Authors: Caryl Phillips
It was at this crossroad that I felt I ought to remind my companions, in as pleasant a fashion as possible, of my position as the daughter of an absentee owner. While it would be true to claim that my father has a healthy annual income returned to the mother-country, and has also been known to indulge in the common practice of borrowing heavily with his trans-Atlantic properties as security, surely the fact that I had arrived to inspect the estate made him less culpable than these absentee blackguards. They agreed, but suggested that their basic argument was sound. Absenteeism was the primary cause of social breakdown, for just as one could not run a school without a headmaster, or a monarchical system without a monarch, one could not hope to run these tropical possessions without commitment to responsibility at the highest level. It was further suggested that in the West Indies the white expatriate of upper rank is liable to become simply indolent and inert, regardless of all but eating, drinking and self-indulgence. 'What is a man, If his chief good and market of his time, Be but to sleep and feed?' Mr McDonald declared. The passion with which he declaimed these lines from
Hamlet
surprised me not a little. I had not thought him so excitable. In the lower orders, they are the same, with the addition of conceit and tyranny, considering the negroes to be creatures formed merely to administer to their ease, and to be subject to their vagary. These degraded white people appear to be the offscum, the offscouring, indeed the very dregs of English life. It is near impossible, contended our physician-politician, to persuade these white people, high or low, that blacks are human beings, or that they might possess souls.
On completion of this interlude, Mr Rogers replaced upon the table a piece of bread that was already half-way lifted to his mouth, and sought clarification from Mr McDonald that he had understood him correctly. He claimed that our physician, this same man who appeared to be defending the blacks, was one who had frequently spoken otherwise of our darker brethren.
Mr McDonald smiled, and then prepared to defend himself, first by restating briefly his opinions upon the white populace in case there should have been any misunderstanding of his position. 'In short, our islands have become the midden for the detritus of the parent country.' At this point Mr McDonald paused for effect, and then continued. 'But this is not totally the fault of the white arrivant. Constant association with an inferior race will weaken the moral fibre of a white man and debase the quality of his life. A mere glance should be sufficient to convince an observer that the West Indian negro has all the characteristics of his race. That he steals, lies, is witless, incompetent, irresponsible, habitually lazy, and wantonly loose in his sexual behaviour, is apparent to even the most generous of those who would take
sambo's
part. It is only the dread of corporal punishment which keeps these incorrigible thieves in order. To each other they display unimaginable cruelty, and when they fight they are particularly adept at kicking and biting. All attempts at mental instruction having failed, it is to be regretted that only a hearty laying on of that hateful implement, the whip, will rid them of their rebellious thoughts.'
I listened intently, and observed Mr Rogers nodding in agreement with some of what the doctor prescribed. Mr McDonald went on and claimed that the clearest evidence of West Indian moral turpitude was to be found in the social evil of miscegenation, a practice contrary to the Anglo-Saxon nature, and one that gave rise to a sub-species of hybrid. Some white men, though considering negroes little more than beasts of burden, had no objection to making these negroes partners of their illicit intercourse, and then condemning the issue of such unions to shame and degradation. The female offspring invariably take the name
of housekeeper
and in turn become the mistresses of white men, while the male offspring merely drag out an existence as scarcely tolerated spaniels permitted to lick the feet of their masters, but just as likely to be kicked out of doors on a whim. The mothers of such children face an even
worse destiny, having been used by degenerate Englishmen who no doubt simply came to make a quick fortune and return rejoicing at their success. Such women are abandoned with little to sustain them socially but the significance given their litter's skin, and seldom even the most meagre of allowances. These dingy women may soon grow fat upon the bread of prostitution, and when their bodies become diseased, and their constitutions weakened by dissipation and excess, their sources of support fail, and the curse of poverty falls hard and heavy upon the afflictions of decrepit age. Their lot, truly, is wretched, more so when one considers that in the tropics, unlike England, immorality is impossible to conceal, for all is known and speedily rumoured abroad.
