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hour till Thursday afternoon, which placed us at 

 the mouth of Black River. If we had arrived one 

 hour earlier, we could have immediately entered 

 the harbour ; but, with our usual good fortune, we 

 were just too late for the daylight. We therefore 

 did not drop anchor till two o'clock on Friday, 

 before the town of Black River ; and on Saturday 

 morning, at four o'clock, I embarked in the ship's 

 cutter for Savannah la Mar. Every one assured us 

 that we could not fail to have a favourable sea- 

 breeze the whole way, and that we should be on 

 land by eight : instead of which, what little wind 

 there was veered round from one point of the 

 compass to the other with the most indefatigable 

 caprice ; and we were not on shore till eleven. 

 Here I found Mr. T. Hill, who luckily had his 

 phaeton ready, in which he immediately conveyed 

 me once more to my own estate. The accounts of 

 the general behaviour of my negroes is reasonably 

 good, and they all express themselves satisfied 

 with their situation and their superintendents. Yet, 

 among upwards of three hundred and thirty 

 negroes, and with a greater number of females than 

 men, in spite of all indulgences and inducements, 

 not more than twelve or thirteen children have 

 been added annually to the list of the births. On 

 the other hand, this last season has been generally 

 unhealthy all over the island, and more particularly 

 so in my parish ; so that I have lost several negroes, 

 some of them young, strong, and valuable la- 



