the ravines are approached, the road must be a slope to either side, and have a descending direction towards them. By this means the waters of the ravines will be prevented from taking their course through the roads, and

consequently from spoiling them. For this purpose, where the general direction of the roads is ascending towards the ravine, the level must be turned for three or four fathoms.

One negro rears the level, and fixing it at the opening of the road, another, provided with a mallet and a provision of flat cleft pickets, fifteen inches in length, plants one of them exactly under both the feet of the level; which then goes forward, the hind foot being planted upon the fore picket, while the plummet points the proper place where the fore foot must rest. When it is is fixed, the second negro plants another picket, exactly under it, always with the flat side turned upwards; and so on.

When the road is marked out, it must be cut and opened with the hoe and mattock from three to six feet wide-which in a

great measure depends upon the declivity of the ground; for the more steep it is, the higher the cut is, and more liable to break and fall down. In order to prevent this, the cut must be sloping, and if the breadth of the road admits of it, a gutter should be dug at the foot of the cut, to carry the waters into the ravines, and to keep the streams of rain-water from running through and damaging the coffee-trees. If, in this work, some stones or stumps of trees interfere, they must be levelled with the road;

and this is often the case.

But to return to my subject; it is very material to form the roads before the coffeetrees are planted; first, to avoid the vexation of cutting those trees down; secondly, because the trenches of greater or less depth throughout a piece of ground will, in some measure, indicate the quality of the soil, and give a hint of the proper distance to be observed between the trees.

Let the lower edges of the roads be bordered with those thick-rooted plants which are best qualified to bind the soil together, as millet, guinea-grass, and sugarcane; but not with ground provisions, as yams or others, which must be dug out for consumption. The plantain tree is the best of all; and here let it be planted at a distance of eight feet, the intermediate space being planted with other things.

Here also let the native and foreign fruit trees be planted-the sooner the better. It is very true the master will hardly reap the advantage of the fruit, which will commonly be purloined by the negroes, even before it is ripe. But the mere sight of them is

worth the trouble; besides, what serves for the servants is not entirely lost for the master; while, if at another time he should wish to form an enclosed orchard, he will here find trees full grown, and ready to be transplanted. The best aspect for fruit trees of all sorts is the south, and more particularly if the place is sheltered from the wind. In a few places, the peach, almond, and apricot trees do pretty well; in most, apple and fig trees succeed. As to the fruit trees of the country, the planter should take care to search for seeds and plants of the best kinds; neither ought he to forget the medicinal trees, as tamarind, cassia, and calabash, which last also affords a material fit to make vessels for the negroes. Lastly, trees do no harm to coffee-trees; and plantain trees may still be planted between them on the edges of the roads. In general, it is a proper attention that either fruit trees or plantain trees should not be too near a coffee-tree, but should rather occupy the place of one of them in the rows.

Let the upper edge of the road be bordered with kitchen plants, as cabbages, parsley, carrots, or red beets, as these must be dug sorrel, and the like; but not with turnips,

out.

Strawberries do amazingly well in the from extending too far, and growing too coolest places, but they must be prevented thick; the old stocks must be plucked up every year, and the young ones only left. Here (as also in the lower edge, where the ground is less steep) flowers of every sort, even European, may be planted. If rose trees are lopped very short, every second plentifully six times a year. It is obvious month, in the moon's wane, they blossom that roads planted in the manner prescribed must be very delightful.

The artichokes succeed and bear well only in the highest cliffs lying to the north. But they require good ground.

All these yield as long as the mould retains its virgin vigour, and till the coffeetrees begin to spread a close shade.

It is needless to say, that coffee-trees must be planted as soon as the roads are opened. It is the main business to employ the ground for purposes of benefit; for half of what I have mentioned in the former article, is a matter of mere amusement, or at most comfort. But, on this subject, I refer the reader to the third chapter, where every point of this principal cultivation is explained fully. I proceed now to mention the other accessories, interesting at all times, but still more in the beginning, where the great object is to prepare the most speedy and ample supply of vegetable provisions.

