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Show 78 DOMINICA· the vegetable tuxnriance of this island, ~vhich is the most striking to the eye of a stranger-far exceeding any thing that we have elsewhere witnessC'd, except per· haps in some parts of Jamaica .. Innumerable shrubs, plants, and trees, novel to us, wtth br~ad-leaved creep· ers of various kinds, cover the hills wtth a remarkable depth of verdure. The most beautiful of these pro. dnctions is the tree-fern, which grows to the height of 20 or even 30 feet, and waves its bright green feathers over the whole scenery of the island. After riding many boors, we were fairly overtaken by the night-fall, and were glad to return in safety to our comfortable quarters. We afterwards spent an agreeable evening at the Governor's. On the next day, the First of the week, we held our meetings in the Methodist meeting-house morning and evening. In the evening, the Governor and his lady, and most of the gentry of thC' place, attended, with a large number of others, of various shades of color. As the colony is much distracted by parties, it was, we hope, for a good purpose, that we endeavored to bold up the standard of Christian charity and unity-" There shall be one fold and one shepherd." Our friend Joseph Philips, a stipendiary magistrate, had kindly come from a distant part of the island to visit us, and furnished us with a variety of important and encouraging information. He gave us an unqua· lified good account of the conduct of the free-labore~s. They are remarkably honest, and bags of small com, intended for the payment of wages, are conveyed about the countrv without risk. In the early part of the apprentice~hip, the number of punishments per rnonth, DOMINICA. 79 in his district, was 70. They are now reduced to an average of only two. One illl·alid constable is sufficicicnt to keep the whole district in order. In a late report addressed to Sir William Colebrookc, he observes," The amount of crime in this colony of 20 000 souls, is perhaps less than in any other part of her Majesty's domi.nions." We received similar reports from other magtstratcs, especially a colored gentleman -William ~ynch, an active and intelligent stipendiary, whose firm support of the rights of the laborers has done him high credit. Accompanied by this magistrate and Fillan and Bellot as before, we devoted the following day to an excursion to the souff'riere, on the northern coast. A ride of many miles, through another luxuriant valley, br~u?ht us to Geneva, the extensive sugar estate of Wtlham B. Lockhart. The views there are delightful, e~bracing the beautiful island of Martinique in the dtstance. I visited the sugar works, and am not aware that I have ever seen a more healthy or apparently industrious company of laborers, than were there a'ssembled. Their employer assured me t~at his people were working well-that he had no dtfficulty whatsoever, in procuring all the labor that he required. In ascending the lofty hill which separates Geneva ,f rom the sou If'n ·c re, we passed by several cstatcs.- fhe report of " C oo1 e n·e , " was t b at "the negroes were W. orking del ightfiu ll Y: " a t " B erraqu01·r , " the manager lllformed us that "they were working cheerfully and cheap. ly to tl lC·t r emp1 o yer as compared with slav'e ry." A thtrd property had been dismantled tinder slavery, |
