The bet Capt.

Helm made considerable effort to get, but was unsuccessful.
Mrs.Helm was a very industrious woman, and generally busy in her household affairs--sewing, knitting, and looking after the servants; but she was a great scold,--continually finding fault with some of the servants, and frequently punishing the young slaves herself, by striking them over the head with a heavy iron key, until the blood ran; or else whipping them with a cowhide, which she always kept by her side when sitting in her room.

The older servants she would cause to be punished by having them severely whipped by a man, which she never failed to do for every trifling fault.

I have felt the weight of some of her heaviest keys on my own head, and for the slightest offences.

No slave could possibly escape being punished--I care not how attentive they might be, nor how industrious--punished they must be, and punished they certainly were.