The next point to be considered is the dwellings of the negroes. The generality of negro houses upon estates contain two apartments, and are built of stone, cemented by a rough mortar. The roofs are composed of trash (the dry leaves of the sugar-cane), loosely piled on, which gives them an untidy appearance. Some of the industrious people, however, greatly add to the look of the interior, by neatly ceiling them with the split boughs of the cocoa-nut, formed into a kind of basket-work. The best huts have the hall, or sitting-room, paved with bricks, or a kind of smooth cement, and the sleeping-apartment boarded. Among the articles of furniture may be found sofas, sideboards of manchineel, (or some other species of native wood,) mahogany and deal tables, and a large cedar chest. Besides these articles, some of them possess decanters, tumblers, wine-glasses, and a large bowl to make their punch in, with plates and dishes, tea-cups, and various other kinds of gaudy crockeryware. These are the residences of the head negroes; the next kind have their stone-houses unceiled, and only the bare earth for their floor; they contain but little furniture, two or three chairs of the country make, a deal table, and a wooden box or two being their principal stock. Some estates have fallen into a plan of building their negro-houses entirely of wood, as it has been found that the negroes prefer hiring themselves where such dwellings have been provided for them.
Since emancipation, many proprietors have disposed of part of their uncultivated lands to the negroes, which are divided into lots, measuring 30 feet one way, and 40 the other, at 30 dollars, or 6l. sterling per lot. Upon these spots of ground, the purchasers have erected houses, some of them very neatly finished, and containing two rooms, a hall, and chamber; and here they reside, supporting themselves by working upon different estates, (where they obtain higher wages than the resident labourers, on account of not being provided with houses or negro grounds;) huckstering, or else working their own land. In some parts of the island, whole villages are formed in this manner; and from the similarity of the dwellings, and their several little patches of ground, laid out in rows of different luxuriant edibles, present, altogether, a very pleasing appearance. Some of the poorer negroes build their houses in the following manner. A sufficient number of stakes are firmly driven into the ground at regular distances; these are interwoven with the branches of the “black cherry,” (a native wood,) stript of their leaves, and the interstices filled up with clay. The roofs are composed of a species of coarse grass (called by the negroes, “hurricane grass,” on account of its wild growth,) fastened on with the bark of the “soursop tree.” I cannot speak much for the apparent comfort of these last-mentioned dwellings; there is one thing, however, to be considered, warmth is not necessary in this climate, yet, I should think, the heavy rains which fall at times must penetrate them, and render their clayey floors still more unpleasant. The fire with which the negroes cook their victuals is always made in the open air, unless they fence in a small portion of ground, and loosely throw a bundle of dry cane-leaves on the top, in which case it frequently answers for stable and kitchen.
Those negroes who reside in the capital invariably have their houses built of wood; they seldom consist of more than one room, in which a whole family, of perhaps six or eight persons, eat, sleep, and live; and from whence issue, upon a Sunday, those ladies and gentlemen who equal in splendour of dress the habitants of princely halls. The form of architecture is very simple; four sides, of equal length, breadth, and height, are first erected, and the whole surmounted by what is called a pitched roof, which also consists of four uniform sides, meeting at the top in a pyramidical form. For further protection from the weather, this roof is covered thickly over with “shingles,” (flat pieces of board, manufactured in America, for that purpose, from the wood of the cypress, or cedar,) which are put on in the same manner as slates. Some of these dwellings have doors facing to each of the cardinal points, besides a window or two; so that, when agreeable, they can have a free circulation of air. When I speak of windows, it must not be understood I mean such as contain any portion of glass; but simply what Dr. Johnson calls them, “an opening in a house for light and air.” These houses are generally left destitute of any outward colouring, except what they acquire from exposure to the weather, but when paint is made use of, the favourite tints are yellow for the sides, and red for the roof and doors. As I have before hinted, many of these small houses are built by pilfering a board or a plank at a time, or now and then a few shingles. It often happens, that dwellings which are erected upon this plan, take some time before they are completed. To assure myself of this assertion, I need only raise my eyes from my paper, and one of these contributory edifices greets my view. It was commenced before I came to the island; and after remaining here for about two years, and returning to England for near the same period, upon my second visit to Antigua, I found the house not quite finished. I could not help observing this house during its tardy erection; a stroke or two of the hammer now and then broke upon the silent ear of night, and in the morning it might be perceived that another board had been added to the side, or a few more shingles nailed upon the roof. It most frequently happens, that the possessors of these small tenements have no land of their own, but pay a small ground-rent for the space occupied by their habitations. When they are wishful of removing to another part of the town, like the snail, they carry their houses with them, which, from the manner of construction, is no difficult matter. These buildings are always raised a little way from the ground, and have a step or two at the principal entrance. Sometimes the space between the ground and the house is entirely filled up with loose bricks or stones; others have only an empty barrel, or a few stones piled up at each corner, just sufficient to support the fabric.