Beans, either white or red, afford the most ready assistance to the planter. Both yield in forty or fifty days, but the last are preferable.

Next I shall mention the maize or Indian

corn, which may be gathered in a little more than four months. Rice may also be planted, but I am not by any means fond of it in the fields of coffee.

It is, however, remarkable, that none of these do well in the winter season, especially in the high mountains.

All this is sowed (rather than planted), but covered about half an inch deep; usual ly a pretty thick row of corn is planted in the middle rows of coffee-trees, with a row of beans at its right and left; but at present a greater quantity is allowable, though not excessive.

The planter, in general, must remove from his coffee plantations almost every other plant, especially the tobacco, which the negroes are very fond of rearing, but which multiplies to a vast extent, and exhausts the ground; as also all the ground provisions, which, when dug up, loosen and spoil it. Lastly, all the creeping plants, as melons and yams of every kind, potatoes, gourds, citruls, with that vast multitude of pease of which the country is so fertile. All these twine around, embrace, bind down, and strangle the coffee-trees and their boughs. They are also, though to a much less degree, hurtful to the plantain tree, and should, if possible, be removed to a particular piece of ground set apart. All these are propagated, either from seed, as the melons, pease, citruls, and French cucumber; or from plants, as Guinea cucumbers, yams, and other roots. Among the former, the Guinea or Angola pea deserves to be honorably mentioned. It is a pretty little tree or bush, with yellow flowers, which lasts three and bears almost continually.

*

years,

All sorts of garden plants, pot-herbs, and roots, do admirably well among the coffeetrees, especially where the ground is soft and crumbling, and the climate cool. No greater pains need be taken than to mix together all the seeds with dry sand, in a large wooden porringer, and to throw them about by handfuls. The negroes must only beware not to pick them out in weeding; it may be necessary to transplant some of them, as red beets, turnips, carrots, leeks, and the like.

In general, the plantain tree (which bears the precious manna of the West Indies, by far more valuable than the celebrated breadfruit of the east, and at the sight of which a man feels himself impelled by gratitude to prostrate in adoration before the eternal Fountain of Good) delights and succeeds best in the places most cool and most sheltered from wind.

In the lowest parts of valleys, and along the streams of water, several rows of them must be planted, at twelve feet distance from each other. They are of two kinds, oue of which bears only a small cluster of VOL. I.-19

very large plantains, and the other of small ones, but more palateable, and in very large clusters; the latter sort is highly preferable. A few plants of banana trees (which yield a dainty rather than a substantial food) may be intermixed; these are easily distinguished by the wide black spots which cover the trunk. The plant of both consists of suckers, or of roots already shooting into buds; the largest are the most forward. As the tree must be cut to reap the cluster, it must be cut exactly near the ground, that the suckers may grow better.*

Having observed that the trees felled down, in the deep, narrow, steep valleys, fell from both sides in such heaps as to make the bottom, even by the help of fire, inaccessible to the planting of plantain trees, I attempted to plant these, immediately after clearing away the brushwood, and before felling down the large trees. Thus I had the advance of upwards of a month. My plantation was full and regular. The young plantain trees never failed to make their way through the unburned wood. Their shade assisted towards the rotting of the wood; and the plant being exceedingly watery, was not hurt by the fire, if it was only tolerably covered with earth when the wood was burned.

Let the plantain tree be ever so valuable, it does not yield all round the year, and it is liable to fail; for, if strong gales happen at the time it is loaded with its heavy cluster, it is thrown down, and the fruit is lost. Roots are more certain resources, being sheltered under ground; and of course an ample supply of provision of this sort must be secured. I have mentioned the yams, two sorts of which are equally useful, viz. Creole and Guinea yams; they are planted, at three feet distance from each other, from roots split in small pieces. Some yams are twenty or even thirty pounds weight. When a root of any kind is taken out, the ground must be dug very deep; but to prevent the soil from being washed away, it is put back again into the hole, and pressed down strongly. The softest and most crumbling ground is the best for all kinds of roots.

as they creep much less, do very well among the plantain trees. The European potatoes have also been cultivated, and not without

success.

