A true & exact history of the island of Barbados

by Richard Ligon

Some of them, who have been bred up amongst the Portugalls, have some extraordinary qualities, which the others have not; as singing and fencing. I have seen some of these Portugall Negres, at Collonell James Draxes, play at Rapier and Dagger very skilfully, with their Stookados, their Imbrocados, and their Passes: And at single Rapier too, after the manner of Charanza, with such comelinesse; as, if the skill had been wanting, the motions would have pleased you; but they were skilfull too, which I perceived by their binding with their points, and nimble and subtle avoidings with their bodies, and the advantages the strongest man had in the close, which the other avoided by the nimblenesse and skilfulnesse of his motion. For, in this Science, I had bin so well vers’d in my youth, as I was now able to be a competent Judge. Upon their first appearance upon the Stage, they march towards one another, with a slow majestick pace, and a bold commanding look, as if they meant both to conquer; and comming neer together, they shake hands, and embrace one another, with a cheerfull look. But their retreat is much quicker then their advance, and, being at first distance, change their countenance, and put themselves into their posture; and so after a passe or two, retire, and then to’t again: And when they have done their play, they embrace, shake hands, and putting on their smoother countenances, give their respects to their Master, and so go off. For their Singing, I cannot much commend that, having heard so good in Europe; but for their voices, I have heard many of them very loud and sweet.

Excellent Swimmers and Divers they are, both men and women. Collonell Drax (who was not so strict an observer of Sundaies, as to deny himselfe lawfull recreations) would sometimes, to shew me sport, upon that day in the afternoon, send for one of the Muscovia Ducks, and have her put into his largest Pond, and calling for some of his best swimming Negres, commanded them to swim and take this Duck; but forbad them to dive, for if they were not bar’d that play, they would rise up under the Duck, and take her as she swome, or meet her in her diving, and so the sport would have too quick an end. But that play being forbidden, the duck would make them good sport for they are stronger ducks, and better Divers by farre then ours: and in this chase, there was much of pleasure, to see the various swimmings of the Negroes; some the ordinarie wayes, upon their bellies, some on their backs, some by striking out their right legge and left arme, and then turning on the other side, and changing both their legge and arme, which is a stronger and swifter way of swimming, then any of the others: and while we were seeing this sport, and observing the diversities, of their swimmings, a Negro maid, who was not there at the beginning of the sport; and therefore heard nothing of the forbidding them to dive, put off her peticoate behind a bush, that was at one end of the Pond, and closely sunk down into the water, and at one diving got to the Duck, pul’d her under water, & went back againe the same way she came to the bush, all at one dive. We all thought the Duck had div’d: and expected her appearance above water, but nothing could be seen, till the subtilty was discovered, by a Christian that saw her go in, and so the duck was taken from her. But the trick being so finely and so closely done, I begg’d that the Duck might be given her againe, which was granted, and the young girle much pleased.

Though there be a marke set upon these people, which will hardly ever be wip’d off, as of their cruelties when they have advantages, and of their fearfulnesse and falsnesse; yet no rule so generall but hath his acception: for I beleive, and I have strong motives to cause me to bee of that perswasion, that there are as honest, faithfull, and conscionable people amongst them, as amongst those of Europe, or any other part of the world.

A hint of this, I will give you in a lively example; and it was in a time when Victuals were scarce, and Plantins were not then so frequently planted, as to afford them enough. So that some of the high spirited and turbulent amongst them, began to mutinie, and had a plot, secretly to be reveng’d on their Master, and one or two of these were Firemen that made the fires in the furnaces, who were never without store of drie wood by them. These villains, were resolved to make fire to such part of the boyling house, as they were sure would fire the rest, and so burn all, and yet seem ignorant of the fact, as a thing done by accident. But this plot was discovered, by some of the others who hated mischiefe, as much as they lov’d it; and so traduc’t them to their Master, and brought in so many witnesses against them, as they were forc’t to confesse, what they meant should have been put in act the next night: so giving them condigne punishment, the Master gave order to the overseer that the rest should have a dayes liberty to themselves and their wives, to doe what they would; and withall to allow them a double proportion of victual for three dayes, both which they refus’d: which we all wonder’d at knowing well how much they lov’d their liberties, and their meat, having been lately pincht of the one, and not having overmuch of the other; and therefore being doubtfull what their meaning was in this, suspecting some discontent amongst them, sent for three or foure of the best of them, and desir’d to know why they refus’d this favour that was offer’d them, but receiv’d such an answer: as we little expected; for they told us, it was not sullennese, or slighting the gratuitie their Master bestow’d on them, but they would not accept any thing as a recompence for doing that which became them in their duties to do, nor would they have him think, it was hope of reward, that made them to accuse their fellow servants, but an act of Justice, which they thought themselves bound in duty to doe, and they thought themselves sufficiently rewarded in the Act. The substance of this, in such language as they had, they delivered, and poor Sambo was the Orator; by whose example the others were led both in the discovery of the Plot, and refuseall of the gratuitie. And withall they said, that if it pleas’d their Master, at any time, to bestow a voluntary boone upon them, be it never so sleight, they would willingly and thankfully accept it: & this act might have beseem’d the best Christians, though some of them were denied Christianity; when they earnestly sought it. Let others have what opinion they please, yet I am of this beliefe; that there are to be found amongst them, some who are as morally honest, as Conscionable, as humble, as loving to their friends, and as loyall to their Masters, as any that live under the sunne, & one reason they have to be so, is, they set no great value upon their lives: And this is all I can remember concerning the Negroes, except of their games, which I could never learne, because they wanted language to teach me.

