53 



very little in bulk, and like chaff; not 

 more than nine inches long, and the leaf 

 very much shed from the stalk. By the 

 stubbles on the land I could not tell which 

 had been wheat, or which had been oats or 

 barley ; nor could I see any clover-roots 

 where the clover had grown. The weather 

 was hot and dry at that time ; it was in De- 

 cember. The whole of the different fields 

 were covered with either the stalks of weeds, 

 corn-stalks, or what is called sedge — some- 

 thing like spear-grass upon the poor lime- 

 stone in England; and the steward told me 

 nothing would eat it, which is true. In- 

 deed, he found fault with every thing, just 

 like a foreigner ; and even told me many 

 unpleasant tales of the General, so that I 

 began to think he was suspicious of my 

 having come to take his place. But (God 

 knows!) I would not choose to accept of it : 

 for he had to superintend four hundred 

 slaves, and there would be more now. 

 This part of his business especially would 



