Log-book of Timothy Boardman

I have Just mentioned a People Professing Christianity. I believe there is a few who now & then go to Church but by all the Observation I have been able to make I find that Horse Racing, Frolicking Rioting Gaming of all Kinds Open Markets, and Traffick, to be the Chief Business of their Sabbaths. I am far from Supposing there is not a few Righteous there But was it to have the chance which Soddom had, that if there was five Righteous men it Should Save the City. I believe there would be only a Lot & Family, & his wife I should be afraid would Look Back.

Another remark that I shall make is this, Marriage in Most Countrys is Deemed Sacred, and here there are many honourable and I believe happy Matches, But to see among the Commonalty a Man take a Woman without so much Ceremony as Jumping over a Broom Stick at the time of their Agreement, to see her Content herself to be his Slave to work hard to maintain him & his Babs & then to Content herself with a flogging if she only says a word out of Doors at the End of it, and then take his other Doxy who Perhaps has Served him well – and so one Lover to another, Succeeds another and another after that the last fool is as welcome as the former, till having liv,d hour out he Gives Place & Mingles with the herd who went Before him. These things may to some People who are unacquainted with such Transactions appear Strange and Odd, but how shall I express myself – what Feelings have I had within myself to behold one of these Slaves or Rather whole Tribes of them belonging to one Master who Perhaps has the happiness of an Ofspring of beautifull Virgins whose Eyes must be continually assaulted with a Spectacle which Modesty forbids me to Mention. I have Seen at a Tea table a Number of the fair Sex, which a Man of Sentiments would have almost Ador,d and a man of Modesty would not have been so Indecent as to have Unbuttond his knee to adjust his Garter – Yet have I Seen a Servant of both Sexes Enter in Such Dishabitable as to be obligd to Display those Parts which ought to be Concealed. To see Men Approach the Room where those Angelick Creatures meet & View those Beautifull Countenances & Sparkling Eyes, which would almost tell You that they abhor,d the Cruel imposition of their Parents, who Perhaps Loaded with a Plentifull fortune, would not afford a decent Dress to their Servants to hide their Shame from such Sight I have turnd my Eyes. I would not mean to be two Severe nor have it thought but there are great numbers who have a Sence of the Necessity of a Due decorum keep their Servants in a Verry Genteel manner and do honor to their keepers but those who have Viewed such scenes as well as myself will testify to this Truth & Say with me that Droll appearances would Present themselves to view that in Spite of all that I could Do would Oblige me to give a total grin, the Particular above mentioned altho they appear a Little forecast are absolutely matters of fact & not Indeed to Convey any Ill Idea to ye mind.

