master's house, a long, brick building, plain, but substantial,
stood in the center of the plantation life, and constituted one
independent establishment on the premises of Col. Lloyd.

Besides these dwellings, there were barns, stables, store-houses,
and tobacco-houses; blacksmiths' shops, wheelwrights' shops, coopers'
shops--all objects of interest; but, above all, there stood the grandest
building my eyes had then ever beheld, called, by every one on the
plantation, the "Great House." This was occupied by Col. Lloyd and his
family. They occupied it; _I_ enjoyed it. The great house was surrounded
by numerous and variously shaped out-buildings. There were kitchens,
wash-houses, dairies, summer-house, green-houses, hen-houses,
turkey-houses, pigeon-houses, and arbors, of many sizes and devices,
all neatly painted, and altogether interspersed with grand old trees,
ornamental and primitive, which afforded delightful shade in{52}
summer, and imparted to the scene a high degree of stately beauty. The
great house itself was a large, white, wooden building, with wings
on three sides of it. In front, a large portico, extending the entire
length of the building, and supported by a long range of columns, gave
to the whole establishment an air of solemn grandeur. It was a treat to
my young and gradually opening mind, to behold this elaborate exhibition
of wealth, power, and vanity. The carriage entrance to the house was
a large gate, more than a quarter of a mile distant from it; the
intermediate space was a beautiful lawn, very neatly trimmed, and
watched with the greatest care. It was dotted thickly over with
delightful trees, shrubbery, and flowers. The road, or lane, from the
gate to the great house, was richly paved with white pebbles from the
beach, and, in its course, formed a complete circle around the beautiful
lawn. Carriages going in and retiring from the great house, made the
circuit of the lawn, and their passengers were permitted to behold a
scene of almost Eden-like beauty. Outside this select inclosure, were
parks, where as about the residences of the English nobility--rabbits,
deer, and other wild game, might be seen, peering and playing about,
with none to molest them or make them afraid. The tops of the stately
poplars were often covered with the red-winged black-birds, making all
nature vocal with the joyous life and beauty of their wild, warbling
notes. These all belonged to me, as well as to Col. Edward Lloyd