296
JAMAICA.
dirt eating. He was apparently a boy of fourteen years of age, but was really, we were told, upwards of twenty. Few large estates are free from negros who have this unnatural appetite, which ought undoubtedly to be considered as a disease, though it has ever been the custom to treat it as a crime. This boy was on one occasion \ taken into his master's house and fed on generous diet, with temporary success, but his craving for dirt returned when he left the " great house." We were informed that the alkaline earth which is so greedily sought for by dirt eaters, is sometimes made into cakes and \ sold in Kingston market. In the evening we proceeded to Manchineal Bay, where we were introduced to the special magistrate, RICHARD C H A M B E R L A I N E , jun., an intelligent colored gentleman. He kindly invited us to accompany him to-morrow to several estates. 14th.—The first at which we called with the magis- \ trate, was Williams-field, a fine sugar estate, under 1 the attorneyship of J A M E S COCKBURN, a gentleman | who bears a high character for humanity and respect to ; the legal rights of the apprentices. Complaints are " here rarely bi-ought before the magistrate. The over seer observed that he thought the indulgent system was decidedly more advantageous. The number of appren- j tices is one hundred and twenty-five, and of free chil- \ pren twenty-three. We were shown over the hospital,* which is a miserable building almost in ruin. There were in it several cases of measles. There was a small \ jobbing gang of negros working on the estate, be- ; longing to another estate nine miles distant, who came i to complain that they were not allowed any time for going and returning from work. The magistrate di- j rected that their master should allow them an hour for j every three miles, with which they appeared satisfied, i