Page:Books from the Biodiversity Heritage Library (IA mobot31753000820123).pdf/66

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They are fruitful, and go after the birth of their Children to work in the Field, with their little ones ty'd to their Backs, in a Cloth on purpose, one Leg on one side, and the other on the other of their Mother, whence their Noses are a little flatted against the Mothers Back, which amongst them is a Beauty. The same is the reason of the broadness of their and Indians Faces. The Mother when she suckles her young, having no Cloths to keep her Breasts from falling down, they hang very lank ever after, like those of Goats.

Their unskilful cutting the Navel-String, does occasion that swelling which usually appears in their Navels, and makes their Bellies prominent. Their Children call'd Piganinnies or rather Pequenos Ninnos, go naked till they are fit to be put to clean the Paths, bring Fire-wood to the Kitchen, &c. when a Boy Overseer, with his Wand or white Rod, is set over them as their Tasks-Master.

They are rais'd to work so soon as the day is light, or someties two hours before by the sound of a Conche-Shell, and their Overseers noise, or in better Plantations by a Bell. They are suffered to go to Dinner at Twelve when they bring Wood, &c. one burden lest they should come idle out of the Field home, return to the Field at One, and come home at night.

When a Plantation has many Men or Women, 'tis said to be well handed, or in case of few, it is said to be bad handed, or to want Hands. This expression comes, as some others, from the Planters of Jamaica, coming along Voyage at Sea, whereby they get some of the Sea Phrases. At Sea a Man is call'd a Hand, because his Hands are chiefly useful there. Whence all Hands up to Prayers, is as much as to say, let all Men come and Pray, or send a Hand to do this or that, is as much as let a Man do this or the other thing.

They have Saturdays in the Afternoon, and Sundays, with Christmas Holidays, Easter call'd little or Pigganinny, Christmas, and some other great Feasts allow'd them for the Culture of their own Plantations to feed themselves from Potatos, Yams, and Plantanes, &c. which they Plant in Ground allow'd them by their Masters, besides a small Plantain-Walk they have by themselves.

They formerly on their Festivals were allowed the use of Trumpets after their Fashion, and Drums made of a piece of a hollow Tree, covered on one end with any green Skin, and stretched with Thouls or Pins. But making use of these in their Wars at home in Africa, it was thought too much inciting them to Rebellion, and so they were prohibited by the Customs of the Island.