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forty colts, forty oxen, and one hundred fheep at least to dispose of, which would amount to more than 2000l. and would well reward the induftrious grazier. There are fome fine penns in the parish of St. Ann's, where many of the proprietors refide, and live content and happy. I fhall conclude this fubject, and proceed to the natives; and though I may be fevere in the following pages against many, be affured, I will speak from experience, not from prejudice; and that I will give merit or vice the wreath or the rod.

All people are regarded according to their appearance and merit (fave only country prejudice) more than in Great-Britain and Ireland, where the poor are defpifed by the rich.

"Talk not of ancestors, nor of their ftate;
"Tis perfonal virtue only makes us great.”

And I fhould think it ftrange if it was otherwife, when I confider how many great men there are in those torrid regions, fuccefsful knaves, who by cunning, fraud, and deceit, are elevated daily from the dunghill to the fenate, which I fhall hereafter speak of; and it commonly happens that fuch are more respected than men of real merit, whofe noble fouls fcorn to practise base means to enrich themselves; I muft obferve that all ranks and denominations of people are more friendly, kindly, and hofpitable, than in colder countries. I believe warm climates expand the heart with liberal

liberal and generous ideas; as there are not regular taverns to be met with in the country, it is quite customary for travelling people to call on each. other, though ftrangers, for refreshment for themfelves, fervants, and horfes, and that too without any ceremony or formality, and behave friendly and polite to each other.

The governor's revenues, including his falary of 2000l. which he has from Great-Britain, is, as I was informed, 10,000l. per annum. A late governor, towards the conclufion of his reign, rendered himself obnoxious to the people, and was reprobated and lafhed at feverely in the public papers for his public and private conduct; inftead of putting the island in a proper state of defence, he put it twice to a very great and unneceffary expence, by enforcing martial law in 1779 and 1780; his proclamation of a "glorious" expedition intended against the Spanish main, to be headed in perfon by himself, and thereby decoying about fifteen hundred overfeers, clerks, and book-keepers, to enter as volunteers; his mean manœuvre, after he had collected them all together, in remaining behind; his combination with griping, pedling merchants, in furnishing the troops and volunteers, on this expedition, with rotten cargoe, beef and pork, and new rum, by which means they died like rotten fheep at St. Juan, and were fo fickly at the laft, that they were not able to bury each other; and thofe lingering, faw their

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fellow creatures, friends and acquantance, daily devoured by the carion crows; fo that out of fif. teen hundred volunteers, only eighteen or twenty returned to tell the doleful tale; the troops fared almost as bad. Governor Campbell furprisingly gained the love and affection of the people; he put the island in a proper ftate of defence, and is a brave and judicious general.

The council is compofed of ten men, fome of whom are, though poffeffed of eltates, thousands worse than nothing; yet they cannot be arrested; their bodies are facred; there are feveral other great gentlemen of this defcription in the island, who have their eftates well fenced round; the managers, and overfeers, with fome trusty negroes, keep a conftant look out, the gates are always locked, fo that no ftranger or other person if not well known will get admittance; the produce is all shipped on Sundays; the flaves, and other ftock, are only to be met with on Sundays. I once had occafion to wait on an honorable gentleman of this kind in St. James' parish; the gate being locked, I knocked several times; but how great was my furprize when a mufket ball came whistling by my ears; a negroe came running to me, and faid, "Maffa will shoot you 'tone dead if you no go avey 'rectly." Having a letter of introduction to his mafter, I was fhortly after received very politely; he made feveral apologies for his rafhness; that he took me to be a marfhal, &c. &c. He had an elegant house, and a

fine

fine parcel of creole ladies about him, and they lived moft luxuriously, in defiance of the law!

There is a law of the inland favouring infolvent debtors, by which any perfon in the space of three months, by rendering all his property to his creditors, may get from prifon; in every parish there is a deputy provost marshal, each of whom make pretty livings: I fuppofe the place of the marshal of Kingstown is worth from two to three thousand pounds yearly.

It is fomething furprising to think what frequent executions take place; the news papers teem with little more than that of fales, vendues, houfes and lands to be rented, runaway negroes, and strayed horses.

There are about seventy attornies at law, and twenty barristers in the island; amongst the latter, the oratorial Mr. Lewis and facetious Mr. Brown have diftinguished themfelves; tho' Mr. Brown is not fo fluent in fpeech as Mr. Lewis, yet he understands the law well, points out the fubftantial parts of his causes, and sticks to them; and when he has a weak caufe he handles it very ingeniously to divert the Jury, and foften the rigour of their sentence. Mr. Lewis was clerk to the late Mr. Hebert (a very capital merchant), and having taken a propenfity to the law, after ferving him four or five years very faithfully, he was fent at the expence of Mr. Hebert. to the Temple, where he was generously supported for three or four years; if his genius had not

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been fo long cramped in a store and comptinghouse, he certainly would be a prodigy of wit and elocution.

There are fome extenfive merchants in Kingftown, Spanish Town, Montego Bay, &c. a few of whom are English and Irish, but ten times the number of Scotch; they all in general live elegantly; it is not thought strange for a peafant's fon from Glasgow, or Aberdeen, in the space of four or five years, to commence merchant, and in a few years afterwards to make a pretty independence; or if he enters into the planting line, to fucceed as well; to get poffeffion of flaves, &c. whilst many English and Irish young men, though ever fo clever, are often hard fet to procure themfelves the neceffaries of life: I cannot conceive what the difference can be owing to, unless it be that the Scotch are more enterprifing, partial and friendly to each other than other nations; befides, they are in general well educated young men; I never knew a raw lad from that country, who had not a letter of recommendation to his Excellency, or to fome Mac or other; upon the delivery of which, he was taken notice of, and immediately put into fome 'business, and in fome time after, if he lived, was either a military wood cock, merchant, or cowskin hero!

The markets are very precarious; I have known falt provifions to fell at one hundred and fifty per cent. profit one week, and the fame fold again in

the

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