Me know no law, me know no fin,
Me is just what ebba them make me;
This is the way dem bring me in;
So God nor devil take me!

The virtue and chastity, as well as the lives and properties of the women, are at the command of the mafters and overfeers; they are perpetually exposed to the proftitution 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, fetting forth, That if a mafter debauched his flave, 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 ifland, they will meet on Saturday-nights, hundreds of them in gangs, and dance and fing till morning; nay, fometimes they continue their balls without intermiffion till Monday morning. I have often gone, out of curiofity, to fuch meetings, and was highly diverted: their mufic 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 fheep-fkins fubftituted for the heads, in imitation of a drum, called a gumbay but fometimes more "grandy balls," as they are called, are honoured with a tabret and

:

L2

vicling

violin; in which cafe, they are vifited by the better fort of the neighbouring plantation negroes, and fuppers and strong liquors are prepared by a few of the knowing-ones. They prepare a number of pots, fome of which are good and favory; chiefly their fwine, poultry, falt beef, pork, herrings, and vegetables, with roafted, barbacued, and fricafeed rats, &c. &c.; all which they divide into fmall quantities, in calabafhes, (bitts and half-bitts worth) on which those who are able to purchase regale themfelves. Their funerals and weddings are celebrated in this manner: indeed, I think I never faw any thing that fo nearly resembled the amusements, particularly the patrons held on Sundays, by the vulgar peafantry on the mountains 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 themfelves into a circular pofition, adjoining fome of their huts, and continue all in motion, finging fo loud, that of a calm night they may be heard at about two miles distance-thus:

Hipfaw! my deaa! you no do like a-me!

You no jig like a-me! you no twist like a-ame!
Hipfaw! my deaa! you no fhake like a-me!
You no wind like a-me! Go, yondaa!

Hipfaw!

Hipfaw! my deaa! you no jig like a-me!
You no work him like a-me! you no sweet him like

a-me!

Thus they go on; fo that it would be almost impoffible for a ftoic to look on without laughing. The droll capers, and wanton geftures and attitudes-the languifhing glances and grimaces, fo confequential and serious, of thofe flat-nofed damfels, 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 fometimes imagined they were on fprings 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; fo that you cannot poffibly look on unmoved: they have too many alluring L 3 tricks

tricks to feduce and lead men aftray. Perfeus I 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 rofes and lillies fade, true black, like the yew that never sheds its leaves, is ftill the fame.

Of fcorching toil regardless all the day,
When freed from labour, cheerfully they play;
And oft affemble on the graffy plains,
Expof'd to dews, foul air, and drizzly rains,
With hearts clate, in crowds, each in a ring,
To dance their gumbay, and in chorus fing.
Such fcenes, I'm fure, in curious masquerade,
By British lords and nymphs were ne'er display'd :
When fcabby Mungo, with a carv'd backfide,
Is Laura's partner, and fweet Laura's pride:
Where Befs and Hecate, with their chigger toes,
Mimba, crabyarv'd, and Grace with canker'd nofe,
Twift, wind and wriggle with the mackey beaux.

Where Flora, Phillis, Silvia, Sall and Nell,
In beauty's pomp their fable sex excell:

With fhifts and gowns, white hats, and trinckets too,
Skins, foft as filk, engaging gloffy hue!

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 desire,
In melting pairs, they privately retire

To lonely fhades, to fences or old walls,

To dance more pleafing jigs than at their balls:

Whilft

Whilft others flily to their huts advance,
And twin'd in love, repeat the charming dance.
On pork and pullets fome do highly feast,
Whilft others, hungry, can't procure a taste :
Some gobble yams, or pepper-pot, or pease,
Or, rats and fungee, dreff'd their different ways.
Others, fill'd with grog, reel, fight and fquabble,
Whilft to the mufic fome obedient hobble.

If

you for goddeffes fhou'd be inclin'd,
There Juno's and Diana's you may find;
Or, if you choose one of a royal ftrain,
A princess, queen, or duchess you may gain.

Their form of marriage is nothing more than that the parents or friends of both parties meet on these festival nights, and give confent 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: fome will have a dozen women in keeping at once; and the women, in return, can manage their's as flily as a dutchefs. Their compliments of refpect and friendship, when fpeaking of or to each other, is Uncle, Aunty, Granny, Tatta, Momma, Sifta, Boda. Though, a white man was to give a black or mungrel, 1000l. yearly, I don't think he could confine herself entirely to him only: their natural igL4

norance