As for the Indians, we have but few, and those fetcht from other Countries; some from the neighbouring Ilands, some from the Maine, which we make slaves: the women who are better verst in ordering the Cassavie and making bread, then the Negroes, we imploye for that purpose, as also for making Mobbie: the men we use for footmen and killing of fish which they are good at; with their own bowes and arrows they will go out; and in a dayes time, kill as much fish, as will serve a family of a dozen persons, two or three daies, if you can keep the fish so long. They are very active men, and apt to learne any thing, sooner then the Negroes; and as different from them in shape, almost as in colour; the men very broad shoulder’d, deep breasted, with large heads, and their faces almost three square, broad about the eyes and temples, and sharpe at the chinne, their skins some of them brown, some a bright Bay, they are much craftier, and subtiler then the Negroes; and in their nature falser; but in their bodies more active, their women have very small breasts, and have more of the shape of the Europeans then the Negroes, their haire black and long, a great part whereof hangs downe upon their backs, as low as their hanches, with a large lock hanging over either brest, which seldome or never curles: cloaths they scorne to weare, especially if they be well shap’t; a girdle they use of tape, covered with little smooth shels of fishes, white, and from their flanke of one side, to their flank on the other side, a fringe of blew Bugle; which hangs so low as to cover their privities. We had an Indian woman, a slave in the house, who was of excellent shape and colour, for it was a pure bright bay; small brests, with the nipls of a porphyrie colour, this woman would not be woo’d by any means to weare Cloaths. Shee chanc’t to be with Child, by a Christian servant, and lodging in the Indian house, amongst other women of her own Country, where the Christian servants, both men and women came; and being very great, and that her time was come to be delivered, loath to fall in labour before the men, walk’d down to a Wood, in which was a Pond of water, and there by the side of the Pond, brought her selfe a bed; and presently washing her Child in some of the water of the Pond, lap’d it up in such rags, as she had begg’d of the Christians; and in three hours time came home, with her Childe in her armes, a lusty Boy, frolick and lively.

This Indian dwelling neer the Sea-coast, upon the Main, an English ship put in to a Bay, and sent some of her men a shoar, to try what victualls or water they could finde, for in some distresse they were: But the Indians perceiving them to go up so far into the Country, as they were sure they could not make a safe retreat, intercepted them in their return, and fell upon them, chasing them into a Wood, and being dispersed there, some were taken, and some kill’d: but a young man amongst them stragling from the rest, was met by this Indian Maid, who upon the first sight fell in love with him, and hid him close from her Countrymen (the Indians) in a Cave, and there fed him, till they could safely go down to the shoar, where the ship lay at anchor, expecting the return of their friends. But at last, seeing them upon the shoar, sent the long-Boat for them, took them aboard, and brought them away. But the youth, when he came ashoar in the Barbadoes, forgot the kindnesse of the poor maid, that had ventured her life for his safety, and sold her for a slave, who was as free born as he: And so poor Yarico for her love, lost her liberty.

Now for the Masters, I have yet said but little, nor am able to say halfe of what they deserve. They are men of great abilities and parts, otherwise they could not go through, with such great works as they undertake; the managing of one of their Plantations, being a work of such a latitude, as will require a very good head-peece, to put in order, and continue it so.

