95 



but still exists in some degree. Not above ten 

 months ago, my agent was informed that a negro of 

 very suspicious manners and appearance was har- 

 boured by some of my people on the mountain lands. 

 He found means to have him surprised, and on ex- 

 amination there was found upon him a bag contain- 

 ing a great variety of strange materials for incant- 

 ations ; such as thunder-stones, cat's ears, the feet 

 of various animals, human hair, fish bones, the teeth 

 of alligators, &c. : he was conveyed to Montego 

 Bay ; and no sooner was it understood that this old 

 African was in prison, than depositions were poured 

 in from all quarters from negroes who deposed to 

 having seen him exercise his magical arts, and, in 

 particular, to his having sold such and such slaves 

 medicines and charms to deliver them from their 

 enemies ;~ being, in plain English, nothing else than 

 rank poisons. He was convicted of Obeah upon 

 the most indubitable evidence. The good old 

 practice of burning has fallen into disrepute ; so 

 he was sentenced to be transported, and was 

 shipped off the island, to the great satisfaction of 

 persons of all colours — white, black, and yellow. 



January 13. 

 Throughout the island many estates, formerly 

 very flourishing and productive, have been thrown 

 up for want of hands to cultivate them, and are 

 now suffered to lie waste : four are in this situation 

 in my own immediate neighbourhood. Finding 



