Negroes: Employment of the women--Washing--A scene at the pond
--Conversations--The sea-side--"Water frolic"--Hucksters--
"Damaged flour"--Female porters--Masculine appearance of some
of the females--Indelicacy--Their mode of carrying burdens.
Having given a short sketch of the manner in which the generality
of the negro-men employ their time, it will be proper also to
mention the occupation of the females. Many of these still follow
the employment to which they have been habituated from their
youth, the cultivation of the sugar-cane. But others, although
used to it in their days of slavery, now they have become free,
look upon it as degrading; and therefore, quitting the estates to
which they formerly belonged, and all the privileges incident to
their country-life, they hire a small house in some of the alleys
or outskirts of the capital, and there take up their abode. Among
this class of women, washing and huckstering are the principal
employments; and it is from the profits arising from these means
that they are enabled to bring up their daughters in comparative
idleness, and send them forth on Sundays dressed in the
ridiculous style I have already described.
It may not be deemed superfluous to remark how differently
_washing_ is conducted in Antigua to the mode pursued in England.
There, among the good housewives who preside over such ablutions,
it generally occasions gloom and discontent, particularly if the
weather proves foul when the _water frolic_ takes place; in that
case (as the song says)--
"The very kittens on the hearth,
They dare not even play;
But away they jump, with many a thump,
Upon a washing day."
But in this country, where blue skies and sun-shiny days
predominate, the case is quite the reverse.
Groups of washerwomen may be seen in the morning with large
bundles of clothes upon their heads, their half-naked "pic'nees"
clinging round their hips, and similarly accoutred little urchins
running by their side, wending their way to some of the ponds
near the outskirts of the town. When arrived at the place
favourable for such sports or occupations, their bundles are
first put down, their youngest children placed upon the ground
with one of larger growth to watch over it, their own dress
properly arranged, and then the business of the day commences.
The clothes are thrown into the pond, and allowed to remain there
until completely saturated with water; they are then taken out,
placed upon large stones, (which are generally to be found about
such spots,) and holding a piece of wood (in shape like a
cricket-bat, which they call a beetle) in their hands, they
commence pounding the articles with all their might, utterly
regardless of loss of buttons, causing large rents, or any other
_et cetera_ which may chance to happen. When they think the
clothes are sufficiently _washed_, (if that term can be applied
to this operation,) they are again steeped in the pond, rinsed
out, and then spread along the ground, to imbibe the heat of the
glaring sun.
All the time the labour of the hands is going on, the tongue is
by no means idle. The news of the island is discussed; dress,
dances, and religion, descanted on; and the songs upon
individuals (already alluded to) composed. One party of staid
matrons commence a conversation. "You no go prayers last night;
bery well; massa miss yo--why yo no go? Don't you 'member what
godmodder (as they call their leaders in the Moravian society)
say 'bout aunty Nanny, 'cause she no go get her speak last
time?[34] Well! sure the Lor' he one good Lor', (what you keep
bawling so for, you cross pic'nee, eh?--me no gee you one cane to
suck, you good-for-noting you!" addressed by way of parenthesis
to a little crawling _black-a-moor_, who, unable to gain its
mother's attention by more pleasing means, is compelled to raise
its 'importunate call;') yes, me dear sister, de Lor' one good
Lor', and massa parson talk all good talk." Another party of
giddy, laughing girls, chatter away in a different strain. "I
say, Ange', (Angelina,) you see dem _challis_ se (sister) Eleanor
hab selling last week? Well, I buy one, only it no make yet,
'cause I no get money 'nough to buy de black lace to trim it.
I'se wants to hab it make like dat buckra lady's frock, she as
come from England the oder day."--"No, me no seed em; me buy one
robe dress Christmas gone. But did you hear 'bout se
Margate?"--"No; war 'bout she?"--"Eh! eh! you no hear. Why, last
night she war coming home past were de old play-house used to
'tan, when just as she get close de wall, dere she see one big
ole jumby man--ugly so! most kill her, she so frighten. Bery
well! she try to run, but he old jumby knock her down, fall to
lick (_flog_) her in such a manner dat she hab feber all last
night."--"Eh! eh! poor Margate! you b'lieve me, me no tink me
dare go by de ole play-house at night den."
