the peculiar nature of the scenery, its extraordinary
stillness, and the unusual aspect of its gigantic vegetation, it was,
despite its beauty, invested to a remarkable degree with an air of
desolateness and solitude. At five in the morning, my husband set out
upon his journey, and at eight a negro came to inquire whether massa
was at home. This was an unusual circumstance; but upon hearing that
massa left home that morning, he departed, and I thought no more of
him. The weary day dragged heavily to a close, and at eight in the
evening the same negro returned, and repeated his inquiry by the light
of a lamp held by a young lad of his own race in our service. I saw
the man's face, and suffering, perhaps, from nervous irritability,
fancied I had never seen a countenance more sinister. My pulse
throbbed quickly, as the reply was given, that 'Massa wouldn't return
till the night of the ensuing day.' Here was an admission! I alone in
this wild, outlandish place, attended only by my maid, a semi-German,
semi-Irish girl, exceedingly timid, and a couple of negro servants, if
possible more cowardly: I felt my heart sink, as after uttering some
half-intelligible words, the sable visitor departed. While drinking
tea in solitude, musing on the old familiar faces of my former home,
never was the croaking of the frog so loud, the curlo's note so
shrill, the evening air so gentle. I heard the negro servants without
expressing their astonishment that, now as massa was gone, missus
wouldn't call in Miss Jane (the maid), and make her 'peak' to her;
adding--'Rosevale not good house to lib by himself in--plenty "padres"
die dere, plenty doppies (ghosts) come up dere from de grabe-yard!'
Now my dread was not of the 'doppies,' but I did fear the return of
the recent ill-favoured visitor.

Our books had not yet been forwarded from Kingston, so I had not the
solace of a favourite author; but on a shelf in the sitting-room lay
an odd volume of Missionary Reports, and the third or fourth of
Mandeville's English History, which had belonged to the former
occupant of the place. These I took from their resting-place, and
essayed to read, when, in an instant, a bat dropped from the rafters,
and fluttering round and round the lamp, cut short my studies.
Formerly, church-service was wont to be celebrated in this same room;
and for the purpose of kindling, by means of music, any latent sparks
of devotion in the minds of his sable flock, the deceased cle