In driving home through my new wood cut, Jack gave me a terrible account of a flogging that a negro called Glasgow had received yesterday.  He seemed awfully impressed with it; so I suppose it must have been an unusually severe punishment; but he either would not or could not tell me what the man had done.  On my return to the house, I found Mr. ——­ had come down from the rice plantation, whereat I was much delighted on all accounts.  I am sure it is getting much too late for him to remain in that pestilential swampy atmosphere; besides I want him to see my improvements in the new wood paths, and I want him to come and hear all these poor people’s complaints and petitions himself.  They have been flocking in to see him ever since it was known he had arrived.  I met coming on that errand Dandy, the husband of the woman for whom I cut out the gown the other day; and asking him how it had answered, he gave a piteous account of its tearing all to pieces the first time she put it on; it had appeared to me perfectly rotten and good for nothing, and, upon questioning him as to where he bought it and what he paid for it, I had to hear a sad account of hardship and injustice.  I have told you that the people collect moss from the trees and sell it to the shopkeepers in Darien for the purpose of stuffing furniture; they also raise poultry, and are allowed to dispose of the eggs in the same way.  It seems that poor Dandy had taken the miserable material Edie’s gown was made of as payment for a quantity of moss and eggs furnished by him at various times to one of the Darien storekeepers, who refused him payment in any other shape, and the poor fellow had no redress; and this, he tells me, is a frequent experience with all the slaves both here and at the rice island.  Of course, the rascally shopkeepers can cheat these poor wretches to any extent they please with perfect impunity.

Mr. ——­ told me of a visit Renty paid him, which was not a little curious in some of its particulars.  You know none of the slaves are allowed the use of fire arms; but Renty put up a petition to be allowed Mr. K——­’s gun, which it seems that gentleman left behind him.  Mr. ——­ refused this petition, saying at the same time to the lad that he knew very well that none of the people were allowed guns.  Renty expostulated on the score of his white blood, and finding his master uninfluenced by that consideration, departed with some severe reflections on Mr. K——­, his father, for not having left him his gun as a keepsake, in token of (paternal) affection, when he left the plantation.

It is quite late, and I am very tired, though I have not done much more than usual to-day, but the weather is beginning to be oppressive to me, who hate heat; but I find the people, and especially the sick in the hospital, speak of it as cold.  I will tell you hereafter of a most comical account Mr. ——­ has given me of the prolonged and still protracted pseudo-pregnancy of a woman called Markie, who for many more months than are generally required for the process of continuing the human species, pretended to be what the Germans pathetically and poetically call ’in good hope,’ and continued to reap increased rations as the reward of her expectation, till she finally had to disappoint the estate and receive a flogging.