Barbadoes, March 22.
Carlisle Bay is become quite the busy Thames of the West Indies.
Scarcely a day passes without the arrival of vessels from one part of
the globe or another. To us this affords a degree of interest and
amusement; for we are frequently enlivened by the signals made for
vessels either coming into harbour, or appearing in sight, and which
prove to be from different, and widely separated coasts. English ships
of war, merchantmen, and transports; slave-ships from the coast of
Africa; packets, prizes, American traders; island vessels, privateers,
fishing smacks, and different kinds of boats, cutters, and luggers, are
among the almost hourly variety, to be seen either entering or quitting
Carlisle Bay.
The day after the Arethusa came in we were early enlivened by signals
for two other vessels approaching from windward; but they proved to be
ships from very opposite coasts; one being from Halifax; the other a
Guinea-man with a cargo of slaves from Africa.
Several vessels of the Cork division have joined us within the few last
days; but none of them bring any accurate tidings of the fleet; most of
them having parted from the convoy, during the first or second night
after quitting the harbour, and not having met with it since. The
Charlotte transport was chased by a privateer at the distance of only a
few leagues from Barbadoes, and must, inevitably, have been taken, but
for the fortunate circumstance of a slave-ship, from the coast of
Guinea, coming up at the time, and engaging her pursuer. A running
action was maintained, for two hours, between this ship and the
privateer, when the latter sheered off, leaving the Guinea-man, and her
protegée, to proceed quietly to Barbadoes; the slave-ship having
suffered considerably in her rigging.
The Madras East Indiaman and a packet are this day arrived from England.
They departed, the one from Falmouth, the other from St. Helen’s, on the
23d of February, and have completed the passage within a month. The
Madras brings a cargo of ordnance stores. She sailed alone, and made a
running voyage. Several persons availed themselves of the opportunity of
coming out in this ship as passengers: she has also a small party of
artillery-men on board.
The arrival of the present packet has not caused so great a sensation as
was produced by the appearance of that which I mentioned to you before,
although we are much pleased and gratified to see it. We have now an
ample supply both of English and American papers, and from the arrivals
being more frequent, and the commander in chief among us, the sad torpor
of the preceding weeks no longer reigns. Activity prevails, and the
suspense of waiting is alleviated by busy preparation.
We have lately had an opportunity of visiting the Venus slave-ship of
London, just arrived with a cargo of blacks, from the coast of Africa.
The ship appeared small: there was a want of space, and the negroes
seemed crowded; but, in all other respects, we were pleased to remark
the excellence of the accommodations, and the great attention paid to
the health and comfort of the slaves. The cargo consisted of 230 prime
negroes, all in high health, and good spirits. The ship was remarkably
clean. No sickness had occurred among the Africans, or the crew; nor had
any one died upon the passage. They made the voyage in six weeks, and
the slaves were fed the whole time with Guinea corn. The average value
of the cargo is calculated at nearly 50_l._ for each person. The captain
has but few hands in his ship’s company, yet, from his kind treatment of
the blacks, he has so well secured their attachment and obedience, as to
feel no apprehension of a revolt, or of any occurrence to menace their
safety.
Dr. Cleghorn and myself continue our pedestrian excursions about the
neighbourhood of the bay. In one of our late rambles we ascended some
hills in the vicinity of Bridge-town, which afford a fine landscape of
the island, together with a view of the town, the harbour, and the sea.
Situated below this mountainous range is the plantation of a Mr. Daniel;
an old estate which is sheltered, and rendered picturesque by the
adjoining hills. Here we saw a very lofty and fine avenue of trees, of
the valuable lignum vitæ; also an immensely large and ancient tamarind
tree, of more extended branches, and wider trunk than the antique oaks,
or spreading elms, which are sometimes seen to grace the door-way of our
old English dwellings. The tamarind is of the Mimosa tribe, and may be
regarded as a very handsome example of vegetable production. It bears an
immense quantity of fruit, which hanging among the small leaves, in the
numerous pods of a dirty brown colour, gives a singular appearance,
without adding to the beauty of the tree. Upon this old ornament of the
mansion were many bushels, perhaps I might say many hogsheads of
tamarinds, which were left to fall useless on the ground. Esteemed as
this fruit is in Europe, in its preserved state, it seems to be as
little valued here, as the common crab of the hedges in England, and is
equally neglected, not being considered worth the labour of gathering,
or the expense of the sugar required in preserving it.