350 



February £0. 



I asked one of my negro servants this morning 

 whether old Luke was a relation of his. " Yes," 

 he said. — " Is he your uncle, or your cousin ?" 

 — " No, massa." — " What then ? " — " He and my 

 father were shipmates, massa." 



February 23. 

 The law-charges in Jamaica have lately been 

 regulated by the House of Assembly ; and by all 

 accounts (except that of the lawyers) it was full 

 time that something should be done on the subject. 

 A case was mentioned to me this morning of an 

 estate litigated between several parties. At length 

 a decision was given : the estate was sold for 

 16,000/. ; but the lawyer's claim must always be 

 the first discharged, and as this amounted to more 

 than 16,000/. the lawyer found himself in pos- 

 session of the estate. This was the fable of ^Esop's 

 oyster put in action with a vengeance. 



February 25. 

 A negro, named Adam, has long been the terror 

 of my whole estate. He was accused of being an 

 Obeah-man, and persons notorious for the practice 

 of Obeah had been found concealed from justice 

 in his house, who were afterwards convicted and 

 transported. He was strongly suspected of having 

 poisoned more than twelve negroes, men and 



