modations for ftrangers; fo that he was frequently furrounded by numbers of the neighbouring cowfkin gentry; he was remarkably polite and attentive in getting them fprightly bedfellows, for he had a feraglio of fine wenches at command, and was confidered the most obliging, fimple, good natured, pimple fellow exifting.

Little Confequence, a journeyman weaver, had not been fix months a book-keeper, until, through the influence of his brother, a pedagogue, who got the parfonage of one of the best parishes in the island, he was preferred to the management of a fine eftate in the parish of Vere; the little fhuttle-driver, being elevated from the threadle to a cowfkin hero, purchased horfes, a kitterine, and fine clothes, and was foon honoured with the appellation of the beau planter; in fhort, he was the prince and emperor of coxcombs, and was making a fortune rapidly, until an unlucky circumftance tranfpired, which blafted and ruined his reputation ever after. It appeared that Little Confequence was very industriously inclined, and had an uncommon itch for that fort of traffic called higling, which induced him to difpofe of part of the fugars and rum privately, alfo, the plantation stock and stores, until at length these matters were detected, and poor Little Confequence was disbanded in difgrace! I am forry to say that there are too many Sneaking-Cautions, and Little Confequences, in Jamaica, and all over the Weft Indies.

An

An overseer should be allowed a generous faHary; nor should he be permitted to pamper horses, cattle, nor ftock of any kind, to fell or barter for his own emolument; nor fhould he be intrusted to difpofe of any of the eftate's produce, least he fhould be tempted to act dishonestly. I knew many overfeers who accumulated very rapidly. large properties by retailing rum and stock for the ufe of the proprietors, and yet to fupport tolerable good characters, because their villainy was not detected.

I must not omit to mention a very wrong practice of overfeers, moft injurious to proprietors. in general; that is, planting Indian corn, or peas, amongst the canes; it is very evident to the meaneft capacity, that the richest foil will be impoverished more or lefs, according to the load of vegetables it produces; for every plant extractsits peculiar nourishment from the earth; the nurfe who fuckles more than one babe at once will exhauft herself, nor can fhe do them all juftice; the fimilie between vegetables and animals in this cafe is nearly the fame; for if that food on which two, or three, meagre animals barely exift was given to one, it might be fufficient to fatten it; hence, if that foil on which poor canes and fpindly corn grow at once, was allotted to canes or corn only, either might flourish luxuriously. It was a very fhrewd and farcaftical faying of a gentleman who had been many years in England, and had left the attorneyfhip

of

of his estate to a cabbage-headed gentleman in
Kingstown On his return, finding Indian corn
flourishing through the canes (for corn has a lux-
urious stalk, and has the advantage of canes in
quick vegitation) the corn was freed from weeds
and carefully moulded, and the canes neglected.
Seeing his plantation in fuch a ruined condition,
he with much compofure of mind very tamely
addreffed the overfeer, whofe name was Fungee,
thus: "Mr. Fungee, I find you are very induftri-
ous; you certainly have uncommon abilities, and
will make a fine crop of corn to pamper your
horfes, fwine, and poultry! but do not you think
them worthless canes rather hurtful to it? Sup-
pofe you would order the slaves to fet in and hoe
them up.
What fay you, Mr. Fungee?"

Poor Fungee was fo confounded that he was incapable to reply; confcious guilt glowed in his face, and indicated the agitations of his avaricious heart; but how miferably was this lofty cowskin hero fallen in two days afterwards, upon receiving a letter directing him to give up charge of the plantation to the bearer, and to quit it immediately..

Now, the real fact was this: the cabbageheaded gentleman in Kingstown was related to Fungee, and had been always fupplied with mutton, pork, and poultry, alfo corn in wane loads for his horfes and negroes from the eftate: he was affected to be deprived of thofe valuable fnacks, and to find his reputation, like a football, kicked about.

It

It is very customary for overfeers to mix the weak and fickly negroes in the fame gang with the ftout and healthy, and to make them keep up their rows alike; and when any of thofe miferable, and probably half-ftarved wretches lag, to infift on their black deputies to cut and mangle their fhrivelled fkins, and torture them from morning 'till night, in like manner as if they were mules or oxen! instead of nourishing them with proper food, and dividing them into different gangs, proportioning the work to their abilities and ftrength. Such overfeers deferve not the name of men; they are as bad as hangmen; barbarous as hottentots, with favage fouls. Overfeers endeavour to perfuade that it must be so, and say that the West Indies would be of no use if severity was not exerted; and many mafters of flaves entertain the fame notion, and have as little pity and regard for them as for their oxen, as it is their intereft to preferve the lives of both and to get as much labour as poffible out of them. Even creole children, as foon as they begin to lifp, are taught to tyrannize over their domeftics; thus, custom, the defpotic ruler of reafon, is dead to the voice of humanity, and fmothers benevolence and charity.

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The company and converfation of overfeers, in general, is flat and infipid to all but themlelves, and feldom extends further than that of their vaft confequence and authority over the flaves, their uncommon abilities as planters, their amours and

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and gallantry with black and tawny wenches; of their infulting tyrannic behaviour to their raw book-keepers, or expofing the blemishes of their absent neighbouring acquaintances; or of corn and cane pieces; and the ways and means they feverally practice to deceive the attornies or proprietors; fuch commonly are the topical fubjects of the planting herd.

The life of an overfeer is by no means a life of eafe or content; though he may at times indulge' himself in every vicious practice, yet, while he fits an hour extraordinary after dinner with his friends, he is uneafy in his mind least something is neglected, or he may be furprized by the

attorney.

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And if men, whofe bread depend on plantership, enter into the connubial bond, it will injure them, because it is not pleafing to gentlemen to have families on their eftates; a woman requires attendance, and may innere with the management, fo as to influence her husband in the government of the rod; befides, a lovely amiable white partner would appear as an angel amongst naked rude blacks, and attract her husband to fquander that time which fhould be devoted to plantation duty in a more delightful manner; fo that batchelors fare beft, on which account they keep black or mongrel girls, and every grovelling overfeer and book keeper is as fashionably wicked as his employer, as Davy fays in the play. He G goes