A JAMAICA PLANTATION.
Visit to a Jamaican plantation—Condition of the slaves—A growl
against the House of Commons and the Admiralty—Author attempting
to cut out a Spanish zebec, is taken prisoner—His pleasant
experiences while in captivity—At last released.
Soon after we arrived I was invited to spend a few days in the mountains.
We were mounted on mules, and started from Kingston at four o’clock in the
morning. Some part of the road was very narrow and wound round the
mountain we were going to. At one of the angles, or turns, the purser, who
was one of the party, had got his mule too near the precipice, and in a
few seconds was rolling down the declivity, the mule first and he
afterwards. Fortunately for both animals, there were several dwarf
cotton-trees about half-way down, which brought them up with a severe
round turn. The planter, who, I presumed, had seen exploits of this kind
before, lost no time in procuring from the nearest estate some negroes
with cords, and in a few minutes they were extricated from their perilous
situation. The purser was much cut about the head, and both his arms
severely contused. The poor animal had one of his legs broken, and it was
a charity to shoot him on the spot.
[Illustration: FOREST SCENERY, JAMAICA. [_P. N. Edwards, Photo._]
As we were not far from the estate we were going to, the black men, who
manifested much willingness and humanity, procured a hammock, which they
suspended to a pole, and carried with much ease my poor unfortunate
messmate, who, notwithstanding his bruises, kept joking on his
misadventure. Another hour brought us to a delightful pavilion-built house
surrounded by verandahs. It was like a Paradise; the grounds were highly
cultivated and produced sugar-canes, coffee, cotton and pimento. The air
was quite embalmed, and the prospect from the house was enchanting. I
could see the ships at Port Royal, which appeared like small dark dots.
The estate belonged to a young lady, a minor, residing in London, and it
was managed by her uncle. The number of slaves it contained was three
hundred. They appeared to me, the four days I remained among them, as one
happy family. I visited, with the surgeon of the estate, several of the
cabins or huts; each had a piece of ground to grow plantains, yams, sweet
potatoes, cocoas, etc. Some grew a few melons, nearly all had fowls, and
several had two or three pigs. The whole of Sunday and the Saturday
afternoon were their own, on which days they repaired to Spanish Town or
Kingston markets to sell their vegetables, fruit and poultry. The pigs,
the doctor informed me, were generally bought at the market price by the
overseers. “This estate,” resumed the doctor, “is very well conducted, and
during the five years I have been here we have only lost three slaves, and
two of those were aged. I need not say that the manager is a man of
humanity—you know him as a gentleman. The whip is seldom used, and only
for theft, which scarcely ever occurs. And I do not think that, were they
free to-morrow, they would leave Mr. W., who is an Englishman.”
On the second morning of my residence here I rose at four o’clock, and the
view from a kind of field called the Park was most remarkable and
picturesque in the extreme. Below me in all the valleys was a dense fog,
resembling a white woolly-looking cloud, stretched out like an immense
lake. The lower mountains appeared like so many islands. At first I stared
in astonishment at so novel a sight, and it reminded me of the picture of
the Deluge, when all the lower world was under water.
At breakfast I mentioned to Mr. W. the extraordinary scene I had
witnessed. “To you,” said he, “it may appear strange, but for at least
four months in the year we have those settling clouds or fogs. They first
form on the higher mountains, and then descend into the valleys. About
seven o’clock, as the sun gains force, they disperse. But,” added he,
“they are very necessary to the young plantations, which they moisten
profusely.”
The purser was now sufficiently recovered to join us in our rambles of an
evening, in one of which we came near a large tamarind-tree, where a
number of humming-birds were flying around. “I would not hurt any of those
little creatures for a trifle,” said Mr. W. “Were I to do it in the
presence of any of the negroes, they would immediately conclude I was
wicked. They consider them sacred, and, although they might fetch a good
price, I have never known one to be sold.”
On the fifth morning the mules were ordered at an early hour, and we bid
adieu to our kind and hospitable friend, who promised to spend a day with
us on board on our return from our cruise. We arrived at Kingston at
eleven o’clock without accident, and were on board by dinner-time. On the
following Sunday we put to sea, and a week afterwards were on our old
cruising grounds in the Mona passage and off Porto Rico.
