The
John crows Vultures are better off than us, they have their
belly full, they eat all the filth
which is thrown away or lies in the street, you are fined and punished if any one dare touch them.
This week has been very wretched to me. I have only gone to the sea side to pick a few shells for Janey.
19th. March Sunday Another eventful week pastd, we fared tolerably well as I went to market and
bought salt fish, liver etc. but the liver was bad, I shall buy no more of it. My Father greatly vexed
and disappointed at not receiving any letter from my Mother: he received a large paket from the Colonel
but it was written the day after we left Salt Creek; of course he knew nothing about the Columbians; how
it will operate on his mind as regards my Father's future destiny, is what makes him very thoughtful
and always savage with me; he received likewise another parcel from
Colonel Harrison the U.States Consul.
I am endeavouring to get employment, but I find it very difficult tho I have the assistance of Dr. Binns
and others.
My Father had a new scholar this week, Mr. Simon Taylor and he dined yesterday at Mr. Gyles's
where he met a Monsr. Giojin who left Ireland purposely to become a fencing master in Jamaica but
he will be wofully disappointed !! The Isabel arrived here last Tuesday with Captn. Humphries my
Father waited on him; among other things Capt.H told him that he took Colonel Paredes the governor
who succeeded my Father a prisoner and carried him to the capital of Vaagua. I hope this week will
turn out better than the 2 preceeding ones.
25th. March, Easter Sunday: My Father's situation becomes
every day more irksome! we are both very badly off but my Father feels the most. A French fencing master
being here but finding he can do nothing, he wishes my Father to have a public assault with him,
my Father has consented, provided he can get 40 subscribers, at a dollar each, which is to be divided
between them, but the people here have no taste for fencing, or indeed any of the fine arts they are
simply tradesmen etc. agriculturists, and even these are over done, numbers are out of employment
I can get nothing to do. Talk of the negroes my Father says (and I know he's right) they are less
workt and are better provided for, than any peasantry on the face of the Earth, yet they say in England
how very miserably they live and talk of their slavery - there is, my Father says in London and in all
of our manufacturing towns more actual misery, labour, coercion, want and disease, than can be found
amongst the whole slave population they will soon find out the difference, 2 years more will make them
as free as Englishmen !! then will come toil, want, misery and death !!