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Slaves that seriously misbehave, are usually sent to the islands, where the toil on the sugar plantations proves a very sufficient punishment. The day I was six, a boy was given to me, in the manner I have mentioned; and he remained not only my property, but my factotum, to this moment. It was Yaap, or Jacob, the negro to whom I have already had occasion to allude.
De houses seem mean, de barns look empty, de fencea be low, and de niggers, ebbery one of 'em, look cold, sah yes, sah 'ey look berry cold!" As a "cold negro" was a most pitiable object in negro eyes, I saw by this summary that Yaap had commenced his travels in much of the same temper of superciliousness as Jason Newcome.
This parting did not take place, however, until the following had been uttered between us: "Well, Yaap," I inquired, as a sort of close to the previous discourse, "how do you like the upper counties?" A loud negro laugh succeeded, and a repetition of the question was necessary to extort an answer. "Lor', Masser Corny, how you t'ink I know, when dere not'in but snow to be seen!"
Even a negro boy, who was about my own age, and whose name was Jacob, or Jaap, but who was commonly called Yaap, grinned at the remark, for he had a sovereign contempt for Yankee Land, and all it contained; almost as sovereign a contempt as that which Yankee Land entertained for York itself, and its Dutch population.
I found Guert just as ready and just as friendly on this occasion, as he had been on the previous day. Not only were all our effects disposed of, but all our negroes were hired to the army for the campaign, Yaap excepted. The boys went off with their teams towards the north that same afternoon, in high spirits, as ready for a frolic as any white youths in the colony.
Yaap arrived with his 'brigade of sleighs' about noon, and I went in search of Guert, in whose company I repaired once more to the office of the contractor. Horses, harness, sleighs, provisions and all were taken at high prices, and I was paid for the whole in Spanish gold; joes and half-joes being quite as much in use among us in that day as the coin of the realm.
Here another burst of loud, hearty "yah yah yahs succeeded; and Yaap had his laugh out before another word could be got out of him, when I put the question a third time. "Well, den, Masser Corny, sin' you will know, dis is my mind. Dis country is oncomparable wid our ole county sah.
Yaap, or Jaap, as I shall call him in future, and Pete, performed domestic duty, acting as scullions and cooks, though the first was much better fitted to perform the service of a forester.
As for the divine, he declared that he saw a suitable 'field' for his missionary labour where he was; while, it was easy to see, that he questioned if there were fields of any sort, where we were going. Our party, on quitting Ravensnest, consisted of Dirck and myself, Guert, Mr. Traverse, the surveyor, three chain-bearers, Jaap or Yaap, Guert's man, Pete, and one woodsman or hunter.
I permitted Yaap to go on with his sleigh, to be absent for a few days, but he was to return and join us before we proceeded in quest of the 'Patent, after the breaking up of the winter. It was late in the afternoon before everything was settled, when Guert invited me to take a turn with him on the river in his own sleigh.
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