COVE

Page 1 of Richard Barrett's manuscript.
Accession #: n.d./137

Transcript: Austin was a creole negro slave, & lived on his master's property in the
Island of Jamaica. His good conduct had secured him the confidence
of several successive overseers, & he became the head-driver or black
overseer of the estate. His authority over his fellow negroes was great
both from his office, & his determined character: he was faithful to the
interests of his owner, without being oppressive to the slaves under his control:
they loved & feared him. But the time came, when a new Superintendant
of petty mind, became jealous of an influence which he thought only him-
self should possess; & he would willingly have degraded Austin had not
the master of both known the value of his negro, & that the power he
held was beneficially exercised. Austin, however, was compelled to be
very cautious in his conduct, that the white overseer night have no cause
of complaint against him; he was more than ever regular in the per-
formance of his duties, but took care not to exceed them. To a neighbour-
ing estate there belonged an African negro, whose hardy robberies had pro-
cured for him the nick-name of Copperbottom among the other slaves. He
was the terror of all the watchmen in the vicinity, & so emboldened by
impunity that he was often known to give notice of his intended de-
predations long before he committed them—he would even appoint the
night & the hour when he might be expected. He had killed &
wounded several watchmen who had ventured to defend their yam pieces