112 



Besides the profits arising from their superabund- 

 ance of provisions, which the better sort of negroes 

 are enabled to sell regularly once a week at Savan- 

 nah la Mar to a considerable amount, they keep a 

 large stock of poultry, and pigs without number ; 

 which latter cost their owners but little, though 

 they cost me a great deal ; for they generally make 

 their way into the cane-pieces, and sometimes eat 

 me up an hogshead of sugar in the course of the 

 morning : but the most expensive of the planter's 

 enemies are the rats, whose numbers are incredible, 

 and are so destructive that a reward is given for 

 killing them. During the last six months my 

 agent has paid for three thousand rats killed upon 

 Cornwall. Nor is the sugar which they consume 

 the worst damage which they commit; the worst 

 mischief is, that if, through the carelessness of 

 those whose business it is to supply the mill, one 

 cane which has been gnawed by the rats is allowed 

 admittance, that single damaged piece is sufficient 

 to produce acidity enough to spoil the whole sugar. 



January 17- 



In this country there is scarcely any twilight, 

 and all nature seems to wake at the same moment. 

 About six o'clock the darkness disperses, the sun 

 rises, and instantly every thing is in motion : the 

 negroes are going to the field, the cattle are driv- 

 ing to pasture, the pigs and the poultry are pouring 

 out from their hutches, the old women are pre- 



