The richer sort, besides the
slaves of both sexes whom they keep for servile uses in their houses,
have men slaves who wait on them abroad, for state; either running by
their horse-sides when they ride out, or to carry them to and fro on
their shoulders in the town when they make short visits near home. Every
gentleman or merchant is provided with things necessary for this sort of
carriage. The main thing is a pretty large cotton hammock of the West
India fashion, but mostly died blue, with large fringes of the same,
hanging down on each side. This is carried on the negroes' shoulders by
the help of a bamboo about 12 or 14 foot long, to which the hammock is
hung; and a covering comes over the pole, hanging down on each side like
a curtain: so that the person so carried cannot be seen unless he
pleases; but may either lie down, having pillows for his head; or may sit
up by being a little supported with these pillows, and by letting both
his legs hang out over one side of the hammock. When he hath a mind to be
seen he puts by his curtain, and salutes everyone of his acquaintance
whom he meets in the streets; for they take a piece of pride in greeting
one another from their hammocks, and will hold long conferences thus in
the street: but then their 2 slaves who carry the hammock have each a
strong well made staff with a fine iron fork at the upper end, and a
sharp iron below, like the rest for a musket, which they stick fast in
the ground and let the pole or bamboo of the hammock rest upon them till
their master's business or the complement is over.
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