288 JAMAICA. 



from Scotland, where they were aftually kidnapped by fome man- 

 traders, in or near Glafgow, and fliipped for this ifland, to be fold 

 for four or live years term of fervice. On their arrival, they ufed 

 to be ranged in a line, like new Negroes, for the planters to pick 

 and chufe. But this traffic has ceafed for fome years, fince the 

 defpotifm of clanfliip was fubdued, and trade and induflry drove, 

 out lazinefs and tyranny from the North of Scotland. The arti- 

 ficers, particularly flone-mafons and mill-wrights, from that part 

 of Britain, are remarkably expert, and in general are fober, frugal.,' 

 and civil ; the good education, which the poorefl of them receive, 

 having great influence on their morals and behaviour. I do not 

 know whether the overfeers of plantations fliould be confidcred in 

 a fcparate clafs : they are, for the mod: part, fuch as have paffed 

 through a regular courfe of fervice in the agriculture of this coun- 

 try ; and, if they are fcnfible and thrifty, they enjoy very com- 

 fortable lives, and fave enough out of their falaries to buy a fettle- 

 inent of their own : fome of them have even become pofleflbrs, in 

 time, of very large properties, and made a very refpedtable figure 

 here. Subordinate to the overfeers are the plantation book-keepers, 

 warehoufe or ftore-keepers, diftillers, tradefmen, and drivers, or 

 fub-overfeers ; but for tliis lafl: office Negroes are moftly employed. 

 The crimp's office has fupplied no fmall number of inferior fer- 

 vants. This office has the fingular faculty of qualifying any man 

 ^ whatever for any art or myftery he inclines to follow in the co- 



lonies, and by no other magic than a common indenture; car- 

 penters, who never handled a tool ; bricklayers, who fcarcely 

 know a brick from a ftone ; and book-keepers, who can neither 



Hard timber, per hundred feet, ■ 



Belt Carolina fhingles, per mill, about — 



Roofing, boarding, and (liingling./fr fquare, 



Door-frames, each, 



Window ditto, 



Framing, lathing, and fliingling roofs, per fquare, 



Iron work, /icr pound, 



Flat and fquare bars, bcr pound, 



Twenty-penny nails, per mi.'.. ■ 



Ten-penny nails, Liiito, — 



Six-penny nails, ditto, 



Spike nails, per pound, — -— 



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write 



