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beverage is' water. At supper nothing is seen but large quantities? 

 of boiled greens, with a little bit of poor bacon to flavour them. On 

 any festive occasion, or when strangers appear, the dinner or supper 

 is improved bj the addition of a stewed fowl. 



The food prepared for the negroes is Indian corn-flour, mixed with 

 hot water, in which a bit of pork has been boiled. This dish serves 

 both for breakfast and supper. Their dinner consists of beans boiled 

 in the same wa}'. This unfortunate race of men are here treated 

 Avith great kindness and humanity, which, indeed, their good beha-ri 

 viour seems to deserve. They are allowed as much land as they can, 

 at their leisure, cultivate, (Sundays and holidays being by law al-; 

 lotted to them for that purpose,) and are permitted to sell or dispose 

 of their produce as they please. Their owners clothe them with 

 shifts and trowsers made of coarse cotton, which is grown and woven 

 oil the estate. Their days of labour are rather long : before sun-rise 

 a bell rings to summon them to prayers, Avhich are recited by one of 

 the overseers, and repeated by the congregation ; after Avorship is 

 Over, they proceed to work, at which they continue till after sun-set, 

 when prayers are said as in the morning. An hour after supper they 

 jjire employed in preparing wood to burn, taking Indian corn from 

 the husk, and in other in-door operations. Swelled necks are not 

 unconunon among the men-negroes, but in other respects they ap- 

 pear healthy : I saw few or none afllicted with elephantiasis, or with 

 any cutaneous disease. There were many very aged of both sexes ; 

 a few could even remember their old master, the first possessor, 

 though he has been dead upwards of sixty years. 

 - Their principal article of diet, the farinha de mielho, or flour of 

 Indian corn, appeared so palatable and nutritive, that, after living 

 upon it for some time, I had the curiosity to inquire into the mode 

 of preparing it from the grain. It is first soaked in Avater, and after- 

 wards pounded in its swelled and moist state, to separate the outer 

 husk. It then appears almost granulated, and is put upon copper 

 pans, which have a fire underneath, and in these it is kept constantly 



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