The places mentioned are in the parish (corresponding to English county), of St. Thomas, except Newcastle, the hill cantonment of the white troops, which is in the next parish of St. Andrew. "Chiggerfoot" takes its name from the chigoe, chigger, or jigger, the minute flea which burrows into the foot. It is interesting to see that this contemporary comment by the blacks describes the rebels as sinners. Further on, [No. CXXXVII.], will be found another view, in which they pose as aggrieved persons. It shows that there was a loyal as well as a disloyal party.
The reader has now had enough examples of digging-sings to show their nature and variety. The Negro is never at a loss for words, and the masters and overseers of the estate on which he generally labours, Bushas as he calls them—a word said to be derived from Pasha—are often satirised. The gangs on private estates are under a head-man, who is responsible to the Busha. The Busha is a white or coloured man as a rule—coloured in Jamaica meaning mixed white and black—and he is responsible to the master or owner. The workers have to be carefully looked after, for like other people the Negro will not do more work than he can help. Only when he is working for himself will he "let out," as he describes it, the whole of his splendid strength. It is a mistake to suppose that the black man is either stupid or lazy. When he has an incentive to work he is industrious, and will do as much in one day in his own field as he will in two for an employer who pays him. In selecting land for planting his sagacity is remarkable, and he knows just where it will "come," as he says, guinea yam or white yam, and where coffee will succeed and where fail. It is a pleasure to see their provision-grounds, the miscellaneous crop looks so thriving. "Provisions" embrace all eatables, such as yam, sweet potato, coco (colocasia), sugar cane, beans of various kinds, maize (or simply "corn," as we call it, having no other), okra (hibiscus esculentus), cassada (manihot utilissima), plantain, banana, arrowroot, pindar (arachis hypogœa, a ground-nut), pumpkin, tomato and cabbage.
PART III. RING TUNES.
That informal kind of dancing, referred to in some of the Annancy stories, known as "playing in the ring" or "[Sally Water]" has its origin in English children's games. Sometimes it is merely a case of hunting the slipper or of finding a key passed from hand to hand, but more often what begins in playing ends in dancing. The nature of this playing in the ring will be best understood from examples.
LXXXIX.
First, as giving its name to the whole, must stand:—
