MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



415 



which he might be sold, if that 

 price is higher than what the slave 

 was worth at the time he was first 

 bought. This regulation, like 

 every one that is framed in favour 

 of slaves, is liable to be evaded, 

 and the master sometimes does 

 refuse to mammiit a valuable 

 slave ; and no a])|)eal is made by 

 the sufferer, owing to the state of 

 law in thatc'jxmtry, which renders 

 it almost impossible for the slave 

 to gain a hearing ; and likewise 

 this acquiesence in the injustice of 

 the master proceeds ' from the 

 dread, that if he was not to suc- 

 ceed he would be punirhed, and 

 that his life might be rendered 

 more miserable than it was before. 

 Consequently a great deal depends 

 upon the inclinations of the mas- 

 ter, who will however be very 

 careful in refusing to manumit, 

 owing to the well known opinion 

 of every priest in fav our of this re- 

 gulation, to the feelings of the in- 

 dividuals of his own class in so- 

 ciety, and to those of the lower 

 orders of the people, and likewise 

 he will be afiaid of losing his 

 slave ; he may escajie with his 

 money, and the master will then 

 run nmch risk of never seeing him 

 again, particularly if the individual 

 is a Creole slave. In general 

 therefore no doubts are urged, 

 when application is made for ma- 

 numission bv a slave to his master ; 

 who is indeed oftentimes prepared 

 for it by the habits of industry 

 and jegularityof his slave, and by 

 common report among the other 

 slaves and free j)ersons upon the 

 estate, that the individual in ques- 

 tion is scraping together a sum of 

 money for this purpose. The 

 niJister might indeed deprive the 

 slave of the fruits of his ow n la- 



bour, but this is never thought of, 

 because the slave preserves his 

 money in a secret place, or has in- 

 trusted it to some person upon 

 whom he can depend, and would 

 suffer any punishment rather than 

 disclose the spot in which iiis 

 wealth lies concealed. A still more 

 forcible reason than any other, for 

 tlie forbearance of the master, is 

 to be found in the di ead of acting 

 against public opinion ; in the 

 shame which would follow the 

 comniission of sucli an act ; and 

 perhaps the natiual goodness which 

 exists in almostevery human being, 

 wovdd make him shim such gross 

 injustice, would make him avoid 

 such a deed of baseness. 



A slave is often permitted by his 

 owner to seek a master moie to his 

 liking ; for this jmrpose a note is 

 given, declaring that the bearer 

 has leave to enter into the service 

 of any one, upon the price which 

 the master demands being paid by 

 the purchaser. With this the 

 slave applies to any individual of 

 property whom he may wish to 

 serve ; owing to having heard a 

 good report of his character to- 

 wards his slaves, or from any 

 other cause. This is a frequent 

 practice, and at least admits the 

 possibility of escape from a sevei e 

 state of bondage to one that is 

 less irksome. 



A considerable number of slaves 

 are manumitted at the death of 

 their masters, and indeed some 

 persons of laige property fail not 

 to set at liberty a few of them 

 during their own lifetime. A 

 deed of manumission, however 

 simply it may be drawn out, can- 

 not be set aside ; a legister of 

 these paj)ers is preserved at the 

 office of every notaiy-public, by 



which 



