SETTLEMENTS ON THE DEMERARY, &C. 113 



out the balance. The generality of negroes prefer deco- 

 rating their persons to purchasing their freedom. I have 

 known many negroes who were fond of hoarding up their 

 money, and at their deaths, have left considerable sums; one 

 old woman on a sugar estate, in Essequebo, died possessed of 

 nearly three hundred pounds sterling, which she had acquired 

 merely from raising feathered stock. It consisted principally 

 of joes, dollars, and small change, and was equally distributed 

 between her children, which she had left on the estate. 



In general every plantation is visited three times a week by 

 a surgeon, who mostly agrees at two dollars a head yearly to 

 farm the health of the whole population : for this he attends 

 all the sick negroes, and furnishes the requisite medicines. 

 The whites, who require much oftener the interference of the 

 medical practitioner, are often farmed at forty dollars each.* 



* I have visited several islands in the West Indies, Grenada, Saint Kilt's, 

 Tortola, &c. the condition of the negro peasantry is every where comfortable, 

 as far as I have observed, and is fairly described in the following letter from 

 Mr. William Finlayson, of Jamaica. 



" I had opportunities of visiting the neighbouring estates in the vicinity of my 

 uncle's, being mostly penns, and cotton plantations ; the work was light and 

 easy, and I found the proprietors and the white people they employed, kind 

 and indulgent to the negroes. They found it their interest, as well as inclina- 

 tion, to treat the negroes well, and make them comfortable. 



Q 



