238 TiMEHRI. 



informed that the writer, Miss DiANA, and the invited 

 Miss MiMBA, with all the ladies and gentlemen of her 

 acquaintance, who are bidden to this festive meeting by 

 a card giving five weeks' notice, belong to that class of 

 human beings who are described to his deluded country- 

 men as degraded to the level of the beasts of the field, 

 over-toiled, ill clothed, half starved, badly lodged, kept 

 in a state of constant fear and brutal ignorance — and 

 finally subje6l to every kind of suffering, oppression, 

 contumely and pollution which wanton cruelty, unre- 

 strained caprice, or unbridled lust can suggest. Yet 

 such is truly the case — the parties in this instance were 

 field negroes, those who a6lually hoe the ground, cut the 

 canes, make sugar, and pick and clean coffee, and who 

 are supposed by many worthy people in the Island of 

 Great Britain to be harnessed in couples and driven with 

 a whip, as they do horses in the waggons in Yorkshire." 



Returning to the subje6l on the 7th of May following, 

 the editor said that the balls, suppers and dinners were 

 enjoyed by the Negroes with all that wild and somewhat 

 unearthly glee which denoted the land from which they 

 came. 



The well-known tendency of the negro to imitate his 

 master is beautifully shewn by the following report of 

 " an affair of honour" in Berbice, in the Chronicle of May 

 31st, 1824. The matter came to the notice of the Magis- 

 trate, " who forthwith commanded the presence of JACOB 

 Bensor, Esq., one of the parties concerned. Upon this 

 gentleman being examined and cross-questioned by the 

 legal advisers of the Chief Magistrates as to the existence 

 of any difference between himself and a Mr. jAMES RoSE, 

 which was like^ to lead to unpleasant results, he ten- 



