Slewarfs Present 



derate ; and, if tin? parlies choose to have 

 these soleniuities pci foiiiied in tlie 

 church, the rector is not entitled to 

 demand more than the legal fees. But 

 this is seldom done, except by the poor- 

 est persons : it is not considered as 

 liberal or genteel : the rector is usually 

 sent for, and then it is understood that 

 his fee shall he in proportion to the rank 

 and wealth of the parties, and the dis- 

 tance he may have to travel when so 

 summoned. 



There is in Kingston a Presbyterian 

 church. It was established, ahout seven 

 years ago, by the Presbyterian inhabi- 

 tants of that city, who are numerous, 

 opulent, and respectable, assisted by 

 some grants from the assembly. This 

 establishment is recognised as a branch 

 of the church of Scotland, and its pastors 

 are appointed by the presbytery of Edin- 

 burgh. Some narrow-minded persons 

 in the assembly opposed any grants of 

 the public money being voted in aid of 

 this church, on the grounds of its not 

 being recognised by the constitution, 

 and its having no better claim to such 

 support than other dissenting establish- 

 nients: they forgot that the Presbyterian 

 is the established religion of an integral 

 part of the British empire, and that the 

 British legislature sanctions and :issists 

 three Presbyterian establishments in 

 India. The fact is, that the eslahlish- 

 ment in Kingston had become abso- 

 lutely necessary ; for, from the greatly 

 increased population of that city, the 

 parish-church had become insufficient to 

 contain the inhabitants; and that cir- 

 cumstance, and the natural desire which 

 men have to worship their Creator after 

 the manner of their forefathers, sug- 

 gested to the Presbyterian inhabitants 

 the propriety of building a church fur 

 themselves. 



There are also a Roman Catholic 

 chape! in Kingston, several meeting- 

 liouses belonging to jNIcthodists, INIora- 

 vians. Anabaptists, Ike, and a Jewish 

 synagogue. 



THE WHITE INHABITANTS. 



The white inhabitants of Jamaica 

 consist of Creoles, or natives of the 

 country, and Eiirojieans. 'J'here may 

 be about three of the Inrmer to two of 

 the latter, l-'ormerly there was a marked 

 difl'erenec in the habits, manners, and 

 mode of life of those two classes, lint 

 that no longer generally exists. The 

 primitive creolian customs and manners 

 arc fast disH|ipearing, being sujierxeded 

 by the more polished manners of liuro- 

 pean life. Even \^ ithin the last fifteen 



State of Jamaica. €07 



or twenty years a very considerable ini- 

 proveraent has taken place in the state 

 of society here. This is owing in a 

 great measure to the now universally 

 prevailing practice of sending the chil- 

 dren of both sexes to Great Britain for 

 their education. . 



Wlicrever slavery exists, llicre must 

 be many things attending it unfavoura- 

 ble to the improvement of the minds and 

 manners of a people: arbitrary habits 

 are acquired, irritation and violent pas- 

 sions are engendered — partly, indeed, by 

 the perversencss of the slaves, — and the 

 feelings are gradually blunted by the 

 constant exercise of a too unrestrained 

 power, and the scenes to which it is 

 continually giving birth. The very 

 children, in some families, are so used to 

 see or hear the negro servants whijiped, 

 for the offences they commit, that it 

 becomes a sort of amusement to them. 

 It unfortunately happens that the fe- 

 males, as well as the males, are too 

 apt to contract domineering and harsh 

 ideas svith resi)ect to their slaves — ideas 

 ill suited to the native softness and hu- 

 manity of the female heart, — so lliat the 

 severe and arbitrary mistress will not on- 

 frequently be combined with the affec- 

 tionate wife, the tender mother, and 

 agreeable companion; — such is the elTect 

 of early habits and aeeustomed preju- 

 dices, suffering qualities so anomalous to 

 exist in the same breast. A young 

 lady, while yet a child, has a little 

 negress of lier own age pointed out to 

 her as one destined to be her future 

 waiting-maid ; her infant mind cannot 

 conceive the harm of a little vexa- 

 tious tyraiuiy over this sable being, 

 who is her property; and thus are ar- 

 bitrary ideas gradually ingrafted in her 

 nature. Sucii is the power of habit 

 over the heart, that the woman accus- 

 tomed to the exercise of severity soon 

 loses all the natural softness of her sex. 

 Nothing was more common formerly 

 than for white mistresses not only to 

 order their slaves to be (lunished, bnt 

 j)ersonally to see that the punishment 

 was duly inflicted. 



Every unmarried while man, and of 

 every class, has his black or his browu 

 mistress, with whom he lives openly ; 

 and of so lilllo consequence is this 

 thought, that his white female friends 

 and relations think it no breach of de- 

 corum to visit his house, partake of liis 

 liosj)itality, fondle his children, and con- 

 verse with his /loitiiherper— as if that 

 conduct, wliich tl;«y regarde<l as dis- 

 graceful in their owii<;/^s<i, was not so 

 in the female of colour. < 



If 



