64 



comfortable on the inside ; some of the scenery is 

 very picturesque, from the lively green of the trees 

 and shrubs, and the hermitage-like appearance of 

 the negro buildings, all situated in little gardens, 

 and embosomed in sweet-smelling shrubberies. In- 

 deed, every thing appears much better than I ex- 

 pected 5 the negroes seem healthy and contented, 

 and so perfectly at their ease, that our English 

 squires would be mightily astonished at being 

 accosted so familiarly by their farmers. This de- 

 lightful north wind keeps the air temperate and 

 agreeable. I live upon shaddocks and pine-apples. 

 The dreaded mosquitoes are not worse than gnats, 

 nor as bad as the Sussex harvest-bugs ; and, as yet, 

 I never felt myself in more perfect health. There 

 was a man once, who fell from the top of a steeple; 

 and, perceiving no inconvenience in his passage 

 through the air, — "Come," said he to himself, while 

 in the act of falling, " really this is well enough yet 

 if it would but last." Cubina, my young Savannah 

 la Mar acquaintance, is appointed my black attend- 

 ant ; and as I had desired him to bring me any 

 native flowers of Jamaica, this evening he brought 

 me a very pretty one ; the negroes, he said, called 

 it " John-to-Heal," but in white language it was 

 hoccoco-pickang ; it proved to be the wild Ipeca- 

 cuanha. 



January 4. 



There were three things against which I was 

 particularly cautioned, and which three things 1 



