y would
diminish the surprise and admiration with which I regard the, to me,
unwonted specimens of animal existence that I encounter every day, and
of which I do not even know the names. Ignorance is an odious thing. The
birds here are especially beautiful, I think. I saw one the other day,
of what species of course I do not know, of a warm and rich brown, with
a scarlet hood and crest--a lovely creature, about the size of your
northern robin, but more elegantly shaped.

This morning, instead of my usual visit to the infirmary, I went to look
at the work and workers in the threshing mill--all was going on actively
and orderly under the superintendence of head-man Frank, with whom, and a
very sagacious clever fellow, who manages the steam power of the mill,
and is honourably distinguished as Engineer Ned, I had a small chat.
There is one among various drawbacks to the comfort and pleasure of our
intercourse with these coloured 'men and brethren,' at least in their
slave condition, which certainly exercises my fortitude not a
little,--the swarms of fleas that cohabit with these sable dependants of
ours are--well--incredible; moreover they are by no means the only or
most objectionable companions one borrows from them, and I never go to
the infirmary, where I not unfrequently am requested to look at very
dirty limbs and bodies in very dirty draperies, without coming away with
a strong inclination to throw myself into the water, and my clothes into
the fire, which last would be expensive. I do not suppose that these
hateful consequences of dirt and disorder are worse here than among the
poor and neglected human creatures who swarm in the lower parts of
European cities; but my call to visit them has never been such as that
which constrains me to go daily among these poor people, and although on
one or two occasions I have penetrated into fearfully foul and filthy
abodes of misery in London, I have never rendered the same personal
services to their inhabitants that I do to Mr. ----'s slaves, and so
have not incurred the same amount of entomological inconvenience.

After leaving the mill, I prolonged my walk, and came, for the first time,
upon one of the 'gangs,' as they are called, in full field work. Upon my
appearance and approach there was a momentary suspension of labour, and
the usual chorus of screams and ejaculations of welcome, affection, and
infinite desires for infinite small indulgences. I was afraid to stop
their