Charlestown is Pleasantly Situated on Ashley River on verry low Land it
was Extreamly well Built but the Fire which happen^d in January last
has Spoiled the Beauty of the Place, it may if times alter be as
pleasant & Beautifull with Regard to y^e Buildings as ever. But I
Cannot Behold such a Number of my fellow beings (altho Differing in
Complexion) Dragged from the Place of their Nativity, brought into a
Country not to be taught the Principles of Religion & the Rights of
Freeman, but to Be Slaves to Masters, who having Nothing but Interest in
View without ever Weting their own Shoes, Drive these fellows to the
Most Severe Services, I say I cannot behold these things without Pain.
And Expressing my Sorrow that are Enlighten^d People, a People
Professing Christianity Should treat any of God's creatures in Such a
Manner as I have Seen them treated Since my arrival at this Place. & I
thank God who Gave me a Disposition to Prefer Freedom to Slavery.
I have Just mentioned a People Professing Christianity. I believe there
is a few who now & then go to Church but by all the Observation I have
been able to make I find that Horse Racing, Frolicking Rioting Gaming
of all Kinds Open Markets, and Traffick, to be the Chief Business of
their Sabbaths. I am far from Supposing there is not a few Righteous
there But was it to have the chance which Soddom had, that if there was
five Righteous men it Should Save the City. I believe there would be
only a Lot & Family, & his wife I should be afraid would Look Back.
Another remark that I shall make is this, Marriage in Most Countrys is
Deemed Sacred, and here there are many honourable and I believe happy
Matches, But to see among the Commonalty a Man take a Woman without so
much Ceremony as Jumping over a Broom Stick at the time of their
Agreement, to see her Content herself to be his Slave to work hard to
maintain him & his Babs & then to Content herself with a flogging if she
only says a word out of Doors at the End of it, and then take his other
Doxy who Perhaps has Served him well--and so one Lover to another,
Succeeds another and another after that the last fool is as welcome as
the former, till having liv,d hour out he Gives Place & Mingles with the
herd who went Before him. These things may to some People who are
unacquainted with such Transactions appear Strange and Odd, but how
shall I express myself--what Feelings have I had within myself to behold
one of these Slaves or Rather whole Tribes of them belonging to one
Master who Perhaps has the happiness of an Ofspring of beautifull
Virgins whose Eyes must be continually assaulted with a Spectacle which
Modesty forbids me to Mention. I have Seen at a Tea table a Number of
the fair Sex, which a Man of Sentiments would have almost Ador,d and a
man of Modesty would not have been so Indecent as to have Unbutton^d
his knee to adjust his Garter--Yet have I Seen a Servant of both Sexes
Enter in Such Dishabitable as to be oblig^d to Display those Parts
which ought to be Concealed. To see Men Approach the Room where those
Angelick Creatures meet & View those Beautifull Countenances & Sparkling
Eyes, which would almost tell You that they abhor,d the Cruel imposition
of their Parents, who Perhaps Loaded with a Plentifull fortune, would
not afford a decent Dress to their Servants to hide their Shame from
such Sight I have turn^d my Eyes. I would not mean to be two Severe
nor have it thought but there are great numbers who have a Sence of the
Necessity of a Due decorum keep their Servants in a Verry Genteel manner
and do honor to their keepers but those who have Viewed such scenes as
well as myself will testify to this Truth & Say with me that Droll
appearances would Present themselves to view that in Spite of all that I
could Do would Oblige me to give a total grin, the Particular above
mentioned altho they appear a Little forecast are absolutely matters of
fact & not Indeed to Convey any I^ll Idea to y^e mind.
