l8 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



form a beautiful (belter ; and, in a word, fon:ie plants 

 of tobacco, to foothe his own cares, and thofe of his 

 good miftreffes. He went to cut wood for fuel in 

 the mountain, and broke down pieces of rock, 

 here and there, in the plantation, to fmooth the 

 roads. He performed all thefe labours with intel- 

 ligence and aftivity, becaufe he performed them 

 with zeal. He was very much attached to Mar- 

 garet , and not much lefs fo to Madame de la Tour, 

 whofe flave he had married at the birth of Virginia. 

 He paffionately loved his wife, whofe name was 

 Mary. She was a native of Madagafcar, from 

 whence fhe had brought fome degree of fkill, 

 particularly, the art of making bafkets, and (luffs 

 called pavnes^ with the gKafs which grows in the 

 woods./ She was clever, cleanly, and, what was ) 

 rabove all, incorruptibly faithful./ Her employ- 

 ment was to prepare the viduals, to take care of 

 fome poultry, and to go occafionally to Port-Louis, 

 to fell the fuperfluity of the two plantations ; this, 

 however, was very inconfiderable. If to thefe, you 

 add two goatSj brought up with the children, and 

 a great dog, that watched the dwellings during the 

 night, you will have an idea of all the pofleffions, 

 and of all the domeftic economy, of thefe two 

 little farms. 



As for the two friends, they fpun cotton from 

 mornJng till night. This employment was fuffi- 



cient 



