The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-02-18

| A blessing was asked by the venerable 10.
sepn Thorne, who is mentioned by Thome and
! Kim ball. Conversation was taken up all round
! the table, and though do not admit to be true.
what Sir John Bowring told me, when in Lon.
don, was his belief, that the African had supe.
rior natural powers TO the Anglo Saxon, / must
say, more refined and intelligent company it
has seldom been my fortune to see and enjoy.
| On rising from the table, thanks were returned
fer the repast and pleasant interview. We
then returned to the drawing-room, where, with
music by the daughter of my host, and agreea-
BILE conversation, the remainder of the evening
was passed.
have been very much interested in Mr..
London Bourne, negro who owns two planta-
tions, and with whom am to spend next Tues
day. He is also mentioned in the work of
Thome and Kimball. He is one of natures
noblemen, and has visited his name sake, Lon
don, England.
met, at Mr.. Husbands, Mr.. Il. P. Nightin-
gale, q pure African, who lately bought cargo
of rice, for which he paid $4,000. When the
cholera was raging here, and it was doubtful
whether he would recover from severe attack,
q white man cent him word that his note had
fallen due, and was unpaid. Nightingale sent
his son to the President of the Bank here, and
asked him to take up his paper as it matured-
Which he did. How many men are there in
New York, or Boston, who would have sue
ceeded in such request.
l am diligent in collecting facts with regard
to the comparative value of real estate, now,
and before emancipation. As now advised, it
as under the curse of Slavery. A plantation
of 44S acres has just been bought for f40, 900
sterling, which, sm informed, could not have
been sold, before emancipation, with all the
| negroes on it, for half that sum. The manu-.
mitted and their children now work cheerfully
| for twenty-five cents day, and find themselves.
That seems low price for q days work but
the hands live very cheaply on vegetables and
fruit, and need no fire, and not much clothing.
l could live very contentedly in this climate as
they do. Besides, twenty-five cents dav ia
| the nett price, in free America, for labor! Mr.
Helper says that, :" in my own immediate neigh.
borhood, lin North Carolina,) not less than
thirty young women, non-slaveholding whites,
between the ages of fifteen and twenty FIVE
labor in the fields every summer, and that for
twenty-five cents q day."
| This whole island is cultivated like garden
| and the several plantations are not divided of
by fences, but are in common, like the meadows
of our native town, Northampton, Mass. None
| OF the houses have chimneys, or any other means
OF warming, no fire being needed, except fol
cooking, and that is done out of doors. They
have no carpets. What is strange to me, they
have no annoyance from our house.fy; have
not seen halfa dozen here. Mosquitoes abound
and they bite without giving you warning OF
| their approach.
a Uhite planter informed me that he did no,
kn0sc planter scho scOuld return to Szaperv, II
he could; and I find this the opinion Of erery
one.
This is the most beautiful country ever be.
held. Such clouds l never saw, and the rising
and setting sun is gorgeous beyond expression.
The heat is not near oppressive it is at home
at the same temperature. The trade winds are
constantly blowing over this island and though
the thermometer is now, at half past twelve, al
81, cannot keep my papers on the table with.
| out putting weights upon them.
hope you, my dear brother, will live to see
the West Indies. If you do not, you will die
without knowing what a beautiful world we
live in. No wonder Columbus wrote home to
Queen Isabella, that he found it so pleasant to
live in India" that he did not know as he
should be contented to live in Spain.