 | Journal of a Residence among the Negroes in the West Indies |  |
JANUARY 26. (Monday.)
The joy of the negroes on my return was quite sufficiently voiciferous, and they were allowed to-day for a holiday. They set themselves to singing and dancing yesterday, in order to lose no time; and to show their gratitude for the indulgence, not one of the five pen-keepers chose to go to their watch last night ; the consequence was, that the cattle made their escape, and got into one of my very best cane-pieces. The alarm was given; my own servants and some of the head people had grace enough to run down to the scene of action ; but the greatest part remained quietly in the negro-houses, beating the gumby-drum, and sing-ing their joy for my arrival with the whole strength of their lungs, but without thinking it in the least necessary to move so much as a finger-joint in my service.
The cattle were at length replaced in their pen, but not till the cane-piece had been ruined irretrievably.
Such is negro gratitude, and such my reward for all that I have suffered on ship-board.
To be sure, as yet there could not be a more ill-starred expedition than my present one.
| Journal of a Residence among the Negroes in the West Indies | |