I must concede that there followed a few moments of silence. Both men appeared to wonder if their talk had not gone too far and had, perhaps, angered me. For my own part I felt privileged to have witnessed such a debate between two responsible men, one clearly dominant over the other and likely to win any argument by force of personality, the other gifted with a more temperate spirit, but unable to stem the tide raging against him. Mr McDonald added a
coda
to his argument, in a most witty and informative manner. The separation of castes in India, he claimed, is not more formally observed than the careful division of shades in the tropics caused by indulgence in this miscegenation, or race-mixing. The offspring of a white man and a black woman is a
mulatto;
the mulatto and the black produce a
sambo;
from the mulatto and white comes the
quadroon;
from the quadroon and the white the
mustee;
the child of a mustee by a white man is called a
musteefino;
while the children of a musteefino are free by law, and rank as white persons to all intents and purposes.
Mr McDonald's careful definitions caused some much-needed laughter all around. The divers black attendants, who had been audience to all that we had said, brought forth the Bristol beer and punch, along with dishes of tea. To a person they
displayed the virtuous animal fidelity of the dog. Mr Rogers seemed anxious to leave our contentious zone of discussion. He therefore turned the conversation upon Mr McDonald's work, and skilfully diverted it from any scrutiny of his own duties within the Church.
He inquired of Mr McDonald if he had explained to me the nature of a physician's responsibilities, and Mr McDonald asserted that he had done so. The doctor then informed us that he would gladly enlarge upon such of these responsibilities as might cause- us further amusement. He re-asserted that the hospital was crowded with patients who have little the matter with them, who can only diagnose their illness as a 'lilly pain here, massa', or 'a bad pain me somewhere, massa', and who evidently visit the sick-house only in order that they might idly sit and jabber away time with friends. Of the authentic negro diseases, chief among them would appear to be lameness. It is principally as a result of the
chegoe,
that ubiquitous diminutive fly which works itself into the feet to lay its eggs, and, if not carefully and swiftly extracted, will corrupt the flesh around it. It seems the negroes are all provided with small knives for the purpose of extracting the
chegoe,
but as no pain is felt until the sore is produced, the extreme laziness of the negro frequently leads them to neglect this simple precaution. As a result dirt will enter the wound and make it difficult to obtain a cure. (Sometimes the black will go lame for life.)
The good doctor's general point about negro illness related to their cowardice. Mr McDonald asserted that in the matter of bodily pain it was not possible to be more craven than the sooty brethren. At the mere application of a poultice to a finger, or some such trifle, strong young bucks often cry out with tears running down their faces as though suffering amputation. At the conclusion of this
ordeal
the progeny of Afric's despised inhabitants are wont to clap their horny hands together, and, of a sudden, white grinders will shine bright from their black visages. This dread of medical treatment often
leads them to conceal real disease, and such cowardice carries off many negroes each season. With this' final observation of negro life our good doctor, having satisfied his thirst and filled his belly, hauled himself to his feet. He bade us farewell, and declared that once he had attended to his duties on a nearby estate he would send back the carriage for his friend.
Mr Rogers and I retired to the piazza, where we were able to view the good doctor riding off to repair the negroes of another owner. I felt sure that if I listened closely I might hear Mr Rogers whispering a prayer for their salvation. I looked across at Mr Rogers, having already conceived a design by which I might extract further information from our man of the cloth as to the fate of Mr Wilson and how he came to be replaced by the uncivil Mr Brown. The first strategy of this programme involved enquiring after and then listening to his deliberations upon his fellow members of the Church. His answers proved to confirm what I had suspected, that those in tropical holy orders are often lacking in both learning and piety, and serve as models of ill-conduct. Some are quite
addicted
to lewdness, drinking and gambling. Indeed, Mr Rogers suggested that some were better qualified to be retailers of salt-fish, or boatswains, rather than ministers of the Gospel. As to the reasons for this, they are two-fold. Firstly, tithes are customarily paid with produce of a decidedly inferior sort. Accordingly, emoluments vary considerably from year to year, but are never sufficient to support the superior churchman. As to the second reason, it would appear that the planters have little or no religion. The making and maintenance of money is their God, and the expenditure of time and thought upon religious subjects is deemed 'bad business'. Naturally enough, the ambitious or able minister is unlikely to be attracted to this tropical region.
