FEBRUARY 12.
On my former visit to Jamaica I found on my estate a poor
woman nearly one hundred years old, and stone blind. She was
too infirm to walk, but two young negroes brought her on their
backs to the steps of my house, in order, as she said, that she
might at least touch massa, although she could not see him.
When she kissed my hand, " that was enough," she said ;
"now me hab once kiss a massa's hand, me willing to die tomorrow, me no
care." She had a
woman appropriated to her
servic, and was shown the greatest care and attention ; however, she did
not live many months
after my departure. There
was aso a mulatto about thirty years of age, named Bob, who
had been almost deprived of the use of is limbs by the horrible
cocoa-bay, and had never done the least work since he was fifteen.
He was so gentle and humble, and so fearful, from the consciousnss of his
total inability of
soliciting my notice, that I could not
help pitying the poor fellow ; and whenever he came in my way
I always sought to encourage him by little presents, and other
trifling marks of favour. His thus unexpectedly meeting with
distinguishing kindness where he expected to be treated as a
worthless incumbrance, made a strong impression on his mind.
Soon afte my departure his malady assumed a more active appearance, but
during the last stages
of its progress the only fear
which he expressed was, that he should not live till Christmas,
when my return was expected to a certainty. In the meanwhile he
endeavoured to find out a
means of being of some little
use to me, although his weak constitution would not allow of his
being of much. Some of his relations being in opulent circumstances, they
furnished him with a
horse, for he was too weak to
walk for more than a few minutes at a time, and mounted upon
this, he passed all his time in traversing the estate, watching the
corn that it might not be stolen, warning the pen-keepers if any
of the cattle had found their way into the cane-pieces, and doing
many other such little pieces of service to the property ; so that,
as the negores said, " if he had been a white man he might have
been taken for an overseer." At length Christmas arrived. It
was known that I was on the sea ; Bob, too, was still allive ; but
still there was nothing to be heard of me. His perpetual question to all
who came to visit him
was " How was the wind?"
and he was constantly praying to the wind and the ocean to
bring massa's vessel soon to Savannah la Mar, that he might but
see him once more, and thank him, before he died. At length
I landed ; and when on the day of my arrival on my estate I
expressed my surprise at the non-appearance of several of the
negroes who had appeared to be most attached to me, and I had
expected to find most in forward in greeting me, I was told that a
messenger had been sent to call them, and that their absence was
occasioned by their attendance at poor Bob's funeral. Several
of his relations who nursed him on his death-bed, have assured
me that the last audible words which he uttered were, " No
news of massa yet?"
