1 Me know no law, me know no fin, Me is just what ebba them make me; : The virtue and chastity, as well as the lives and properties of the women, are at the command of the masters and overseers; they are perpetually exposed to the prostitution of them and their friends: it is pity that there is not fome law to protect them from abuses so tyrannic, cruel and abominable. There was a law of the Lumbards, setting forth, That if a master debauched his slave, she was to be restored to her freedom, and, if she had a husband, him also. Notwithstanding all their hardships, they are fond of plays and merriment; and if not prevented by whites, according to a law of the island, they will meet on Saturday-nights, hundreds of them in gangs, and dance and fing till morning; nay, sometimes they continue their balls without intermiffion till Monday-morning. I have often gone, out of curiosity, to fuch meetings, and was highly diverted: their music is composed of any thing that makes a tinkling found; a hollow cane, or bamboo, with holes in it, in imitation of a fife; an herring-barrel, or tub, with sheep-skins substituted for the heads, in imitation of a drum, called a gumbay: but sometimes more "grandy balls," as they are called, are honoured with a tabret and vicling L2 violin; in which case, they are visited by the better fort of the neighbouring plantation negroes, and suppers and strong liquors are prepared by a few of the knowing-ones. They prepare a number of pots, some of which are good and savory; chiefly their swine, poultry, falt beef, pork, herrings, and vegetables, with roasted, barbacued, and fricaseed rats, &c. &c.; all which they divide into small quantities, in calabashes, (bitts and half-bitts worth) on which those who are able to purchase regale themselves. Their funerals and weddings are celebrated in this manner: indeed, I think I never saw any thing that so nearly resembled the amusements, particularly the patrons held on Sundays, by the vulgar peafantry on the moun-tains in Ireland; where, to the music of a rotten bagpipe, or crazy fiddle, they dance to "tire each other down;" where they court, laugh, and fing, at once, and cry, pipe and play at once; and where they gormandize and guttle, fight and quarrel at once! : When dancing, they form themselves into a circular position, adjoining some of their huts, and continue all in motion, singing so loud, that of a calm night they may be heard at about two miles diftance-thus: Hipsaw! my deaa! you no do like a-me! : Hipfaw! Hipfaw! my deaa! you no jig like a-me! You no work him like a-me! you no sweet him like Tajo, tajo, tajo! tajo, my mackey massa! O! laud, O! tajo, tajo, tajo! You work him, mackey massa!.. هم Tajo, tajo, tajo! my mackey massa! oth O! laud, O! tajo, tajo, tajo! L I'll please my mackey massa! I'll sweet my mackey massa! 4 : Thus they go on; so that it would be almost impossible for a stoic" to look on without laughing. The droll capers, and wanton geftures and attitudes the languishing glances and grimaces, fo consequential and serious, of those flat-nosed damsels, timed to admiration by their jetty beau partners, are truly curious: It is very amazing to think with what agility they twift and move their joints: - I sometimes imagined they were on springs or hinges, from the hips downwards; whoever is most active and expert at wriggling, is reputed the best dancer. You will find amongst them many beautiful young creatures; so that you cannot possibly look on unmoved: they have too many alluring tricks L3 tricks to seduce and lead men astray. Perseus was moved to war by the beauty of a black woman: the great Mark Antony, once lord of the empire, could not withstand Cleopatra's jetty charms: whilst roses and lillies fade, true black, like the yew that never sheds its leaves, is still the fame. Of scorching toil regardless all the day, 2 : Where Bess and Hecate, with their chigger toes, Where Flora, Phillis, Silvia, Sall and Nell, In beauty's pomp their sable sex excell : } With shifts and gowns, white hats, and trinckets too, And cock-up bubbies, ripe for soft delight, Twift, wind and turn, and turn and wind all night. When wanton Jiggo, with "fide-long looks of love," To mutual rapture do each other move; With kind compliance, and with warm defire,,, In melting pairs, they privately retire To lonely shades, to fences or old walls, To dance more pleasing jigs than at their balls: Whilft Whilst others flily to their huts advance, If you for goddesses shou'd be inclin'd, Their form of marriage is nothing more than that the parents or friends of both parties meet on these festival nights, and give consent that the amorous pair may be united as long as they like each other: -ten to one, not fo ceremonious, make matches without any public parade. Poor creatures! they have no idea of virtue or fidelity; the men are as fashionablywicked as white noblemen, in carrying on intrigues: some will have a dozen women in keeping at once; and the women, in return, can manage their's as flily as a dutchess. Their compliments of respect and friendship, when speaking of or to each other, is Uncle, Aunty, Granny, Tatta, Momma, Sista, Boda. Though, a white man was to give a black or mungrel, 1000l. yearly, I don't think she could confine herself entirely to him only: their natural ig A |