
where we slept for one night. Next morning.

when preparing iq marcb, one of the pruat^f,
named Ponal^ M'Donald, was niissji|g*9--be h^d
gone to the oegro-houses fpr the purpose of
plunder, &c* While there, he met with ^
woman, whom he delil)erately B\iet ^h^ oiigb bot^
legs, at her own door — be then robbed her of
various articles, such as gold ringsf, &c. Thiji
infamous outrage was committed with perfect
impunity. McDonald is now head-constable at
Falmouth, tit a salary of d^OO. a yei^r. These
robberies uppn the poor negroes were coipmop
throughout mftrtial law^ On ope opcasipo qjir
company visited Georgia Estate, which yy^B
quite peaceable, tbe rebellion never hav|pg
spread thus far. Tbe milijtia called there to see
if the people were at wort, And found tbem flijl
right. Notwithstajiding this, they deliberately
UUed one of the men^ a^d destroyed alltbepigPp
poultry, &c. that they coufd jGlnd, in t|ie mpet,
wanton manner; tbey theji coninieaced ruMackr
ing the uegro-houses, an^ robbed |the people pf

»2

100

their clotbes, and every valuable thing they
could carry away. One of the privates found
in the house of one of the tradesmen eight
doubloons (£42.) in gold, and took possession of
it. Lieutenant Neilson (who was afterwards my
overseer) heard of it, and had it taken from the
private: what Neilson did with it I know not,
but it was never restored to the poor slave.

From this time to the end of martial law, the
incidents which occurred were not such as re-
quire minute description. We were sent out
every day in small parties to look for negroes,
but they had retreated to the woods, and kept
out of our way. One day a man was observed
concealed in a high tree ; he was killed by a
shot, without a word being spoken to him. On
the following day, in our march we fell in with
five men, who ran off the moment they perceived
us : the whole company fired on the fugitives,
and destroyed two of them. Three days before

101

the terminatioD of martial law, I got leave of
absence to return home, as the overseer Kennedy
had died of fever since 1 left the estate.

I will now mention a few facts which, aU
though I did not witness them, were related to
me on the most unquestionable authority^

At the commencement of the insurrection,
when all the white people left the estates, a per-
son named Jones, an engineer tradesman on
Chester Castle, who was sadly addicted tp
liquor, was left drunk in his room. The rebels
came to the estate, surrounded the buildings^
and set fire to them. While they were burning,
Jones was discovered, and was dragged out un-
hurt ; some of the people called out, '' don't hurt
him, he never trouble poor nega!*' They got
him his hat, his arms, ammunition and accoutre-
ments, and delivered them up to liim, without
abstracting asingle cartridge. He could scarcely

Walk, ti« was so dIruDk ; but tbey led fiittd to tb«
gA%e^ and pushed bim outside, atad told bim to
go aud join the other White people, (6f if he
stopped with them, it might cause him to be
suispected. When he reached the militia is^ation,
his ^olnlrade^ were spebulatiDg t>ti his protaibi^
fate, prefdicting that thie niegtoes would to acer*
tainty destroy him, perhaps with cruel torture!

On aJ^otber occasion a i^bite carpenter w^its
hi the int^or, and had no me&nd of joining his
tomp^iiy without coming in contact with the
rebels, and therefore dare not lnali:e the attempt;
in this state he Wai^ met with by Behaney, the
captain of the tebfels, who was acquainted with
hfitii. Dehaney not only^roWected him from in-
jli¥y, b%t escdrted Inm through bye "paths, and
deliV^^^ell hiin \9iatfely to bis cetapiany, aftcrtwards
rettttnlitg to his 6wn party to carry on the waN
fer^. Yet this poo^ m«ti aftet being taken, tried
by H iidutt-ebfiirtial, aliiA ecmdeinned to death

103

(execution following sentence witkin a few mi-
nutes), when he requested to be allowed to ap-
pease the goawings of hunger before going to
the scaffold, and while eating a piece of bread
in perfect calmness, the executioner was or*
dered, by some of the officers, to drag him away
before he had finished the morsel. The man
went up to Dehaney with the rope, on which
was a running noose, and throwing it over his
head as if he had been a horse, pulled it with a
violent jerk, saying, " Come away with you !"
and thus dragged him out of the court-house, to
the scaffold in front of the building. This piece
of heartless brutality created a lond laugh
amongst the gentlemen assembled.

I will close this aceount by relating a scene
which occui;red on the last day of martial law.
The company to which I had been attached was
returning home~I bad already left them. They
stopped on Flamstead estate for the nighty and

104

divided themselves into parties among the caoe-
pieces, stopping in thefewhuts that remained un-
bnrnt. One party, in approaching a hut, met with
fivenegroes coming out of it ; two of them were
shot dead, the others escaped. Another party fell
in with a fine young man, about twenty years of
age ; they took him prisoner, and told him at the
peril of his life to tell where the rest of the
people were : he said they were scattered up
and down every where, looking for officers to
give them protection. They took him with
them to the hut they were going to occupy,
and made him get up the fire and cook for them ;
after which they made him sleep in the hut
along with themselves, sentries keeping guard,
and patrolling through the cane piece at night.
Next morning at day-break, the poor fellow
was called out of the hut by a private named
Wilkinson^ who immediately made a deadly
plunge at him with his fixed bayonet, with the
intention of running him through the body^

105

Tbe youDg mao sprang aside, and laid hold of
the guD by the muzzle. The instaDt he did so,
Wilkinson fired ; the ball entered his hand ob-
liquely, and passed upwards, tearing up the arm
as far as the shoulder, where it passed out.
The poor fellow thus wounded, still clung to
thegun with a death grasp, calling out, '* Massa
don't, don't kill me-^on'tkillme — ^this death too
hot." As Wilkinson could not extricate his gun^
he called out to Lieut. Dalryraple, who was
coolly looking on without interfering, to lend
him a pistol, to shoot the man ; Dalrymple re^
fused to do this, but he lent him his sword, with
which Wilkinson commenced cutting and slash-
ing with one hand while holding the gun with the
other — still the roan did not fall; at last another
private named Coultard came up and ran his
bayonet through the man's heart ! immediately
after this, this same Coultard, in going through
another part of the cane piece, met one of the
Serjeants with a prisoner under his charge with*

106

6ttt saying one word, Conltard lowered bis mus-i
ket, rushed upon the man, and drove his bayonet
through his body.

The scenes here depicted will convey to the
reader a faint idea of the horrid butchery that
prevailed for several weeks, in all parts of the
parishes of St. James's and Trelawney.

I may here just observe, that from all I could
gather from the negroes themselves, as well as
others, the overt acts of rebellion, such as firing
the estates, &c., were almost exclusively con.
fined to a few runaways, who had for years
been living in fastnesses in the interior, where
they had been driven by murderous persecution,
and that the great mass of the slaves on the
estates, who were denounced and treated as
rebels, had merely left the estates to avoid being
murdered by the savage and reckless militia-
men. All that was designed, by the people on

107

(b* ^estates, Was to lay down their boes and
strike work.

It is a great coDsolation to we to reflect, thai,
tbrouglioiit tke rebellioa, although 1 was iJD ihe
fiiidst of sach scenes of carnage, I iieTer once
pointed a gun at a negro, nor ever hurt a hair
of oae of tbei^r heads. AU my inclinatioDs, in
foot, were to have joined with the unfortunate
people,had I seeethe smallest chance of success.

T returned to .Hopewell estate, and lived under
George Neilson, who obtained the appointment
of overseer after the death ot Kennedy. Neil-
son was a drunkard^ and the most deceitful and
treacherous man I ever met with. He was ex-
ceedingly cruel to the slaves, when sober; but
Wh^ti drunk, was disgustingly familiar. His
whole system of management was one of in*
tfigue and espionage — he could do nothing
straightforward— all was done by craft and low

108

cuDDiog ; but I shall only Deed to meDtibo the
termination of his career, to shew his true cha-
racter. He was discharged from Hopewell,
shortly after which he was apprehended for
robbing the mail, was brought to trial, and found
guilty, but recommended to mercy by a jury of
planters. He was sentenced to transportation*
On his arrival in England, Mr. William Miller
interceded for him with government, and ob-
tained his pardon ! Had it been a black or a
brown man who had done the same deed, tor-
turing to death by slow fire would not have
been too bad for him.

After martial law, the planters observed no
limits in their barbarity to the slaves. Their
labours were increased, and the most fearful
punishments followed the most trivial ofienc^s,
often no ofience at all. The condition of the
people was infinitely worse than before ; and
had not the British public stepped forward to

109

put an end to the system, I am certain the slaves
would have been driven to repeat the attempt to
break their yoke, and perhaps with far more
disastrous consequences.

I discharged myself from Hopewell, and be-
came so disgusted with the planting line, that I
made up my mind to leave it altogether. I com-^
roenced a little business on my own account,
near Stewart's Town ; but, as 1 had only a
small capital, it was soon sunk in speculations,
and as the planters in the neighbourhood were
entirely against me, I was unable to succeed. I
pass over the succeeding years up to the middle
of 1836, during which space I was in various
capacities, straggling to obtain a livelihood.

Peru Estate.

In May, 1836, 1 was employed by Mr. R. Z.
Hemming, on Peru Estate, as overseer. The

apprenticeship system, was, of course, at this
time, ia operatioo. The eertate had been very
much neglected, and the people were in a sad
state of poverty and destitution, as regards .pro*
visions. Yet notwithstanding this, Mr. Hem-
ming directed me to turn the cattle into the
negro grounds, under the pretence tba^ they
were trenching on the cane-pieces. This excuse
for his unfeeling conduct was without founda*
tlon, as only in one or two points there w^ a
trespass of a few feet, and for this the whole of
the grounds were to be destroyed, I delayed
doing as I was told, for two months, and was
then compelled to comply with the order. The
consequence was, that one of my horses and a
<;ow were destroyed immediately afterwards in
the pasture, under the idea that the destruction
of their grounds was my wilful act, although I
bad explained to them that it was the positive
order of Hemming, whom they supposed inca-
pable of an act of such meanness and crueltf*

Ill

This very matter was actually the origin of Mr.
R. Z. Hemming's discharging me from the situ-
ation ; for although he gave me the order in
the most peremptory manner, and repeated it
several times, yet he wished me to take the re-
sponsibility on my own shoulders, so as to save
him from disgrace at the government-house, the
estate being in chancery*

As a specimen of Mr. R. Z. Hemming's ht^nestyy
I will lay before the reader the following facts.
A book-keeper, named Hughes, was leaving the
estate, a balance of salary being due to him of
£7. As Mr. Hemming lived at a considerable
distance from Peru, in order to save poor Hughes
so long a journey, I paid him the amount, and
took his receipt, on the part of the property, —
in fact in Mr. Hemming's name, as if he had
paid it. This receipted account I put into the
hands of a merchant (Mr. Lyon), of Falmouth,
to receive the amount from Hemmiug; enclosed

112

the receipt to Mr. H., and requested payment,
bat Mr. R. Z. Hemming kept the receipt^ aad re-
fused to pay oue farthing of the £7, The next
case is even worse than this. A carpenter be-
longing to the estate named Reeder, had been
employed, in his own time, to repair the roof of
the hospital. I attested the account, and re-
ceipted it for the man, and then enclosed it in a
letter to Mr. Hemming, requesting him to trans-
mit the amount to the apprentice. Mr. Hem«r
ming kept the receipt, but never sent the money ;
and twelve months afterwards I learned that he
had never paid the amount to the poor appren-
tice- When applied to by my successor, he
replied, ^* / have paid the money ^ because I find
I have the receipt for it r*

The whole gang had been employed, in their
own time, during crop, to work for wages, —
and after crop Hemming sent his clerk, under
the pretence of settling the estate's accounts,

118

Instead of paying the people in money, be gavt
them slips of paper, a sort of I O XJ*s, although
I had previously warned the people not to take
them. They were neve f paid. On Mr. Hemming's
next visit to the estate, I drew his attention to
the fact, and the people applied to him for pay-
ment ; he replied, he had nothing to do with it,
said he had given the clerk the money, and
therefore he supposed the clerk's arrangements
were satisfactory. Thus were the poor negroes
robbed of the fruits of their industry, and Mr.
Hemming had not sufficient regard for appear-
ances to discharge the clerk; he retained him in
his employ, perhaps to do the same elsewhere!

I had a parcel of carpenters tools, remaining
out of my stock in trade. The estate was very
much in want of tools, and 1 sold them to it, to
the amount of about £20. currency. On leaving
I sent to Hemming an order for the payment,—

114

he refased to pay, and re/used to let me take the
tools back !

York Estate, Trelawney.

I was employed as head book-keeper here for
ten or eleven months, during which time nothing
occurred that requires particular notice. The
apprenticeship was easier in this quarter than
in almost any other, owing, I believe, to the
planter*s dread of the Rev. Mr. Knibb, who
never failed to expose their evil deeds*

York estate has been ruined by large crop's,
and excessively bad management ; the labourers
have been worn down by hard labour and the
most outrageous persecution. On this head I
could say much, but it would occupy too much
space and time. I was discharged from York

115

without any reasoa/beiog assigned ; and when
I applied to Mr. Bridges^ the attorney, for the
reason, he refused it, saying, *' You may blame
yourself ; ask your own conscience." I was
unconscious of having done any thing at all im-
proper, but 1 afterwards learned that the real
cause of my dismissal was this :— I had been
speaking my opinions very freely to one of the
head apprentices on the estate, against the'
planters in general, and in favour of the Baptist
ministers, as also of my intention to come home
to expose matters. Some time after this I had
a dispute with this man, when he, under the
influence of passion, went to the overseer, told
him 1 had been speaking against him and the
attorney, as .to their management of the estate,
as also the overseer's mistress and others. This
was enough, and I was discharged a day or two
after. This sort of treachery I have occasion-
ally met with amongst the negroes, but I look

116

oil it as the mere effect of slavery. 1 afterwards
lound that the man was not esteemed by bi^
lellow-apprentices ; he was considered generally
deceitfuL

Latium Estate, St James's.

I was engaged here as book-keeper, under
one William Tinling, Mr. Henry Hunter being
the attorney. The apprentices were very much
oppressed, both by the overseer and the special
magistrate. Although task work was forbidden
by law, except with consent of the labourers,
it was imposed on the gangs at Latium, and
strictly enforced by the magistrate. The task
put on the people was sometimes heavier than
ever the people had been compelled to do in
slavery. On one occasion I was ordered to line
cane-pieces for the second gang, at the rate of
ten labourers to the acre ; that is, giving to each

117

300 cane roots, at four feet square, to clean and
trash per day. This would have been con-
sidered ^a very full day's work in slavery, when
they were kept at it twelve or thirteen hours
per day, and when the fields were only mode-
rately foul ; but in this instance, not only was
the cane-piece full of high grass, which in-
creased the amount of heavy toil, but, in con-
sequence of my being compelled to measure
their work by the acre, I was under the necessity
of exacting 400 instead of 300 cane holes per
day. The consequence was, that the poor peo-
ple could not perform the task set them, al-
though they kept at work, with scarcely a
moment's cessation, from day-light till dark. I
was much hurt at hearing them, all through the
day, abusing and muttering their complaints
against me, on the ground that I was cheating
them, which was very true, but I could not help
it. as T was bound to obey orders. I therefore
spoke to the driver, and told him that it was

118

altogether agaidst my wish to put soch a task
upon the people, but that if I did not do it, I
should be discharged, and whoever succeeded
me would be obliged to do the same thing, con-
sequently they would be no better off, and 1
should be thrown out of employment. The
driver mentioned this to the people, and from
that time they ceased to complain against me.
When Mr. Carnaby next visited the estate, they
made a formal complaint, that they were tasked
beyond their strength, and requested him to
have justice done to them. Mr. Carnaby refused
to entertain their complaint, and insisted on
their performing the full amount of labour
required. He did this, no doubt, to save him-
self the trouble of investigating the matter, and
to avoid any collision with the overseer or
attorney; for Mr. Carnaby, like many others,
cared little for the rights or interests of the
poor negroes, if he could only keep on good
terms with the planters.

119

It was really shameful to see how the people
were imposed upon. Even the third gang, con-
sisting of young children from nine to twelve
years of age, were tasked to do an amount of
work which kept them from dawn of day till
dark at night, without giving them time to eat
a single meal ; and this they were obliged to do
in all weathers. It has often made my heart
ache to see the little creatures, after working
all day in the heavy rain, returning at night,
shivering with cold and hunger. It is uot to
be supposed that the negroes who have been
treated in this manner could ever settle down
quietly under such managers, when free to
choose their own masters. It was the duty of
the magistrates to prevent this (sort of oppres-
sion, but that was a duty which very few of
the magistrates bad the honesty or courage
to perform.

Mr. Carnaby 19 an improper person to hold

120

tbe situatioD of special magistrate. I was once
present when he was holdiDg his court on
Latium estate, when a young woman in the last
stage of pregnancy was brought before him, for
refusing to continue at "work. He threatened
to send her to the house of correction; on
which she alluded to the state she was in, and
openly reminded him that he was the father of
the child !

But the following story^ which was related to
me on very good authority, is much worse. Mr.
Carnaby one evening went to WilliamslSeld
estate, with the overseer of which (a Mr. Brown)
he was on intimate terms, and remained there
for the night. When retiring to bed, a young
woman, one of the domestics in the house, was
ordered to light him to his room. The overseer
accompanied him to the door, and, before the
girl had time to get out of the room, he locked
the door outside, leaving the girl exposed to the

121

brutal lust of the magistrate! There can be do
reasonable doubt but that it was a precoDcerted
plan between the two friends, as such was
a common practice in slavery. How far Mr.
Carnaby was criminal, as regards actual force,
I cannot say ; but the girl's clothes were torn
from her back, and the following morning the
mother of the girl made so serious a disturbance^
about the matter, that Mr. Carnaby deemed it
prudent to give her a sura of money, amounting,
I was told, to £30., to prevent exposure at the
Government House.

