Year: 1877

The young owner of the Island, cultvat.
ing hundreds of acres and raising enormous
crops of cotton and sugar, used to build
schooners in ship-yart of his own, and
imported slaves directly from the African
coast, selling to his neighbors such as he
did not want He was unmarried. Per-
haps no one of the daughters of the neigh
boring planters could be persuaded to share
the lonely life which could hardly have ap-
peared attractive in any womans eyes per.
haps he preferred lite of freedom and in
dependence. However that may have been,
he was in the habit of going occasionally tn
Africa himself, and of buying his slaves
from the native chiefs, who disposed in this
way of their prisoners OF war.


During one of these visits, while engaged
in bargaining, he was struck with the grace
and beauty of the chiefs young daughter a
child of ten years old. He proposed to buy
her, but she was favorite child and her
father could not part with her. Persuasions
we're for time unavailing, but at length
the savage father, unable to resist the gilt
ter of the white mans gold, agreed to part
with his child upon condition that she would
be treated with consideration and brought
up as becomes a kings daughter. The
planter promised, and, strange to say,
he kept his word. She was kindly cared
for and well educated, and in course of time
became the planters lawful wife. She had
accor ding to tradition, with the exception
of dark skin, none of the usual negro char
acteristcs. Her handsome features were
regular, her hair smooth, her presence dig
nified and commanding. Her husband
seems never to have regretted his unusual
course and her influence over her captive
countrymen was unbounded. In addition
to her position and superior intelligence
was the consideration of her native rank,
which to them at least was a source of un-
| questioned right.
The establishment was kept up in almost
princely style. The sons were sent to Eng
land to be educated for the daughters
French and English governesses were pro
CuTtu, anu tStdollSueu III separate houses
near the mansion; white artisans of various
kinds were constantly employed, making
quite large community aside from the
hundreds of slaves upon the island. And
over all this, in her husbands long and fire.
quent absences, reigned our dusky princess,
as absolute in her insular domain as her say.
age father in his native wilds. She had a
strong and powerful mind, and womanly
| kindness and sympathy AS well. One old
negro, who died some time since, so old that
no one could remember him as other than
old, used to tell how he was brought over
when young to this island, where he had
lived ever since. and how he and Others, sick
and exhausted, were mlnistered to by the
"missis'" own hands, and how they all low
ed her and always prayed, Lord bless
Ma'am Hannah p Every morning as she
stood upon this very spot the field hands
passed in review before her, each gang with
its driver, going to their daily work. She
inspected them all, picking out such as were
unfit for labor and sending them to the hos
| pital or to lighter tasks; and every night
in the same spot she heard report of the
day, examined into all complaints, and with
strict justice adjudged each offenders pun
ishment; and without her order not lash
could be given.