itself does not seem brighter or more beautiful to the imagination, than these surpassing pageants of fiery rays, and piled-up beds of orange, golden clouds, with edges too bright to look on, scattered wreaths of faintest rosy bloom, amber streaks and pale green lakes between, and amid sky all mingled blue and rose tints, a spectacle to make one fall over the boat’s side, with one’s head broken off, with looking adoringly upwards, but which, on paper, means nothing.

At six o’clock our little canoe grazed the steps at the landing.  These were covered with young women, and boys, and girls, drawing water for their various household purposes.  A very small cedar pail—­a piggin, as they termed it—­serves to scoop up the river water, and having, by this means, filled a large bucket, they transfer this to their heads, and thus laden, march home with the purifying element—­what to do with it, I cannot imagine, for evidence of its ever having been introduced into their dwellings, I saw none.  As I ascended the stairs, they surrounded me with shrieks and yells of joy, uttering exclamations of delight and amazement at my rowing.  Considering that they dig, delve, carry burthens, and perform many more athletic exercises than pulling a light oar, I was rather amused at this; but it was the singular fact of seeing a white woman stretch her sinews in any toilsome exercise which astounded them, accustomed as they are to see both men and women of the privileged skin eschew the slightest shadow of labour, as a thing not only painful but degrading.  They will learn another lesson from me, however, whose idea of Heaven was pronounced by a friend of mine, to whom I once communicated it, to be ‘devilish hard work’!  It was only just six o’clock, and these women had all done their tasks.  I exhorted them to go home and wash their children, and clean their houses and themselves, which they professed themselves ready to do, but said they had no soap.  Then began a chorus of mingled requests for soap, for summer clothing, and a variety of things, which, if ‘Missis only give we, we be so clean for ever!’

This request for summer clothing, by the by, I think a very reasonable one.  The allowance of clothes made yearly to each slave by the present regulations of the estate, is a certain number of yards of flannel, and as much more of what they call plains—­an extremely stout, thick, heavy woollen cloth, of a dark grey or blue colour, which resembles the species of carpet we call drugget.  This, and two pair of shoes, is the regular ration of clothing; but these plains would be intolerable to any but negroes, even in winter, in this climate, and are intolerable to them in the summer.  A far better arrangement, in my opinion, would be to increase their allowance of flannel and under clothing, and give them dark chintzes instead of these thick carpets, which are very often the only covering they wear at all.  I did not impart all this to my petitioners, but disengaging