The overseer of Latium estate, Tinling, was
a notorious gambler, and such was his passion
for it, that, when he had no better company, he
used to send at night to invite (which was tan**
tamount to ordering) the book-keepers to comer
in, and play at cards with him. He was up to^
all the petty trick s and frauds of the game, and
of course, always won. One of my brother

122

book-keepers lost at different times to the
amount of £11. ; and I, in the same way, was
let in for upwards of £6, three pounds of which
remained unpaid. I was disgusted with these
proceedings, and refused to go on any longer ;
and shortly afterwards, having a dispute with
my brother book-keeper, on account of his
attempting to throw the blame of his careless,
ness on my shoulders, I discharged myself from
the situation. On presenting my account to
•Mr. Hunter, the attorney, he mentioned that he
had been requested by Mr. Tinling to stop £3.
out of my salary, which he said I owed to him.
I asked Mr* Hunter if he was aware of the
nature of the debt, that it was a gambling trans-
action. He said he knew it, but that made no
difference, he should hold back the amount : to
this I objected, and insisted on being paid the
full amount of my salary, and expressed my
determination to bring the matter into court.
Mr. Hunter, however, persisted in refusing to

123

pay me, unless 1 submitted to the deduction* I
therefore applied to the Clerk of the Peace, and
instructed him to institute the necessary pro-
ceedings; which had the desired effect. Mr.
Hunter was afraid of such a disgraceful affair
being brought before open court, and therefore
sent me the full amount of my account ; and aft
to Mr. Tinling's pretended claim, I never paid
it, and never intend to do so, as he gave orders
to the attorney for the stoppage of £5, the
amount of his gambling debt, out of my salary ,^
and without my knowledge, which I looked
upon as a base fraud.

Flower Hill Estate, St. James.

This was the last estate with which I had
any connection. I was employed here by the
attorney, Mr. Walcott, in January last (1838)^
and remained until the end of April. A Mr*.

124

Faucus was the overseer. I have little or no-
thing particular to report respecting the treat-
ment of the people, as I was so much involved
in trouble myself, that I had no leisure for
general observation. I had here to witness
a disgraceful specimen of the wanton destruc-
tion of the property of absentee proprietors,
which has been but too common at all periods
amongst agents and overseers.

When first I went to Flower Hill, there was
a young man, named Charles Moulton, who was
book-keeper in the still-house. The overseer
and he quarrelled, which led to his discharge,
and I was appointed to succeed him in the still-
house. ' After a little time, Faucus, suspecting
that I continued on friendly terms with Moul-
ton and being of a most implacable and vindic-
tive temper, did all in his power to annoy and
injure me. The reputation of a book-keeper in
the still-house depends on his making a fiB^ir

125

proportion of rum to the sagar crop ; if he make
less than the proportion, he is considered unfit
for promotion, and yet his means of accom-
plishing it are left entirely to the caprice of the
overseer, who may throw a thousand obstacles
in the way of justice being done. In this way
many a young man, who has come under the
displeasure of his overseer, has been entirely
ruined. In this instance, Faucus commenced
by ordering me to set the liquor according to
his instructions, and not by my own plans. To
this 1 assented, on the understanding that he
would bear me harmless should any deficiency
arise, which he readily promised in presence of
the distillers. He then directed me to mix the
molasses with water, at the rate of fifty per cent,
and sometimes more, to which I was to add a
little dunder. He allowed very little of the
skimmings of the coppers, as the principal part
was given to the mules and hogs. By this pro-
cess one might have supposed he intended to

126

make Dotbing but Yinegar. I was coRfident
that it was not done through ignorance, but
from a settled design ta destroy the rum crop,
in order to ruin the book-keeper* 1 waited
patiently to see the result of his folly ; and out
of upwards of thirteen puncheons of molasAeSy
we only procured three hundred gallons of rum
instead of one thousand gallons, causing a loss
to the proprietor of no less than seven hundred
gallons, in about three weeks. Immediately
after this, a young man was sent to succeed me
in the still-house; but, after only three days
trial, he threw up the situation in disgust, and I
was again put back into the same occupation,
but with the determination to be no longer
instrumental in destroying the produce of a
property where I was obtaining my bread* I
therefore made every effort to preserve the
sweets from destruction. The races at Montego
Bay engaged the overseer*s attention, which
enabled me to carry on my own plans. During

127

bis absence 1 set up liquor in a proper manner,
and from eigbt tbousand gallons of wash I ob-
tained eight puncheons of rum, by which means
the crop was in some measure redeemed, though
still considerably below the mark. My repre-
sentations to Mr. Walcott, the attorney, pro-
duced no amendment. This is only one, out of
the many hundred cases that occur in Jamaica
eyery.year, where the absentee proprietor sus-
tains serious loss, through the caprice or villany
of his agent or oTerseer.

I was now determined to put into execution
the plan which 1 had for several years back
resolved upon, of coming to England, to lay
before the public, and particularly absentee
proprietors, what I knew of the proceedings of
the Jamaica planters; and for this purpose I
sold all I possessed to enable me to pay my
passage, &c. At the time of my leaving, I had

128

no idea of the appreoticesbip being put an end
to so early ; but, as that has happily been
effected, I have considered it unnecessary to
occupy much of the reader's time with the
details of that system, but will just say, that,
although, in many respects, the apprenticeship
was far less atrocious than slavery, yet, in
many other respects, the generality of the
negroes were in a more destitute and miserable
condition than formerly. The magistrates very
seldom gave them any protection, and the over-
seers, as they could not flog and tear the flesh
of their victims, constantly vented their spite in
the most dreadfully abusive and obscene lan-
guage, which always hurts the feelings of the
negroes even more than corporal punishment.
The bad feeling which existed during slavery
between the labourers and managers, has in
most instances been increased instead of dimi-
nished under the apprenticeship ; and I am

129

confident that there will be neither peace nor
prosperity in the country, while the present
race of overseers continue to reside there.

I rrow think it proper to make a few general
remarks on the character and conduct of resi*
dent proprietors, estates, attorneys, overseers,
and book-keepers, illustrating the same with a
few anecdotes respecting various well-known
persons. This will enable parties at home to
judge how far such men ought to be entrusted
with the charge of properties, now that so much
depends on a good understanding between th«
land-owners and the labourers.

RESIDENT PROPRIETORS,

133

RESIDENT PROPRIETORS.

The resident proprietors in Jamaica, were
very few in number ; but their conduct in gene-
ral was far from being unexceptionable. Take
the following as a sample of the cases, which,
but for my limited space, I might have ad-
duced.

Mr. Coots, Montego Bay.
The above gentleman was a married man, and.

134

bad property at Montego Bay, on which he
kept an overseer ; but although married, every
female upou his property was compelled to yield
to his bestial and lustful desires. Such youug
females, as from fear of their mistress, or defi-
ciency of age, resisted his approaches, were, at
his direction, placed in the stocks by the over-
seers, and the key of the hospital was then sent
to him. In this place of concealment, he visited
the objects of his passion, and accomplished his
diabolical purpose npon these defenceless fe-
males, whilst their feet were loaded with
shackles of iron. There was an example for
his* children growing up to maturity !

Mr. Richard P. Martin, St. Thomas-in-
the-Vale.

Mr. Richard Palmer Martin, proprietor of
Mount Sion plantation, as also of other pro-

135

perties, was for many years a magistrate in the
island of Jamaica. He too was a married man ;
but at one time be purchased his own daughter,
a mulatto, from the Water Valley estate, in the
parish of St. Mary's, and brought her to
Mount Sion, where he resided with his wife and
family. As this young female grew up, she was
compelled to yield to her unnatural father's in-
cestuous desires, and had several children by
him. But the evil did not rest here ; for, as
afterwards appeared, he had other children by
his quadroon daughters : thus leaving, at the
time of his death, mustees ; all of whom were
grand-cbildren, or the great grandrchildren of a
black woman, and he himself the father. So
wickeid and barbarous was this monster in
human shape, that, for the most trifling offence,
be would cause pitch caps to be placed upon
the heads of his peofde, and afterwards direct
them to be dragged off by force ; thus leaving
the bleediag victims in the ^ost excruciating

136

agooies. In trayelling, he always boasted of
carrying pistols by his side; and even in his
hours of retirement he was never unarmed. As
his life was that of an outcast from society, so
bis death was a matter of public rejoicing to all
in his neighbourhood.

Messrs. Manderson, Spence and Co.
Montego Bay.

The above firm, who were residing for many
years in the parish of St. James*s, at Montego
Bay, and who were trading as merchants be-
tween the islands of Jamaica and Cuba, had a
sloop in their possession which was nicknamed
" Blackbird," on account of its being employed
to convey slaves, which had been kidnapped in
Jamaica, to the island of Cuba for sale. For
the promotion of their abominable traffic, they
employed a negro, called ** Ned," belonging to

137

Mr. Davis, of that town, to whom they gave
certain sums of money for each slave he could
induce to go on board. His plan was, wheo
they were once on board, to give them plenty to
eat and drink ; after which they fell asleep, and
in all probability did not awake till the follow-
ing morning; at which time, to their great sur-
prise, " Ned" was gone, and they themselves
were far out at sea. Such persons were never
taken on board until the evening of the day on
which the vessel was cleared out from the cus-
tom-house, and consequently they set sail the
same night for Cuba. This traffic continued
for several years, and slaves in every quarter of
the district were missing, the owners of whom
supposed them to have fled to the woods as run-
aways. At length, however, Ned succeeded in
inducing the servant, or butler, of Mr. Perry,
the custos of the parish, to go and sup with him
on board the "Blackbird," for whom he had
reserved the same fate as the rest. This young:

138

man, by his activity and pleasing manners, soon
rose in the esteem of his new Spanish masters,
and as a natural result was allowed much more
liberty than that which was granted to his
fellow-slaves. Of this liberty he availed himself;
and, though at imminent risk, seized upon a
canoe, and, taking a few bottles of water with
him, set out one night for Jamaica. He was
taken up at sea, and conveyed in safety to his
former master, to whom he explained the nature
of his capture ; and at the same time informed
him that he had seen many others upon the
island, who were supposed to be run-aways, but
who had been captured in a similar manner. A
slave court was ordered, and the evidence being
of the most convincing nature, poor '• Ned*' was
found guilty, and sentenced to be hung before
the Messrs. Manderson and Co/s door, whilst
the promoters of this odious traffic escaped oa
the ground of the inadmissibility of slave evi-
deQ<ce against the whites. Many of the poor

139

people, who were thus robbed of their slaves »•
were compelled to sell their little properties,
and run into debt ; whilst some of them, to the
no small mortification of their feelings, had to
return to a state of dependence upon their slave-
relations. Such was the robbery committed
upon the poor by men of affluence and of sup-
posed respectability ; but by men upon whose-
heads the blighting curse of the defenceless and.
the orphan will continue to rest.

Estate Attorneys

Absentee proprietors consign the management
of their estates to agents, who are here called
attorneys. Some of these persons represent the
interests of twenty or thirty estates, and conse-
quently have great influence in the island.
Some years ago, it was the practice of young
attorneys to endeavour to rival each other im

140

the production of large sugar crops ; by wbicfa
some of them subsequently distiuguished them-
selves as planters of the first class. For the
immediate promotion of that object, these attor-
neys employed overseers, remarkable for their
blood-thirsty cruelty. S'uch overseers, though
divested of the feelings of humanity, were deno-
minated able planters. Their plan was this : —
an arrangement was entered into between the
overseer and the attorney, as to the number of
hogsheads of sugar which would be required ; a
good salary with every thing necessary to aid
in the prosecution of his object, was promised :
the overseer, therefore, regardless of every ob-
stacle, determines to allow nothing to interfere
with his interests. His failure to produce the
requisite supply, after such an arrangement
with the attorney, would end, not only in his
being discharged, but in his being reported
throughout the island as unfit to command.—
With such motives operating upon the mind of

141

a man, by do means alive to the tender sensi-
bilities of our common nature, it is easy to per-
ceive, that, where his interests were immediately
concerned, neither treachery, bribery, nor any
species of villany, would be left unemployed.
From his book-keepers, his head labourers, and
his domestics, he would at all times hear such
stories, whether true or false, as would furnish
him with a pretext, either to discharge or to
torture, as the case may be, such persons as
were under his command. The consequence
was, that one book-keeper was watching ano-
ther; the head people and domestics were view-
ing each other with an eye of jealousy ; and all,
by the meanest and most despicable stratagems,
were endeavouring to ingratiate themselves in
the esteem of the overseer. No one was secure
from misrepresentation. From the highest to
the lowest every one was equally exposed. Du-
ring the time of making these forced crops, the
labourers were driven with the cart-whip from

142

iDoroing till night ; cartmeD, mulemen, and
watchmeD were employed with the least possible
intervals for rest ; and even grass-cutters, from
seventy years old and upwards, w^re exposed
to the same barbarous atrocities. This may be
taken as a true picture of every estate on the
island, where a forced crop was attempted.

I should here remark, that, for the moat part,
the estates upon which forced crops were at-
tempted, were such as have been previously
greatly neglected, or s uch as embrace a large
quantity of virgin land, which at all times is
exceedingly productive. Such estatea, under
an effective gang of labourers, will continue to
yield these crops for eight or ten successive
years ; after which period they begin to show
symptoms of complete exhaustioB. The pro-
prietor, perhaps, has at this time some heavy
engagement to meet with his banker, or others;
and calculating, upon his returns of sugar being

143

equal to those of the preceding years, his ar-
rangementa for meeting these demands are made
accordingly. He writes to his attorney, stating
the presdng nature of his engagements, and
hoping that, by a favourable season and a good
crop, he shall be able to meet them. More cane
land is now planted than the labourers are able
to manage; the most horrid cruelties are re-
sorted to by the overseen^, under the san-ction
of the attorneys ; and, from the destructtoti of
stock consequent upon this system of forcing,
the property becomes ultimately involved.

But let me here descend a littte more to par-
ticulars. On every estate in the island of Ja-
maica> where large crops area* object, all other
improvements are entirely neglected. No atten-
tioH is paid to fences, to the clearing of pasture
lands, or to the repairs of the buildings. Large
cane fields are planted without manure ; weeds
are seen luxuriating in the midst of the canes.

144

as they grow up, and all classes, old and young,
are out at work, under the scourge of the lash,
from four in the morning until dark at night.
The overseer, perhaps, expecting about this
time a visit from the attorney, rides round the
estate, and observing the dirty state of the
^^^p^»s takes summary vengeance upon the la-
bourers. To complain under such circum-
stances would only be to ensure an increase
of punishment. They therefore tamely submit
never daring so much as to offer a single remon-
strance.

But this is not all ; the disastrous effects of
this system of management present themselves
to the eye in whatever direction it is turned.
For, in the first place, under this system of
management, the whole of the buildings in the
space of eight or ten years, either require
general repair^ or what is more frequently the
case, to be entirely rebuilt. Secondly, the cant

145

land in every direction is completely worn out.
Thirdly, the trace of a fence is not to be seen on
the estate. And fourthly, the roads are impas^^
sable; the pasture lands covered with under-*
wood; the cattle pens inadequately supplied
with fodder ; and the labourers' grounds almost
entirely neglected, from their being unable,
after the toil and barbarity to which they have
been subjected by their task^masters for six
days out of the seven, to cultivate them. The
absentee by this time begins to discover, from
tbc^ decrease of crops, and from the death of
labourers and of stock, that his property is fast
hastening to ruin. The attorney is then dis-
charged, and his successor in all probability at
once discharges the overseer. An accurate
account of the condition of every thing belong-
ing to the estate is then taken ; and the pro-
prietor discovers, when it is too late, that his
property, which ten years ^ago would have

148

parish at the time ; and have frequently heard,
both from the black and white people under his
control, that merely a word from his lips would
strike terror into their very hearts. By an
unsparing use of the lash, he succeeded in
making forced crops ; and as a reward for his
merit, he was appointed to the attorneyship of
Arcadia estate, on which he lived. At this
time he purchased a gang of negroes for him-
self, among whom was a violent and ferocious
Ebo, whom he afterwards converted into his
driver. This monster in human shape never
carried a whip, but a bludgeon ; and with this
fwhen aroused by a deficiency of work, or even
/by a slighter cause, he would not hesitate to
^spatter the brains of the wretched victims, on
'the ground. Two or three cases of this kind,
/perhaps, would occur in the course of the year,
^ without the slightest legal enquiry as to the cause
/of these poor people's death. All this, it must
be understood, was done under the sanction

149

of Mr. Miller, who on one occasion, as is said,>
put a negro man into a puncheon with old nails,^
and then gave orders to ha?e him rolled down a\
steep hill into a sink-hole at the bottom, which <
was the common receptacle for the bodies of all s
such as were murdered upon that estate. ^

In spite of these atrocious barbarities, or
rather as the result of them, Mr. Miller after-
wards became the most extensive attorney on
the island. His recommendation would place
any man in any capacity he might wish ; whilst
on the other hand, his wrath would entail de-
struction upon any one who should happen to
be the unfortunate victim of it. On all proper-
ties that were under his control, he exercised
his ferocious barbarity, by forcing large crops,
which reduced the estate's capital by the death
of negroes and stock: — consequently the estates
fell into the grasp of a mortgagee. When the
merchant who supplied the estate was the prin-

150

cipal creditor of the absent proprietor, and who
hoped shortly to come into possession of the
estate, either by transfer or purchase, therefore
the cultiyation of cane on all such estates was
entirely neglected, until they fell into the pos-
session of the merchant; after which period the
faithful agent would double his crops. By this,
and siihilar plans, the interest of th^ absent
proprietor was invariably sacrificed to the mer-
chant's interest, as the agency of the estates
was generally obtained through merchants.—-
While thus preparing an estate for the hammer,
both the attorney and overseer seldom fail in
making a fortune, Mr. Miller's favourite over-
seers made large fortunes :-*^he himself amassed
a princely one before be left for England, in
1833.

