THE COW-POX. 



n 



-cow-pox degenerated and became an infectious 

 disease. The boys received the matter from a 

 newly-imported negro, who had, it is true, been 

 inoculated with the cow-pox, but he might have 

 had the small-pox upon him at the time, though 

 it had not made its appearance. It is from the 

 newly-arrived Africans, that the small-pox is 

 often spread abroad, after the country has had 

 a long respite from this much dreaded disorder. 

 One man who resided near to Conception 

 caught the disease and died ; he had only sat 

 for a short time in an outward room of a house, 

 in the interior of which some children were con- 

 fined who had been inoculated. 



The unfortunate result of this trial of the new 

 disorder rivetted many persons in their pre- 

 judices against it; and others who had stre- 

 nuously recommended its adoption began to 

 stagger, and to fear that they had been deceived ; 

 however, as none of those who were inoculated 

 had been in danger,* the people did not appear 

 to have taken a thorough dislike to it. To me 

 this was a most anxious time ; my establishment 

 of slaves and free people consisted of twenty- 

 five persons, of whom scarcely any had had the 

 small-pox. They were too many to inoculate at 

 once, and therefore I cut off all communication 

 with my neighbours. This was done without 

 much difficulty j Manoel was armed, and was 

 ready to prevent any one from approaching the 