With regard to the spiritual welfare of the negro, Mr Rogers felt that as a member of the Anglican Church this was not his duty. The Moravians and Methodists seemed to find some purpose to such labour, but Mr Rogers claimed that to pitch
a sermon or an interpretation of the Gospel at a level base enough for the negro to understand would require a pastor with a thorough knowledge of negro customs, and modes of speech. Such a mentor would also have to instill in his charges the understanding that the emotions and intellect of the untutored savage are not those of the European, who learns from the Christian message a blessed form of self-control from an early age. A negro will one day shed tears at the plight and sufferings of our sweet saviour, and the very next day plead total ignorance of our redeemer's existence. Were one's aim to be a revolution in the moral conduct of the negro, then Mr Rogers was adamant that the
teachings
of
massa
would be of greater benefit than the
preachings
of any minister.
It was at about this time that we fell into a deep and lengthy silence. I was trying to frame my next assault upon Mr Rogers when I heard a light snore emanate from his person. It seems as though the custom of taking a rest after lunch extends to those who watch over our spiritual and moral welfare. I longed for Mr Rogers to re-awaken so that I might question him of Mr Wilson, and to this end I even toyed with the idea of asking one of the male house negroes to arouse him. However, I finally decided it prudent to let him slumber in the shade of the piazza, for the stiff sea-breeze had died away and a slothful calm prevailed. The extensive view from the piazza features an expanse of harvestable vegetation, but the higher slopes are rich with thick dark forest, parts of which I imagine could never have been trodden by the feet of man. The arrangement of the majestic trees, some solitary, others elegantly grouped, presents a picturesque scene. These trees of noble growth cover all the banks and ridges, while the master-tree, the tall coconut, moves her fronds in stately regal fashion. These giant ostrich-feather branches hung almost motionless in what little breeze remained. Down towards the coast, which from the height of the Great House appears rough and barren, are clustered numerous fruit trees upon whom I am learning to
bestow a name; the sea-side Grape, sugar-apple, breadfruit, soursop, pawpaw, custard apple, mango, lime, acacia, orange, guava, etc. Examples of all these trees are to be found, although I cannot as yet claim the expertise of a trained eye.
Presently the carriage could be seen returning up the steep ascent of the hill. As though aware of my intentions all along, the frail Mr Rogers only now managed to stir himself from sleep. He shook slightly, as a puppy might, and then coughed heavily so that his body trembled like a leaf. He rose sheepishly, but stood formally to attention, embarrassed it seemed at having ascended into the higher world and left me unattended in this. Furthermore, he seemed distressed that he should have re-entered this world in such an ill-organized fashion. Our contrite churchman stuttered a few words of apology, then quickly gathered his walking cane and bade me a hearty and warm, if somewhat hurried, farewell. As I watched him climb aboard his carriage I found it difficult to arrest the laughter welling up inside me. Poor Mr Rogers. After enduring the predicament of trying to contain the excesses of his friend's well-lubricated tongue, he then fails wholly to engage with his host and imposes upon her an hour or so of his slumbering silence. I wondered if I would ever again set eyes upon this man's timid face. Goodbye, Mr Rogers!
Feeling near-drained by what had already proved an exhausting and eventful day, I retired to my room to rest and prepare for my customary solitary dinner. Mr Brown had taken to dining alone, either after I had concluded my repast, or before I had begun it, according to his whim. However, I was delivered from a light siesta by a knock upon the door, which then opened. Before me stood Mr Brown, bold and unapologetic in his manner, asking if I might wish to dine with him this evening. I do not know if it was curiosity, or simply surprise that stirred me to agree, whereupon he nodded briskly and withdrew as quickly as he had appeared. The next on the scene was a joyful Stella, who bustled about as though I had in some way achieved
a minor success. I resented greatly Stella's gay disposition and now solemnly wished that I had found some way to refuse Mr Brown's crudely presented offer of his company, but clearly it was too late.