William Miller, jun., the natural son of the
above Mr* Miller, is now an attorney in Jamaica,
and is remarkable for his ferocious disposition.

161

In 1833, a gentleman having taken up a black
labourer belonging to Steelfield estate, of which
Mr. Miller, jun. is attorney, and having sent
him as a deserter to Mr. Miller's house, Mr«
Miller walked deliberately to the door, and
desiring the man who was in charge of the hos-
pital to bring four people and his whip, he first
turned to the poor runaway, and said, " 1 will

now suck your blood, you ;*' and then

turning his attention to the four men who had
been brought from the hospital, he had him laid
down and flogged before bis eyes to such a de-
gree, that he was carried to the hospital, where
he shortly afterwards died. This person is now
an extensive attorney :— how far he deserves to
be trusted with such an office, I leave my
readers to judge.

Mr. James M'Donald, who also lived in the
parish of Trelawney, was, next to Mr. William
Miller, sen., the most extensive attorney on the

162

island. The estates of which he Was attorney
he seldom visited more than once a year, and
that was usnally at the time of serving out clotb
to the labourers. Three-fourths of the estates
committed to his charge were involved in ruin.
Unwilling to allow his overseers sufficient cattle
to produce the requisite supply of manure, the
cane land of course grew worse and worse; and
in order to keep up the crops, a large number of
acres were planted, from which, however, the
returns would be scarcely more than adequate
to the expence of cultivation ; from land, espe-
cially in a tropical climate, requiring more than
double the amount of labour to produce even
less than an average crop. This extra labour
was not only attended with increased cruelty,
but with a fearful decrease in the amount of
labourers and stock. The cause of this de-
crease, however, was artfully concealed from
the proprietors by fictitious entrances in the
estate books. But in this plan of procedure

I5i

Mr. McDonald was not peculiar. IVIost of the
overseers in the neighbourhood of the estates
under his management causing the blood of the
labourers to flow in the cane-fields to such an
extent, that hundreds of the unfortunate suf-
ferers, horror-struck at the craclcing sound of
the whip in the morning, would rush to the
woods, and there remain till they perished.

Mr. M'Keoy was joint attorney with Mr.
M'Donald for several properties in the parishes
of St. Mary and Trelawney. He, like most
of the other attorneys, had risen from the rank
of book-keeper, from having distinguished him-
self as a man of an unfeeling and tyrannical
disposition. Having left St. Mary's to take
charge of York and 6ale*s Valley estates, the
property of Mr. Morrant Gale, he practised the
most horrid species of discipline among his
labourers. In the course of a single week, he
would adopt three or four distinct modes of

154

punishmeDt; soEpetimes laying them on aUdder;
at other tioies lushing them to fout p^s fasteped
on the ground; and at others extending the
arms and legs between two cart-wheels, so that
they might not be able to resist the force of the
lash. The daughters and wives of the labourers
were obliged to submit to his brutal and lustful
caprice; after which, perhaps, in a moment of
jealousy, he would strife, upon the slightest
deficiency in estate labour, to render them the
objects of torture which baffles description. So
great was his cruelty on York estate, that he
not only pearly annihilated the estate labourers,
but he may be regarded as a principal insti-
gator of the disturbances which preceded mar-
tial law in 1833; — from bis having driven so
many labourers into the woods, who, famished
with hunger and maddened with revenge, rushed
forth from their hiding place, and applied the
ioceudiary torch to the properties of their hated
and detestable oppressors, Mr. M'Keoy was

155

called by the plaoters, or white |jeopl<9, Meagre
Fury^ a cognomen ' which he richly merited.
The estate is a fine one, and possesses in itself
all the elements of improtrenient, but is one of
the worst managed estates in Jamaica.

It would be fitearcely credible, except to those
who haTe been eye* witnesses of the fact, that
the appoiatfnent of book-^keepers of such san-
guinary dispositions, and unparalleled tyranny,
to higher official situations, should hare been so
uniform ; nor can it be accounted for upon any
other principle, than that of the ignorance of
the proprietors, and the base dtssimulation of the
men themselves. Were the proprietors ac-
quainted with the true character of their attor-
neys, I am persuaded that three-fourths of them
would never have obtained their appointments ;
and without the grossest iBattery and dissimu*
lation on the part of these attorneys, I am
equally persuaded that those appointments

156

would long since have been annulled. I never
knew or beard of a tyrant wbo was a good
planter ; nor do I believe that there is one such
in Jamaica at the present moment. In general,
they have no knowledge of farming, an essential
pre-requisite to the management of the soil, and
of the general labour on the estate. A few men
versed in the science of farming may be found ;
but they, for the most part, are entirely disre-
garded or unknown. I am, therefore, decidedly
of opinion, that there can be no prosperity to
the country, so long as the present race of
planters are entrusted with the sole manage-
ment of the estates.

It is needless here to say much of Mr. John
Blair, as he has been already described in a for-
mer page :— suffice it to say, therefore, that he
received all his attorneyships on the ground of
his merciless employment of the cart-whip.

167

Mr. Bridge and Mr. William Carey are two
gentlemen of the old school planters, and are
now attorneys for York and Gale's Valley
estates. They are at this time making about
ninety hogsheads of sugar on an estate which is
at present capable of producing oue hundred
and forty; and besides, by a different manage-
ment) the above estate might be made worth
from ten to fifteen per cent more, to the present
proprietor.

Mr. John Haughton James is attorney for
several estates in the parishes of Trelawney,
St. James, and Hanover. Wakefield estate, Tre-
lawney, is under his control. I visited that
property in 1837, accompanied by a neighbour-
ing overseer, to whom I can refer for the accu-
racy of the following statement. The overseer
of that property was a young man who had no
knowledge whatever of planting. As a proof
of this, he had determined at once to cut down

158

the cane, aod set ou the mill to work ; but had
not a single cart on the estate, to convey the
cane from the field* In reply to some of our
observations, he told lis that he hoped to borrow
carts from some of the neighbouring estates i
but, as every one at all acquainted wjitb plant-
ing must know; the risk to the crop iq suoh a
case would be immense :— 4ts remaining but one
day beyond its proper time in the field, would
render it totally unfit for sugar. It must^ there-
fore, having been ground at the mill, be sent to
the stilUhouse to make rum, at great loas to the
proprietor. On this property there was a change
of overseer every second or third month. The
overseer's house was entirely uninhabitable ; —
the mill-house, the boiling-house, the stilUhouse
and the trash-shed, were in a state of cpmplete
dilapidation ; and the woods, walls* fen<;e8, and
pasture grounds, on every part of the esti^te,
were most shamefully neglected. At the wme
time, supposing all these things to have been

159

kept Id repair , the crop did not exceed more
than one-third of what might annually have
been expected. Such are the lamentable conse-
quences of absentee proprietors entrusting the
management of their estates to unskilful and
uninterested persoM.

Mr. William Cary is an eminent attorney in
the parish of Trelawney ; one upon whom the
proprietors rely for straightforward and honor-
able actions. I will make a few remarks on the
moral conduct of this praise-worthy gentleman,
and leave the reader to decide for himself on the
character of men in authority and in good report
in Jamaica. Mr. Cary is attorney for Spring
Vale Pen, the property of Messrs. Aloes, Steele,
and Harrison. On this estate there was a very
fine effective jobbing gang : — Mr. Cary ordered
them to go and clear pastures on New Canaan
estate, a property of Lord St. Vincent's, on
which he was also attorney. They consisted of

160

35 io number, and worked at the rate of 2s* 6d.
per day, at that time the established price for
day labour od light work. After being thus
employed for a short period, Mr. Gary ordered
them to digging cane-holes on the same estate,
giving them still no more than 2$. 6d. per day
each labourer. It must be understood, that the
digging of land into cane-holes, is the most
severe labour that belongs to a sugar estate,
and is consequently twice as expensive as any
other labour.

In this way, Mr. Gary was sacrificing the
interests of Messrs. Aloes, Steele and Harris, to
the extent of £4 12^. 6d. per day, for the benefit
of Lord St. Vincent ; for the laying grounds
into cane-holes in Trelawney, at that time,
would have cost, by any other undertaker, £9.
per acre instead of £4 7s. 6d. This labour was
performed on Gongowill-piece, in the middle of
October, 1835. I will farther remark, that

161

Mr. Gary, at one period, had a stud of horse
stock oo the Guinea-grass pastures of Spring
Vale Pen ; and with this I think he might have
been content, without taking from that property
thirty -five labourers, to work at 2*. 6c/. per day
in digging cane-holes, while such labourers
could earn from 5s. to 6s. per day for their
master, and something for themselves besides,
on task work, according to custom.

The charge against Mr. Gary, therefore, on
this occasion, is not merely that of robbing his
master, but also that of acting cruelly and op-
pressively to the labourers.

T have been eye-witness to the proceedings
of the same gangs from Spring Vale Pens, in
digging cane-holes on York estate, while I was
employed as head book-keeper in lining out the
ground for the gang. The work done on this
property was done in the most shameful man-

162

ner, and most destructive to the interests of
the proprietor, Mr. Morant Gale. Several
of the cane-holes were only from 2^ to 4 inches
deep, instead of from 6 to 8. The estates la-
bourers were obliged to re-dig the cane-holes
before planting. The highest amount for labour
was at the same time paid. This was on Gut-
ter-piece, in November, 1835.

With regard to chicanery, I will state no
more at present ; but I must beg to trespass a
little more on the time of the reader, while I
relate what even some planters considered a
little cruel. — Mr. Gary was overseer on Guara-
deau estate, some years ago ; and here first dis-
tinguished himself as a planter, by the adoption
of the following plan.

There are labourers now alive, who well re-
> member the day when their 'flesh was worn on
/ the grinding-stone of that estate, by Mr. Wil-

163

Itam Gary's orders, in precisely the same man- >
ner that a piece of iron or steel would be grounds
by any of the labourers. He was, last year,
appointed attorney for this estate ; and I trust
he will not again adopt the plan of grinding
human flesh.

I have to apologize to the reader for relating
so many unnatural and cold-blooded crimes,
which, in the recital, makes my own blood run
cold. I have been impelled to it by the general
conduct of the planters, who have ever shown v
a determination to crush to the earth every one v
but those who were professionally, heartless ^
assassins.

Mr. William Tharp is an extensive attorney

for several estates, seven of which are situated

in Trelawney, adjoining each other. The annual

return of the whole crops would not exceed

what could be obtained from one of the estates

164

by a careful mode of cultivation : as an instance
of this let the reader observe the following:—

There were twenty-five acres of land dug into
cane holes on Covey estate, and planted with
cane which received the benefit of good seasons;
when this piece was cut and manufactured
into sugar, it only made two hogsheads and a
half, whereas, if properly cultivated,, dug and
planted, with cane, and afterwards received
equal benefit of seasons — it would have made
at least from fifty to seventy hogsheads, instead
of two and a-half. Mr. Tharp keeps a mistress
on every property for which he is concern-
ed, under whose influence both overseer,
and book-keepers are constantly liable to be
discharged. The estates under his direction are
fast falling into ruin ; while he, Mr. Tharp,
is annually amassing 'a princely fortune — he
keeps a butchery of his own, and supplies the
different properties he has charge of, with

165

abundance of firesh beef. I quote this merely as
a hint to the absent proprietors, for this mode
of disposing of fresh beef, is general amongst
attornies; to suit their own interests, at the
expense of the absentee proprietors.

St. Thomas-in-the-Vale.

Mr. George William Hamilton, formerly a
book-keeper, but who afterwards became the
agent of several estates in the above parish, was
a man of liberal education and gentlemanly de-
meanour ; forming, in this respect, a complete
contrast to his brother attorneys. He had great
interest at home, and owed his elevation to that
single circumstance. I have no wish to im-
peach him personally of cruelty ; but I cannot
acquit him of conniving at the shocking bar-
barities which were practised on the estates.

166

His plan was, to look to the overseers for good
crops; at the same time empowering them to
alct in whiEit way they pleased: — so that the
oyerseers produced a good sugar crop, they
were left to act, in all other respects, as they
thought proper. The complaints of the labour-
ers, upon these estates^ against the overseers,
was a mere farce: — no redress was ever ob-
tained. So far from this, the labourer, who
should be so unfortunate as to dare to prefer a
complaint, would at once be a marked man,
and would speedily be arraigned and punished
for crimes of which he was as dear as the riven
snow. Mr. Hamilton's overseers were gene-
rally the worst planters I ever knew; and, from
the advantage they took of that gentleman's
non-interference with the practical manage-
ment of the estates, they succeeded in bringing
no less than ten in that one parish to entire
destruction. Some of these estates 1 have kuowp
to pass through several bauds in a very short

167

time ; and even to this day there are no divisions
between cane-fields and pasture land, and the
provision grounds are all lying in a wild state.

Parish of St. Mary.

Mr. Abraham Hudson, father-in law to Mr.
Philpotts, in Fencburch -street, was one of the
principal attorneys of the above parish ; and
from keeping a store in connection with his
other duties, made a princely fortune. He was
anr^xceedingly dangerous person to deal with.
Many of the brown people, who resided in Mr.
Hudson's neighbourhood, and who had slaves of
their own, from dealings at his store, which
were far from honourable, became involved, and
were under the necessity of making a transfer of
their human flesh and blood to liquidate his
claims. His name stinks in the neighbourhood;

168

and for seyeral miles round will be execrated
by the orphans upon whose property he rapa-
ciously and unjustly seized. But conscience is
a faithful monitor; and never was this more
strikingly exemplified than in the case of this
tyrant, who, under the tremendous load of a
guilty and burdened conscience, retired to a
wood, and applied the instrument ot destruc-
tion to his throat — ^but, by means of his dog, was
miraculously preserved.

But, to leave Mr. Hudson, the attorneys id
this parish generally empowered their overseers
' to act in the most tyrannical manner ; so much
so, indeed, that it was far from unusual for them
to flog the labourers almost to death. Should
any thing happen to go wrong on the estate, by
which any of the overseers were to be brought
into difficulties at a distant period, this was sure
to be avenged upon the head people in a
ten-fold degree. In fact, so great was the mis-

169

managemeDt and tyranny, that, but for the su-
perior soil of the parish, the estates would be
scarcely worth their acceptance as a present.

Mr. Laws, one of the attorneys of St. Mary's,
had the management of several properties in
this parish ; and as I was informed by his own
overseers, he purchased cattle from the estates,
for which he was concerned, at from five to six
pounds per head, being meagre stock, and after
a period of three months sold them back to the
same estate at twenty -five pounds per head : butv
as this is so general a practice in Jamaica, iU
scarcely perhaps deserves to be noticed. >

Parish of St. James.

Mr. Irving, in addition to other agencies, was
attorney on the Sutherland estate, in the parish
of St« James. After the proclamation of martial

170

law io 1833, being aware that he should lose
the attorneyship of Sutherland, he drove the
cattle which belonged to the estate into West-
moreland, and other places; and, having dis-
posed of them, he put the proceeds into his own
pocket, and some time afterwards left the coun-
try* The property, of course, was nearly laid
waste.

Parish of St. Anie's.

Mr. Hyatt, of Hyatt's-field estate, in St.
Anne*s parish, came to Jamaica in the capacity
of a groom ; but, having directed his attention
to planting, and having distinguished himself
by his chicanery and cruelty, he soon rose to
the rank of attorney ; and, from the emoluments
of the estates entrusted to his management, he
succeeded, in a few years, to purchasing three
estates of his own. He died, leaving an im-
mense property to his natural children, and to
many of his relations in England.

171

I caDnot here forbear DoticiDg tlielDtroductiou
of a species of fraud to the notice of my readers,
which I do not hesitate to say is general through-
out the island. It is the business of the attorney
to purchase the whole stock, such as steers, and
mules for the estates. He may at this time per-
haps, be in want of a few well-bred horses or
mules for his own private use. He goes to a pro-
prietor of the pen, and selects such horses or
mules as may suit his purpose; and then proposes
to take a large number of horned stock, on con-
sideration of his being allowed to take his own
at a sum which is far below their real value. The
pen-keeper, perhaps, to save appearances, at first
refuses ; but it is ultimately arranged that the
whole, horse stock and mules shall be taken at
one price and that the horned cattle shall be
reckoned to the estate at so much per head ; a
sum, in all probability, exceeding their real value
by two or three pounds a-piece. By this plan, the
attorney always gets bargains from the pen-

172

keepers; but they are bargains which are pur-
chased at a heavy expence to the estate. The
attorney, it is true, does not always appear as
the principal in these kinds of negociations ;
for, in many cases, he leaves them to the manage-
ment of his overseers, or other confidential per-
sons, who are less scrupulous, perhaps, as to
the bargain they agree for.

