lO SEVENTEENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 



easily understood. Mr. Ravenel resided in Charles- 

 ton durinof the summer months when the work had 

 to be chiefly carried on, and from thence he issued 

 his orders to his driver, who occasionally went to 

 town to receive them. On these occasions, for his 

 better understanding of his master's wishes, the 

 carpet would be taken from the floor of the hall, and 

 a plat of the swamp, the creeks, watercourses, etc., 

 chalked out for the driver's study and understanding. 

 This man was slow of understanding, but very faith- 

 ful and assiduous in executing his master's wishes. 

 His success was a matter of wonder to the com- 

 munity around. 



The war terminated this state of prosperity. On 

 the return of peace every planter was deeply in 

 debt. For the period of ten years following no in- 

 come was realized on account of freshets ; in many 

 cases not even provisions. Prime gangs of negroes 

 were publicly sold at an average of less than two 

 hundred dollars. Rice and indigo and naval stores 

 became of little value, because of the loss of the 

 bounty formerly allowed under the colonial system. 



The British government, ever true to her colonial 

 policy, raised up in rivalry the culture of the indigo, 

 both in their West and East India possessions. Be- 

 sides all this, they who held property in paper were 

 either not paid or paid in worthless, depreciated 

 money ; and to complete the threatened ruin of the 

 planters, the frequency of the freshets in the swamps 



