Among the grooms and “house-boys” (as the Antiguans call their domestic men-servants) there are also some to be met with who have a fair character for general good behaviour, but they are rare instances—seldom found. The greater part of the grooms are too fond of galloping their masters’ horses, (a practice common with most negroes, who will ride almost as soon as they can walk;) and with respect to the latter-mentioned class, indolence and prevarication form (as we have already seen) too often the predominant traits in their character.
Another peculiarity among this tribe is the freedom with which they address their employers. This has even increased, if anything, since emancipation; for now they are free, they appear to think themselves upon an equality with the highest in the land. They condescend, it is true, to take your money, but at the same time seem to think it a degradation to do your work. If it is necessary to find fault with any part of their conduct, they generally return a saucy answer, or else make this rejoinder— “Bery well, as we can’t agree, we best part; me no care to hire meself out again;” and immediately collecting their different articles together, (including, perhaps, some belonging to their master or mistress, of course by mistake!) away they go, and the only plan you can adopt is, to procure another domestic in their place, who, perhaps, acts even worse.
I would not wish to be thought unreasonably prepossessed in favour of my own country-people, but, conscientiously speaking, I have never met with one black domestic who acts with the same degree of propriety as most of the English servants do. If you keep them at their proper distance, they become dissatisfied, and complain of your being harsh to them; if, on the contrary, you shew them any degree of attention, and try to make their situation as comfortable as possible, they then assume too much, and entirely forget the difference of rank. Try to serve them, and it is ten chances to one you make them your enemy; do them ninety-nine favours, and refuse the hundredth, and you are reviled and blamed as if you had injured them.
An old English gentleman, who had spent the greater part of his life in Antigua, and who has several hundreds of these people under his control, used to say, that “the worse you behave to a negro, the better he behaves to you.” This is a doctrine, however, which I do not admit, let the negro character be as defective as it may.