Let it be understood that pen-keepers, in
Jamaica, mean graziers, who are generally
either attorneys, or old overseers, who made
their fortunes while in charge of properties be-
longing to their absentee proprietors. They
generally reside on their pens, after purchasing
them. Many of them keep a butchery, for the
purpose of supplying other properties who have
no butcheries established in their employ.— 'Ar-
rangements are made for the supplying of all
such properties with a certain number of
pounds of beef weekly, say from forty to sixty

173

pounds, according to the number of servants on
the estate. This arrangement is made on a very
liberal scale, to suit the interests of both the
parties concerned. Some of the meagre work-
ing stock, belonging to the estates, have to be
sold annually. The estates' attorney sells these
to the pen-keepers at a couple of pounds under
their intrinsic value ; after which he purchases^
from the same pen-keeper, cattle and mules for
working on the estates under his charge ; and
for these he agrees to give two or three pounds
more than their value. By this method, the
proprietor of the pen and butchery does well,
from the extravagant supply of his beef. By the
sale of his working stock at an exorbitant price,
and the purchase of meagre stock at an inferior
price, the pen-keeper is left in the receipt of a
thousand pounds a year, out of the properties of
the absentee proprietors. Immediately after
this, the worthy estate's attorney selects for
himself some fine bred horses and draft mules

174

He takes them at the same price as what he paid
for the common mules for the estates; and, in a
, month or two after, he sells them for three times
/ the amount he paid for them. By this piece of
/ policy he makes fully five hundred a year out of
/ the pen-keeper. Such transactions are termed
' in Jamaica, " hand go, hand come ;" meaning, if
' you assist me, I will assist you.

There are other estates' attorneys who have,
pens of their own, whereon they keep a butche-
ry, and an overseer to superintend it, who takes
good care to dispose of all the beef he kills, by
sending, at different times, to the estates under
the control of his employer, twice the quantity
ol beef required, knowing that the overseers of
the properties dare not grumble, either at the
quantity or quality. In these supplies, I have
frequently seen fresh beef sent to estates not
much better thau horse-flesh. In fact, the pro-
ceedings of tho planting attorneys are so inter-

175

woven with iDtrigue and extortion, as to be
totally destructive of the interest of the absentee
proprietor.

The merchant, mechanic, master of labouring
gangs* medical attendant, and others, are all
ready, at a word, to assist the planting attorney
in his plans of speculation ; — inreturn for which,
they receive abundant compensation in various
ways.

It is my determination to give a full descrip-
tion of overseers Towards this purpose, I have
first to remark, that most of the planting attor-
neys are men who have distinguished them-
selves by forcing labour in making large crops.
In accomplishing this, both negroes and stock
have been killed, and innumerable barbarities
have been committed.

If an overseer were to pursue any other line

176

of conduct than that of the ruffianly routine of
his violent and savage employer, he would not
only be discharged, but destroyed in reputation ;
and would most probably be reduced to the
situation of a book-keeper, and be loaded with
cruelty and oppression to his grave. No over-
seer dare marry, or perform any act dictated by
honour and prudence. On the heads, therefore,
of the attorneys fall the shame of the murders
of the slaves, the robbery and swindling com-
mitted on the merchants and the orphans under
their charge, and should consign them to eternal
infamy.

Mr. Charles Smith is attorney for Richmond
estate, in the above parish. Banks, Blenham,
and the Cranbrook estates are also under
his control. There are not worse managed
properties, however, in the whole island
than those three latter estates, although there
is as superior land belonging to those pro-

177

perties abutting the road-side as is to be found
io Jamaica. The overseer of Llandovery
takes from that estate I'rom fifteen to twenty
bags of pimento yearly, as his perquisites.
From the Cranbrook estate, which adjoins Llan-
dovery, tlie overseer, Mr. James Lowe, who is
a relation of Mr. Smith, is allowed to take
thirty bags : — of this I myself was witness, in
1829. It is also generally said that Mr. Smith
allows Mr. Barnsley, overseer of Blenham, to
do the same ; and, in fact, that it was a practice
he invariably pursued himself upon the Rich-
mond estate. It is surprising how absentee
proprietors can thus suffer themselves to be
pilfered and robbed ; and especially by servants
in the capacity of attorneys and overseers,
whose salaries, together with the accommo*
dation provided, amount to little less than one
thousand pounds per annum. This can be ac-
counted for in no other way, thao by the decep-

178

tioD practised upon them by the letters of their
agents. Mr. Smith is supposed, at the present
time, to be worth twenty thousand pounds ster-
ling, independent of landed and other property;
and his overseers, by these and other pilfering
habits, have suceeeded in amassing considerable
wealth.

Westmoreland Estate-

Mr. M'Neil is attorney for several estates in
this parish. His habits are exceedingly dis-
graceful and profligate. He also keeps a mis-
tress on every estate for which he is concerned,
although he has a large full-grown family of his
own. He is also a great admirer of the ladies
of the overseers ; and it is an understood mat-
ter, that the overseer who winks at his immoral
domestic intrusions, may manage the estates ia
any way best suited to his interests. So galling

179

and painful are these habits to the minds of the
poor labourers, many of whom have been raided
to a high state of moral and religious feeling by
the influence of the missionaries, that they must,
unless discountenanced and eheclLed, prove
highly injurious to the interests of the absentee
proprietor. After this exposure, the folly and
sin of countenancing such men must in a great
measure lie at his own door«

l6l

HABITS AND MANAGEMENT OF
OVERSEERS.

Id the establishment of an overseer, there
were usually from ten to twenty servants in
constant attendance, of whom by far the greater
part were females, who were expected on all
occasions to yield their persons to his wishes.
A refusal to comply with his desires would
be followed by theiip being sent into the
field, to common labour, where they would
be exposed, not only to the lash of the whip,
but also to the improper desires of the

l«3

driter, who generally cohabited with most of
the females of his gang. Shonld they still de-
termine to resist these unlawful demands upon
their persons, the driver, under the known sanc-
tion of the overseer, was at liberty to cut or
lash them, br even to place them in irons, under
the pretext of insolence or inattention to work.
Neglect, or disobedience of orders, was the
common excuse of the driver to the overseer,—*
of the overseer to the attorney, — ^and of the at-
torney to the absentee proprietor, for any pecu-
litt acts of cruelty of which they might have
bMA guilty. The unfortunate sufferers, there-
fore, had none to whom they could complain.
After their day's work in the field, they were
compelled, perhaps, to return to the diingeon at
night, where they remained in irons, nursing
the wounds they had received during the day.
In some cases this punishment was not confined
to the resisting female herself, but was extended
to her parents and relatives, and especially

183

when they were suspected to eocaurage her to
retaio her chastity iaviolate.

I huTe kDowD many iostances, in which a
cook having displeased the overseer by not
making his coffee sufficiently palatable, has
been compelled to drink the whole of it herself
before his eyes, and that, too, with as much
nauseating medicine as would have been suffi-
cient to kill an European.

The house servants were very much exposed
to complaints : whenever a plate, dish, cup, or
any other article of crockery was broken, the
servant who had done this was at once obliged
to replace it, or have her days stopped, until the
price of it was paid up. Some parents, who had
children in the house, would meet so frequently
with accidents of this kind, that they would be
deprived of their days for three months; during
the whole of which time, from an inability to

184

attend their prdvision-grounds, they were either
literally starving, or were dependent upon their
black relations for support. Many of the over-
seers were satisfied with thus stopping their
days until the amount was paid; but there were
others who flogged them first, and compelled
them to pay afterwards.

When any one of them had killed a hog, a
sheep, or other small stock, it was customary
for the overseers to dine together ; and on such
occasions they would leave for their book-
keepers, food that was scarcely fit for a dog.
Some of them, too, would carry the key of the
liquor case ; thus leaving them without the
means of obtaining their customary beverage,
At night, perhaps, they would return home in a
state of beastly intoxication. All the head
people are at the door, waiting for his orders,
on some occasions, perhaps, till two or three
o'clock in the morning. Some of them,

185

in such a state, perhaps, may give their orders
and retire to rest ; but others, would enquire
whether any thing has gone wrong through
the day; and, before they retire, would have
some of the domestics put in irons for the
most trifling offences. Sometimes, in this state
of inebriation, they discharge their book-keep-
ers, and commit various other disgraceful acts,
of which they have no recollection on the fol-*
lowing morning. At other times, two or three
of them coming in company together, the resi-^
dent overseer calls for egg-punch, and directs
the young females upon the estate at once to be
assembled together, for the purpose of a dance^
Debauchery of the most horrid kind succeeds,
not only on the part of the overseer himself, but
also on the part of his guests ; and in many
<rases, on the part of the book-keepers, who are
called in to assist in the joviality of the evening,
^uch meetings were oftentimes kept up till four
o'clock in the morning; at which time the

186

slaves and book-keepers should at once depart
for their work : and in case any soch females as
were at the dance on the previous evening
should be late at their field-work, they would
have to pay the dreadful penalty, by a sacrifice
of their flesh and blood. Many young females
have been known to lose their lives by these
evening sports ; while to others they have been
the precursors of diseases which have embittered
the whol0 of their remaining days.

The overseers in Jamaica generally kept one
particular mistress, called by themselves *' house-
keepers," but by the labourers their *' wives/t
Such women^ in many instances, were the in-
struments of much of the cruelty and robbery
which was practised on the estate. Under the
management of such a person, and especially
when any real or supposed umbrage has been
given, Ae table appointments are so bad, and in
some cases so scanty, that the book-keepers

187

and other white servants in the house, are
obliged to order from their merchant, with
whom they have always an account, little ne-
cessaries for themselves. The herrings that are
sent for the use of the labourers are frequently
wasted, in the overseer's house, at the rate of
a dozen or twenty per day s besides which, du-
ring crop«*time, they are given to meagre stock.
For every trifling thing that was stolen, and for
even the slightest act which occasioned the dis-
pleasure of the overseer, the herrings were
generally stopped; so that the labourers are
supposed, by the proprietors at home, to have
had twice the quantity of provisions they ever
received.

The same plan was pursued, in reference to
the serving of cloth. Eight or ten yards would,
to all appearance, be measured with great ex-
actness on the floor; but when the labourers
came to carry home their allowance, it was

188

found to ha?e been cut considerably short. All
the pieces of extra cloth were carefully laid up
by the overseer's mistress, and, of ceHrse, well
appropriated to her own use. The blankets
which were sent out for the mothers of children
were sometimes converted into saddle-cloths ;
but more frequently, in crop time, they were
used as bags, through which the cane liquor
was strained, from the syphon to the grand cop-
per. A few, indeed many, have been given to
some of the overseer's friends; but by far
the greater number were appropriated to the
purposes we have mentioned, or, through wan-
ton negligence, were suffered to remain in the
stores, until they were destroyed by the moths,
which soon takes place in a tropical climate.

In 1836 I saw with my own eyes blankets
thrown away, upon the York estate, in
Trelawney ; and, from residing at that time
upon the estate, I have reason to know, that

189

the long ells, which should have been served
out that year, remained in the stores in 1837;
and, contrary to the expectations of the pro-
prietors, were not even then served out.

It is impossible for any book-keeper, driver,
pen-keeper, over-looker, head-herdsman, or
domestic, to live with an overseer, with any
degree of comfort to himself, except he be ready,
on all occasions, to confirm, either by word or
oath> whatever the overseer may wish, whether
it be right or wrong. This subjugation to the
authority, and concurrence in the feelings and
wishes of the overseers, was found to be neces-
sary, as a cloak to the illicit practices to which
he sometimes resorted.

Most of the overseers were in the habit of
selling corn> and sometimes small stock, belong-
ing to the estate, under the pretence of pro-
viding necessaries for the house; when, in

190

reality, it was ooly to supply either himself or
his concubioe with articles of dress. Id cod*
sideratiou of shoes^ stockiogs* or other articles
of wearing apparel, it was by do meaDs luiusiial
to forward to the merchant a puncheon of corn,
which of course was so mncb value deducted
from the proprietor's estate* I wish now (o be
understood as speaking of overseerv who were
the particular friends of the attorneys, in whose
bands, perhaps, they had lodged money to aeon*
sideraUe amount. Such persons could do as
tliey wished with the entate. An a proof of tbif,
I knew an overseer, nained Melburn, who had
the management of a pen in St. Dorothy's, called
Thetford to have no less thaa twenty weight head
of his own horse-stock upon the pasture-land at
a time. One of these horses, thus fed at the ex-
pence of the proprietor, I myself purchased
from him.

It is usual with an overseer to be up mbA

191

out by four o'clock in the morning, to see that
the book-keepers and labourers are all at their
posts in time. He would first gallop to the
cattle pens, and then to the gang, where the list
of names was at once called over :--h30 far the
early hours and diligent attendance of the over*
seers are commendable. It is not with these, but
with the scenes of cruelty that follow* against
which I wage war. The list is called over ; and
two or three of the labourers are at the time, at
a distance of no more than two or three yards
from their work. No intreaties ran save them.
The driver receives his orders, and the poor
wretch is stretched upon the ground, and has
his flesh torn and mangltfd by the merciless
whip. It is at the peril of the driver that he
attempt to spare the unfortunate victim :— this
would be to subject himself to the punishment
he should have inflicted on the rest. I have
seen the big tear roll down the cheek of a pow-
erful and athletic man, at the prospect of this

192

puuisbmeDt; and I have seen him afterwards
writbiug in agony upon the ground, from the
intensity of his sufferings, occasioned by his
old wounds (which had not had time to heal)
being opened afresh. And where a young man
or a young woman were remarkable for the
cleanliness of their persons, I have seen the most
miry and filthy spot selected, as that upon which
it was most fit to inflict this sanguinary punish-
ment. Many of them, from the effects of these
wounds, wereunder the necessity of being im-
mediately conveyed to the hospital.

No European, who has not visited that coun-
try, can form an idea of what a Jamaica hospi-
tal really is. All persons in the hospital afflicted
with ulcers, up to the time of the apprentice-
ship act, were flogged every Monday morning
until the ulcers got better, and the patient was
enabled to leave. The reason assigned for this
was, lest they should neglect the use of the

193

remedies prescribed, and speod the time in the
hospital which they should employ in the field.
Mauy sach persons, therefore, dreading the
weeklypuuishmeot, concealed their wounds; in
consequence of which, inflammation increased
to such an extent, that they were at last obliged
to submit to the amputation of the diseased
limb: — this, of course, was a loss to the proper-
ty, and certain ruin to the labourer himself: dis-
cipline of this kind was customary on every
estate ; so much so, that 1 defy any planter to
deny it : — it was called planter*s medicine.

When a few able-bodied slaves, as would
sometimes be the case, visited the hospital, in
the hope of getting some simple medicine, such
as a dose of salts, I have known them to gjet
from forty to fifty grains of jalap, in a tumbler
of water, by which their indisposition would be
rather aggravated than diminished ! and I have
heard it stated, again and again, as a reason for

194

this conduct, that it was done with the design
of rendering the slaves disgusted with the hos»
pital. This wanton cruelty has, however, at
times been carried too far; for, in some in-
stances, it has terminated in death.

It was customary to brand, with a hot iron,
or with a silver mark, the different slaves who
were peculiarly obnoxious to the overseer. To
witness such a sight would make one's flesh
crawl upon one's bones ; and yet they were far
from unfrequent.

To say what time was allowed to the labour-
ers for rest, during the gathering of the crop,
is scarcely possible. They were on spell from
twelve o'clock in the day until twelve o'clock at
night ; after which they were permitted to go
to their houses; but» however great the dis-
tance, they must be at their work again by day-
break in the morning. There were no other

195

hours of rest, except at the risk of the severest
punishmeDt. Many of the book-keepers in crop
time, from want of rest, grew sick and died ;
being subject to the visits of the overseer at all
hours of the night, endeavouring to catch
some of them asleep.

It was the constant practice of the overseer,
not only in crop time, but the virhole year
round, to keep his book-keepers at work on the
Sabbath ; whilst he himself was spending those
hours in card-playing, drunken carousals, and
debauchery. This was the general practice
throughout the island, up to the time of the
arrival of the missionaries ; after which, it was
in some measure abated.

I shall now give a few cases, illustrative of
the cruelties and knavery of the overseers,
which are the result of several years' obser-
vation.

196

Parish of St. Ann's.

The overseer of Bank's estate, in the parish
of St. Ann's, was a Mr. M'Kenzie. Mr.
Currie was at the time his book-keeper, and was
present when Mr. M'Kenzie was going to sup-
per ; at which, after sitting down, a fork having
fallen to the ground, he seized hold of the boy
who was in attendance, and whose name was
Wellington, and by striking him against the leaf
of the table, disfigured his mouth and destroyed
his teeth.

Mr. Phillips, in the year 1830, was overseer
of the Llandovery estate, in the above parish.
In crop-time he was in the habit of visiting the
gang in the fields in the afternoons, carrying
with him a large stick, with which he would
beat the labourers from right to left with his

197

own hand. He would then return to the mill-
house, where he would force the feeding of the
mill, until all the coppers in the boiling-house
would be flowing over. This would expose the
boilers and stokers to the severity of his dis-
pleasure : but, to avoid this, they contrived to
open the syphons, and to convey the superfluous
liquor into the still-house; by which means
they managed to keep the vessels in the boiling,
house empty, but at an extraordinary loss to
the estate. Mr. Charles Moulton was his book-
keeper at the time ; and has empowered me to
say, that he is willing to attest the above upon
oath.

Mr. Donald Cameron was overseer and attor-*
ney for Cave Valley estate, in the above parish.
Isaac Higgins was his co-attorney* In order
to force the work upon this estate, Cameron, on
visiting the gang, would stand behind one of
the strongest of the labourers, and urge him

198

forward, to the utmost degree of his ability, for
two, or perhaps three or four hours. Of course
the rest of the gang, in dread of the lash, would
strain every nerve to keep up with the labourer
who was thus urged forward by the overseer.
Mr. Cameron would then step the ground, and,
on having taken his land^marks, would leave the
driver in charge of the men, pointing out to
him the extent of work they had done under his
own surveillance, and telling him that he should
expect the same proportion throughout the day,
or, perhaps, throughout the whole week. It
was at the driver's peril to suffer them to flag.
The clothes were cut off the poor labourers'
backs, and the whip was used whilst one re-
mained in the field to be whipped : — many, who
were unable to keep up with the rest of the
gang, although severely flogged, were after-
wards compelled to remain, and finish their
work. By this method of forcing work, Cameron
secured for himself the name of an able planter ;

199

and eventually succeeded inobtaining the attor-
neyships of four or five properties.