We again sent two boats away on a speculative cruise with the second
lieutenant, who a few hours after returned with a very handsome Spanish
schooner, about forty tons, in ballast. We now put all our wise heads
together, whether to send her to Jamaica or make a tender of her. As I was
the first consulted, I voted for the last, “As were she to be sent to
Jamaica,” said I, “the expenses of her condemnation will most likely
exceed what she may be sold for. In this case, we should not only lose our
prize, but have to pay for capturing her.” “That is very true,” said the
captain, “and I have experienced the fact, which I will relate in a few
words:—
“I took a French ship from Antwerp bound to Caen, laden with salt. I took
her into Portsmouth. A few months afterwards I received a letter from my
agent to inform me that the vessel and cargo had been sold; but in
consequence of the duty paid to Government on the salt, she had not
covered the expenses of her trial by eight pounds, which my agents were
obliged to pay for me to the Proctors.”
“It is a hard case,” said we all. “After risking our lives and distressing
the ships by sending officers and men away in captured vessels, we are
sometimes informed, as a reward for the risk, anxiety and trouble, that
instead of receiving we have to pay money.” This most certainly cries
aloud for reform, and it appears monstrous that sailors find so little
support either in the House of Commons or at the Admiralty. Soldiers have
many advocates in the former, but sailors few, and those few not worth
having. The first Secretary of the Admiralty is generally a member of
Parliament, but he only concerns himself with the affairs of the
Admiralty; but ask him respecting the habits of sailors, he may tell it to
the marines, for the captain of the main-top will never believe him. It is
true the Admiralty have now given orders for captains to make a quarterly
return of all punishments inflicted on seamen. This I think quite right,
as it must in a great measure strike down the hand of tyranny. Nor do I
find fault with the encouragement and respectability which has lately been
given to the petty officers. I am only astonished it was not given years
ago, but we are still in our infancy.
Before I quit this subject, I am compelled in justice to ask both
Admiralty and Lower House the reason why old and meritorious officers are
so shamefully neglected. The commanders above the year 1814 may, I hope,
expect promotion in heaven, as I fear they never will meet with it on
earth. One would suppose the Admiralty were ashamed of having such old
officers, and wish to forget them altogether, or probably they think they
are too well paid and deserve, after spending the best part of their lives
in toil and service, nothing more. As for the old lieutenants, God help
them!—they must contrive to hang on by the eyelids until they slip their
cables in this, and make sail into another world. Is the hand of interest
so grasping that the Lords of the Admiralty cannot administer justice to
old officers and promote four or six from the head of the list on a
general promotion as well as those very young officers, who most likely
were not in being when their seniors entered the Service, nor have many of
them seen a shot fired except in a preserve? It has been said that the
patronage for the promotion of officers in the Navy is entirely in the
hands of the First Lord, who is a civilian. If this be true, interest and
not service must be his order of the day. He cannot know the merits or
demerits of officers but from others. Possessing this ignorance, it is but
a natural conclusion, though no consolation, to those who suffer from it,
that he should only promote those who are recommended to him, and this
accounts for so many officers who entered the Navy at the conclusion or
since the termination of the war being made post-captains or commanders.
We read that promotion comes neither from the east nor the west. In a
recent instance it came from the north. It may be advisable for some old
officers to make a trip to the coast of Nova Zembla, get frozen in for two
or three years among the Nova Zemblians and Yakee Yaws, come home, present
themselves to the Admiralty, who would undoubtedly promote them, then they
would have an audience and receive knighthood from a higher personage.
This, as we all know, has occurred, and may occur again, more particularly
so if they should be able to add to the important information the last
persevering and gallant adventures brought to England. The French beg a
thousand pardons when they have committed any little indiscretion; an
Englishman says simply, “I beg your pardon.” As such, gentle reader, I
sincerely beg yours, for having led you such a Tom Coxe’s traverse.
[Illustration: ENTRANCE OF ST. IAGO, CUBA.
“My First Capture by the Spaniards,” from a Drawing by the Author.]
