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Show 98 JAMAICA. is protected by law from the gunn~r; being of great usc in clearing the island of camon, and all other sorts of unhealthy garbago>. A sweet songster is heard in the country, called here the nightingale, which at times it much resembles in its note. It is in fact a variety of the American mocking bird, and is nearly of the same size and appearance. We were disappointed on visiting the sugar works of Papine, to find them stopped ; and we saw young men, doing nothing, in some of the comfortable cottages which have been built on this property. The reason assigned was, that there was "a matter to settle." The said matter turned out to be the trial of a "myalist," or "black doctor," one of those persons who hold communion, as is imagined, with departed spirits, and practice medicine under their direction .for the cure of the living-the diseases themselves bemg ascribed to Obeah, or evil witchcraft. These superstitions, although not nearly so prevalent as former· ly, still exist in some places; and, deprived as the negroes now are of regular medical attendance, some of them have recourse to these medical quack doctors, to the great danger of their lives. The whole day was now given up by the people, to this strange co~cern ; but under a promise of their working for th~Jr master two of their usual spare days, in lieu of 11• The myalist, a young fellow of eighteen or twenty, dressed in the height of the fashion, and jet black, wM brought up before our friend Manning to be ~xamined -several men, and a crowd of women, bemg iD ten dance. He openly confessed his necromancy; as a proof of his success, shewed us two JAMAICA. 99 women, one sick of fever, the other mutilated with leprosy, whom he pretended to have cured. The evidence was regarded by the people as resistless, and our plain declarations of disbelief in the myalist were very unwelcome to them. They said it was "no good." We were sorry to observe the obstinacy of their delusion, but such things will be gradually corrected by christian instruction. This o~j~ct is diligently attended to on Papine estate. The young people are taught to read. The men and women are generally married, and faithful in the maintenance of the marriage tie. Bibles arc sold to the negroes here, as in other parts of the island, by the agents to the Bible Society, at the cost price. Many of them make a sacrifice-far beyond the power of the peasantry of Great Britain-in order to obtain quarto bibles with gilt edges ! We were informed that the laborers on Papine estate are charged nothing for rent, and receive only one shilling per day for wages. The number employed is 43, whereas, before emancipation, 200 slaves were supported on the property. From William Manningwe learned that the negroes were working "pretty well," that the crop was better than for some years past, and that it would probably be realized without difficulty. On the other hand, the young overseer whom we saw at the works complained of the unsteadiness of the people, and of the small number of his hogsheads of sugar. On the whole, our impression respecting the prosperity of the estate was not very favorable. From Papine, we went forward to the Hope sugar estate, belonging to the Duke of Buckingham. UnH2 |