There was another overseer, also, whose name
I do not remember ; but he is now in the employ
of George Gordon, esq., in the parish of Han-
over, and Mr. England jun. was his book-keeper
in January 1838. Some years ago, this over-
seer seized hold of a fine negro in the boiling-
house, and threw him into a cooler of hot sugar;
immediately after it had been taken from the
fire, and when, consequently, its heat was equal
to that of boiling lead. Of this atrocious mur-^
der no notice was taken by the authorities; and,«
as an index to the state of public feelfng, it is \
sufficient to remark, that the man, upon whose >^
head the blood of the murdered negro rests, now ^
ranks amongst the most respectable planters on \
the island.

200

Parish of St. Mary's.

On one of the estates of Mr. Nathaniel Baylie,
near Port Marie, there was an overseer in the
employ of Mr. Henry Cox, whose name was
Parrel. This man, having taken some nmbrage
at one of the negroes upon the estate, he first
punished him, and afterwards clapped him into
irons. He then tied his great toes together,
and twisted the cord tight with a small stick.
He then pinioned him ; and, having fastened his
thumbs in a similar manner, he left him in this
position during the whole night. When the
book-keeper went to release him from the stocks
in the morning, he found that the poor man was
deprived of the use of his limbs; and so he con-
tinued for the remainder of his life* Mr. Cowan,
my informant, resided on the estate at the time
this melancholy occurrence took place.

201

In 1818, Mr. Nicholas Gyles was overseer of
Halifax estate, in the above parish. His dis-
position was cruel in the extreme. No man ever
made larger crops of sugar : but, to effect this,
he nearly destroyed tbe whole of the estate
labourers by his tyrannical and oppressive con-
duct. Many of them were chained together
while at work; and at night remained in the
dungeon, with irons upon their necks and feet.
Their food was either raw corn, or plantains,
which was greedily devoured, without any kind
of cooking. After six hours* rest, they were
again taken out of the dungeon, and driven by
the whip until the following night. From fif-
teen to twenty^ them were worked by Mr.
Oyles the whole year round, Sundays not ex-
cepted, in the manner I have described. The
dungeon was under ground, and had the most
loathsome appearance. 1 have heard effective
labourers say, that they did not think they could
survive in it for one day. Mr. Gyles at this

202

time had a savage African, who was in the
habit of visiting the dungeon in which these
poor creatures were lodged, and of carrying
with him a pair of pincers, with which he pulled
the hair from their heads. As an additional
torture, he would sometimes employ this fearful
instrument to flay their skin from their flesh.
This driver was not only esteemed by Mr. Gyles
for his cruelties, but was rewarded with innu-
merable little indulgences. After some years,
however, Mr* Oyles himself was discharged;
when it was found that the estate labourers
were not only in a state of the most wretched
debility, but, with a very few exceptions, were
actually without any children to supply their
place. Such are the fearful consequences of the
cruelty which is resorted to for the forcing of
crops, and the necessary results is the destruction
of the estates capital by death of the labourers
and stock,

203

Parish of St. George.

Mr. Sprowl is now overseer of Lowlayton
estate, in the parish of St. Oeorge, and is a man
well known for his severity to all who are under
his control. His neighbours who required to
see him in the morning, were accustomed to go v
where they heard the cracking of the whip ; — ^
there he was sure to be found, butchering one x
half of his gang. Seldom were they to be seen x
going to their work, except in a crippled state, v
In 1829, the unfortunate labourers, from this
continued severity, were unable to do one half
of the work upon the estate; and as for an in-
crease, it was not to be expected; for the women
on all sides were to be heard expressing the
hope, that they should have no children to be
cut up before their eyes in so barbarous a man-
ner. ' Mr. Sprowl is, without exception, one of

204

the most cruel and short-sighted men I have
ever knovirn. He has, however, saved a hand-
some fortune, by laying up the whole of his
salary, and by extensive dealings in horse-stock.
To my own knowledge, he had £600 worth of
his own horse-stock on the estate, and two of
the estate negroes constantly attending them.

Parish of Trclawney.

Mr. Barnet was a married gentleman, and
proprietor of the Hopewell and Manchester
estates, then called Mark Cave Coffee Planta-
tion. Mr. Charles Lewis, also a married man
was his overseer ; but, from improper conduct
with the female servants, his wife was compelled
to leave him.

Mr. Barnet was a simple minded and good-na-
tured man, but entirely ignorant of the intrigues

205

of tbe planters. His overseer, Lewis, had an
acquaintance, named Cunningham, who was ex*
ceedingly desirous of purchasing the Hopewell
and Manchester estates. He proposed for these
estates, but his proposal was rejected. Lewis,
the overseer, now set his wits to work on behalf
of his friend; and in this he was aided by Mr.
Barnet's ignorance of plantership. Lewis plan*-
ted cane in all the inferior land on the estates
and he cleared the cane-fields only at the road-
side, and by intervals. He next cut down
wood-land, established grass-pieces, enclosed
the cane-pieces by walls, repaired the work-
tanks, trash-houses, and all the offices on
estates. In fact, every thing was attended
to, but the crop. Of course there was
a failure there^ from this wanton neglect.
He then represented to Mr. Barnet that the
estate, in his opinion, would never pay for fu-
ture labour. This opinion, to all appearance
being confirmed by the failure of the crops for

206

two or three successive years, he found no diffi-
culty in persuading him to sell it to his fiiend»
Mr. Cunningham, for one-tenth of its value.
Lewis then got more cattle, and prepared
very extensive cane-fields; by which, in the
first year, he doubled his crop; and in the
second, he trebled that of the first year : thus
rendering it sixfold as productive as under the
former proprietor; and in this state it con-
tinued for several successive years.

The above transaction, required the attention
of the absent proprietor ; for at the present there
are such schemes in general operation, as will
not fail to bring estates to the hammer; if the
old planters, are not immediately relieved from
the charge of properties, now under their care:
the intention of attornies, overseers, and trades-
men, are to bring the properties of abs^it pro-
prietors to ruin, in the hope, that by su<A arti-
fice they may purchase the land for a trifle of its
value.

207

Lewis was generally understood to have
had a guarantee from Mr. Cunningham, that, in
the event of his getting the estate, Lewis
should hold his present berth as long as he
lived. His character was base in the extreme.
The heinous nature of his crimes were sufficient
to have drawn down the vengeance of Heaven
upon the whole district ! He was a terror alike
to the black and the white ; and, as a consum-
mation of his wickedness, he kept a seraglio of
seventeen persons, among whom were mothers,
and their daughters, sisters, and nieces, all of the
same family.

Such are the revolting and heart-rending
details of the habits and conduct of Jamaica
overseers. It would be easy to swell them to
an almost indefinite length ; but I forbear.

209

BOOK-KEEPERS. '

Book*keepers were employed on estates, or
other properties, to superintend domestic and
field labour in all its branches. Their business
consisted in reckoning up and making out a list
of stock of every description for the overseer;
in preparing and forwarding to the attorney
adiar^ of every week's labour; and in attend-
ing the cattle-pens, small stock, and provision -
grounds, under the direction of the overseer.
From preparing the lists for the attorney, the
book-keepers were generally employed more on
the Sunday than on any other day of the week.

210

When sick, the book-keepers were left almost
entirely unnoticed : their food tt of the most in-
ferior kind, and their bed-chambers filthy in the
extreme. Though visited by a medical man,
who prescribes the needful remedy, it seldom
happens that any thing is administered but
doses of calomel and jalap ; after which he is
left in his bed, without any one to assist him to
so much as a drink of water. I speak now from
experience. From the kind feelings of the do.
mestics, they may sometimes go to the overseer,
and say, ^'Busha, poo massa book-keepa— ^him
berry sick — him quite low — nobody at-alla at-
alla in him room — him room quite nasty-^him
no ably to help himself. My good busha— -him
will die — a lilly mo him die dis morning.'* To
this the overseer replies, "Go to the hos-
pital — send one for the doctor— and get another
idler from there to clean out his room before
the doctor comes. D— n the fellow— he was
well enough a few days ago," *' My good

211

basha," replies the domestic, '- we know alia
could be dead siiice dary/'-«The doctor arrives,
proDOUDces bis patient in a dangerous state, and
holds out bat little hope of his recovery. For
the first, time, the overseer begins to believe that
he is sick, and, visiting his room, perhaps orders
him a little chicken broth, just at the moment he
is about to expire. The man dies. The over-
seer then visits his room again; takes an inven*
tory of his various articles of wearing apparel ;
gives direction about his interment; and, in
about a month afterwards, he disposes of all his
effects. In making up the expences of the
funeral, the overseer, in ninety-nine cases out
of a hundred, takes care that they cover the
amount of the deceased *s assets. A desire for^
the possession of the property of a book-keeper ^
bas made many a cold-blooded and assassin- x
hearted overseer accessary to his death. '

If a book-keeper went to church or chapel on

212

the sabbath^ay , be would be called a preacbing^
scamp, and migbt expect bis discbarge as the
consequence : or if the black labourers spoke
kindly of bim, he would be exposed to the ran-
cour of the overseer ; and, under the character
of a negrofied rascal, be dismissed from his em-
ploy. The unfortunate man, under such cir-
cumstances, rides, in all weathers, from one
property to another, in quest of employment,
but in vain. He then sells his horse, takes to
drink, and becomes a confirmed sot. Thousands
have thus been irretrievably rained !

I cannot here omit to mention one fact, which
is notorious in Jamaica, but with which every
well-disciplined mind will be shocked. To
avoid persecution, book-keepers, following the
example of their overseers, generally take to
themselves mistresses: but, in extenuation of
this moral delinquency, they sometimes urge
the necessity of having some one to wash for

213

them, to clean out their chambers and make up
their beds, to take charge of their wearing ap-
parely and to attend on them when sick. This«
however, is no extenuation in the eyes of God
or man : — ^it is a crying abomination, which,
though chargeable in some measure to the attor-
neys and overseers, must still lie at the door of
the book-keeper himself. For a book-keeper to
have married, it is true, would have secured
his discharge; but it was for him to consider,
whether it was better to serve God, or bow to
the caprice of sinful man.

The successful book-keepers were, in general,
a class of men who had left their country with
the determination of making a fortune in a slave
colony at all risks. They executed with seve-
rity all the commands they received from their
overseer ; and, in company with the neigbour-
ing overseers, they always took care to lavish
praises upon their own. This was the high road

214

to promotion : — cruelty and fawuing flattery
were the two leading steps to office. A con-
tinuance of four or five years in this coarse
would be almost sure to bring the assistant
under the notice of some attorney, who would
advance him to the rank of overseer. If, in
addition to his cruel and cringing disposition,
he had a spice of profanity, and could take de^
light in a midnight debauch^ his success was the
more certain. I can assert, without fear of
contradiction by my fellow planters, that such
men, and such men only, were those who ob-
tained lucrative appointments on the island,
except in a few cai^es, indeed, in which the in-
terest of some wealthy merchant was employed.

I BBCORB IT "to THE STBRNAI. I>IB6&ACE OIT
HUMANITY, THAT TREACHERY, FRAUD, CRU-
£I»TY^ AND BESTIALITY, WERE THE ONLY STEP*-
PING STONB8 TO FREVBRMBNT*

215

JOBBING GANGS

I shall here present to my readers a Irief
account of the manner in which Jobbing Gangs
were employed, labouring under ray own direc-
tion and superintendence.

In 1822, 1 was repairing the road from Bog^
iBklk to Spanish Town. On Monday morning
the labourers had to carry with them the neces-
sary implements, together with a sufficient stock
of proTisions for the week. They belonged to

216

Adam Steele, overseer of Byndloss estate, and
proprietor of Harmony Hall. The nearest part
of the work was ten miles from home, and the
most, distant eighteen. They were obliged to
be at their work on Monday morning by ten
o'clock ; otherwise they were ordered to be
flogged. Had I neglected to have observed this
regulation, 1 should have been discharged as a
worthless fellow, and should have been unable
to get another situation on the island. Besides^
had the driver neglected to do his duty, he
would have exposed himself to double punish-
ment.

Towards the end of the week, provisions gene-
rally became scarce, and several of them had to
travel from the place of work to the provision-
grounds, and there, by moon-light, to pull up
the requisite supply of provisions ; and having
loaded themselves, return to their work. Some-
times this would take them the whole night, and

217

occasionally more; bat if one of them should
happen to return later than day-break, he was
as deliberately punished, as though it had been
occasioned by the grossest neglect. When
cases of this kind have come under my notice, I
have passed over them with as much secresy
and dread, as though I myself had been guilty
of some odious crime.

It has often been said by planters, that one
half-day is generally employed by the jobbing
gangs in erecting huts to screen themselves from
the inclemency of the weather. This I should
scarcely have noticed, but with the view of in-
forming my readers as to what these jobbing
huts really are.

Sometimes jobbing gangs have only to go to
some neighbouring estate, at a distance of from
three to four miles from home. In that case, on
the first morning they would be able to arrive

218

at the place of work, with their implements and
provisions, as early as eight o'clock. They at
once commence building their huts; which is
done in the following manner* — Two small
stakes, about five feet in length, are procured ;
one end of which is sharpened to a point, and
the other is forked. These two stakes are then
driven into the ground, almost perpendicularly,
at a distance of about eight feet from each
other, and with the forked ends upwards. A
rick-pole is then stretched from stake to stake;
and from this, on either side, in imitation of tbe
roof of a thatched cottage or cabin, are stretch*-
ed, in a perpendicular slope, wattles, extending
from the rick-pole to the ground. Long grass
is thrown over the wattles on either side of this
temporary erection; and one end of the hut is
then stopped up, the other being left as a place
of entrance. The time allowed for making this
miserable shed was two hours and a-half ; if not
finished then, they had to go to work, and finish it

219

in their own time. Such was the wretched abode
of these persecuted men week after week. In
case of rain, they were unable even to stretch
their wearied limbs upon the ground; but, not-
withstanding this, they must be out to perform
their accustomed task on the following day. It
is a libel upon these poor wretches, therefore, to
say that one-half of the day was occupied in
making their huts; and it is a misapprehension^
of which we wish to disabuse the public mind,
to suppose that tbey are capable of screening
them from the inclemency of the weather. To
the gang I followed, and in all the gangs I ever
saw, it was the practice of the negroes to cover
in and finish these miserable huts by night, and
consequently, in their own time. And I can
further add« that, when jobbing upon the road,
and not upon any estate, the gang, of which I
had charge, had no huts whatever, but lay under
the rocks, and in other cavities : for it must be
observed, that permission could not be obtained,.

220

except in very rare iDstances, to cut grass or
other necessaries upon the neighbouring estates.

The sufferings of the jobbing gangs, in fact,
were so numerous and so great, as to render
it impossible, to attempt to exaggerate by
any description. Women bad to carry their
children, in addition to their implements
and load of provisions, upwards of ten miles,
and yet to be at their work at the appointed
hour. If late, no excuse could be taken; thirty-
nine lashes would at once be given ; and, if
attended with a murmur of complaint at the
harshness of the treatment, this was followed
by thirty-nine more. The very appearance of
the gang was distressing : — their tattered rags,
— ^their pale and hungry visages, — their filth,
wounds, and scars, — and their crippled forms,
arising from a complication of disease, (the
result of unparalleled oppression in the days of
their youth) — combined with the fact, that a

221

savage African, or a ferocious Ebo, was now^
staDdiDg at their backs, ready to flay the flesh, >
and bespatter the gronnd with the blood of the ^
first who, from fatigae, should dare to place v
himself in an erect position; — this, I say, would
be sufficient to strike horror into the mind of
any individual, whose feelings had not been
blunted, and whose heart had not been rendered
callous, by a personal participation in this
brutal, oppressive, and most iniquitous system.

I cannot dismiss this branch of my subject,
however, without congratulating my readers
upon the fact, that these jobbing gangs are at
an end, and that all the labourers upon the
island, whether men or women, are now jobbers
for themselves. This is as it should be !

22-2

EXECUTORS.

Parish of St. Ann's.

In St. Ann's parish, in the island of Jamaica,
there lived an old gentleman, whose name was
Marshall, and who was proprietor of Ridge Pen
and Coffee-walk, two properties which adjoined
each other. In his time he was considered one
of the most wealthy proprietors in that quarter.
Though of a miserly disposition, his house was
expensively and splendidly furnished. At the
time of his death, he appointed Mr. Utton, of
Ballyminor, his executor. Some years after-
wards, Mr. Utton's nephew, now Mr. Todd, came

223

into the country, a mere youngster, and was put
into possession of Ridge Pen and CoflTee-walk ;
together with the negroes, houses, and all the
stock. All I know of this matter is, that, on the
testimony of white, black, and brown people,
the said Mr. Todd is now owner of these pro-
perties, without ever paying a fraction in form
of purchase. I myself was living, for a time, as
overseer with Mr. Todd; and this was often
made a matter of complaint by the deceased's
labourers, particularly by one of Mr. Marshall's
own domestics, who was also my servant during
the time I was Mr. Todd*s overseer.