There are two sorts of a certain kind of root, here called in some places tayaux, in others malangas ;* one sort, with green stalks and leaves; the other with purple stalks and leaves, mixed with fibres of the same colour. The leaves of both take rise from a stock a little above the ground, are triangular, much in the form of an arrow, sometimes two feet long and broad, and supported by a stalk almost of the same length. The leaves of both are good food for cattle, and particularly for the hogs and cows. The youngest of the green kind is a spinage; the roots are not larger than a middle-sized sweet potatoe, but a plant ordinarily yields a large basket full. This has, above all other tropical roots, the advantage of remaining under ground ripe for twelve months; and when the first roots rot, others take their place. This plant is much to be preferred to all others of the kind amongst the plantain trees; but it succeeds only in cool places. It is propagated from the roots, or from the stocks where they bear leaves, cut into small pieces.

Plantains, bananas, and tayaux, yield in twelve months in the most favourable circumstances; yams, manioco, and sweet potatoes, in four or five; Guinea cucumbers, and others, in a much shorter period.

Where the ground is soft, and at the same time exceedingly steep, it is not worth while to plant it with coffee-trees. If the exposition be cool, let it be planted with plantains more thick than usual; otherwise, with Guinea grass or bamboos, that the soil be kept together by the huge intricacy of roots. An intelligent planter will leave no spot unemployed; and I know nothing, except mere clay, which is very seldom of great extent, where something useful may not be planted. Dog's-grass itself is good forage, as also bamboo leaves. The bamboo, besides, is a beautiful production, affords a deep cover, rafters, stakes, and pales for pens and enclosures; but its shade is hurtful to the other plants.†

The grounds I have just now mentioned are liable to break off and to fall down. Drenched with the rain, the whole surface slides away and leaves the rock under it exposed to view. By some of these falls, five or six thousand coffee-trees have at once been known to be carried away. Sometimes, more consistent and compact grounds, though equally steep, happen to slide off from another cause; namely, from rain

* It was impossible for me to find out the English name.

† Guinea grass is noxious to almost any other plant, if too near and in great quantity.

water, which, after penetrating upwards, creeps in, dilutes, and dissolves the soil under ground; the whole bed must then slide down, on account of the great declivity: I know no means of preventing this.

Falls of ground may also be occasioned by roads multiplied above one another; because the whole bed, which supported itself from the bottom upwards, is now cut ; and the contiguity of the mutual support is broken. If land has the appearance of being liable to such accidents, roads must be made sparingly; and, if possible, with no windings, the borders being soon planted with plantain trees and grass, to assist in the support.

The settler must calculate carefully, and only extend his plantations in proportion to the hands he is able to supply. It often happens that he is misled, through inconsiderate activity, into planting too much. But whatever his ambition may be, if it is well directed, he will be sensible that a small plantation, well managed and kept clean, must be more profitable, in all respects, than a larger one ill attended to and ill worked. At all times, he must consider the prospect of the crop season, where the work is much heavier than at other times. But at all events, in the early beginnings, he ought not to forget the indispensable settlements, which demand attendance, and occupy considerable time, while the care of the fields should not be abandoned. neither the desire of increasing the crops, nor the attendance which they require, nor the accessory labours of settlement, must compel him to neglect the weeding and cleaning of his plantations; he must also be provident, in securing plenty of ground provisions.

But

Where it is impossible to settle in the centre of the estate, that situation must be preferred where the greatest part of the tenement lies above, so that the negroes may descend, when loaded with coffee, stones, or other things. In such case, the land lying lower than the settlement is destined for the savannas and negro grounds.

