LEAVES FROM A LOG. 31 



my knowledge of him was slight, but in a country where hospi- 

 tality is so generally practised as in Trinidad, this was more than 

 sufficient for a passport to Mr. Grumbleton's table ; besides, I was 

 not then in a humour to stand on the forms of etiquette, for it was 

 three o'clock, and I was fasting. 



As I approached the house I was struck with the sombre appear- 

 ance of all about the estate. The driver was in the field looking 

 silent and gloomy ; the negroes were working without talking or 

 singing a sure sign of discontent with those people ; and even the 

 very cattle about the pasture appeared to graze in Carthusian silence. 

 As I approached the house Mr. G. came out to welcome me, which 

 he did with grave politeness ; and as I dismounted he protested that 

 he was glad to see me, hoped I would spend the evening on " Rigor 

 Hall ;" he added, " By the bye, you come very opportunely, as I have 

 had a boy in the stocks these three days and have not been able to 

 punish him for want of a witness."* I took the liberty of asking if 

 the boy's offence was of too serious a nature to admit of my asking 

 pardon for him ;f he assured me it was ; that he had broke a porce- 

 J#in cup, and then ran away to Mr. Proser, and brought a note with 

 him from Miss Belinda entreating forgiveness. " I tore up the note 

 directly," added he, " and am going to flog him myself before you." 



" Yourself, Sir !" exclaimed I in astonishment ; for though during 

 fifteen years residence in the West Indies it was my misfortune to 

 meet with one or two tyrants who, like the gentleman before me, 

 abused the authority that the master has over his slave, yet he was 

 the first instance I had ever met in the whole course of my sojourn 

 here of a white man's punishing a negro with his own hand. 



Had this humane man looked in my face he would have read my 

 sentiments. He continued " Yes, Sir, I always flog my negroes 

 when they deserve it, because I am an adept at it. I handle the cat 

 in a peculiar manner; this I learnt from an Irish right and left handed 

 drummer when I was last in Dublin. A soldier was condemned to 

 receive 400 lashes for insolence to his officer. I went to see him 

 punished, and was so taken with the manner that Teddy O'Flin 

 handled the cat with both his hands that I gave him a sovereign to 

 instruct me in his art ; by practice I have so much improved that I 

 cut deeper than he ! It will be a pleasure to see me flog the rascal !" 



" Not to me, Sir," said I ; and springing on my horse, made my 

 way towards the public road as quick as possible. I deeply lamented 

 that in my whole day's route there was no inn or place of public 

 entertainment. 



I now proceeded on my road, determined to call at the next plan- 

 tation, whose humane proprietor would not propose such an agreeable 



* Since the Order in Council of 1824, no slave can be punished without a 

 witness. 



f When a negro commits an offence and his master wishes not to punish 

 him, he gets a friend, neighbour, or even a respectable negro, to ask pardon 

 for him ; this humane ruse is well understood in the colonies. Nobody go 

 ask pardon for him," is a proverbial expression amongst our slaves ; it convevs 

 a deep reproach, signifying that the peison to whom it is applied is too worth- 

 less for any one's taking an interest in his fate. 



