SOLON ROBINSON, 1849 293 



bedsteads, handsomely curtained round with musketo 

 netting, cupboards of blue Liverpool ware, coffee mills, 

 looking-glasses, tables, chairs, trunks and chests of as 

 good clothes as I clothe myself or family with. Every 

 house having the univeral hen-house appendage. In the 

 nursery were more than a dozen cradles, and on the neat, 

 green, grassy village common, were sporting more than 

 forty negro children, neatly clothed, fat and happy look- 

 ing, lazy little slaves. At a certain signal upon the cook- 

 house bell, the young gang came up in fine order to the 

 yard for their dinner; this consisted of meat gravy, and 

 small pieces of meat, thickened with broken corn bread 

 and boiled hominy, seasoned with salt and lard, to which 

 is occasionally added molasses. The cooking for all 

 hands is done in one great kitchen or cook-house, by an 

 experienced cook, and must be well done, as I have no 

 doubt that the cook would be punished severer for any 

 careless or wilful neglect about his business, than would 

 any other hand for neglect of work in the field; and I 

 judge this from the fact, that I accidentally overheard 

 the Col., while examining some bread that was not well 

 baked, ask the cook 'if he sent such bread as that to the 

 field, because if he did, and he should repeat the offense, 

 he would order the overseer to give him a dozen lashes — 

 for, mind I tell you, boy, that my negroes shall have good 

 bread and plenty of it.' On being assured by the cook 

 that that was the only loaf not well baked, and that there 

 was plenty without it, he appeared well satisfied. I after- 

 ward examined the other bread and tasted it, and found 

 it better than that which I have found upon many a mas- 

 ter's own table. The bacon, too, was excellent and well 

 cooked, and given at the rate of 3Vo lbs. per week to each 

 hand. Fresh meat and vegetables are also given here in 

 plenty. The breakfast and dinner is generally put up in 

 tin pails for each family or mess, or for single hands, as 

 they prefer, and sent to the field, which they will sit and 

 eat in the hot sun, in preference to going into the shade. 

 The supper they take in their own houses, to which they 



