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inflicted by the police, and although they are 

 aware of this unwillingness to chastise, my trustee 

 acknowledges that during my absence the negroes 

 have been quiet and tractable, and have not only 

 laboured as well as they used to do, but have done 

 much more work than the negroes on an adjoining 

 property, where there are forty more negroes, and 

 where, moreover, a considerable sum is paid for 

 hired assistance. Having now waited three weeks 

 to see how they would conduct themselves, and 

 found no cause of dissatisfaction since the neglect 

 of the watchman to guard the cattle (and which 

 they one and all attributed to their joy at seeing 

 me again), I thought it time to distribute the pre- 

 sents which I had brought with me for them from 

 England. During my absence I had ordered a 

 new and additional hospital to be built, intended 

 entirely for the use of lying-in women, nursing 

 mothers, and cases of a serious nature, for which 

 purpose it is to be provided with every possible 

 comfort ; while the old hospital is to be reserved 

 for those who have little or nothing the matter 

 with them, but who obstinately insist upon their 

 being too ill to work, in defiance of the opinion of 

 all their medical attendants. The new hospital is not 

 quite finished ; but wishing to connect it as much 

 as possible with pleasurable associations, I took 

 occasion of the distribution of presents to open it 

 for the first time. Accordingly, the negroes were 

 summoned to the new hospital this morning ; the 

 rooms were sprinkled with Madeira for good luck ; 