A tract of standing woodland, which will be useful in the most advanced periods, must always be left within reach; and where the situation is happily in the centre, when a certain extent is cleared all round for the savannas and grass or ground provisions, all the coffee plantations should be carried on one side, the woodland being left

at the other, that it may be found at a like distance, when the first plantations shall be exhausted; for want of that attention, the work becomes more distant and fatiguing. When the place is finally fixed upon, it is highly material to throw upon paper a general plan of distribution, according to the ideas above hinted at.

But a plan of the settlements, properly so called, viz. the buildings, platforms, and houses, is still more necessary, for, if they are made at random, one after another, as often is the case, the first built may happen to be where it will be afterwards, found another ought to have been; and symmetry, that costs but little, and without which the best things are awkward, and lose much of their merit, will not be attained.

First, the outlines of the place must be measured out and exactly drawn upon paper. The declivities, then, must be levelled and noted upon the plan. It seldom happens that a place is not found where industry may exert itself to great advantage. The steep places are, with more or less labour, cut into platforms, rising one above the other, as amphitheatres. Upon these, the settlements are distributed. This manner saves a great deal of work, and it has very often been improved into very convenient and graceful symmetry.

It is also true, that in some few instances, nature is so very ungrateful and rebellious, that even with incredible toil and expense, nothing tolerable can be effected. To have fallen into this vexatious situation would perhaps have been prevented by the previous examination of the land, which I have insisted upon before, in this chapter, for the purchase might have been declined.

The settler ought not to have delayed so long setting apart parcels of ground for his first negroes. Property of this sort is what most attaches them to the estate, and enables them to reap comfort from their own industry. But however the case may be, the present is the moment to appoint a place for all such grounds as are now or shall be necessary in process of time; for it is fit that they all should be together, and not dispersed up and down. Every lot ought to be twenty-five paces square, allowing sixteen negroes to the square of land. These ought to be separated by rows of Guinea pease; one half stocked with plantains and ground provisions, the other half left to the negroes' choice. They usually prefer to plant the whole with rice, beans, and Indian corn, and to sell them; but the master must here interfere, and compel them to secure a maintenance. It is needless to say, that regularity and symmetry, as much as the place will permit of, are pleasing and convenient, in this as in everything else, and ought therefore not to be overlooked.

It is only in process of time, in general, that good savannas can be obtained. New cleared ground is so long overrun with wild luxuriant weeds, which it bears spontaneously in unbounded profusion, that the pasture grasses are smothered, and prevented from germinating. The best way, then, is to plant a quantity of corn, pease, and other provisions, in the ground designed for the above purpose; and, when the wild weeds are destroyed by weeding several times, to suffer the pasture seeds to grow and extend,- -even to sow them in some places. In this manner, the savannas will sooner grow into full and good pasture.

This being done, the angles of every intended house, platform, garden, pen, and yard, must be marked upon the spot, with good pickets. The distances are measured (as also the levels) with rules of twelve and six feet, and with a carpenter's level, and the squares are taken with a wooden ball, as big as an orange, which is half cut upwards by two little chinks at right angles; it is supported with a stick having an iron point, which is stuck into the ground, at an angle. Then a man, looking through the chinks, causes stakes to be placed in the right lines at both sides; and, in these lines the angles are marked with pickets. This very simple machine will serve for every kind of straight square distributions.

as shelter from the sun, or a few elms, the large seeds of which are a very good food for the cattle, may be planted early. A little stream of water through the pastures would also be convenient.

Cattle or beasts are necessary, in the first beginning, for the carriage of provisions. A couple of milch cows are very much so, both on account of sick negroes and children, as for the convenience and comfort of the master. A pen or pound, therefore, formed of good stakes and poles, with a hut for shelter, should be made as soon as possible. A field of grass must also be planted in one of the places which I have mentioned. Guinea grass is the best for mules and horses; millet, and the leaves of tayaux, or of sweet potatoes, better for cows, as furnishing greater abundance of milk. The weeds picked up in the plantations are also, in general, good grass.