myself as no inconsiderable person; but soon after, I found out a sure method to preserve my honey; the relation whereof will give the reader an adequate idea of almost the only superstition to which these people are addicted.

I have made mention before of the Umossees, who pretend to be magicians, sorcerers, and fortune-tellers. One of these was on his travels from Antenosa into our country, and took up his lodgings at my master's town; my master had been that day in the woods to visit his beehives, and perceived several of them robbed of their store: he returned before night in a very great passion, and threatened to shoot the person that was found stealing his honey, let him be who he would. This Umossee coming to pay his respects to him just at that time, and hearing his complaint, told him he could give him a secret, or charm, that would effectually prevent his honey from being stolen; but he was afraid to communicate it, because it would infallibly kill the person who should but taste it. Deaan Mevarrow replied, he did not care if they were all killed. Hereupon, it was agreed, that the Umossee should have two cows and two calves, in case his project proved effectual, and should stay to see the desired success.

Accordingly, the next morning, he went into the woods and singled out a tree which the natives call roe-bouche; we have none like it in England, nor is it very material, for any tree would have done his business,

presume, as well. He went to the eastward of this tree and dug up a piece of its root, and then turned to the westward, and dug up another piece; after this, he took the eastern root, and ordered deean Mevarrow to rub it on a stone with a little water, and sprinkle the water among the bees, and the honeycombs in the hives; and, if any one, said he, shall steal the honey, and eat the least morsel of it, in a quarter of a day, (for they reckon not by hours, as we do,) they will swell and break out in spots, like a leopard, from head to foot, and in three days they will die. Deaan Mevarrow was highly pleased at this discovery, and said,

how shall I do when I want to make use of my honey for myself and family? The Umossee replied, the remedy is here in my hand, which is no other than a root of the same tree, but dug to the westward; and when you take your honey, rub a little of this upon another stone with water, and sprinkle the hives; this being done, your eastern root will have no power. But if any one have stolen your honey, and feel the bad effects of it, and you are inclined to be merciful and save his life, give him a small quantity of this western root, which he called vauhovalumy, or root of life, and it will take down all the swelling; the spots will all vanish, and the person be restored to his former state of health.

All this was mighty well, but the principal point was to try the virtues of it, and see if it would answer all these fine purposes of the Umossee, which deaan Mevarrow was somewhat doubtful of, though very eager to know; and therefore, having sprinkled his hives with the eastern root according to directions, he proposed it to several to make the experiment, and he would give them an ox as a reward, but nobody would venture; whereupon he ordered it to be published about the country, and by this means I came to hear it. Now I had before observed the simplicity of the people on these occasions, and plainly perceived that these artful Umossees took the advantage of their ignorance to cheat and impose upon them. I was very sensible there was nothing more in all this, and that it had already met with the effect desired, by striking terror into the people; and having a considerable quantity of honey myself, I imagined, if I gave out that I had the secret, it would also preserve mine. I sent word, therefore, to my master, that I would oblige him if he would communicate the secret to me, in case I survived the experiment. He not only sent for me immediately, and agreed to my proposal, but made me a promise of a considerable reward besides.

I went, accordingly, with my master and several others to the hive, which was sprinkled, as they call it,

with the poison; and swallowed the honey down by handfuls before them, asking them at the same time if they would eat some with me? They would not touch it, they said, for ten thousand cattle; making several grimaces in the mean time, and expecting every moment some dismal calamity would befall me for my presumption. When I had filled my belly, my master would have me home with him, in order to have the cure at hand, but I chose rather to stay with my comrades; by which means, I had time to contrive some way to deceive them. As fortune would have it, being in the fields, I saw at some distance a calf sucking a cow; and nobody being in sight, I tied up the calf with my lamber, and milked the cow into my mouth as long as ever I could. This, and the honey together, had the desired effect, for it began to swell me immediately, and rumbled in my belly so loud that it might be heard. Away went I to my comrades, who perceiving my belly swelled, and hearing the unusual noise, advised me to run home, and cry out I was poisoned. I pretended to step behind a hedge on some private occasion, but it was only to whip myself with some nettles. The pimples and redness raised from this stratagem terrified them still more and more; for there appeared on me all the symptoms of poison which the Umossee had before described; and to crown the deceit, you may be sure I did not fail to comply, and cry out most heartily; thereupon, some ran before me, and others helped me home.

