| Description | Very exact and exhaustive reports of the produce (in hogsheads and pounds) and of its disposal to the respective London merchants (John Butler, Truman and Douglas). More interesting still, as giving sidelights on life in a West Indian plantation, are the "sundry disbursements", which include all payments.for upkeep, repairs, medical treatment of negroes, the public and parish levies per head of negro etc. As illustrating the range of interest, we read in the 1745 account of £1. 10. 0. being paid for gunpowder "when it was reported the Island was to be invaded" and £44 8. 0. for barrels of beef and pork "to carrry to the mountains", again in case of invation. So dear were the negroes in the market that much care was taken to keep their bodies whole - a doctor was paid £1/4 in 1746 for "curing fracture of both bones" in a negro named "Tim"; in 1747 as much as £18 was paid for six barrels of beef "for the Negroes' Xmass" (December 16) |