When a removal is agreed upon, their first care is to hire a few porters, and an accompaniment of trucks. These “four-wheeled” carriages are firmly fastened together, and placed under the house, the slight foundation pulled away, and strong ropes being attached to the first truck, the porters (with the assistance of other men, women, and children) commence pulling with all their might, and the house moves off to the song and chorus adapted to the occasion. To preserve its equilibrium, two men march on each side of the house with long poles, which they place against the side; one of these commences the song, (which is of their own composition,) and the whole tribe join in the chorus of “Pull away, my hearties,” or similar phrases. In former times, when the negroes had only the Sunday allowed them to perform any of their own work, that day was used to execute these removals; but the noise it occasioned during the period of Divine service was such, that the legislature found it necessary to prohibit this practice at the same time they abolished the Sunday markets.
It is particularly disagreeable to be in the vicinity of these houses when their owners take it into their heads to remove them. The negroes are always noisy; but when such deeds are in contemplation, they are more so than ever; the songs they sing, the quarrels they have, and the language they use, would tire the patience of the most stoical. Sometimes a sudden crash is heard, and the whole edifice comes tumbling to the ground; this leads to another “wordy war,”—the goddess Discord again waves aloft her arm,—the whole neighbourhood is in commotion,—and poor I (who, alas! am a most unwilling, but compulsory listener) cannot help exclaiming—“Oh! that I were in dear old England, where at least the houses are not moved.”
CHAPTER XLI.
Negroes: Occupations—Agricultural labourers—Black sailors—Their excessive gormandizing—The hungry captain’s disappointment—Black cooks—“Melted butter”—A receipt for a cookery book—The obtrusive fish—Grooms and “house boys”—An old planter’s opinion—Concluding remarks.
After mentioning the recreations, dress, and general habits of the negroes, it may be necessary to give some account of their principal occupations. By far the greater part of the black population, as will be seen in the statistical portion of this work, are employed in the cultivation of the sugar-cane, which, although very laborious, pays them better than any other work. When engaged in this pursuit, the hours of labour are as follows:—the bell rings at six o’clock in the morning, and the negroes proceed to the field, and remain there until nine, when the bell again rings, and they go to their breakfast; an hour being allowed for that purpose, they enter the field at ten, and remain until twelve, when they leave for their dinners; at two they resume their labours, which continue until six, when their daily work is finished. It must be remarked, that during the short days, they scarcely reach the field until near eight; and just as the sun begins to sink, they confidently assert it is after six, and refuse to work any longer, let the hour be what it may. During the time of slavery, such women as were nursing did not commence working until seven o’clock; but in these days of freedom, they do not resume the hoe until their children are nine or ten months old. Some of the negroes gain a very plentiful subsistence, by buying a horse and cart, and carting manure to the different estates; others again will agree with a planter to do a certain portion of work; they procure other labourers, and when the work is finished, they divide the profits; but let them do whatever they will, they contrive to make such bargains, that they never fail in obtaining a good supply of that necessary evil—money.
Besides agricultural labourers, there are a great many artisans, fishermen, and sailors. With regard to these last, I cannot say whether they are very firm in times of danger; but from ocular demonstration, I can assert, that when the sky and sea looks fair, they are very careless, although, from July to October, the West Indian seas are very liable to sudden squalls. These black sailors generally confine themselves to the navigation of the Caribbean Sea, making voyages in small vessels to the different islands. Very few of them know all the points of the compass, some of them not any—their manner of steering being more after the manner of the ancients. They see the sun when he rises, and they know that is the east; they observe him when he sets, and that, they are aware, is the west. Their mode of proceeding when upon these voyages is, to keep within sight of land as much as they can; and in most parts, the channels between the different islands are so narrow, that this is not difficult; but to make a bold stretch across, so as to lose all landmarks, they seldom or never think of. The greatest peculiarity among these black sailors is their extreme voracity—never were there greater eaters. In my frequent voyages in these small vessels to the other islands, I have had numberless opportunities of observing this; for from the confinement of the cabins, and the great heat of the climate, the deck is the only supportable part of the vessel, and there it is the sailors partake of their dinners. Such piggins of fungy, with accompaniments of rice or potatoes, salt fish, or beef, as I have then seen consumed, and in such a short period, is really marvellous! Even when at the helm, they are occupied in eating biscuit, of which they generally manage to have their pockets full.
Upon one occasion, I was coming from St. Kitts to Antigua, on board one of these small craft. The second day from our leaving, the sailors caught a very large sucking-fish, (remora,) which was scarcely pulled upon the deck, before they commenced the operation of cooking it. The “captain,” as he termed himself, was that day unfortunately tormented by a violent headache; and after seeing their prize safely deposited in a huge kettle of water, laid himself down to sleep, in hopes of getting rid of his unwelcome visitant. “Soft slumber” sealed his eye for many an hour; but when at length he awoke, his first demand was for some of the tempting dish, whose early stage of cookery he had so ably inspected. “All eat,” was the consoling reply to a hungry man. It was certainly provoking, and so he seemed to think; for he put himself into a violent passion immediately. “War for you eat aw dat fish for, eh? fish big so to. War for you go do so? You aw too much greedy—you aw reg’lar nagers.” And with much growling and grumbling, he was obliged to solace his unappeasable appetite with a hard biscuit, instead of his favourite fare.