My master, before I came, had prepared the water with the vauhovalumy, or root of life; the people, terrified at the danger I was in, flocked round the house; some pitied me, and stood astonished at the profound learning of the Umossee, who did not, himself, perceive the cheat. Well, I drank the medicine, and after reposing myself for three or four hours, all the tokens of danger disappeared, and I was well. The vauhovalumy was looked upon as a sovereign medicine, and the Umossee as a very great and wise man, who did not a little value himself upon the success of his secret,

repenting that he had parted with it at so cheap a rate; saying, he would have twenty cows for it of the next that wanted it. Deaan Mevarrow, as a gratification, bid him choose any two cows and two calves out of all his cattle in the cow-pen, which he did accordingly, and departed. My master, on my promise of secrecy, discovered both the roots to me, and showed me not only how to find them, but how to use them to the best advantage; for the pain, he imagined, I had suffered, and the hazard I underwent, he presented me with a cow and calf; I then thought I had spent my time to a very good purpose.

When I returned to my plantation, my neighbours and fellow-slaves having observed the sudden and terrible effects of this poison, begged of me to put a mark upon all my hives, that when they went out a honeystealing, they might not be killed by eating any of mine. This was the very thing I aimed at, and, accordingly, I put a white stick before every hive, and never lost my honey afterwards. Nobody would go near my hives for fear my bees should sting them, and the wounds should prove of more dangerous consequence than those of others.

Having now a cow and a calf, I had milk of my own, and was as rich as my fellow-slaves; besides the advantage I made of my honey, by selling forty or fifty gallons a year for hatchets, beads, &c., to those who make toake with it; more especially against their circumcision, and other solemn festivals.

I lived in this manner about three years, which, with the two years and a half I had spent before, made up almost an apprenticeship in this country. One day my master came to survey our work, and taking peculiar notice of the method I observed, he told me I must go home with him and keep his cattle, which were near the town. This employment was not near so laborious as digging and cultivating his plantation; however, I was pretty well improved, but as he provided for me now, and my honey was safe, I was not much concerned at my removal; so away I went, driving my

own cattle, which were considerably increased, having two heifers, besides my cow and calf. My household furniture too was not so cumbersome, but I was able to carry it all away at once; yet I was as rich, and had as much as other people in my mean station, and much more than many of them.

In less than two days I built me a house, and a cow-pen for my cattle. Now was I in my former situation, and looking after my master's cattle; the hardest of my labour was, as I observed before, the bringing home every other night, either a tub or a calabash, four or five miles, full of water; but considering I was a slave, I lived in as much ease as I could reasonably expect.

I had not continued long in this last station, before a general calamity reduced us to the most deplorable circumstances. The epidemical evil of this island is, their frequent animosities and open quarrels with one another, which is the principal reason why such numbers of them are sold to the Europeans for slaves. This is a dangerous and destructive misfortune to a people, otherwise good-natured and well disposed; who have wholesome laws for the determination of all disputes, and the punishment of all crimes, of which I shall give an account in a more proper place; but what I have to observe here is, that the sovereign prince of any country has seldom force sufficient to oblige the lesser chiefs in his dominions to answer, in a judicial way, to the wrongs they do each other, or the mistakes and errors which they casually commit; but they fight it out, making slaves of, impoverishing, and destroying one another, after the manner I am now going to relate, in which I myself was a severe

sufferer.

us.

All things appeared in a state of peace and tranquillity. No foreign enemy for a long time molested But what I took particular notice of when first a slave, was, my master and others clandestinely driving away their neighbours' cattle, and their neighbours being equally guilty of the same practice, so that it was a