heavy
enough, as you will well believe. My morning's work had fatigued me not a
little, and I was glad to return to the house, where I gave vent to my
indignation and regret at the scene I had just witnessed, to Mr. ---- and
his overseer, who, here, is a member of our family. The latter told me
that the condition of the hospital had appeared to him, from his first
entering upon his situation (only within the last year), to require a
reform, and that he had proposed it to the former manager, Mr. K----, and
Mr. ----'s brother, who is part proprietor of the estate, but receiving no
encouragement from them, had supposed that it was a matter of indifference
to the owners, and had left it in the condition in which he had found it,
in which condition it has been for the last nineteen years and upwards.

This new overseer of ours has lived fourteen years with an old Scotch
gentleman, who owns an estate adjoining Mr. ----'s, on the island of St.
Simons, upon which estate, from everything I can gather, and from what I
know of the proprietor's character, the slaves are probably treated with
as much humanity as is consistent with slavery at all, and where the
management and comfort of the hospital, in particular, had been most
carefully and judiciously attended to. With regard to the indifference of
our former manager upon the subject of the accommodation for the sick, he
was an excellent overseer, _videlicet_, the estate returned a full income
under his management, and such men have nothing to do with sick
slaves--they are tools, to be mended only if they can be made available
again,--if not, to be flung by as useless, without further expense of
money, time, or trouble.

I am learning to row here, for, circumscribed as my walks necessarily are,
impossible as it is to resort to my favourite exercise on horseback upon
these narrow dykes, I must do something to prevent my blood from
stagnating; and this broad brimming river, and the beautiful light canoes
which lie moored, at the steps, are very inviting persuaders to this
species of exercise. My first attempt was confined to pulling an oar
across the stream, for which I rejoiced in sundry aches and pains
altogether novel, letting alone a delightful row of blisters on each of my
hands.

I forgot to tell you that in the hospital were several sick babies, whose
mothers were permitted to suspend their field labour, in order to nurse
them. Upon addressing some remonstrances to one of t