The national leader., 1889-06-15
SLAVERY'S SUNNY SIDE.
A GEORGIA PLANTATION AS SEEN BY
SIR CHARLES UYELL.


While delving into the volumes of the Astor
library, the travels in this country by Sir
Charles Lyell, the eminent English geologist,
who visited here in the interest of his favored
pursuit and was amply rewarded, was exam
ined, and in it was found description Of
typical southern home, on plantation, in
which he does justice to the period now pass
ed into history The upheaval in the south
has obliterated many of the evidences of the
prevailing, if not universal, refinement and
culture which made many of the homes Of
those ante-belum days the rivals of the coun-
try houses of England.
Sir Charles Lyell in his second visit de-
scribes one of those plantations in Georgia in
1917. He had arrived at Darien, Ca, and
was there met by Mr.. James Hamilton Cou-
per, with whom he had corresponded on geo.
logical matters and whom he had already
mentioned in his previous work as the donor
of a splendid collection of fossil remains to
the museum at Washington and of other like
treasures to that of Philadelphia.
A CANOE OF CYPRESS.
He says: "Mr. Couper came down the river
to meet us in large canoe, followed oNt of a
trunk of a single cypress, rowed by six ne
groes, who were singing loudly and keeping
time to the stroke of their oars We then be-
gan to ascend the Altamaha. For many
mile we saw no habitation-the solitude was
profound, but our black oarsmen made the
woods echo to their song Fifteen miles above
Darien we came to Hopeton, the residence of
Mr.. Hamilton Couper, having first passed
from the river into a canal which traversed
the low rice fields.
"Much has been said in praise of the hospi-
tality of the southern planter, but they alone
who have Travelled in the southern states can
appreciate the perfect ease and politeness
with which stranger is made to feel himself
at home. Horses, carriages, boats, servants,
all are at his disposal. Even his little COM
forts are thought of, and everything is done
as heartily and naturally as if no obligation
was conferred. These sacrifices made by the
planter are comparatively small, since his
habitual style of living is so free and liberal
that the expense of a few additional inmates
in the family is scarcely felt STILL there is
a warm and generous openness of character
in the southerner which mere wealth and a
retinue of servants cannot give; and they
have dignity of manner, without stiffness,
which is most agreeable.
Zone of the Sea Islands, called st. Simon's,
the summer residence of Mr. Couper, we Wis
tied, and on our way we landed at Buffers
Island, the residence of Pierce Butler, the
husband of Fanny Kemble, whose daugh-
ter the Hon. Miss Leigh, still owns the
property. The grounds are adorned with
orange trees, loaded with golden fruit. We
landed on the northeast end of st. SimOnS
Island, where we were gratitied by the sight
of a curious mound of shells left by the abo-
rigineS. Here are no less than ten acres, ele-
waited in some places to ten feet, and on an
average over the whole area five feet above
the general level, composed throughout that
depth of myriads of castaway oyster shells
Mr.. Couper's villa was near the waters edge,
shaded by verandas and by sago tree and
many lemon trees, somewhat injured by the
late frost; but the olives, of which there is a
fine grove here, are uuinj jured; some day they
may be cultivated with profit in the Sea
Islands. We greatly admired some fine date
palms which bear fruit. They were brought
from BaSsOra, in Persia, and have not suffered
from the cold.
CONDITION OF THE SLAVES.
During fortnight's stay at Hopetoa we
had an opportunity Of seeing how the plant
ers live in the south and the condition and
prospects of the negro on Il well managed es-
tate The relation of the slaves to their own
ers resembles nothing in. the northern states
There is a hereditary regard and often at
tachment on both sides, more like that for
merly existing between lords and their re-
tainers in the old feudal times of Europe
than anything now found in America The
responsibility of the owner is felt to be great,
and to manage plantation with profit is no
easy task, 50 much Judgment is required and
oiN-t1, nf
kindness
1.-The evils of the system of slavery are said
to be exhibited in their worst light when
new settlers come from free states; northern
men who are full of activity, and who strive
to make rapid fortune, willing to risk their
own lives in an unhealthy climate, and who
cannot make allowance for the repugnance to
continuous labor by the negro race.
There are 500 negroes on the Hopeton es-
tate, great many of whom are children and
some old and superannuated The latter
class, who would be supported in poor
house in England, enjoy here to the end of
their days the society OF their neighbors and
kinfolks and live in large, separate houses
assigned to them. The negroes have hos
pital assigned to them containing three wards
ono for men, one for women and a third for
lying-in women The latter are always al
lowed months rest after their confinement
an advantage rarely enjoyed by the hard
working English peasants.
'The negro mothers are often so ignorant
or so indolent that they cannot be trusted to
keep awake and administer medicine to their
own children, so the mistress has often TO sit
up all night with sick negro child. In sub
mitting to this they are actuated by mixed
motives-a feeling of kindness and a fear of
losing the services of a slave but these at
tentions greatly attach the negroes to their
owners.
I'm general they refuse to take medicine
from any other hands but those of their mas
ter or mistress. The days work consists of a
task, which, when disposed to exert them
selves, they can get through in five hours,
and then amuSe themselves In fishing, and
&-L, tai. kircr