Descriptions of Nevis from the eighteenth century paint a picture of an island entirely dominated by sugar plantations. James Rymer, a surgeon who spent several months on Nevis during the 1770s, described the island as a patchwork of sugar plantations, bordered by trees and bushes, which he found quite enchanting: “taking in planters dwelling houses, their different works, etc. together with the negro huts situated in clusters at some little distance from the masters abode, the prospect of the Island is altogether pleasing and agreeable, being variegated with trees and shrubs and fields of sugar canes, whose several never ceasing vegetations confirm the constant spring” (1775:3). Behind this pleasing view of the eternally green, fertile island, however, was a harsh plantation system. William Smith, minister at St. John’s Anglican church from 1716, found that most of the slaves’ lives revolved around the work routine on the plantations. “During Croptime [the harvest season, which usually began in February and finished in July], they work night and day almost incessantly.”1 Outside the harvest season, slaves were employed “howing Canes or digging round Holes to plant them in, (perhaps forty Persons in a row)”. For this toil, the slaves were rewarded with “Salt herrings, and […] Potatoes, which are sweet, and of the Spanish kind”. Smith added, however, that he had observed some slaves eat “Dogs flesh” and also knew “some of them to be fond of eating Grashoppers, or Locusts; others will wrap up Cane Rats, in Bonano-Leaves, and roast them in Wood Embers”, indicating that the amounts and variety of foods provided by the planters was insufficient, The slaves lived under close supervision of the planter: “They live in Huts, on the Western Side of our Dwellinghouses, so that every Plantation resembled a Small Town; and the reason why they are seated on the Western side, is, because we breath the pure Eastern air, without being offended with the least nauseous smell; Our Kitchens and Boyling-houses are on the same side, and for the same reason” (Smith 19745:217, 225-33, et passim).