My companions, when I do not request the attendance of my friend Jack, are a couple of little terriers, who are endowed to perfection with the ugliness and the intelligence of their race—­they are of infinite service on the plantation, as, owing to the immense quantity of grain, and chaff, and such matters, rats and mice abound in the mills and storehouses.  I crossed the threshing floor to-day—­a very large square, perfectly level, raised by artificial means, about half a foot from the ground, and covered equally all over, so as to lie quite smooth, with some preparation of tar.  It lies immediately between the house and the steam mill, and on it much of the negroes’ work is done—­the first threshing is given to the rice, and other labours are carried on.  As I walked across it to-day, passing through the busy groups, chiefly of women, that covered it, I came opposite to one of the drivers, who held in his hand his whip, the odious insignia of his office.  I took it from him; it was a short stick of moderate size, with a thick square leather thong attached to it.  As I held it in my hand, I did not utter a word; but I conclude, as is often the case, my face spoke what my tongue did not, for the driver said, ’Oh!  Missis, me use it for measure—­me seldom strike nigger with it.’  For one moment I thought I must carry the hateful implement into the house with me.  An instant’s reflection, however, served to show me how useless such a proceeding would be.  The people are not mine, nor their drivers, nor their whips.  I should but have impeded, for a few hours, the man’s customary office, and a new scourge would have been easily provided, and I should have done nothing, perhaps worse than nothing.

After dinner I had a most interesting conversation with Mr. K——.  Among other subjects, he gave me a lively and curious description of the Yeomanry of Georgia—­more properly termed pine-landers.  Have you visions now of well-to-do farmers with comfortable homesteads, decent habits, industrious, intelligent, cheerful, and thrifty?  Such, however, is not the Yeomanry of Georgia.  Labour being here the especial portion of slaves, it is thenceforth degraded, and considered unworthy of all but slaves.  No white man, therefore, of any class puts hand to work of any kind soever.  This is an exceedingly dignified way of proving their gentility, for the lazy planters who prefer an idle life of semi-starvation and barbarism to the degradation of doing anything themselves; but the effect on the poorer whites of the country is terrible.  I speak now of the scattered white population, who, too poor to possess land or slaves, and having no means of living in the towns, squat (most appropriately is it so termed) either on other men’s land or government districts—­always here swamp or pine barren—­and claim masterdom over the place they invade, till ejected by the rightful proprietors.  These wretched creatures will not, for they are whites (and labour belongs to blacks