Parish of Trelawney

At Rio Bueno, in the above parish, there once
lived a young man, who is said to have been in
the habit of making out wills for different per-
sons of property. Between him and Mr. Frater,
now custos of that parish, there was an express

224

uDderstaDdiDg. that, for every will he drew, ia
which a blank space was left for the insertioo
of Prater's name, as principal executor, the
young man should receive a doubloon, which is
equal to four pounds sterling of British money.
However poor a man may have previously been,
upon his appointment as executor to a wealthy
individual, nothing is more common in Jamaica,
than for him at once to become rich. Four or five
years, at farthest, will raise him from poverty to
affluence. The temptation to this misappropri-
ation of trust property, was not, however, con-
fined to the poor. When Mr. Frater, the custos
to whom we have already referred, took charge
of Mr. Gibs' Coffee Mountain, he found there a
fine effective gang of labourers. The liabilities
of that property were exceedingly small, when
compared with the gross assets. The produce
of two or three years would have been more
than sufficient to clear off* every charge that
was against it. Mr. Frater, however took from

225

that, and placed upon his own estate, twenty-
one fine effective labourers ; at the same time
disposing annually of the produce of the pen,
leaving the debt upon the property unnoticed,
and exposing the young family to all the dan-
gers and degradation of poverty. I can attest
this upon my own personal knowledge.

Parish of St. James.

Some years ago, an old Irish gentleman died
in St. James*s parish, whose name was Hill, and
who, at the time of his death, was supposed to
be worth forty thousand pounds. I do not now
remember the names of his executors; but
suffice it to say, that they took possession of the
whole of his property, never having handed over
a farthing to any of his surviving relations. In
fact, I feel no hesitation in affirming, that for

226

.the last sixty years, five cases of justice on the
, part of executors have uot been known in Ja-
/ maica.

Of all the robberies committed in the island,
none have ever afiected my mind more deeply
than those which are practised upon the poor,
young, innocent brown people who are thus
thrown from af&uence into penury and want.
During the life-time of the fathers, they are
respected and flattered ; but, after his decease,
they are neglected, or even shunned. The
executors swallow up the whole of the pro-
perty ;— they take all, and give none. The misery
inflicted by these rapacious tyrants, if pro-
perly described, would cause a heart of stone
to bleed. But I feel myself iDCompetent to such
a description.

The case of the Creoles^ in almost eirery in-

227

stance, is peculiarly distressing, wherever exe-
cutors are concerned. Thence, the general, but
not inapposite remark, so constantly employed
by the natives, — when a man dies in Jamaica,
HE is ruined for EVER ; — which is as though
they said, " If a man dies worth fifty or sixty
thousand pounds, in two or three years after his
death, his estate will be declared insolvent by
his executors." Cases are constantly occurring
in the island, of the particular friends of the
deceased, having come into possession of the
property, appropriated the greater part of its
proceeds to their own use, by virtue of their
executorships, and then take the benefit of the
act, and then leave the unfortunate children,
with the miserable remnant, in the hands of
practised and designing knaves.

Other cases occur, in which the executor of
the deceased holds the property in his own
hand, and manages it for the children during

p 2

228

their minority. Id the case of boys, as sood as
they arrive at the age of thirteen, or thereabout,
they are indulged in every species of vanity and
wickedness. No care whatever is taken of their
education. A horse, a watch, a dog, and a gun,
are all provided at the first expression ' of a
wish.. By the time the youth arrives at age,
he is an adept in gambling, horse-racing, cock-
fighting, and every species of vice. This exe-
cutor now presents him with his bill, in which
articles with which he has been furnished, are
charged at ten times their real value. This is
followed by a recommendation to sell out
his property, which is said to be of little value,
and to take a situation as planter. In confor-
mity with the wishes of his miscalled guardian,
and with the most unequivocal assurances that
his views shall in every way be promoted, he
assigns over his claim. This executor now fur-
nishes him with what he wants ; provides him
with one or two horses, for which he is charged

229

at the rate of £100 a-piece, when their iDtrinsic
value is not more than £30; and then, as a
means to get rid of one whom he has long felt as
a burden, he procures for him a precarious
situation. His early habits having unfitted
him for business, he is now discharged ; when,
on his return to his patron, to provide him with
another berth, he is told,—" 1 got you one — why
did you not keep it T— I shall give myself no
further trouble about you !" — He is then brand-
ed as one of the worst characters ; is scouted by
those with whom he had previously associated ;
and, as the ultimatum of his wretchedness, is
compelled to live with the labourers—the last
refuge for injured and plundered children.

But the worst part of the story remains yet
to be told.— When young females are left in the
charge of executors, they have no sooner arrived
at the age of puberty, than every flattering and
seductive charm will be presented to the mind.

230

to induce them to live us mistresses with the
man, who was bound, by every principle of
honour, to protect them. Old or young, no
means will *be left unemployed which can pos-
sibly aid in the accomplishment of his diabolical
design. In too many instances, alas! have
such unprotected females fallen victims to this
seductive influence, and, after having been des-
poiled of their honour, have been turned upon
the world, to provide, with toil and tears, for
the support of their illegitimate offspring :— or,
in cases in which the executor has himself been
personally successful in his attempts, he has
sent them loose upon society, destitute of the
common necessaries of life, and prepared to fall
a victim to the first villain who may cross their
path. I do not bring this as a special charge
^against any particular executor^ but I assert it
^to be the general practice throughout the island.
Many a fine youth, with the feelings of patriot-
ism and disgust for the country, struggling for

231

the ascendancy in his bosom, have I known to
abandon bis native shores, and go into vo-
luntary exile, rather than be an eye-witness
to the plundering rapacity, and brutal licen-
tiousness, practised upon an unsuspecting but
affectionate sister, perhaps by an hoary-headed
villain, who was about to step into his grave-
Many such instances flit before my eye at this
moment ; — the blood runs cold in my veins at
the recital—*! lay down my pen.

232

PLANTERSHIP.

To every honest planter it has long been a
matter of deep and heart-felt regret, to see the
fine estates around them, year after year, sink-
ing into ruin. The cause of this I have al-
ready in part explained. No sooner had the
friends of humanity in Britain exerted them-
selves for the complete and unconditional abo-
lition of slavery, with a prospect of immediate
success, than the planters in the colonies, anti-
cipating that the day for an onslaught upon

233

their plundering and nefarious practices was at
hand, at once set themselves to work, to promote
their own personal and individual interests. —
For the last five or six years, the attention paid
to the cultivation of the cane-fields has, for the
most part, been exceedingly partial ; and, con-
sequently, the proprietors at home have made
great complaints of the falling off in the ex-
ports of sugar from their estates. The planters
alleged, as a reason for this, the unfavourable-
ness of the seasons, but more especially the
interference of the home legislature, by which,
they asserted, that the negroes could not be
compelled to yield more than two-thirds of their
average labour; whilst the real facts of the
case were, that they themselves, instead of at-
tending to the crop, were employing every
means in their power to promote their indi-
vidual interests, and sow the seeds of discord in
the country.

234

As I have hinted above, the destractioo en-
tailed upon the estates, by the neglect of culti-
vation, or by other artifices, has been unjustly
attributed to the interference of the true friends
of the colonies. To this cause, they assert, all
the failure in the crops is to be traced. This
has been put forward, not only in their monthly
returns to the proprietors, but has been urged
in the strongest terms in the House of Assembly.
I feel myself called upon to give this charge the
most unqualified contradiction. And more than
this, I fearlessly assert, that^ the failure has
arisen from the fact of their having been so zea-
lously employed in endeavouring to en high them^
selves, at the expense of their employers.

I wish here to be understood as addressing
myself particularly to West India proprietors
at present residing in this country ; and I trust
I shall be free from the charge of vanity or
egotism, in the statements I am about to put

235

forward. A residence of upwards of eighteen
years in the island of Jamaica alone, enables me
to speak with some degree of certainty as to
the past, present, and future prospects of the
country.

Of late years, it has been the practice of
attorneys and overseers, in expectation of some
great change in the domestic economy of the
country, as far as their means would allow, to
purchase land wherever they could get it.
Many others, who have taken advantage of the
last five or six years to promote their own in-
terests, and who now have money hoarded up,
are impatiently waiting for an opportunity to
invest it in a similar manner. Hence the at-
tempts which have been made to induce the
absentee proprietor to suppose, that but little
was to be expected from the cultivation of the
land, upon the system of free labour. Only let
the proprietors, by a want of attention to the

236

real facts of the case, be driven to despair, and
put up their estates for sale ; and these hungry
men, like cormorants upon a rock, will be ready
to pounce down, and take them at a tithe of
their real value. So certain am I of this, that I
feel bound to state, that plans to effect it were
a matter of serious and grave deliberation among
the planters, long before I left the island. If,
after this statement, the proprietors in this
country still suffer themselves to be hood-winked
and cajoled of their property^ I shall at least
have the satisfaction of knowing that they have
done it contrary to such feeble remonstrance as
it was in my power to employ.

Hitherto the control exercised by the pro-
prietor over his employees in the colonies has
been too slight, and of too general a nature, to
secure any thing like an effective management
of his estate. As a means of correcting this
evil, I would advise, that either the following,

237

or some similar entry, should be made in
every plantation book, on every estate, for the
guidance of all who may, either now, or at any
future period, be employed as attorneys, over-
seers, or book-keepers.

1. That buildings of every kind on the estate
should be kept in good and constant repair, and
not on any account be destroyed, without the
written sanction of the proprietor.

2. That stone walls, or growing fences, should
likewise be kept in good and constant repair ;
and on no account be removed or destroyed,
without such written sanction as above.

3. That stone walls, or growing fences, should
be established, for the security of cane-pieces,
pasture-lands, and pro?ision-grounds of labour-
ers ; and that the boundaries, and particularly
the yard and works, should be inclosed, as a

238

protection against night idlers or others, which
might then be easily effected by a couple of
dogs.

4. That seeds of all hard woods should be
planted on the sides of walls and other fences ;
and that a grove of the same should be esta-
blished where it would admit of waggon car-
riage*

6. That bread fruit trees, cocoa-nut trees, and
others of the fruit kind, be planted in glades,
along fence sides, and on other spare grounds,
and there to remain unmolested.

6. That the provision-grounds of the labour-
ers should on no account be disturbed or in-
jured, or even changed, except for as good or
better, and not even this, without the written
sanction of the proprietor.

239

7. That the cause of the decrease of stock be
distinctly stated ; and that the age and period
of working since purchased, as also the time at
which broke for work, be distinctly notified.

And, 8. That during crop-time the still-house
book be kept correctly ; and that a copy of the
same be forwardied to the proprietors monthly,
with remarks on the state of the clarifiers, re-
ceivers, vats, or cisterns, butts, stills, worms,
pumps, and cocks, whether in good or bad
repair ; with other remarks as the case may re-
quire; the same to be attested by the still-house
book-keeper at the risk of his salary.

Had the foregoing restrictions been imposed
upon the planters ten or twenty years ago, I
am confident that the proprietors would now
have found their estates equal to ten times
their present value. With this attention to
general improvement, and with one-third less

240

labour, more sugar would have been produced,
than could ever have been raised by flogging,
chaining, or any other species of tyranny under
any system of slavery.

I have had occasion, in former parts of this
work, to remark upon the destruction of estates
by the sanguinary butchery of the present race
of planters. At one time an excessive mortality
had taken place among the labourers, and had
been reported to the proprietor ; but the causes
of this mortality have beed artfully concealed.
^Innumerable cases of death, occasioned by the
/use of the whip, or other sanguinary measures,
^have been entered in the plantation book as the
, result of general debility or consumption. At
other times, the estate of the absentee propri-
etor has suffered, from the female labourers on
the estate having, for the most part, ceased to
bear children. The aged and the infirm were
dying off at a much greater rate than children

241

were rising up to supply their place* On
Bloxburgh, Augwalta, Vale, Palm, Cbarelton,
Crawl, Manchester, Hopewell and on many
other estates, pens, and coffee mountains, I have
heard with my own ears, again and again, the
female labourers saying, that they hoped they
never should have children, and that they never
would have one if they could help it, to be
tortured and cut up at the idle and malicious
caprice of a white overseen But they did not
rest in words; — they proceeded to acts. Indis-
criminate sexual intercourse on the various
properties was without restraint. By this spe-
cies of delinquency they hoped to succeed ; and
it is painful to state, that to too great an extent
their wishes were realized. A perseverance in
this course for a few years would have tended
to the depopulation of Jamaica, as certainly as
the crime of infanticide tended to the depopu-
lation of the Sandwich islands. Just at thi«

242

time the missioDaries came and arrested the
progress of the alarmiDg evil. At their solici-
tatiou the negroes returned to conjugal fidelity ;
and this plague-spot upon the island was spee-
dily removed. The proprietors of Jamaica will
never be able to repay these devoted men /or the
service they have refidered to their estates; but

THEIR REWARD IS ON HIGH.

But I shall be met here with the objection,
that now, as slavery is completely abolished in
Jamaica, these evils can no longer exist ; and,
in the event of the old planters cultivating a
good understanding with the labourers, the sun-
shine of prosperity may yet smile upon the
island. Admitted : but who ever heard of an
act of parliament changing the dispositions of
men ? — The old planters are at this day what
thdy were, and they will continue what they are.
Cruelty is the atmosphere they breathe'—
tyranny has grown with their growth^ and

243

strengthened with their strength. — *^ The old
planters cultivate a good understanding with
the labourers, indeed !" — Why, at this moment,
as surely as though I was within hearing, they
are cursing them as preaching rascals, denoun-
cing their ministers as incendiaries, and de-
scending to the use of epithets at which the
better tutored mind of the poor African starts
with instinctive horror,—*' The old planters cul-
tivate a good understanding with the labourers,
indeed !" — So long as they are in power, and so
long as they retain their inveterate dislike to the
religious habits of the negro, so long will acts of
cruelty be perpetuated, and so long will the pro-
perty of the absentee proprietor be held in a
state of jeopardy.

The object of every absentee proprietor should
be, by every means in his power, to conciliate
and encourage the labourers. If possible, a
heifer should be procured for each family ; and

244

they should be encouraged to keep cattle, for
which they could easily pay, by a return of la-
bour. The dung of such cattle would be inva-
luable to the proprietor; for there is scarcely an
estate in Jamaica which does not require onethird
more manure for its proper cultivation, and some
of them one half, than what their present stock
makes. By the adoption of this plan, the interests
of the labourers would be bound up in the in-
terests of the estate on which he and his family
reside ; otherwise he would, in all probability,
wander from one property to another, proving
of little use either to himself or his employers.

Properties in Jamaica differ very much, both
with respect to soil and climate; and, of course?
can only be properly managed by an attention
to these facts. Some are called planting estates,
which are generally in the interior of the coun-
try ;a n d others are called dry-weather estates,
which range along the whole of the south side

246

of the island, and are also to be found on some
parts of the northern coast.

With regard to planting estates, some are
rocky, and are more suitable to the old mode of
cultiyation, with the exception of being penned
over after the cutting of the second ratoon ; by
which method they would stand at least two
years more before they would require fresh
planting. A cane-piece judiciously penned
over seldom fails to give as good a return
as a new planting, and always better sugar.
Dry-weather estates are in general exceed-
ingly profitable ; but, without exception, they
are the worst managed estates on the island.
Although left to nature, they yield several ra-
toons ; whereas by having plenty of cattle, which
should be penned in the different cane-pieces
immediately after cutting, the laud would be
well manured, and its pores so compressed, as
to enable it to withstand the dr^ weather,— 'the

246

certain means of insuring a future abundaot
crop. It may be necessary, too, where any
plants have failed, to take other cane roots from
a swamp, or other marshy place, and at once
stick them down, to prevent the loss of ground,
or inequality of crop. The mill should be occa-
sionally stopped during crop-time, to admit of
the labourers going over the different cane-
pieces, and supplying the deficiencies arising
from the failure of roots, to which we have
referred above. Such attention to the cane-
pieces* during crop-time, would render one-
third less labour unnecessary on the following
year; in addition to which there would be a
better sugar, and a better crop. Besides, by
thus stopping the mill, time would be allowed
to dry trash for fuel, and both stock and labour-
ers would be rested.

Many of the planting estates, which usually
lie low, and which are surrounded by bills.

247

affording abundance of grass and timber, are
exceedingly suitable for ploughing. It was the
interest of the attorney, however, who had either
a jobbing gang of his own, or who had such
a gang to manage for another, to discounte-
nance the introduction of the plough. Jobbers
were sent to such estates, and cane-holes were
dug, according to the depth of the soil: in some
cases these holes were not more than two inches
deep. The holes were then filled with manure ;
and the plant, from eight to fourteen inches in
length, was slightly covered. When such canes
grew up, and become heavy at the top from an
InsuflBciency of earth, they were torn up by the
roots, and destroyed by the frequent breezes
and heavy rains The shallow bed, in which they
were deposited, was insufficient to hold them ;
whereas, had the ground been ploughed and
well pulverized, they would have been able to
withstand either breeze or rain. In this case,
therefore, the interest of the proprietor was

248

sacrificed to the interest of the attorney, or the
attorney's friend.

On such low lands as have been now descri-
bed, the May seasons set in before the trash has
been turned ; and the cane-stools are frequently
chilled and scalded by the heavy rains descend-
ing upon the trash. All such cane roots as are
now disturbed from their beds, are at this time
destroyed; and it not unfrequently happens^
that one-third of such cane-pieces require to be
re-planted ; so that no hope of a favourable re-
turn for that year can be expected from such cane-
pieces; therefore disappointment is the result
of such estates, according to the old system of
planting ; but by skilful and judicious manage-
ment, it is far from being placed beyond the
possibility of a remedy.

I have lived upon many estates of this latter
description, during my residence upon this^

249

island; and my observation and experience en-
able me to say, that the only manner in which
they can be cultivated, so as to yield to the pro-
prietor the greatest retnrns, is the following : —

1. Head trenches should be dug, for the con-
veyance of the water from the flat lands ; and
to such main trenches, small cross trenches
should be joined, by which the water would be
carried away after the heavy rains.

