his voyage and expenditures, while snatching a morsel; but we were too much engrossed in considering and in doing what was now required of us, to enter on details. He merely told me he had sold the dye-woods well, but that the proceeds and all the doubloons excepting ten had been expended; and these he now gave me. "Finish your sangaree, my good fellow," said I; "and take the soldiers and their families, and whatever they may have brought with them, to Peccary Field House, in the Avon; take the seven new negro men also, and put the New Englanders into the boat to work her; it may be as well for the present to keep them out of the way. Lodge the soldiers in the four bedrooms, and put the negro men into the outhouses, where they will be sufficiently well accommodated. And I should wish, moreover, that you would take your cot with you to sling in one of the saloons, so as to keep an eye on the strangers until we know them better. Desire Diego," continued I, “to furnish you with provisions for their subsistence, and whatever else you think you may require to take with you." Drake made no other reply: than, " Very well, sir;" quickly after moving off, to carry the order into execution.

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Purdy and his wife returned home with their friends, the Allwoods in the evening, taking the two sawyers with them. And now the two black sailor boys only were left in charge of the Porghee.» At night a shakedown was made in the hall of the mansion for the four new negro girls, who, with the, other three, Martha, Mary, and Anna, lay down quietly, and well satisfied, to sleep on the floor.

Thus I had found quarters for every one, consistently with the relative condition of all concerned. It may be thought such circumstances too light a matter, to be worth all the troublesome arrangements it forced upon me to observe; but in all such things the fruit is worth the labour - a certain harvest of amity and peace.

Tuesday, 23d. Early in the morning I took my dear wife and Diego, with my brother and sister, into council on the subject of providing permanent accommodations for the people, but most immediately for our young negresses. We all seemed puzzled. The rainy season was approaching; ground was to be cleared of timber, ready for the husbandmen; and there was no time for building. After a considerable pause, my sable minister at last spoke as follows: "If it so please my good master, I will go back from big small house to my own house, after Hall and Hackett take away their wives; and then Derrick go to live again with Shavier. Martin and Mira stay with us, will be four-and will only be four and child at Shavier's; then, you master, sir, can give big small house to somebody; black girls can be made to lodge there, if it please my good master."-"Thank you, honest Diego," I replied; " you are always ready to put yourself to any inconvenience for the accommodation of others; but I cannot give that house to the negro wenches, since you are so good as to leave it at my disposal." "Take house there on other side, good master, sir," he replied; "cave large, sir; great storehouse large, sir; plenty of room there, sir. Can empty plantation storehouse,

and make place for all the young women in it, sir. May be, La Señora and the hermana Donna will put some little things that they and Rota may want, in their own rooms here, sir." "A very good proposal, Diego," said I; "so let all the bulky stores be removed from the plantation storehouse this very morning: its shelves, however, may be still occupied by jars and the fruits; but as soon as the ground floor is cleared, send Xavier and Derrick to fit it up for the girls to sleep in." To this arrangement the ladies made no objection; but, on the contrary, commended Diego for his sagacity.

Captain Drake came now over from Peccary Field, with two of the soldiers. One of these men (James Craig, a Scotsman) had been a corporal in the corps to which he formerly belonged. My zealous friend thought it his duty to offer Craig to my notice as a well-behaved, sober-minded man: on which I called him to me, and told him he should have charge of the barrack, as long as the people were to remain in it, and that all provisions and other things for their use would be placed under his care; that I should look to him for a regular account of all disbursements; and that he would be furnished with pens, ink, paper, and a book for the purpose. The corporal touched his hat, and I was well pleased thus to rid my friend Drake of a troublesome office. It was not long before the soldiers returned to their quarters with the necessary supplies, in our large canoe, rowed by the two New Englanders.

Having got rid of these people, Drake and I paid Diego a visit, who, with his men, were busy removing the stores round by water to the black

rock; and having also taken a look at my brother James and his party, making stowage for the roots and some other such articles, by placing boards on beef barrels in the cave; I told Drake to send the fruits, brought from Kingston in the schooner, on shore; and then move her into Peccary Creek, that she might be in a place of safety in the event of bad weather, until we could find time to unload her. I added, he might sleep on board, if he liked, which would, perhaps, be more comfortable to him; and still he would be on the spot to superintend the clearing and laying out of the ground for planting, which must now be set about with all expedition. “And,” said I, "you shall have the two sawyers, who are capital woodmen, and the seven new negroes, under your command; and employ the soldiers, to assist also in the best way they can." Allwood, who stood by, was now directed to take Diego's four men, as soon as the work in hand was done, and with these, and his son, to clear the land of trees to the southward of their allotments, within the lines formerly marked out by Captain Drake; to be ready for the spade and the hoe after the expected rains.

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My dear wife had, as usual, not been idle this morning. All things required from the plantation storehouse, that could not remain there, and could be placed on the shelves of my brother's bedroom, our original storehouse, were brought to the house; and among other matters, she took care that the sable damsels were all well washed with soap and water in the stream, where the trees of the woodland region conceals it from view: and after this

operation, at which Rota superintended, they were neatly dressed in striped linen, with coloured handkerchiefs on the head, tied à la Françoise en bandeau; and when this was done, she appointed to each their respective occupations, placing them more immediately under the direction and control of their governante, good old Rota.

Wednesday, 24th. The schooner had been moved over to the creek in the afternoon: and this morning, Martin and Purdy, with Hall and Hackett, the two New Englanders, were sent in the Avon to the eastern islands, to procure a supply of turtle; while Drake and his party at Peccary! Field, and Allwood with his party at Edward's Island, were hard at work felling trees, to make clear the grounds for our approaching field labour. Being now a little at leisure, I sent for Hart the bricklayer, and came at once to an understanding with him about wages and so forth; telling him, a regular account should be opened for him, so that whatever conveniences he wanted for his family, he might now have from the store on credit. Having thus disposed of him, and the great body of the people being well employed, I found my mind somewhat at rest.

My brother, however, still had full occupation at the storehouse, with Derrick and Xavier for assistants, in making good stowage of the things; so as to be all conveniently at hand, without incurring confusion and delay, when any particular article might be wanted. But it now became absolutely necessary to exclude the wild pigeons from the cave, and. I felt myself called upon to perform the terms my

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