With conversations such as these they endeavour to lighten their
labours; and during the time the clothes are drying, some form
themselves into parties, and dance on the greensward to the music
of their own voices; others nurse their little children, or boil
their lunch (gipsy fashion;) while the more idle ones stretch
themselves upon the grass, and sleep away the hours until the
cleansed garments are perfectly dry, when they collect their
different articles, and march off to their respective dwellings
in the same manner as they came.[35]
As remarked at the commencement of this chapter, among those
black women resident in the capital, are to be found an immense
number of hucksters; indeed, in every street, at every corner,
they are to be met with. These persons deal in different
articles; some in cloth of various fabrics, threads, tapes,
laces, &c.; some in salt-fish, corn-meal, (the flour from the
Indian corn,) rice, &c.; and others in fruits, vegetables, soap
and candles. Some of these hucksters occupy small shops of about
fourteen feet square, (which, by the bye, in most cases they are
obliged to use as their sleeping, dining, and dressing room as
well,) where they vend their different wares; while others
frequent the markets, or walk about the town or country with
their goods. These people purchase their goods from the retailers
upon a larger scale, or else buy them at an auction sale, of
which there are sometimes three or four in a day, at the
different merchant's stores.
There is one peculiarity attending these small dealers, which is
worthy of note--this is, the great love they have for buying
"damaged flour," supposing they will be sure to get a bargain.
Upon this account, it is common among some merchants, when they
are about to dispose of this commodity by public auction, to term
it "damaged," when perhaps the only appearance of such mischance
is, that the barrel is a little dirty. It has been often known
for one of these sullied barrels to bring a larger amount than a
better article, simply because it was put up as damaged.
Many of these women do nothing else but walk about to the
different sales all day, in hopes of meeting with bargains,
leaving the management of their shop (if they have one) to their
children. When an article is put up, they bid in pounds and
shillings, of which they have no conception; the consequence of
which is, that when they retire from the sale, and get some
friend to add it up in _dollars_ and _bitts_, (current coins,--
the _dollar_ 4s. sterling, the _bitt_ 4½d.,) they become alarmed
at the amount of their purchases; and as there is no auction duty
to be paid by them, they will not return for the articles, and
consequently the merchant is obliged to bear the loss.
Some of the females work as porters, hire themselves to mix
mortar for bricklayers, or even dig wells, (or springs as they
are termed in this country,) and clean out ponds. Many of the
negro women, particularly those who live in the country, and are
employed in agriculture, are so very masculine in their voice,
manners, and appearance, that it is at times a matter of doubt to
say to which sex they belong. This may be attributed to the
general system of treatment during slavery: they were required to
work the same as the men; and when punishment was thought
necessary, no regard was paid to their feelings, but their
persons were equally exposed as those of the other sex. Of
course, these proceedings in time rendered them callous, and in
the end, divested them of all those principles of modesty which
are so great an ornament to the feminine character, whether in a
high or low condition of life. The manner in which they were
accustomed to dress during their ordinary employments tended in
great measure to have this effect. A petticoat of coarse
linseywoolsey, or blue check, with a short jacket of similar
materials, constituted the chief part of their covering; and even
this was put on so carelessly, that frequently the upper part of
their persons was left quite bare. While employed in their daily
avocations, it is customary to tie up their garments almost--if
not quite--as high as their knees; and even when walking about
the streets of the capital, if it is rather wet weather, the same
degree of indelicacy is practised. All these causes combined,
tend to lessen the women in the eyes of strangers; although the
Creoles appear to see no indecorum in their style of dress, or
manners.
Most negroes appear to be possessed of great strength, and will
carry immense loads, the women as well as the men. The head is
the part appropriated by the negroes to bear their burdens. They
carry tables, heavy boxes, boards, barrels, and similar articles,
in this manner; and if they want to convey a cup or a bottle, it
is placed in the same exalted situation. The very little
children, of perhaps not more than three or four years old, will
also place a calabash of water, or a bottle of rum, upon their
heads, and trip along without holding it in the slightest manner.
------
[34] A religious ordinance among the Moravians.
[35] In Barbados, the negroes make a little difference in their
mode of washing. Going down to the sea-side, they make use of the
sea-water, and then spreading them upon the sand, sprinkle them
occasionally with the briny fluid. When (during a short visit to
that island) I saw them thus employed, it recalled forcibly to my
mind the description of the Princess "Nausicaa" in "Pope's
Homer's Odyssey," who at the command of Pallas went to wash the
robes of state in the "mazy waters."
"Then emulous the royal robes they lave,
And plunge the vestures in the cleansing wave;
(The vestures cleansed o'erspread the shelly sand,
Their snowy lustre whitens all the strand.)"