129
                   Plantation and Slaves.
plankways over huge hogsheads of the manu-
factured material, and by vats of molasses.
The overseer commonly lived in the �mill�
during the process of manufacturing; we saw
his bed in a sort of open chamber on a rai-
sed platform, to which we ascended by a
flight of stairs.  The mill was ordinarily �run�
by steam and lighted with gas, but neither
agencies were in working order now.  To other
buildings, walking over the refuse cane-stalks
which littered the ground like straw in an En-
glish farm-yard.          The negroes� dinner was
being prepared at one of the houses and Knapp
descanted on the good qualities of it.    He was
a tallish, chubby-faced man, an ex-New Yorker,
with an uneasy expression of countenance.  He
appeared equally desirous of exhibiting slavery
in an agreeable light to us and afraid of his
slaves.   �They�d all got it into their heads that
they were going to be free,� he said, pointing
out the one described in the letter on page 127.
�He expected they�d all run away!� viciously
and nervously.      �Where would they run to?�
asked Strother, for the benefit of the listening
slaves.  (He was a Virginian and a pro-sla-
very man, himself.)     The whole episode was
just the old dreary false presentiment of the
�institution� that one is so familiar with from