To resume my narrative. We came to a conclusion that the schooner should
be fitted up as our tender, and as we had all taken a fancy to her she
should be called the _Fancy_. We put on board her a twelve-pounder
carronade and mounted four half-pound swivels on her gunwales. The second
lieutenant, as he captured her, was to command her; he took with him one
of the senior midshipmen and sixteen good seamen. After receiving his
orders and provisions he parted company for the north side of Cuba, and
was desired to rendezvous every Sunday afternoon off Cape Maize. This was
Tuesday. In the meanwhile we sent a boat into a small bay to the westward
of the Cape to fill some small casks with water from a fall we saw from
the ship. Three hours afterwards she returned, not only with water but
also with three large pigs, which the master, who had direction of the
boat, had shot. At last Sunday arrived; we were off the Cape, but no
_Fancy_. The weather had been very squally, and we thought it probable she
might have got to leeward. The following morning we spoke an American brig
from St. Jago, who informed us that she had passed a Spanish schooner
laden with tobacco at anchor at the mouth of the river. We stood in, and
discovered the ship with the glass. In the evening I volunteered to cut
her out, and at dusk we started in a six-oared cutter. By eleven at night
I was within the mouth of the river and under the Moro Castle and another
large fort. Our oars being muffled prevented any noise. We pulled round
the entrance twice, but to no purpose, as the vessel had removed and we
could not discover her. Daylight was breaking as we cleared the shore,
when we saw a vessel which appeared like our ship standing towards us, but
were with reason alarmed at seeing three more. I immediately concluded
they were enemy’s privateers. My fears were soon confirmed by their
hoisting Spanish colours, and the nearest began firing at us. I had eight
men and a midshipman with me, and we all did our utmost to escape.
Unfortunately our ship was not in sight, and after a fatiguing and anxious
pull for three hours and having two of the boat’s crew wounded, I was, in
consequence of the nearest privateer being within pistol shot, obliged to
surrender. We were taken possession of by the _Gros Souris_, a Spanish
zebec with a long eighteen-pounder and seventy-five men. The other vessels
were a three-masted zebec with an English sloop which she had captured and
a schooner. Two hours afterwards we were all at anchor in the river, and
the next day proceeded to St. Jago, where I had, with the crew, the
felicity of being put into the gaol. In the afternoon I received my
parole, as also did the youngster who was with me. The American Consul,
Mr. B., very handsomely sent a person to conduct me to the American hotel.
This said tavern was kept by a Boston widow, who was really a good sort of
person. The _table d’hôte_ was very tolerable, and I had the honour of
being acquainted with some of the American skippers. Some were very
_outré_, coarse and vulgar, but two of them were agreeable and very civil.
The morning after my arrival the Governor sent for me. On being introduced
he requested me to take a seat, a cup of coffee and a cigar. The two
former I accepted, the latter I refused, at which he expressed some
surprise, as he imagined all Englishmen smoked. He then requested me to
relate through an American interpreter the manner in which I had been made
prisoner, if I had been treated well on board the privateer, or if any of
my clothes had been taken. I answered him very promptly to the last
question by informing him that I had nothing to lose, as I left the ship
only in the clothes I stood in. After a pause he sent for his secretary,
and desired him to write a note to the American Consul, who in a short
time after made his appearance. “Here,” said he, “is a British officer who
has been unfortunately taken by one of our vessels; as you speak his
language, tell him from me that I am very sorry for his accident, and that
I have requested you to let him have any money he may require, for which I
will be responsible.”
I made suitable acknowledgment for so noble and disinterested an offer. I
told him in my own language, for he understood it, and spoke it
imperfectly, that it was out of my power to thank him sufficiently for his
generosity to an enemy and a stranger. “The first, I am sure,” replied he,
“you are no longer; the last you are, and call forth my sympathy and
protection,” offering me his hand, which I took respectfully. “Now,”
continued he, “we understand each other, and I shall be happy to see you
without ceremony whenever you like to come.” Here he turned to the Consul,
and after some complimentary conversation, he said, “Take this officer
with you and treat him as a friend, for he has found one in me.”
