Narrative of a visit to the West Indies : in 1840 and 1841

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Basse Terre are well supplied with customers m a k i n g t h e i r p u r c h a s e s for t h e o c c a s i o n . Pre­ v i o u s to E m a n c i p a t i o n , t h e s e d a y s w e r e k e p t in rioting a n d d e b a u c h e r y ; b u t since t h e d a t e of freedom a great c h a n g e has been manifest. T h e a m u s e m e n t s , formerly in favor, a r e fast g o i n g o u t of d a t e , w h i l e a n a t t e n t i o n to religious e n ­ g a g e m e n t s is i n c r e a s i n g , a n d a m u c h g r e a t e r d e g r e e of m o d e r a t i o n o b s e r v e d ; still w e n o t i c e t h e w a n t of a b s t i n e n c e o n t h e p a r t of m a n y f r o m t h e u s e of s t r o n g d r i n k s , a n d for t h e first t i m e since w e h a v e b e e n on this mission, w e s a w a n u m b e r intoxicated. W e held a meeting in the Court-house in B a s s e T e r r e ; b u t such w a s the prevailing dis­ p o s i t i o n t o m e r r i m e n t a m o n g t h e p e o p l e , it s e e m e d difficult t o g e t t h e m t o g e t h e r for r e l i ­ gious purposes. Twelfth month 21th.—This morning being t h e first d a y o f t h e w e e k , w e w a l k e d o u t t o Stone's Fort, a n estate m a n a g e d b y R i g a m H i g gins. W e w e r e kindly received b y our friend, and as a previous arrangement had been m a d e for a m e e t i n g t o b e h e l d i n t h e m a n s i o n h o u s e , it w a s w e l l a t t e n d e d b y t h e r e s i d e n t l a b o r e r s a n d a n u m b e r of o t h e r s f r o m t h e a d j a c e n t p l a n ­ t a t i o n s . T h e y w e r e e n c o u r a g e d to o b s e r v e t h e c o m m a n d of J e s u s , " s e e k first t h e k i n g d o m o f G o d a n d t h e r i g h t e o u s n e s s thereof, a n d all things necessary shall b e a d d e d u n t o y o u . " In the afternoon w e h a d a meeting at the h o u s e o f J o h n C h a l l e n g e r , a n officer of t h e c u s ­ t o m s in B a s s e T e r r e , b u t r e s i d i n g n e a r S t o n e Fort. J o h n is a m a n of c o l o r , a n d h a s a n i n t e -


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