The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-12-02

the days Of cutIyators that the oldest iG-
habliants are in general totally unacquain.-
I'd with il.
This island, like Trinidad and British
Guinea, ia about 10 set On foot a plan OF
immigration from India, and perhaps China,
In order 10 supply tho deficiency Of labor
suffered by agriculturists. There coaId not
be better proof Of the worthlessness Of the
negro as free laborer. No such deficiency
existed prior to the emancipation, although
twice the number OF estates now worked
were then in full cultivation, and although
the preant agricultural and other Industrial
products Of the island are but third OF
what they then were. You will understand
the cause Of the deficiency now unquestion.
ably existing, when informed that the labor.
ers on the plantations have not yet turned
out for work since the first Of the month,
having been all this time engaged in cele-
brating the anniversary holidays of their
emancipation and that, after last Christ
mas, no work was done on the plantations
until the middle Of February. by the last
mentioned holidays the planters, 1t ia esti-
mated, lost fourth OF their crops, owing to
/ the diminuton u saccharlne MATER 10 the
| canes and rayagcs Of cane rate.
The traveller who lands in any Of tie sea
/ port towns Of Jamaica, tnds collection oi
I ruins whose extent alone indicates the seat
| Of former prosperity. These traces Of civil
/ l,zaton are gradually disappearing in jan
/ gle composed Of the Caeta oYttni,a, the 81
gantic Caotus Tuna, called BY she 5paniards
/ Hyuero dd Demoai0 (or "ig tree OF the
I devil, J and the equally formidable Asaaa
toyiuosa. Fortunately We have no beasts
/ Of prey 10 the island, and these jlngles har
Dor nothing worse than ii0ckJ OF yultures
aud the legion Of uuclcan spirits generated
by malaria. Amidst this desolatiou swarm.
populace Of negroes, whose dIthy looks
and habits opcn vice, noisy aud demonstra
tive obsccnity, beggar description, aud can
not even be conceived by those who have
not visited Jamaica. The authorities pun
/ ish thelts and violent crimes when these are
brought TO light, but, with these exceptions
there IA no restraint on the brutal propen
stiles Of the lower classes, White female
living here must accusIom themselves u
sights and language which in America mcr
would scarcely tolerate.
The mean edible resource ii our idle pop
ulation is the fruit Of the mango (3fdng8srC
mdicd,) which grows wl.d GOV in everypar'
| of the island not above an altitude OF 206t
feet, although its first introduction here il
within the memory here Of many old per
sols. la the mango season the lands be
longing to the Duke OF Buckingham, a
Hope, which twenty years ago were Il mag
niticent sugar estate. supply the means o
sustaining All indolent yet miserably desti
tutc existence. The owner OF large es
tate near Kingston, some years ago, dee
troyed all The mango trees on his lands il
The hope that, deprived Of this main stay o
idlencss, teuautry would be compelled by
necessity 10 earn a httle money.
The mango season ia followed by that o
the sweet sop inno"a sYtmo'a,) which
also, most unhappty, affords the means o
iudulging il the idieuess which the negr,
seems to cherish above every other sCu-ua
enjoyment
Such are the free citizens, or rather
should .ay, this - feeble attempt 80 con
veg to you an idea OF the degraded state O
the inhabitants OF this beautiful island.