In Barbados, the current coins are Doubloons, Joes, Dollars, Half Dollars, Quarter Dollars, a silver piece, called a "Bitt and Twopence," a Fivepenny, Pence, and Halfpence. |2400 1200 256 128 64 32 16 8 1 Bitts make one dollar. Doubloon. 10 5 2 Ditto. a dollar. A bitt is 7 d. currency, and a dollar is 6s. 3d. A Table, showing the Value of each of the above Coins in the Currency of Barbados, and in British Army Sterling. Rule to reduce British Sterling into Currency: Multiply the amount sterling by 75, and divide it by 52. To reduce any amount sterling into dollars, bring the amount sterling into pence, and divide by 52, the quotient will be the number of dollars required. I certainly was never born for calculation, and so great is my aversion to it, that even the little matter of pounds, shillings, and pence; joes, dollars, and doubloons, that I have just been discussing, has made me completely weary; and thereby given me a fellow-feeling for my readers, whom, I have no doubt, are somewhat tired themselves: having duly considered the awful consequences of fatiguing two such important personages as my reader and myself, I shall draw this chapter to a conclusion: he will retire, and I will retire, and in a short time we shall both be ranked among " the dreamers.” F CHAPTER X. DISHONESTY OF THE DOMESTIC SLAVES.- A NEGRO SUPPER. "To-night we hold a solemn supper." Shakespeare. "When they had supped, they brought Tobias in." Ibid. READER, if my breakfast be a good one, of a truth I do enjoy it more than any other meal; therefore, when I had consigned my calculations to my portfolio, before I proceeded to seek the influence of Somnus, I summoned Mat to my presence. Well, Mat." Well, Massa." "What have you got for breakfast to-morrow?" "Salt fish, Massa." Now I must tell my reader, that salt fish is the fish that I abominate above all others, and although Mat, very goodnaturedly, offered to get it dressed. with eggs, butter, onions, and sundry other ingredients, yet I could not reconcile it to my epicurean notions, and accordingly I desired him to get me something else, and eat the salt fish himself. "Tankey, Massa, tankey ;" and Mat was off bcfore I could say another word. Holloa, Mat! where are you going?" "Now do you know what to get me for breakfast to-morrow?" "Well then, you will let me have flying fish and "roasted yam, with a good cup of coffee; and do you hear, wake me early, that I may take a ride before "breakfast." Whether my sound sleep was the effect of the calculation, or of the strong glass of sangaree, mixed for me by Mat, before I retired, I know not; but it is certain that I slept soundly, and without waking, until, in obedience to my command, he roused me at six o'clock the next morning. It was a fair dawn, that indicated a fairer day; nevertheless, Mat declared that something bad would happen, for he said he had seen a black cloud pass over the town that morning, in which he could plainly distinguish the eyes, nose, mouth, and chin of a certain sable relation of his, yclept Sago; who had been long deceased, and, as Mat thought, as long allied to the god of all mischief. This awful foreboding did not, however, disturb my peace of mind, and I mounted horse with more composure than Mat expected to see; and proceeded on my morning ride. I can tell my reader, that there is nothing more delightful than a morning ride in the West Indies; unless it be a delicious and refreshing bath in the clear waves of the Atlantic. To benefit, however, by the salubrious and cool air, one should rise at five o'clock :-It is pleasant even at six, but at that hour the sun is up, and the heat of the tropic sun is considerable, even in the morning. Nevertheless, my ride was right pleasant, for there was no fog to be dispersed, and the atmosphere was light and unoppressive: I rode towards the country, and the scenery was eminently beautiful. The road I had chosen was narrow, and shaded by the richest foliage; a hedge of Barbados pride, with the pearly dewdrops still clinging to its blossoms of bright red; flowers growing wild by the road side; trees in beautiful variety; the mango, the cocoanut, the sandbox, and a thousand others, with the mountain cabbage, last and loftiest, o'ertopping all the rest, and waving in the morning breezę its stately and graceful branches. On my return through the town, I met lots of negroes, carrying on their heads wooden cans of water, which they had been to fetch from the river. This is one of the indispensables of life, and Europeans would deem it somewhat inconvenient, to be obliged to send a servant for it twice a day, to a spring at a considerable distance from their dwellings the Barbadians are obliged to do this, and custom and necessity have reconciled them to it. Well, clatter, clatter, clatter went the tongues of the aforesaid water-bearers: men, women, and children, all talked; but as a matter of course, the women talked loudest this was only what might have been expected by the least reasonable of beings. Amongst the many speeches that assailed my ears, I paid most attention to the following conversation, |