We made our bows and withdrew. In our walk to his house I could not
forbear speaking of the great kindness the Governor had evinced towards
me. “I am not astonished at it,” said the Consul; “I do not think since he
has had the government of this place he has ever seen a lieutenant of your
Navy, and as he considers you an officer of rank, he is determined as an
act of policy to make the most of you. His character is that of the high
Spanish, and I may add Irish, school, for his grandfather was an Irishman,
and died ennobled and a general officer in their service. His name is
O’B.”
This conversation brought us to the Consul’s residence. “Walk in,” said
he, “and rest yourself.” After having conversed on the unprofitable
service and risk of boating, he asked me if my purse wanted replenishing.
I answered in the affirmative. He gave me what I required, for which I
gave him an order on my agent at Kingston. Before we parted, he invited me
to ride out and spend the evening, which I accepted. At three in the
afternoon we were on horseback. “Sailors,” remarked he to me, “are not
generally considered Nimrods. They ride too fast and sit too much over the
horse’s shoulders; but probably,” continued he, “you British sailors ride
much better than the Americans, for they certainly do not make much figure
on horseback.” “I frankly acknowledge,” said I, “that I am no horseman,
for the last time I was mounted was with a party of landsmen who had asked
me to dine at Rock Fort, but I blush to relate that when we had reached
the Parade at Kingston, my horse took fright at the black soldiers who
were exercising. I, finding I could not manage him, gave him the bridle,
when he ran into the ranks, knocked down one of the sergeants, and would
have knocked my brains out against the upper part of the stable door, if
fortunately a man had not been there, who threw up both his arms, which
stopped him from entering.”
“How did you proceed afterwards?” inquired he; “Did you lose your dinner?”
“No,” said I, laughing, “that would have been very hard on the rest of the
party, whose mouths were anxious to devour the fish ordered at the tavern.
I procured a more quiet horse, and we proceeded at a parson’s trot, and
did ample honour to our feast, for we were very hungry on our arrival.” In
our ride I found the country in this part of Cuba highly cultivated. Large
patches of sugar-canes, cocoa, orange and lime groves met my eye in every
direction, and in some places near lagoons or pieces of water rice was
cultivated. I also observed some plantations of tobacco. Three and four
times a week I rode out with the Consul, and found him and our excursions
very agreeable. He informed me he had been several times in England, and
was much pleased with his visits. “I found,” said he, “the men prompt and
regular in business, as well as hospitable; but,” added he, “the greater
part of your women have the minds of angels, and make the best wives in
the world. In saying this I only allude to the society I moved in—the
merchants of the higher classes. I much regret,” continued he, “that the
better sort of my countrymen have not the polish of yours. As long as they
give up all their time to dollar-making they cannot be anything more than
what they are.”
One morning at an early hour I was called to attend the Governor. On my
seeing him, he appeared agitated; he had a kind of despatch in his hand.
“I am sorry to say,” said he, “I have bad news for you. I have received
accounts from the coast that another of your boats has been taken. The
officer and three men have been shot, and five taken prisoners. I have
reprimanded my people severely for firing on them, as they were much
superior to yours in numbers. The officer who commanded our party assures
me he could not prevent it, as the natives near where your boat landed had
been plundered of most part of their live stock, and several of their pigs
were found shot near their huts.” By the description given I knew it to be
the master, who had before brought off pigs which he had shot. I told him
then he would, I feared, try once too often, at which he only laughed. I
made as many lame excuses for the conduct of those who ought to have known
better, as I thought prudent, and assured the Governor that the officer
must have exceeded his orders, as I was convinced the captain would be
very much grieved to hear that he had lost his life and the lives of
others on so worthless an occasion.
“No,” said he, “by what I can learn, his purpose was to procure water; had
he quietly restricted himself to that employment he would not have been
interrupted.” Here the interview ended; I withdrew, and went with my mind
disquieted to the tavern, where I met some of the Yankee captains, who
would have drawn me into a conversation on what had happened, but I was
determined to be silent, and retired to prose in my chamber.
On the second day after this sad event I received an invitation for myself
and Mr. S., the mid who was with me, to a ball given by the Governor.