In a Commertial way by what little opportunity I have had to make any Remarks on them. I find that in Casting up their accounts that there are a Number which Deservs to be Put on ye Cr Side. But money getting being Mankinds Universal harvest I find as many Reapers as one would wish to see in Such an Open Field for every one to have a fare Sweep with the Sickle which as frequently cuts your purse Strings as anything Else, their Rakes are Most Excellent nothing is lost for want of geathering & you may depend on it their Bins are so Close that But a trifle of what they Put in ever Comes out of the Cracks. Sometimes you will see a small Trifle peep its Nose out on a Billiard Table, now & then the four knaves will tempt a Small Parcell to walk on the Table, & I believe Black Gammon, Shuffle Board, horse Racing, & that Noble Game of Roleing two Bullets on the Sandy Ground Where if there Should be ye Least Breath air it would Blind you all those would help a little of it to Move & if I added Whoreing and Drinking they would Not Deny the Charge. If the things Mentioned above are to be Deemed Vices. I think no Person that Comes to Carolina will find any Scarcity, Provided they have such articles as Suits such a Market. I cannot from my hart Approve of their Method of Living – not but that their Provision is Wholesome but In Genral they Dont Coock it well. Rice bares the Sway, in Room of Bread, with any kind of victuals and Ever in Families of Fashion you will see a Rice Pudding (If it Deserves the Name) to be Eat as we do our Bread, I am affraid of Being too cencorious or I would Remark Numberless things which to a Person unacquainted with Place would even Look Childish to mention but as I only make this Obsn for my own amusement never Intending they Shall be ever seen but by Particular friends. I shall omit any niceities of Expressions and Shall write a few more Simple facts I have seen Gamblers, Men Pretended Friends to you that would hug you in their Bosoms till they were Certain they had Gotten what they could from you, & then for a Shilling would Cut Your Throat. I would not Mean by this to Convey the Idea of their being a Savage people in General. There are Gentlemen of Charracter & who Ritchly Deserve the Name – but as there are Near Seven Blacks to one White Man, the Austerities used to the Slaves in their Possessions, is the Reason as I immagion of their looking on & Behaving to a White Man who Differs from them in their Manners and not bred in their Country in a Way Not much Different from which they treats their Blacks. I Have been told that the Place is Much alterd from what it was Before the Present Dispute & that a Number of the Best Part of People are Moved out of Charlestown for the honour of Charlestown. I will believe it and wish it may be Restord to its Primitive Lusture. However let me not look all on the Dark Side there are Many things well worth Praise, there Publick Buildings are well finishd & Calculated for the Convenience of Publick & Private Affairs, their Churches make a verry fine Appearance and are finishd Agreeable to the Rules of Architecture. I do not Mean that they are the Most elegant I ever Saw, but so well Performd as would Declare those who Reared them Good Artissts, the Streets are well Laid out & a verry good Brick Walk on Each Side for foot Passengers, their Streets are not Pavd but Verry Sandy, and the heat of the Climate is Such that the Sand is Generally verry Disagreeable & Occasions a number of Insects Commonly Calld Sand flies, the Lowness of the Land and the Dead water in Different Places in the Town & out of it Occasions another Breed of Insects well Known by the Name of Musketoes. These Creatures are well disciplined for they do Not Scout in private Places nor in Small Companies as tho Affraid to attack but Joining in as many Different Colloums as there are Openings to Your Dwellings they make a Desperate push and Seldom fail to Annoy their Enemy in Such a Manner that they leave their Adversary in a Scratching humor the Next Morning throo Vexation. It would be endless to mention the advantages & Disadvantages of the Place but this I am fully Assurd of. If the White People would be so Industrous as to till the Land themselves and see every thing Done so as to have less of those Miserable Slaves in the Country the Place to me would have a verry Different Appearance. I have heard it Allegd as a Pretext for keeping so many Slaves that white People cannot Endure the heat of the Climate & that there can be but verry little done without these Slaves, that there could be but a verry little done is to me a Matter of Doubt, but that there would be but Verry little If the People Retain their Luxury & Love of all kinds of Sport is to me Beyond all doubt. I have Seen more Persons than a few worry themselves at Gaming In an Excessive hot Day in Such a Manner that a Moderate Days work would be a Pleasure to it. These things have convincd me of the Foolish wicked and Absurd Notions which People seem to have Adopted in General that Because these Issacars are like Issacars of Old. Strong Asser Couching Down between two Burthens and have not Got the means of Preserving their Liberty were they Ever So Desirous of it and are kept in Such a miserable manner as never to know the Blessings of it. I say these things have Convincd me of the Notorious Violation of the Rights of Mankind and which I think no Rational Man will Ever try to Justify. America my Earnest Prayer is that thou mayst preserve thy Own Freedom from any Insolvent Invaders who may attempt to Rob the of the Same – but be Sure to let Slavery of all kinds ever be Banishd from thy habbittations.

Fins Camsiocelo.

SONGS

A SEAMAN’S SONG

1Come all you Joval Seaman, with Courage Stout & boldthat Value more your Honour, than Mysers do their GoldWhen we Receive Our Orders, we are Obligd to goO’er the Main to Proud Spain, Let the Winds Blow high or Low.2It was the fifteenth of September, from Spithead we Sat Sailwe had Rumbla in our Company, Blest with a Pleasant Galewe Sailed away together, for the Bay of Biscay, oGoing along Storms Come on, and the winds Began to Blow.3The winds and Storms increasd the Bumbla Bore awayand left the Cantaborough, for No Longer Could She Stay& when they Came to Gibralter, they told the People Sothat they thought we were Lost, in the Bay of Biscay, O.4But as Providence would have it, it was not quite so BadBut first we lost our Missen Mast, and then went off our Flagthe Next we Lost our Main Mast, one of our Guns alsoWith five Men, Drowned then, in the Bay of Biscay, O.5The Next we Lost our foremast, which was a Dreadfull Strokeand in our Larboar Quarter, a Great hole there was Brokeand then the Seas come Roleing in, our Gun Room it Did flowThus we Rold and we told, in the Bay of Biscay, O.6It was Dark and Stormy Weather, Sad and Gloomy NightOur Captain on the Quarter Deck, that Day was killd Outritethe Rings that on his fingers were, in Pieces burst AlsoThus we were in Dispare, in the Bay of Biscay, O.7But when we Came to Gibralter, and lay in our New Holdthe People they Came flocking Down, our Ship for to Beholdthey Said it was the Dismalest Sight, that Ever they Did knowWe never Pind, But Drunk Wine, till we Drowned all our Woe.

A COUNTRY SONG

1On the Sweet Month of May we’ll Repair to the MountainAnd Set we Down there by a Clear Crystial fountainWhere the Cows sweetly Lowing In a Dewy MorningWhere Phebus oer the Hills and Meddow are Adorning.2A Sweet Country Life is Delightfull and CharmingWalking abroad in a Clear Summer’s MorningO your Towns and Your Cities Your Lofty high TowersAre not to be Compar,d with Shades & Green Bowers.3O Little I regard your Robes and fine DressesYour Velvets & Scarlets and Other ExcessesMy own Country Fashions to me is More EndearingThan your Pretty Prisemantle or your Bantle Cloth Wearing.