I can name a Planter there, that feeds daily two hundred mouths, and keeps them in such order, as there are no mutinies amongst them; and yet of severall nations. All these are to be employed in their severall abilities, so as no one be idle. The first work to be considered, is Weeding, for unlesse that be done, all else (and the Planter too) will be undone; and if that be neglected but a little time, it will be a hard matter to recover it again, so fast will the weeds grow there. But the ground being kept clean, ’tis fit to bear any thing that Country will afford. After weeding comes Planting, and they account two seasons in the year best, and that is, May and November; but Canes are to be planted at all times, that they may come in, one field after another; otherwise, the work will stand still. And commonly they have in a field that is planted together, at one time ten or a dozen acres. This work of planting and weeding, the Master himselfe is to see done; unlesse he have a very trusty and able Overseer; and without such a one, he will have too much to do. The next thing he is to consider, is the Ingenio, and what belongs to that; as, the Ingenio it selfe, which is the Primum Mobile of the whole work, the Boyling house, with the Coppers and Furnaces, the Filling room, the Still-house, and Cureing-house; and in all these, there are great casualties. If any thing in the Rollers, as the Goudges, Sockets, Sweeps, Cogs, or Braytrees, be at fault, the whole work stands still; or in the Boyling-house, if the Frame which holds the Coppers, (and is made of Clinkers, fastned with plaister of Paris) if by the violence of the heat from the Furnaces, these Frames crack or break, there is a stop in the work, till that be mended. Or if any of the Coppers have a mischance, and be burnt, a new one must presently be had, or there is a stay in the work. Or if the mouths of the Furnaces, (which are made of a sort of stone, which we have from England, and we call it there, high gate stone) if that, by the violence of the fire, be softned, that it moulder away, there must new be provided, and laid in with much art, or it will not be. Or if the barrs of Iron, which are in the flowre of the Furnace, when they are red hot, (as continually they are) the fire-man, throw great shides of wood in the mouths of the Furnaces, hard and carelesly, the weight of those logs, will bend or break those barrs, (though strongly made) and there is no repairing them, without the work stand still; for all these depend upon one another, as wheels in a Clock. Or if the Stills be at fault, the kill-devill cannot be made. But the main impediment and stop of all, is the losse of our Cattle, and amongst them, there are such diseases, as I have known in one Plantation, thirty that have died in two daies. And I have heard, that a Planter, an eminent man there, that clear’d a dozen acres of ground, and rail’d it about for pasture, with intention, as soon as the grasse was growne to a great height, to put in his working Oxen; which accordingly he did, and in one night fifty of them dyed; so that such a losse as this, is able to undo a Planter, that is not very well grounded. What it is that breeds these diseases, we cannot finde, unlesse some of the Plants have a poysonous quality; nor have we yet found out cures for these diseases; Chickens guts being the best remedy was then known, and those being chopt or minc’t, and given them in a horn, with some liquor mixt to moisten it, was thought the best remedy; yet it recovered very few. Our Horses too have killing diseases amongst them, and some of them have been recovered by Glisters, which we give them in pipes, or large seringes made of wood, for the same purpose. For, the common diseases, both of Cattle and Horses, are obstructions and bindings in their bowells; and so lingring a disease it is, to those that recover, as they are almost worn to nothing before they get well. So that if any of these stops continue long, or the Cattle cannot be recruited in a reasonable time, the work is at a stand; and by that means, the Canes grow over ripe, and will in a very short time have their juice dried up, and will not be worth the grinding.

Now to recruit these Cattle, Horses, Camells, and Assinigos, who are all lyable to these mischances and decaies, Merchants must be consulted, ships provided, and a competent Cargo of goods adventured, to make new voyages to forraigne parts, to supply those losses; and when that is done, the casualties at Sea are to be considered, and those happen severall waies, either by shipwrack, piracy, or fire. A Master of a ship, and a man accounted both able, stout, and honest, having transported goods of severall kinds, from England to a part of Africa, the River of Gambia, and had there exchanged his Commodities for Negres, which was that he intended to make his voyage of, caused them all to be shipt, and did not, as the manner is, shakle one to another, and make them sure; but having an opinion of their honesty and faithfulnesse to him, as they had promised; and he being a credulous man, and himselfe good natur’d and mercifull, suffered them to go loose, and they being double the number of those in the ship, found their advantages, got weapons in their hands, and fell upon the Saylers, knocking them on the heads, and cutting their throats so fast, as the Master found they were all lost, out of any possibility of saving; and so went down into the Hold, and blew all up with himselfe; and this was before they got out of the River. These, and severall other waies there will happen, that extreamly retard the work of Suger-making.

Now let us consider how many things there are to be thought on, that go to the actuating this great work, and how many cares to prevent the mischances, that are incident to the retarding, if not the frustrating of the whole work; and you will finde them wise and provident men, that go on and prosper in a work, that depends upon so many contingents.