JANUARY 7. (Sunday.)
In spite of their exertions of last night, the negroes were again
with me by two o'clock in the day, with their drums and their
choruses. However, they found themselves unable to keep it
up as they had done on the former night, and were content to
withdraw to their own houses by ten in the evening. But first
they requested to have to-morrow to themselves, in order that
they might go to the mountains for provisions. For although ,,
their cottages are always surrounded with trees and shrubs, their
provision-grounds are kept quite distinct, and are at a distance
among the mountains. Of course, I made no difficulty of acceding to their
request, but upon
condition that they should ask for
no more holidays till the crop should be completed. For the
purpose of cultivating their provision -grounds, they are allowed
every Saturday ; but on' the occasion of my arrival, they obtained
permission to have the
Saturday to themselves, and to
fetch their week's provisions from the mountains on the following
Monday, All the slaves
maintain themselves in this manner
by their own labour; even the domestic attendants are not
exempted, but are expected to feed themselves, except stated
allowances of salt-fish, salt-pork, &c.
