SETTLEMENTS ON THE DEMERARY, &C. 33 



We were received in a handsome, kind, hospitable manner, 

 at the landing-place, by the proprietor, who welcomed me to 

 the country, and wished me my health. He himself had 

 been an mhabltant of this clime for fifteen years, and left his 

 native land at the same age I did. A party of friends was 

 assembled in the house, to whom I was introduced; we after- 

 wards partook of a cold collation, and drank sangaree, a 

 composition resembling negus, and pine-apple punch. 



The Reynestein is a sugar estate, and in my walks about it 

 I had an opportunity of making several remarks. There are 

 navigable canals all over the estate, which fall into one grand 

 stream that turns the water-mill. By these canals the sugar- 

 cane is brought to the mills in punts. In the West India 

 islands, I was informed, the planters are obliged to convey the 

 produce from the fields by mules ; herein certainly the De- 

 merary planter possesses an evident advantage, both with re- 

 gard to labor and expence. The sugar-reed is naturally a 

 marsh-plant, and succeeds best in wet soils. 



During my perambulation, I was astonished at seeing the 

 quantity of plne-applcs, growing apparently in a wild state, on 

 the banks of the canals. I got one, which not proving very 

 good, my friend pulled four or five, and threw them away 

 like so many turnips, until he procured me one that was ripe. 

 It is a common thing to feed swine with them. My astonish- 



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