t to hear him apologize, disclaiming any
intention of referring to me in what he had said, etc., and admitting
that my case was an exception, adding that he didn't suppose I should
be _allowed_ by Government to pay higher rates than those established
by General Saxton! We were accompanied home from church by Mr.
Eustis, and Mr. R. came as far as G.'s. They all met here Monday, in a
pouring rain, to talk over the subject of wages for the coming year.
It was concluded to pay in money entirely instead of in molasses and
bacon, believing that the days of rationing in any form had passed,
and that the negroes would be better pleased to handle all the money
and spend it as they pleased. So we raise the pay of cotton hoeing
from twenty-five cents to thirty-five cents per old task, and add five
cents more, making it forty cents, besides the premium on the weight
of crop, which remains as before, making the average wages about sixty
or sixty-five cents for cotton work, which we think none too high for
the present prices of dry goods, etc. Of course, the smart hands earn
more than this in a day, for they do one and one-half times or twice
as much per day as they used to, and these prices are based upon the
old master's day's work or task. I have some men who gin fifty pounds
a day and earn their dollar, while they never ginned more than thirty
pounds for their master. I spent most of the day with G. on his
plantations, talking with him and his people about the prospect of
success with the new system. I haven't yet found a single man on any
of my places who wants to risk buying land. They all say they had
rather stay where they are and work for me. The more intelligent
foresee many difficulties in owning land, such as having no access to
marsh, or woodland, no capital for live-stock, plows, harness, carts,
etc., and they don't like the idea of having to wait a whole year to
get their reward for planting the cotton crop. The people seemed
highly satisfied to work on and well pleased with the prospect of
higher nominal wages to talk about, and slightly higher in reality,
with the privilege of spending them as they wish.

_Jan. 27._ Last Friday I made an expedition to Eddings Point in our
little boat. Arriving about one o'clock, and leaving the boat in
charge of the boys, I walked up to Mr. Wells' house on the Mary
Jenkins place, about one and one-quarter miles. I went down to the
nigger-house to see the people. I found the people in