194
OVERSEER'S DUTY.
wallets, or the clink of a coin in their purse, were shipped off to the West Indies to be killed or cured—reap dollars like thistles, or starve in the attempt. By the “ good luck," as it is termed, which sometimes attends such needy adventurers upon their arrival in this country, they obtained, perhaps, employment as overseers upon the different estates, (I am now speaking of the manner in which such affairs were conducted some years before emancipation, when the proprietors were obliged, by law, to maintain so many white servants to so many slaves,) where they were quickly installed into their duty. This consisted in calling over the names of the negroes before daylight of a morning, seeing them properly whipped, when such chastisement was deemed necessary, or perhaps whipping them, as the case might be ; inspecting the labours of the gang of negroes in the field, who were cutting canes or preparing the land for planting ; flying from thence to the mill-door, where some awkward "boatswain" had let the mill-tackling get wrong, (for which crime he was coolly ordered a dozen or two,) or, perchance, if it were a “ cattle-mill" instead of a " windmill," a gang of mules had turned restive, or one unfortunate over-driven animal had dropped down dead, or else three or four of the wooden cogs of the mill were broken, and the cattle were obliged to be taken out until it should be mended. Then he had to visit the " rum-still," and overlook the process of distillation, taking down, upon a dirty piece of paper, the number of gallons of " high-wines," “ rum," and " low-wines." From the “ still ” he marched to the “ boiling-house," to inspect the making of sugar ; and from thence to the " curing-house,” to see the sugar " potted," (that is, packed in hogsheads, tierces, or barrels.) Then there were staves to be given out to the coopers, and boards to the carpenter, besides dispensing medicines to the sick slaves, and cane-tops to the hungry mules. And then, when all these multitudinous occupations were performed, and the different store-houses well secured, he proceeded to the “ great house," and, after scrubbing his face with brown