LETTER XXIX.
Carlisle Bay is become quite the busy Thames of the West Indies. Scarcely a day passes without the arrival of vessels from one part of the globe or another. To us this affords a degree of interest and amusement; for we are frequently enlivened by the signals made for vessels either coming into harbour, or appearing in sight, and which prove to be from different, and widely separated coasts. English ships of war, merchantmen, and transports; slave-ships from the coast of Africa; packets, prizes, American traders; island vessels, privateers, fishing smacks, and different kinds of boats, cutters, and luggers, are among the almost hourly variety, to be seen either entering or quitting Carlisle Bay.
The day after the Arethusa came in we were early enlivened by signals for two other vessels approaching from windward; but they proved to be ships from very opposite coasts; one being from Halifax; the other a Guinea-man with a cargo of slaves from Africa.
Several vessels of the Cork division have joined us within the few last days; but none of them bring any accurate tidings of the fleet; most of them having parted from the convoy, during the first or second night after quitting the harbour, and not having met with it since. The Charlotte transport was chased by a privateer at the distance of only a few leagues from Barbadoes, and must, inevitably, have been taken, but for the fortunate circumstance of a slave-ship, from the coast of Guinea, coming up at the time, and engaging her pursuer. A running action was maintained, for two hours, between this ship and the privateer, when the latter sheered off, leaving the Guinea-man, and her protegée, to proceed quietly to Barbadoes; the slave-ship having suffered considerably in her rigging.
The Madras East Indiaman and a packet are this day arrived from England. They departed, the one from Falmouth, the other from St. Helen’s, on the 23d of February, and have completed the passage within a month. The Madras brings a cargo of ordnance stores. She sailed alone, and made a running voyage. Several persons availed themselves of the opportunity of coming out in this ship as passengers: she has also a small party of artillery-men on board.
The arrival of the present packet has not caused so great a sensation as was produced by the appearance of that which I mentioned to you before, although we are much pleased and gratified to see it. We have now an ample supply both of English and American papers, and from the arrivals being more frequent, and the commander in chief among us, the sad torpor of the preceding weeks no longer reigns. Activity prevails, and the suspense of waiting is alleviated by busy preparation.
We have lately had an opportunity of visiting the Venus slave-ship of London, just arrived with a cargo of blacks, from the coast of Africa. The ship appeared small: there was a want of space, and the negroes seemed crowded; but, in all other respects, we were pleased to remark the excellence of the accommodations, and the great attention paid to the health and comfort of the slaves. The cargo consisted of 230 prime negroes, all in high health, and good spirits. The ship was remarkably clean. No sickness had occurred among the Africans, or the crew; nor had any one died upon the passage. They made the voyage in six weeks, and the slaves were fed the whole time with Guinea corn. The average value of the cargo is calculated at nearly 50l. for each person. The captain has but few hands in his ship’s company, yet, from his kind treatment of the blacks, he has so well secured their attachment and obedience, as to feel no apprehension of a revolt, or of any occurrence to menace their safety.
Dr. Cleghorn and myself continue our pedestrian excursions about the neighbourhood of the bay. In one of our late rambles we ascended some hills in the vicinity of Bridge-town, which afford a fine landscape of the island, together with a view of the town, the harbour, and the sea.
Situated below this mountainous range is the plantation of a Mr. Daniel; an old estate which is sheltered, and rendered picturesque by the adjoining hills. Here we saw a very lofty and fine avenue of trees, of the valuable lignum vitæ; also an immensely large and ancient tamarind tree, of more extended branches, and wider trunk than the antique oaks, or spreading elms, which are sometimes seen to grace the door-way of our old English dwellings. The tamarind is of the Mimosa tribe, and may be regarded as a very handsome example of vegetable production. It bears an immense quantity of fruit, which hanging among the small leaves, in the numerous pods of a dirty brown colour, gives a singular appearance, without adding to the beauty of the tree. Upon this old ornament of the mansion were many bushels, perhaps I might say many hogsheads of tamarinds, which were left to fall useless on the ground. Esteemed as this fruit is in Europe, in its preserved state, it seems to be as little valued here, as the common crab of the hedges in England, and is equally neglected, not being considered worth the labour of gathering, or the expense of the sugar required in preserving it.