About eight o’clock in the evening Mr. B., the American Consul, called for
us, and we repaired to the Government House, a large, square building in a
spacious yard. We entered an ante-room, where the guard were stationed,
and afterwards a lofty kind of hall, the walls of which were whitewashed,
and at the farthest end was an orchestra raised on a platform. About
eighty well-dressed people were assembled, the greater part of whom were
females; some of them were very pretty, and made my heart go pit-a-pat. I
saluted the Governor, who shook hands with me, and introduced me to a
lady, who, as he was a bachelor, presided for him, and whose fine auburn
hair was so long that she had it fastened with a graceful bow to her side,
otherwise it would have trailed on the ground. She was a native of
Guadeloupe, and married to a relation of the Governor’s. The ball was
opened by four sets of minuets, which were danced with much grace. I
figured off in one, but I fear, not gracefully. Country dances then began,
which were kept up for about two hours. Waltzes were then the order of the
ball, which continued until nearly daylight. I was heartily glad to reach
my room, and did not breakfast until a late hour. I was spending my time
very pleasantly, but not profitably. I was a prisoner, and that was
sufficient to embitter a mind naturally active. I began to get tired of
doing nothing, and longed to be free. I was shortly afterwards invited to
two more balls, but as they were much the same as the one I have
described, it is not worth while speaking of them, except that I lost my
heart to three young females, who, alas! were perfectly ignorant of the
fact.
On the day of the American Independence, Mr. B. invited me to his
dinner-party, where I met the Lord knows who. A number of toasts were
given replete with freedom and Republicanism, and guns were fired, and we
were all very merry, until a person near me, in hip-hip-hipping, hipped a
bumper of wine in his next neighbour’s face. This disturbed the harmony
for some minutes, when, on the friendly interference of the Consul, the
offended and the offender shook hands, and all went on prosperously until
midnight, at which hour we took leave of our kind host, some with their
eyes twinkling and others seeing double. A few mornings afterwards the
Governor asked me to breakfast at six o’clock. I found him taking his
coffee on the terrace of the house, where he had one of Dollond’s large
telescopes, the view from which was magnificent and rich; but before I had
been half an hour with him I found my eyes suffering from the great glare
of light owing to the terrace being white. This he remarked. “We will
descend,” said he, “and if you are fond of horses and mules, you shall see
my stud.” On the landing-place of the stairs we met a servant. “Go,” said
he to him, “and tell the grooms to bring all the mules into the yard. In
the meanwhile you and I will enter this room,” pointing to a door on the
right. “This,” said he, “is my retreat, and where I take my nap after
dinner.” I remarked it contained no bed, but a Spanish silk-grass hammock
hung low from the ceiling, over which was a mosquito net and a light
punkah within it. “Here,” said he, “I lose sight of the world and all its
absurdities for at least two hours every day by going quietly to rest, and
as it is the custom of the country, there is little fear of my being
disturbed.” The head groom came to announce that the mules were in the
yard. “Come,” said he, “let us go and look at them; they are considered
fine animals.” We were soon in their company, and I beheld eight beautiful
cream-coloured mules of considerable height. “These are my state mules,
and are seldom used. I have eight others for common work. Horses,”
continued he, “are seldom in request, but I have three, which you shall
see in the stable.” They were large-boned, with ugly heads and short
necks. “You do not admire them,” said he; “they are not very handsome.
They came from the Island of Curaçoa, and perhaps are rather of Dutch
build. I use them for the family carriage.” After expressing my
gratification which the sight of the beautiful mules had excited, and
thanking him for his condescension, I took my leave. A week after this
visit I was again sent for. “I have now good news for you,” said the
kind-hearted Governor. “Your ship is close in to the Moro, and has sent in
a flag of truce to request me to release you, and you are free from this
moment, and,” added he, “I will send every English prisoner with you, if
you will say that an equal number of Spaniards shall be returned on your
arrival at Jamaica.” This I did not hesitate to promise, as I was certain
the commander-in-chief would do it on a proper representation. I took
leave of this excellent man and the Consul with the warmest feelings of
respect and gratitude.