2. Twenty acres of the most suitable land
should then be penned over, bv what are called
flying-pens, taking in about an acre to each
pen. A sufficient quantity of cattle to manure
this should at once be turned on.

3. Immediately after the removal ot the pen,
the land thus manured should be ploughed at
least ten inches deep, the ploughman taking

250

care to cut thio and deep, so as not to distresi
the cattle.

Aod, 4.— After the laod has been thus manured
and ploughed, standing pens should be made on
the same ground. This should be done about a
month before the time of planting. The cane-
boles should be opened by the plough, at the
depth ofabout eight inches; and a basket of dung
given to each cane-hole, after the usual manner,
the plant should then be laid upon the green dung
and covered light. If marl, or white lime, were
at hand, either would answer exceedingly well
to be put in the cane-holes as a substitute for
dnng, on all lands having stiff clay.

A piece of land — say from twenty to thirty
acres — ^according to the size of the estate, might
thus be annually prepared, until the whole cane-
land on the estate was prepared in a similar
manner; and it would then, I am sure, be found

251

that one hundred acres of such land, under cane,
cultivation would produce more sugar than three
hundred upon the system pursued by the old
planters; besides which there would be a decrease
in labour to the amount of one third.

It should be the object of every proprietor to
have his pasture lands sub-divided by fences and
otherwise generally attended to. Fruit trees,
should be planted in all spare lands, and even in
pastures; as it would be a strong inducement to
the labourers to remain on the estate. When the
ground provisions are burned up by the sun, the
first answers exceedingly well as a substitute to
the labourers. Every bread fruit tree is estima-
ted by the labourer at, five pounds in value f
and the cocoa nut tree is well worth from
two to three pounds annually. Slangoe trees
are also good, and the negroes feed upon them
wherever they can get them, but they are great*
ly inferior to the bread fruit or cocoa-nut. It i»

252

a lamentable fact, that the cultiyatiou of these
trees should have been so far overlooked; and it
is still more lamentable, that where they existed,
they should have been cut down by envious
overseers, with the view of abridging the com-
forts of the poor labourers.

If the proprietors of West India estates
consulted their own interests, they would forth-
with send out young men, well skilled in farm-
ing, to keep an account of estates labour, stock,
produce, purchases, sales, &c« The estate
should be entrusted to the management of a
liberal attorney ; the head people should be
encouraged; and it would be found that they
would conduct the affairs of the estates in a far
more satisfactory and profitable manner than
under the old system. The black labourers are
well known to be the best planters in tbe island.
The best managed estates are at this moment
under their direction only. They have the ad-

253

vantage of being born on the property ; they
are thoroughly acquainted with all the different
systems of management ; and know well what
land is most suitable for the growth of the cane;
besides they are the best pen-keepers, the best
judges of stock, and the best sugar boilers-
Blany of the overseers of different properties,
from their ignorance of their business, were com-
pelled to leave the management of the estates
with which they were entrusted to the direction
of some driver or over looker; and as to boiling
sugar properly, there are ninety-nine out of
every hundred of them who do not understand
it at all.

Every driver, pen-keeper, overlooker and
bead herdsmen on an estate, whatever be
the fate of the other labourers, should un-
questionably be enabled to keep both a horse
and a cow. It has always appeared to me to
be an indulgence to which they have a fair and

254

equitaTile claim. And I am sure that do pro-
prietor could pursue a plan more suited to the ad-
vancemeut of his own ioterests, than to employ
the head men, under tbe direction of his at-
torney, to conduct the whole business of the
estate at a certain fixed quarterly or half-yearly
salary. He would thus get rid of an expen-
sive and cumbrous white establishment, and the
young men, experienced in agriculture, whom he
might send out, would in twelve or eighteen
months time, be thoroughly acquainted with
their business, and would form a race of men,
who it might be hoped, would prove a blessing
to the country. At all events so long as the

PRESENT RACE OF OVERSEERS ARE CONTINOED
IN OFFICE AND SO LONG AS THE PAST SYSTEM OF
MANAGEMENT IS PERSEVERED IN THE LABOUR-
ERS AND THE COUNTRY MUST GROAN BENEATH
A WEIGHTY CURSB«

255

SLAVE LABOUR CONTRASTED WITH
FREE LABOUR.

I here beg leave again to call the attention
of the absentee proprietor, and trust he will
farther peruse my few remarks on this subject,
as I pen them in the earnest hope of engaging
his notice to the contrast, not only as regards
the labourers, but their directors also. In my
early days, I had the opportunity of learning
the various dispositions of the labouring class,
including myself in a certain degree, and of ob-
taining a perfect knowledge of stock, and the

256

cultivation of the soil according to quality;
and I, consequently, after a short period ia
Jamaica, formed an opinion that slavery was an
evil in reference to the interests of the pro-
prietor, from the deficiency of labour given
under it, as well as a curse and torment to every
one concerned. It was my opinion that the
» labour oi Jive free labourers was fully or more
f than equal to the labour of eight slaves, of the
A same bodily strength. This was my calculation
of slavery, contrasting it with free labour, as
early as in 1820; from which period, I never
had occasion to difier in opinion, up to the time
of the apprenticeship ; and at this period, my
former opinions of the disadvantages of slave
labour was not only confirmed, but was found
lo be much under-rated.

In proof of this, I beg the reader's attention
to the following.— In 1836, I lived on York
testate, in Trelawney, in the capacity of head-

257

book-keeper; and in 1837, I lived on Latium
estate, in St. James*s. On both of these estates,
I lined cane-holes with two others* before thirty
apprentices, while digging on their own time.
In the days of slavery I lined cane-holes on
Palm estate, St. Thomas-in-the-Vale, with two
others of the same description as those I had on
York and Latium, before eighty slaves of a
strong and effective gang, and have had
more time to spare than when lining before
the thirty apprentices, digging on their own
time, on York and Latium. In addition to this,
I have farther to state, that the apprentices dug
cane-holes in their own time, at the rate of £5
per acre, currency ; during which period, from
£8 to £9 per acre was paid to the masters of
the labourers* gangs for every acre they dug
into cane-holes. In further proof of my opinion,
as to the greater expence of slave labour, I
have to state, that while from £4 to £& per

258

chain was paid for building stone walls on
estates, or other properties, to the masters of
labouring gangs^abourers, on their own time*
/built walls of the same description at the ig-
/noble rate of 23s. to 2&. per chain, finding the
, materials in every respect, the same as the job-
/ bers at £5.

Transactions of this kind disheartened the
labourer, and very justly.— That a cruel and
ungrateful master should give a preference to
a stranger over one who was once his property,
and be willing to do this at a loss of £300 per
cent, to himself, was very galling, and shewed
that no single act of justice, no fair play, was
to be expected by the black man.

I can farther say, that six slaves cleared as
much pasture, in 1837, on Latium estate, during
the apprenticeship, as sixteen did in the days
of slavery, under the cart-whip; when the

259

clothes were cut off from the backs of the
labourers. Daring the period of slavery, the
slaves were emaciated, aud stiff iu their joints,
through repeated unmerciful punishments, work-
ing in chains for every trifling offence, and
having the dungeon only at night for their re-
pose ; but in the apprenticeship-time they re-
covered, and their drooping spirits were enli-
vened by the spiritual comfort they received
from their ministers, and by whom they were
instructed to labour as free-men should do.

I have farther to say, that wherever 1 was in
charge of a property as overseer, I found that
slavery was productive of such evils as entirely
retarded the progress of my plans for the relief
of the property committed to my care.

One of the greatest misfortunes attending the
planting profession generally, had been, that of
the merchants sending out, as their represen-

260

tatives — ^bankrupts, disappointed clerks, profli-
gates, soldiers, sailors, tradesmen of any and
every description,— persons, who, on entering
on the duties of their situation, had to take in-
struction from men of an equally loose charac-
ter, seven-eighths of all the planters being of
this class. Persons, therefore, so ill initiated
in their business, were not likely to make a fair
contrast between the effects of freedom and
slavery. They pursued the plan then in prac-
tice, of forcing both labourers and stock beyond
their strength. To such extent was this
carried, that any one who adopted a plan for
abbreviation of labour, or of any domestic im-
provement, was not only sure of getting his
discharge, but left the employ with a bad cha-
racter. I have experienced this myself, even
where my projected plans would have been a
benefit to the estate.

During the period of the apprenticeship I
could not avoid observing that the majority of

261

the special magistrates sold themselves to the^
planters : a good brealifast, at one place, a din- ,
ner or supper and bed at another place, grass ^
and plenty of corn at all times for his horse and ^
good entertainment for his servants led the spe- ^
cial magistrate always to see things as the plan- v
ter saw them. In addition to this, their houses
were supplied with comforts from the overseers
at the expence of the absent proprietor. Mr*
Phelps, a special magistrate in Westmoreland, v
has frequently been known to decide complaints ^
without ever admitting the labourer to speak. %
The apprentices were ever in terror of him
and although a married man, he had the young
females at his pleasure, and his progeny in this
way are spread throughout his district.

It is really painful to the narrator to find that
any propiietor is so blind to his own interest
as to support an extensive establishment for the
mere accommodation of the white servants en-

262

gaged on it, whose only object, to the most
casual observer, seems to be, that of enriching
themselves by every species of plunder on the
proprietor.

The overseers' houses are generally from sixty
to eighty feet square, and require a great number
of servants and much furniture to render them
respectable. An establishment of this kind on
a three hundred hogshead estate, would in for-
mer days have cost the proprietor five thousand
pounds annually ; at the present time it can be
constructed, and more efficiently, for five hun-
dred pounds per annum, besides that formerly
it would have cost from six hundred to one
thousand pounds a year to purchase the neces-
sary stock, while at the present time nearly the
whole of this may be dispensed with by al-
lowing the labourers to keep cattle. The muck
from them will afford sufficient nutriment to the
soil for the cultivation of the cane, and they

263

will also allow them to he trained for working
by which the estates would be greatly assist-
ed. The few working steers required for gene-
ral labour should be bred by the estate.

It will also be found desirable for the pro-
prietor to have the houses, for the residence
of the white servants, made smaller and more
suitable for those who occupy them. One ser-
vant should be able to keep a house clean,
whereas ten have formerly been employed in
such service; for the overseers should be obliged
to raise his own ground provisions, and with
the exception of one or two barrels of pork,
should be enabled, by their small stock, to sup-
port themselves.

264

EMIGRATION.

In 1833, a bill passed the Jamaica House of
Assembly, iu favour of European emigration to
that colony. This bill, which was supposed to
have been passed with the view of assisting a
few bankrupts, but principally with the design
of inflicting an injury upon the black and co-
loured population, received the most determined
opposition from all the brown gentlemen who
were then in the House. The amount stipulated
for these emigrants was fifteen pounds per

265

bead. The Messrs. Myres and Lainonious at
oDce chartered vessels, and set sail for Ger*
many, their native country; and, by flattering
accounts of Jamaica, succeeded in inducing a
number of the inhabitants to accompany them
on their return. The riches they would acquire
in Jamaica, they were told, would enable them
to return to their own country, in a few years,
completely independent. Men ofthe lowest grade
in life, totally unacquainted with agricultural
labours, all volunteered their services as
agriculturists, and came to the island, where
they were at once disposed of at the stipulated
rate. These poor people did not suit the
overseers, as they could not understand each
other ; and they were therefore sent to differ-
ent parts of the country, amongst those who
were born slaves, and were placed under
the eye of a driver. Some English emigrants
afterwards came to the country, and were
treated in a similar manner. The emi-

266

grants, after a very short time, began to see
that they bad been deceived, and that the de-
sign of the planters was to suhject them to
a state of the most complete vassalage. This
their European dispositions and habits could
not brook. Quarrelling ensued : and as a neces-
sary consequence, they left their employment,
stating that they had worked for. months, and
had receiTed no more than a scanty subsistence
in return for their labour. I have seen them
wandering about the island, in a state of the
most deplorable destitution; and in fact, en-
tirely living upon the hospitality of the black
labourers. Many of them, as they traversed
the island, were covered with filth, and not a
few died upon the road, from hunger and thirst.
Some, indeed, died in the woods, where their
bodies remained as food to the birds of prey.
Small children were wandering about the
island, without the means of support, having
lost their protectors. Fine young females.

267

who had accompanied their parents, were
robbed of their virtue by the wily intrigues of
those who afforded them the means of sub-
sistence.

For a short time after this discontent with
the overseers, the young men and old soldiers
were taken into the police. An order for their
discharge, however, was speedily issued, by the
Governor, Sir Lionel Smith, on the ground
that they had come to the country as agri-
culturists, and had broken faith with their
employers. Their distress now had arrived
at the highest imaginable pitch. They were
walking spectres, — ^the personification of misery
and despair. They were hated and detested
by the planters; and had no means of subsis-
tence but that which the coloured population
were pleased to afford.

In September, 1886, I was in charge of the

268

police statioD in the distinct of Moneague, in
the parish of St. Ann's, when seven English
emigrants came to me from Phoenix Park Pea,
the property of Mr. Mitchell. They complained
of hanger, and said they had been treated very
ill by Mr. Breham, their overseer, and also by
the attorney, Mr. Hamilton Brown. The ob-
ject of their calling on me was, to try to get
into the police; but 1 had received official
orders, a few weeks before, to take no more
emigrants; and they were therefore obliged to
return to their employ.

In two days after, these same individuals left
the property again, for the purpose of pre-
ferring a complaint against their attorney aad
overseer, in Spanish Town ; supposing they
should be unable to obtain justice at home,
on the ground of the intimacy which existed
between Mr. Brown, their attorney, and his
brother magistrates. They went to the Queen's-

269

bouse, and were there examined ; but, on their
return, they were taken up by Mr. Brown, who
was then in Spanish Town, as deserters ; and
as such, they were sent back to me with a letter
to Mr. Special Justice Lairdlow. The weather
was very wet ; and when the men were given
into my charge, they presented a most frightful
appearance. I immediately received a letter
from the Special justice, directing me to keep
them in close confinement until an investigation
should take place. On receipt of this, mounting
my horse, I rode to the Special Justice, and in-
formed him that there were no provisions at the
station for the support of the prisoners, and
that, according to police laws, none was al-
lowed ; and that I would therefore thank him
to give me an order on the property which they
had left, which was about a mile distant. The
Special Justice refused. I then despatched a
policeman with a note to the overseer, request-

270

lug him to send provisions for bis emigrants:
but to this he replied, that he would not give
them a morsel, and that, if they were to die, it
was uothiDg to him. I went to the Special Jus-
tice again, and stated the necessity of the case ;
and told him, that if I kept them under the force
of arms and starved them to death, I should be
chargeable with their murder. He then asked
me how they had supported themselves previ-
ously ; and I replied, that I did not know, but,
as they were under my charge, I ought to
know how they were to be supported in future.
At this he grew angry, and said, " They are
your prisoners till they are liberated — I have
nothing more to do with it." I then left, not
knowing what to do, but was ultimately obliged
to purchase provisions for them with my own
money. I wrote to the Queeu's-house, stating
the particulars of the case, but received no
reply: — they were under my care, and were

271

supported by me, fourteen days, in the manner
I have stated, supposing every day their case
would be heard.

At last, Mr. Carter, a local magistrate, and
Mr. Special Justice Wollyfrice, came to the
station, accompanied by Mr. Brown, the attor-
ney, Mr. Breham, the overseer, and several other
gentlemen. The prisoners considered, that as
they preferred the first complaint, they were
entitled to be plaintiffs in the case; and the
more so, as they had only left the property to
further the ends of justice. This, however, was
over-ruled, and the poor men were tried and
found guilty of desertion. One of the emigrants,
during the hearing of the case, endeavouring to
explain the nature of their grievances, stated
that their weekly allowance was barely suffi-
cient for four days, and that whenever driven by
absolute hunger, they dared to complain, their
miseries were increased. At this the Special

272

magistrate flew into a violent passion, and said,
that such cases might appear strange before
coantry magistrates, but that to him, sitttng on
the Kingston bench, they were quite familiar.
The court was then cleared, and six out of the
seven were sentenced to five weeks' hard labour
on the public roads, with the loss of all their
wages up to the time of their return to the
estate. The sentence of the one who had en-
deavoured to explain their grievances to the
Bench, was extended to seven weeks, with a
similar loss of wages. One of the emigrants,
who had seen better days, was so terrified at
the sentence, that he immediately fell sick, and
shortly afterwards died.

Mr. Breham visited St. Ann's Ba^ some days
after, and finding the emigrants at work in the
inside of the gaol, he swore to the superinten-
dent, that, unless they were sent out to work on
the roads, although it was then raining in tor-

273

rents, he would report bim to the Vestry, and
have him removed.

I have quoted the above case, not with the
view of discouraging emigration to the colo-
nies, but rather for the purpose of urging upon
absentee proprietors the necessity of having
some definite and fixed plan, by which the
mutual interests of both master and labourer
would be secured.

Young men acquainted with agriculture, and
of abstemious habits, should be selected, frm
fifteen years of age to twenty ; or persons oi
industrious habits, and of small families. A
house should be built for their reception ; and
lands, with plantain suckers, cocoa's, and some
yams, should be allotted to them. This would
be more agreeable to the labourer, and less ex-
pensive to the proprietor, than feeding them

274

from ttie estate stores. The bickerings aod
heart-burniogs which existed between the over-
seers and the former emigrants would not thus
be revived : — they would be able to judge of
their own constitutions, and their provision-
grounds would afford them an ample supply.

