expert at a certain charming dance, and fhe will foon give you an opportunity of fhewing her abi'lities. Indeed, it is very difficult, and almost impoffible for any young man, though ever fo prudent, to live amongst them for any length of time, without having unlawful connections with them: they have too many alluring temptations to lead men attray; nay, was it poffible that a man could have fufficient refolution to abstain from them, they would exert every base means to torment and infult him, and at laft conclude that he had loft the ufe of his members, or was no man; fo, in order to avoid afperfions of this kind, whenever you go to their balls, be brifk, and choofe out a partner for the night. All Mongrels, male and female, are more cruel and fevere than whites to their flaves; nay, even thofe who are born flaves, and continue fo till they arrive to the age of twenty-five or thirty years, when by art or ftratagem they procure their freedom, like all other mean beings, when raised from nothing to fomething, they hate all retrospect, and, like the Caladonian, "who no profeffion knew or trade, conna recollect" their primitive infignificance: I have known many gipfies, though fubject from the age of eleven to thirty to the proftitution and luft of overfeers, book-keepers, negroes, &c. to be taken into keeping by gentlemen, who paid exorbitant hire for their ufe, and in the end to gain fuch afcendancy dancy over their keepers, as to have their freedom recorded, and to get poffeffion of flaves and eftates! and as foon as these African queens became mistresses, to flog and torture most cruelly on all occafions, their flaves and former companions, to fhew their notority, as they fay: the yellow fnake fays to her poor black wench who fhe is learning to be a ftitcher, "You damn'd corpion! You black vipa! I will flog you libba out! Put him in dere! Put him in dere! Dat will nebba do foa me, garl! Wind him fo! Work him fo! Hold him fo! Fig him fo! Kackkaw foa you! In Kingstown and Spanish-Town, particularly the fuburbs, there are many full rookeries of thefe touch-wood amorous damfels:-take care of your constitution, by ayoiding their fires as much as poffible. However, as there are many better than others among the tawny race, if you chance to meet an agreeable young woman, who upon enquiry (do not credit her own words) you will find was not much prostituted, if you please and humour her properly, fhe will make and mend all your clothes, attend you when fick, and when she can afford it will affift you with any thing in her power, for many of them are goodnatured: and this I hope you will obferve; though you make one of them your companion by night, do not be feen in a public place by day with her, nor do not accuftom yourself to be haunting their huts by night, as many raw young men do, for it will be taken notice of, and may injure injure your reputation. When a white man is inclined to get a Mongrel or black girl for a night, the ufual mode is to hire a boy or old woman to procure one. Upon the whole, I think it is a great weakness, and an infatuation bordering on phrenzy in men, to waste their vigour and fubftance upon harlots, whites, Mongrels, or blacks. A virtuous women is a crown of glory, and her price is far above rubies; but lewd women are fountains of human frailties. In hiftory we read that the greatest misfortunes have attended men through the means of women; and we fee inftances daily of the base diffimulating stratagems of the fex, by the numbers who are brought to the gallows through their means. Solomon fays mott beautifully, "Give not thy ftrength unto women, nor thy ways unto that which deftroyeth kings. For the lips of a ftrange woman drop as an honey-comb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: but her end is bitter as wormwood, fharp as a two-edged fword. Her feet go down to death, her steps take hold on hell.-Luft not after her beauty in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eye-lids. Can a man take fire in his bofom, and his clothes not be burned?-Can one go upon her coals, and his feet not be burned?-For a whore is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow pit." From all I have faid, you may form fome idea of the scenes of profligacy and diffipation prac tifed 1 tifed in Jamaica, and how much religion is abused when neglected even in the towns; though there are eighteen parishes, and twenty incumbents paid falaries from government, exclufive of the emoluments arifing from christenings and burials, (as for marriages, I need not mention them they are fo few) yet they feldom preach on Sundays, and when they do, few go to hear them, for they are the worst preachers I ever heard; and the most abandoned finner cannot bear to hear the holy fcriptures read over like a ballad by profligate rakes and pedagogues, who never were defigned for facerdotal functions; and who, instead of fhewing good examples by endeavouring to reform the vices of the times, they themfelves practice every excefs and debauchery. I was well acquainted with five of thofe reverend gentlemen, who, though they were married to amiable ladies, wantonly roved from Mongrel to Mongrel, from black flower to black flower, and had fpu'rious progenies of different coloured children difperfed all over the island; and when they get drunk, which was almost nightly, they boasted of their amours, and gloriously exulted in their wickedness. There are many free black men and women all over the island, fome of whom have flaves and plantations, and live very comfortable and happy. The most confiderable number of free blacks are king Cudjoe's fubjects: I once had occafion to cross the island, and called at that fable mo narch's ; narch's; he lives in a fnug little house, thatched with wild pymento leaves, retired on a rugged rocky mountain covered with huge trees, in the parish of St. Mary; where the wild romantic fituation, and the croaking of ravens and crows, added much to the folemnity of the scene. I was faluted by two centinels who were ftationed at the door; king Cudjo hearing me, came out, and asked me to alight, and take fome refreshment; I thanked him, and as I was much fatigued, embraced his offer. I asked him as many questions as I thought I could modeftly, without giving offence, respecting his fituation: he told me that he lived very happy, that he had about five thousand black fubjects, commanded by his brother, Captain Davy; that they cleared odd fpots of woodland, planted plenty of corn and other provifions, raised small ftock, killed wild cattle, fwine, &c. "I have brandy, rum and porter, (faid he) make free, you are kindly welcome, I am always glad to entertain a stranger:" In fhort, I dined heartily, and was treated with much civility. I afked him, how he poffibly could get liquors or other fupplies to fuch a remote ftupendous wilderness? "O fir, (replied he) his Majefty in England fends them to me yearly; we are very good friends: I furnished him all this war with a thousand of my men." I was alfo fo inquifitive as to interrogate him concerning their freedom; and he very can didly T |