346 



February 16. 



On my arrival I found that idle rogue Nato, 

 as usual, an inmate of the hospital, where he regu- 

 larly passes at least nine months out of the twelve. 

 He was with infinite difficulty persuaded, at the 

 end of a fortnight, to employ himself about the 

 carriage-horses for a couple of days ; but on the 

 third he returned to the hospital, although the 

 medical attendants, one and all, declared nothing 

 to be the matter with him, and the doctors even 

 refused to insert his name in the sick list. Still 

 he persisted in declaring himself to be too ill to 

 do a single stroke of work : so on Thursday I put 

 him into one of the sick rooms by himself, and 

 desired him to get well with the doors locked, 

 which he would find to the full as easy as with the 

 doors open ; at the same time assuring him, that 

 he should never come out, till he should be suffi- 

 ciently recovered to cut canes in the field. He 

 held good all Friday ; but Saturday being a holy- 

 day, he declared himself to be in a perfect state 

 of health, and desired to be released. However, 

 I was determined to make him suffer a little for his 

 lying and obstinacy, and would not suffer the 

 doors to be opened for him till this morning, when 

 he quitted the hospital, saluted on all sides by loud 

 huzzas in congratulation of his amended health, 

 and which followed him during his whole progress 

 to the cane-piece. I was informed that a lad, 