In a Commertial way by what little opportunity I have had to make any
Remarks on them. I find that in Casting up their accounts that there are
a Number which Deservs to be Put on y^e C^r Side. But money getting
being Mankinds Universal harvest I find as many Reapers as one would
wish to see in Such an Open Field for every one to have a fare Sweep
with the Sickle which as frequently cuts your purse Strings as anything
Else, their Rakes are Most Excellent nothing is lost for want of
geathering & you may depend on it their Bins are so Close that But a
trifle of what they Put in ever Comes out of the Cracks. Sometimes you
will see a small Trifle peep its Nose out on a Billiard Table, now &
then the four knaves will tempt a Small Parcell to walk on the Table, &
I believe Black Gammon, Shuffle Board, horse Racing, & that Noble Game
of Roleing two Bullets on the Sandy Ground Where if there Should be
y^e Least Breath air it would Blind you all those would help a little
of it to Move & if I added Whoreing and Drinking they would Not Deny the
Charge. If the things Mentioned above are to be Deemed Vices. I think no
Person that Comes to Carolina will find any Scarcity, Provided they have
such articles as Suits such a Market. I cannot from my hart Approve of
their Method of Living--not but that their Provision is Wholesome but In
Genral they Dont Coock it well. Rice bares the Sway, in Room of Bread,
with any kind of victuals and Ever in Families of Fashion you will see a
Rice Pudding (If it Deserves the Name) to be Eat as we do our Bread, I
am affraid of Being too cencorious or I would Remark Numberless things
which to a Person unacquainted with Place would even Look Childish to
mention but as I only make this Obs^n for my own amusement never
Intending they Shall be ever seen but by Particular friends. I shall
omit any niceities of Expressions and Shall write a few more Simple
facts I have seen Gamblers, Men Pretended Friends to you that would hug
you in their Bosoms till they were Certain they had Gotten what they
could from you, & then for a Shilling would Cut Your Throat. I would not
Mean by this to Convey the Idea of their being a Savage people in
General. There are Gentlemen of Charracter & who Ritchly Deserve
the Name--but as there are Near Seven Blacks to one White Man, the
Austerities used to the Slaves in their Possessions, is the Reason as I
immagion of their looking on & Behaving to a White Man who Differs from
them in their Manners and not bred in their Country in a Way Not much
Different from which they treats their Blacks. I Have been told that the
Place is Much alterd from what it was Before the Present Dispute & that
a Number of the Best Part of People are Moved out of Charlestown for the
honour of Charlestown. I will believe it and wish it may be Restor^d
to its Primitive Lusture. However let me not look all on the Dark Side
there are Many things well worth Praise, there Publick Buildings are
well finish^d & Calculated for the Convenience of Publick & Private
Affairs, their Churches make a verry fine Appearance and are finish^d
Agreeable to the Rules of Architecture. I do not Mean that they are the
Most elegant I ever Saw, but so well Perform^d as would Declare those
who Reared them Good Artissts, the Streets are well Laid out & a verry
good Brick Walk on Each Side for foot Passengers, their Streets are not
Pav^d but Verry Sandy, and the heat of the Climate is Such that the
Sand is Generally verry Disagreeable & Occasions a number of Insects
Commonly Call^d Sand flies, the Lowness of the Land and the Dead water
in Different Places in the Town & out of it Occasions another Breed of
Insects well Known by the Name of Musketoes. These Creatures are well
disciplined for they do Not Scout in private Places nor in Small
Companies as tho Affraid to attack but Joining in as many Different
Colloums as there are Openings to Your Dwellings they make a Desperate
push and Seldom fail to Annoy their Enemy in Such a Manner that they
leave their Adversary in a Scratching humor the Next Morning thro^o
Vexation. It would be endless to mention the advantages & Disadvantages
of the Place but this I am fully Assur^d of. If the White People would
be so Industrous as to till the Land themselves and see every thing Done
so as to have less of those Miserable Slaves in the Country the Place to
me would have a verry Different Appearance. I have heard it Alleg^d as
a Pretext for keeping so many Slaves that white People cannot Endure the
heat of the Climate & that there can be but verry little done without
these Slaves, that there could be but a verry little done is to me a
Matter of Doubt, but that there would be but Verry little If the People
Retain their Luxury & Love of all kinds of Sport is to me Beyond all
doubt. I have Seen more Persons than a few worry themselves at Gaming In
an Excessive hot Day in Such a Manner that a Moderate Days work would be
a Pleasure to it. These things have convinc^d me of the Foolish wicked
and Absurd Notions which People seem to have Adopted in General that
Because these Issacars are like Issacars of Old. Strong Asser Couching
Down between two Burthens and have not Got the means of Preserving their
Liberty were they Ever So Desirous of it and are kept in Such a
miserable manner as never to know the Blessings of it. I say these
things have Convinc^d me of the Notorious Violation of the Rights of
Mankind and which I think no Rational Man will Ever try to Justify.
America my Earnest Prayer is that thou mayst preserve thy Own Freedom
from any Insolvent Invaders who may attempt to Rob the of the Same--but
be Sure to let Slavery of all kinds ever be Banish^d from thy
habbittations.
Fins Camsiocelo.