Book L AGRICULTURE IN NORTH AMERICA. 193 



island abounds with mules, horses, sheep, wild boars, hogs, and fine black cattle. The 

 horned cattle have increased so much that the forests are filled with droves of them, 

 which run wild, and are liunted and killed for their hides and tallow. The chief birds 

 are paroquets, turtle doves, and partridges; water-fowl are numerous; and on the 

 coast turtles are abundant ; mullets and shads are the principal fish. 



1 174. Jamaica has been in possession of the English since the middle of the seventeenth 

 century. The climate is extremely hot throughout the year, though mitigated by various 

 causes. The surface of the country is very irregular : a ridge of mountains from east to 

 west divides it into two parts. At a small distance from the shore it rises into hills with 

 gentle acclivity, which are separated from each other by spacious vales and romantic in- 

 equalities. On the southern side of the island there are precipices and inaccessible cliffs, 

 amidst which are vast plains, covered with extensive cane fields. To the inequalities of 

 surface that distinguish this island it is owing, that, although the soil in many ])arts of the 

 island is deep and very fertile, yet the productive land is but of small extent, in pro- 

 portion to the whole. That which is actually cultivated is of a middling quality, and 

 requires labor and manure to make it yield liberally. 



1175. Landed -pro-perty in Jamaica is in general freehold without manorial rights, and is chiefly in the 

 enjoyment of individuals, though there is some government and corporation territory. Estates are 

 generally small, few exceeding 1000 acres : formerly they were managed by resident proprietors ; but at 

 present, and for some time past, by far the greater number have been managed by agents or attorneys, 

 who are represented by Roughley as a selfish, grasping, unprincipled set of men, " too ignorant to be 

 planters, and too ostentatious, proud, and supine, to contribute to the good of their con.stituents." 

 {Planter's Guide, p. 8.) They often contrive, by getting estates in debt and mortgaging them, ultimately 

 to become the proprietors themselves. Some proprietors are so over-careful as to have what is called a 

 planting attorney, and a mercantile attorney, the latter for the sale of produce, and the purchase of im- 

 ported stores for the slaves. Besides these there are travelling agents who visit different estates, and 

 make annual or biennial voyages to Europe to the proprietors ; an overseer for each estate, who has both 

 free white men and slaves under him ; a head driver, a slave; the head cattle and mule man ; the head 

 boiler or manufacturer of sugar ; head carpenters, coopers, masons, coppersmiths, and watchmen ; a 

 hot-hou.se or hospital doctor or doctress midwife ; the great gang of able men and women ; the second 

 gang of rather weakly habits ; and the third, or weeding gang, composed of children ; cattle and mule boys, 

 watchmen, invalids, and superanimated, and young children and infants. The qualifications, duties, 

 and treatment of all these classes are discussed at length by Roughley, who gives a picture of culture 

 and management very different from any thing belonging to the management of landed property, or the 

 culture of farm lands in Britain. 



117fi. The overseer, who is generally known by his hat and pipe {fis. 198.), should be a man of intelli- 

 gence, tempered with experience, naturally humane, steadfast in well-devised pursuits, of settled sober 

 habits, not given to keeping indiscriminate company, or suffering his subor- 

 dinate white people to do so, thereby vitiating their manners ; presenting a 

 gentleman-like appearance, keeping a regular, well-supplied comfortable table, 

 without profusion, not only for himself and the white people under him, but for 

 the benefit of such sick and convalescent slaves as require salutary and restor- 

 ing nourishment. His bus.ness hours will be fully occupied by the concerns of 

 the estate, his leisure ones in the innocent enjoyment of some domestic amuse- 

 ment. He must be kind and courteous to the young men under him, but giving 

 or allowing them no opportunity to treat him with disrespect ;, attentive and hos- 

 pitable to respectable strangers, cautious and wary how he suffers strollers to tempt 

 his benevolence. He must not capriciously or suddenly discharge his white people 

 (as is very often the case), taking care that no envious or jealous sentiment or 

 idea arises in his mind, if his young men have merit on their side, or are 

 caressed by their superiors. He must keep the slaves strictly to their work, yet 

 not imposing on them unusufU hours, or inflicting punishment for every trifling=j_ 

 offence ; but when punishment for crimes is necessary, to temper it with pru- 

 dent mercy. He must be attentive to their real wants, not suffering them to^ 

 tease him with their trifling complaints, or tamper with him by their arts, but" 

 promptly satisfy them, by enquiring into their serious grievances. Above all things, he must not en- 

 courage the spirit of Obea in them (which is horrible), or dishearten them by cohabiting with their wives, 

 annulling thereby their domestic felicities. He must not suffer their provision-grounds to be neglected, 

 trespassed on, or ruined, or their houses to be out of repair or uncomfortable ; for it very often happens, 

 that well-disposed slaves, by such freedoms taken with their wives, their well-established grounds ruined 

 by thieves or cattle, their domestic quiet and comfort intruded upon, or their houses rendered unhabit- 

 able by storm or casualty, become runaways. Their conduct influences others, till at last the strength of 

 .the estate vanishes, the evil becomes notorious, and the plantation, of course, becomes neglected. The 

 magistrates are then obliged to take this growing evil into serious consideration. Hunting parties are 

 sent out (perhaps with little success) to bring in the fugitives ; martial law is at last proclaimed throughout 

 the diseased district ; all sorts of people are harassed ; public trials are instituted ; some of the runaways 

 are never caught ; others who are brought in undergo trial, and are convicted and sentenced to death or 

 transportation for life. {Roughley, 40. 43.) 



1177. The head driver is seen carrying with him the emblems of his rank and dignity, a polished staff or 

 wand, with prongy crooks on it to lean on, and a siioruhandled flexible whip; his office combining 

 within itself a power, derived principally from the overseer, of directing all conditions of slaves, relative 

 to the precise work he wishes each gang or mechanic to undergo or execute. The great gang is comi)rised 

 of the most powerful field negroes, and is always under his charge. These are the strength with which 

 principally to carry into effect the main work in the field, and manufacture the sugar and rum. There 

 are so many points to turn to, so many occasions for his skill, vigilance, steadiness, and trust-worthiness, 

 that the selc-ction of such a man, fit for such a place, requires circumspection, and an intimate knowledge of 

 his talents and capacity. A bad or indifferent head driver sets almost every thing at variance ; injures the 

 negroes, and the culture of the land He is like a cruel blast that pervades everything, and spares nc- 

 thing ; but when he i well-disposed, intelligent, clever, and active, he is the life and soul of an estate. He 

 very often is an elderly or middle-aged negro, who has long been so employed. If it should be so ordered, 

 that a new head driver is requisite to be put in commission, I must beg leave to lay before my readers my 

 opinion of the proper choice of one. I may err, but hope not irretrievably. He should, in my judgment, 

 be an athletic man ; sound and hardy in constitution ; of well-earned and reputed good character ; of an 

 age, and, if possible, an appearance to carry respect ; perhaps about thirty-flve years old ; clean in his 

 person and apparel ; if possible a native or creole of the island, long used to field work, and marked for 

 his sobriety, readiness, and putting his work well out of his hands. His civilitv should be predominant, 