On their arrival at the colony, every family
should be provided with a cow, and every single
man with a heifer. They would thus have some
stake in the country, and some inducement to
locate themselves upon a particular estate ; and
not be as the former emigrants, served with a
scanty allowance of provisions, and left at the
beck of a merciless driver. Besides, their situ-
ation would be yearly improving, and, by frugal
and saving habits, they might in time not only
increase their comfort, but place themselves in
a position of respectability and independence.

For the first three months after landing, they

275

might be accompaDied in their work by an in-
telligent black labourer, who would explain to
them a variety of things, with which they must
be supposed to be unacquainted ; — such as the
nature of the soil, the manner in which their
provision-grounds should be attended to, the
various seeds which should be put down, the
time of planting, hoeing, cleansing, and a variety
of other matters, too numerous to be mentioned.

The hours of labour should be from half-past
five in the morning until eleven o'clock in the
forenoon, and from two in the afternoon until
five, leaving them half an hour for breakfast,
and three hours for rest and refreshment in the
middle of the day ; thus making in all eight
hours' labour in the day, except indeed, in crop
time, when they might work for hire in extra
hours.

For the first year, their employment should

276

be the care of stock and domestics, cuttiog
grass, repairing roads and fences, taking charge
of carts and waggons, trenching swamp lands-,
aad other jobs with tradesmen. In crop^time
they might load cane- carts, and act as cart-men,
mule-men, cattle-catchers, boiling-house, still-
house, and mill feeders, as well as do a variety
of other jobs on the estate. After the first year,
they would get into possession of the various
descriptions of labonr,and would be accustomed
to the climate, as also to the habits and man-
ners of the native people.

They should be sent to church or chapel
every Sunday; and great care should be taken
to prevent them from falling a prey to spiritu-
ous liquors, — ^that bane and curse of the whole
colonies. The man in charge of the estate
should encourage them, and endeavour in every
possible way to secure their friendship and
good will; and in proportion as these ends are

277

obtained, in just that same proportion will they
be valuable, or otherwise, to any estate upon
which they may settle down.

This, then, is the plan of emigration which I
beg to submit to the notice of West India
planters and proprietors; — a plan which is the
result of much thought and observation ; and a
plan which, if adopted, cannot fail of success.
Such a system of emigration, any one may con-
scientiously recommend or adopt ; but the men
who should send out emigrants under the old
system, would be chargeable with the crime of
having been accessary to their death. This plan,
let it be distinctly understood, supposes the
emigrants to be raised above the tyranny and
persecution of the former oppressive overseers.
XJndeb theib managbmemt and control, I

BEPEAT, NO SYSTEM THAT IS ADOPTED C4.N
BVBB BE EXPECTED TO PBOVE A BLESSING TO
THE COUNTBY*

278

It may be said by some inexperienced and
thoughtless individual, that the proprietors can-
not thus afford to purchase cattle for their emi-
grants and black labourers. To this it will be
enough to reply, that without a sufficiency of
cattle upon an estate, the requisite supply of
manure cannot be obtained, and consequently
there will be a deficiency of cane. It is to the
interest of the proprietor, therefore, to provide
for this. Besides, pen -keepers would be glad
to give the proprietors twelve months* credit
for whatever stock they might require; and
long before that time, the outlay would have
been repaid to the proprietor in estate labour
and manure. The attention of the needy pro-
prietor is therefore more especially called to
this plan, as it cannot fail to issue in the welfare
of his labourers, and in the growing and in-
creasing prosperity of his estate.

For the future guidance of the West Indian

279

proprietors, I think it necessary to observe, that
they should be cautious, and very guarded
against all planters who are now in charge of
their property : for, at this time, they are si-
lently striving to displace the present propri'
etors, and substitute themselves as owners of the
land, which they hope to effect by cajoling the
proprietor with the hope of good returns, made
upon false estimates and false promises ; while,
by neglectful cultivation and exorbitant ex-
pences, the estates are falling into a state ruin-
ous to the present proprietor.

I have earned my bread for several years past
on estates, and other properties in Jamaica,
belonging to Gentlemen resident in Eng-
land, to whom I feel it my duty to give my
best advice, — the only form of gratitude now in
my power. In justice to the absent proprietors
of West Indian property, I have to remark, that
they were entirely innocent of the glaring cru-

280

elties that were practised by their planting at-
torneys.

I can distinctly prove, to the satisfaction of
any West Indian proprietors now in England,
who have canse to complain, as to the small
amount of the nett proceeds of their estates, that
the agents were the only cause thereof; this can
be proved in various ways, by the estates' books
now in the possession of the absentee propri-
etor ; and if called upon to do so, I am willing
to establish these, my accusations, at any period
/between this and the fall of the year, when 1
/intend to start for Jamaica, fearless of the result
'of what this volume contains*

281

THE COLONIAL CHURCH UNIONISTS.

The atrocities perpetrated during Martial
Law, it would appear, had not satiated the san-
guinary thirst of the planters, but rather increa-
sed it, and the more they gloated over their un-
offending and innocent victims, the more seems
to have been their never satisfying desire, still
to add to their recklessness. The discontinu-
ance of Martial Law, arrested their progress,,
and the Law no longer in abeyance, once more
assumed its majesty: yet, means were found

282

under the disgusted oames of '* truth and justice"
to violate the law. Not content at the ruin
which was already made, the murders that were
committed by wholesale, and the innocent blood
of the unsophisticated infants of nature which
was shed, the planters sought to perpetuate their
atrocities, under a band, and as if to add a solem-
nity to their proceedings, and to lead the unwary
to believe in the holiness of their acts, dared to
insult an holy church by assuming to themselves
a cognomen as a blind to hide their base pur-
poses. Every parish on the island had its band
of "Colonial Church Unionist," in which were
enrolled Planters, Militia Officers, Magistrates
and ev^n Clergymen. The originator was the
iRev. George Willson Bridges, Rector of the
/ parish of St. Ann. They resolved individually
/ and collectively that they would expel by legal
/ means, the missionaries of religion. This ex-
pulsion could not be done legally ; for the tole-
ration act of William and Mary gave free scope

283

to the preaching and teaching in licensed places
of worship. How was it to be effected I Fi-et--
armii. The introduction of the words " legal
means" was only intended for the governor and
attorney general. The latter certainly, although
I doubt whether he had the desire, could not
proceed against them on a resolution so care-
fully worded, and could only wait till a violation
of the law had taken place. Many such vio-
lations did take place :— ^missionaries, with their
families, were insulted in their own houses; —
one Mr. Bleby was tarred and feathered; — their
chapels were either burnt or pulled down; and
the hired houses, in which christians met to-
gether on the Sabbath, to lift their voices to the
Holy One, and to pray to Him to have mercy
ou their persecutors and slanderers, were also
destroyed, But a few hours, which before be*
held families living in comparative ease, and
enjoying every comfort commensurate with
their condition in lifer-'keen and bitter poverty

284

became their iDheritance, from the misdeeds of
those monsters io human shape,— with no other
bed than the damp grass, and no other roof than
the canopy of heaven over mothers and infants,
now become homeless, and exposed to the
utmost inclemency of the elements. The mo-
thers and children, in terror at the presence
of the Colonial Unionists' sought shelter in the
woods. To such a height did the outrage
reach, that the interference of Majesty was
called in, to dissolve the associations. But the
King's Proclamation, forbidding their meeting
together, was treated with contempt, and torn
from the public places on which it was
posted. Citizens thinking the better to enforce
their authority, made military harangues to the
militia, when assembled on muster days, and
they soon became an armed body. The Gover-
nor, then Lord Mulgrave, now Marquis of Nor-
mandy, seeing the fatal tendency that this
would have, at once checked it^ by depriving

285

the militia officers concerned, of their commis-
sion. At Huntley Pasture, he stripped Mr, Ha-
milton Brown, who held the commission of
Lieutenant Colonel, of all his honours; — his
officers and men then became so irritated, that
missiles of every description were thrown at his
Excellency; and a Mr. Tucker, who was caught
in the fact by one of His Excellency's suite,'was
also stripped of his honours as Lieutenant
of Militia. To Lord Mulgrave were the mis- ^
sionaries and the island indebted for the total ^
extinction of this lawless band, and the peace ^
which prevailed during his administration.

286

MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL.

These good men were opposed in the prose-
cution of their mission, on the moment of their
arrival in Jamaica by both planters aod mer*
chants« The animosity towards them was not
confined to their own person ; but the greatest
cruelty was exercised over the slaves who were
known to attend prayer, or act in any way in
accordance with them. Nothing was more com-
mon than for a planter to ask a negro whether he
was in the habit of praying. This question was

287

usually answered by the negroes in the nega-
tive, through fear of the consequences ; seeing
that their ministers themselves were insulted
and mocked by planters and merchants, who
circulated lies of the most base nature con.
cerning them through the medium of the press.
These worthy men have frequently had to ride
through torreuts of rain in performance of their
duty, to their lodgings where worship was con-
ducted, and although parsing by the houses of
planters, have not dared to seek shelter there,
knowing that they would meet with no christian
courtesy. Apatch of land to build a place of wor-
ship upon, was not to be had for twenty times its
value. Notwithstanding the opposition made to
their proceedings, their congregations increased
weekly, not only with slaves, but with a great
number of the colored population who were
free. And the fruits of their spiritual labours
were, a great decrease of the crimes which pre-
viously pervaded every class of society. Obeah

288

Poisoning, Drunkenness, Fornication, &c. gave
place to Industry, Integrity and Christian-like
habits in general. Formerly, twenty or thirty
persons were required to watch the provision
grounds, canes pieces, works and cattle pens ;
and could not even then prevent theft, which
frequently terminated in murder. When the ap-
prenticeship took place, at which time, the
gospel was generally preached throughout the
island, four or five persons instead of twenty
or thirty, above referred to, were all that was
needed. The dwelling houses of the planters
were even frequently left open all night, in
which there were silver spoons and plate of
considerable value.

In addition to these good effects of missionary
exertions, many of the brown population re-
ceived spiritual and moral instruction. The
cart whip, too became less active, and much of
the previous brutal barbarity to the slaves were

289

dim! Dished, The attornies had their share in this
atneDdment, fearing, as they acknowledged, an
exposure in the British Parliament by the Anti-
Slavery Societies. The Rev. W. Knibb and
the Rev. T. Burchell were a terror to ali.

PI^ANTERS, MERCHANTS, AND ALL BVIL DOERS
OF EVERY DESCRIPTION IN JAMAICA.

290

ON THE HABITS OF SOCIETY ENGEN-
DERED BY SLAVERY.

Persons unacquainted with countries in
which slavery exists, would scarcely believe
that such habits could gbtain as are to be met
with in every slave colony.

The children of slaves were allowed to run
about naked up to five years of age, and in some
instances, even full-grown male negroes went

291

about with little or no covering, while working;
and such was the force of habit that young ladies
of the first distinction, and apparently invested
with modesty and virtue, could stand delibe-
rately viewing men in this state without the least
annoyance to their feelings. I have known young
ladies, who have received a polished education,
with the accomplishments of music and dancing,
quit their party to superintend the flogging
of an unfortunate slave, and that done in
the most indelicate manner too. I have known
floggings to take place at the instance of
ladies, under the disgusting orders that the
clothes of the poor sufferer should be stripped
off, in order that a full measure of vengeance
should be inflicted. Indeed I have observed,^
that married ladies frequently excel their i
husbands in the cruelty of the whip.

And I wish them to know, that they owe it to
my forbearance in respect of their sex only,

292

that I do not here write out their names at full
length. The inbred arrogance of a white child,
brought up among black children, is painfully
pressed upon the observation of a person unac-
customed to such a land of tyranny as a slave
colony always is. At even two years of age, the
/black child cowers and shrinks before the white
/Child, who at all times slaps and beats it at plea-
/sure, and takes away its toys without thesmallest
/ manifestation of opposition on the part of the
^piccaninni. I have frequently seen a white child
crying, vhen the little slave, so utterly a slave
from his birth, would say to the crying child, —
" Massa, knock me, don't cry ! — you, my massa;
—me, you nega/'

I now proceed to the vicious effects of the
system on the youth of the white population. —
So early as at fifteen years of age, it is quite
common for a boy to select for himself a mis-
tress; and this is usually done from among

293

the waiting maids of his mother or sisters. He
keeps her in the house of his parents, as his
concubine ; and the produce of this connexion
remain in the house until old enough to be
taken, like beasts of burthen, and trained to
undergo field labour. At this time the ties of
father and mother are no longer considered by
the owners ; but the child is driven out into
the field, like any other part of the stock on the
estate. This exhibits the amount of affection
in a planter's bosom for the child of his own
body !

I cannot close this section without remarking^
on the injurious effects which this profligacy of
habit in the young men has on the moral sense-
of the female part of the family. The inter*
course between their brothers and their coloured
mistresses being constantly before their eyes,,
their own minds become necessarily free from
the restraints imposed upon the indulgence of

294

the passions in well regulated and moral so-
ciety. I state it with feelings in which disgust
and horror are equally combined, that several
instances occurred, in the estates on which I
resided, of sisters and daughters having become
the objects of seduction by their own brothers
and fathers. An instance is now present to my
mind, of a fine handsome woman, of some dis-
tinction in Trelawney, who, living under the
same roof with her brother, was seduced by
him, and became enceinte. It was kept un-
known in the neighbourhood, until she deter-
mined on going to Kingston, to get rid of the
object of her shame. On the way there with her
maid servant, she stopped at Moneague Tavern,
in St« Ann's, for the night. She was there de-
livered of a child. Her maid servant, on the
following morning, was observed by Mr. Long-
bottom, the tavern-keeper, to carry out a very
large tin kettle. He so far indulged his curi-
osity as to examine its contents, and found it to

295

be the body of a new born child that had been
murdered. In the first shock of horror which
was created by this event, the unfortunate
young woman confessed that it was a child she
had borne to her own brother, who was a medi-
cal man in the parish. I am sorry to say, that
this is not a singular instance of the perpetra-
tion of crime so unnatural.

There is at this period a gentleman at Tre-
lawney, of the best education and of high clas-
sical attainments, who has similarly completed
the destruction of his own white daughter; once
his chief pride, but now a living public memorial
of his and her i-nfamy. These are some of the
fruits of slavery, and not wwcommcwi fruits, where-
ever slavery obtains its footing.

The debasing effects of the slave system were
as offensively exhibited in their effects on the
male population of mature age. Men arrived

296

even at seventy years ot age, were in the babit
of keeping mistresses in their houses, along
with their grown-up daughters. It is not ne-
cessary to depict, for the notice of a father or
mother of grown-up daughters in England) the
demoralizing influence which such a course of
libertinism must have on young won^u arriving
at womanhood. But there are still n^re debate
sing habits resorted to, towards accomplishing
the gratification of sensual indulgepc^t The
history of Mr. M^Clean, an attorney of emi^
nence, a man arrived at aevenfy years of age,
would furnish evidence of such attempts to
awaken the exhausted power of indulgence, as
is too disgusting to be further detailed.

1 think it necessary to call the attention of
proprietors still farther to the conduct of attor-
neys, as described in page 139, &c., as well as
that of overseers, sanctioned by these faithless
and mercenary attorneys ; and Itrust that absen-

297

tees will do me the justice to say, that I have
not screeoed the delinquencies of their servants.
On the contrary, I know that I have exposed
myself to their future animosity. Should they
attempt to exonerate themselves from the stain
of my accusations, by resorting to a prosecu-
tion :^t will only farther enable me to make
other exposures. I make use of no expressions
against the planters, but what are to be met
with in the common discourse of overseers at ta-
ble. The entire substance of their conversation
it would be impossible to pen with propriety ;
for what planters know of each other, are secrets
to all of a different profession. Proprietors
should give the charge of their properties to
men only who live on the spot, and not to any
one who has the charge of more than six. It
would be also necessary, that the proprietors
should communicate with the overseers in charge
of their property, by which they would al-
ways know the true state of cultivation and

298

other improvements carried on in the estate, —
the situation of an overseer always depending
on his abilities as a planter, — There are many
of the attorneys who know nothing of the pro-
fession, and therefore they are entirely depen-
dent on the abilities of the overseer. Many want-
ing the good sense to avail themselves of the
overseer's information, and following their own
plans, pursue such measures as necessarily in-
volve the estate in ruin. Many discharge their
overseers, and employ their friends, who know
nothing of the management of an estate; whereas
if there was a proper understanding between the
proprietor and the overseer, it would greatly
assist towards the prevention of such mischiev-
ous acts as are frequent with attorneys.

In concluding this volume, I feel myself
called upon to make the following remarks,
trusting that the reader will not entertain a
doubt of what I here set forth. — I left Jamaica,

299

with an intention to do justice to every class of
society there, connected with slavery; so far as
truth would bear me out. I therefore com-
menced my narrative of professional habits
both cautiously and timidly, lest the people of
England should not only believe my statements,
but exaggerate them : — of this I can speak con-
Gdently^— there is not a planter in Jamaica who
will deny them. A seven months' residence in
London has made much alteration in this opi-
nion of mine, as I find it difficult to induce some
of my friends to believe the customary, nay
daily, practices of my profession in Jamaica.

I have a claim to belief, in that it is against
my interest to raise a false accusation. I am
professionally a planter, and intend to continue
in that line of life, by returning to Jamaica,
where I can be brought to account for every
line contained in this volume. I therefore mis-
represent no man. According* to the view of

300

libel which my UDderstaudio^ will alone admit of
I libel no raan : — by this I mean, that truth
is DO libel. I am aware that this book will fall
into the hands of many an imprudent youth, who
may thirst after the persecution of all under
his control :— such an ojie^will pay but •. lit-

/bring upon me.

B. M*Mahon.

J. Matthew, Printer, 12, Naysau Place, Commercial Road, East.

APR 6 - 1915