1702. - on Spani/b slaves. : 263 
round a tamb, and protect it with their thade. Ifthe doc- 
trine of the unity of the Deity were not the fundamental 
doctrine of the mufsulmans, one would believe that they 
inherited the mythological system of the ancients, which fil- 
led the woods and forests with divinities. In .a.word;te 
cut down, or mutilate a tree, especially in a burying ground, 
is, in their eyes, to sin against nature, and to insult the 
manes of those who repose under its fhade. These super- 
stitious ideas, ‘which are very general do not, however, 
prevent the soldiers from exercising their barbarous fury 
even upon the very trees they meet within an enemy’s 
country. The more respect they bear for these things, 
‘the more regret they think their enemies will experience 
for the lofs of them; and this is a suffcient reason for ex~ 
: citing their fury. Such are the diabolical ideas that war 
excites among the children of men! Who then can exes 
crate this mischievous system too much? 
REGULATIONS OF THE SPANIARDS FOR THE GRADUAL ENFRAN= 
CHISEMENT OF SLAVES, AND THEIR BETTER TREATMENT. 
‘As soon as a slave is landed, his name, price, 'c. are re- 
gistered in a public register, and the master is obliged by 
law to allow him one working day in the course of the 
week to himself, besides Sunday ; so that if he chooses to 
work for his master on that day, he receives for the same 
the wages of a free man; as whatever he earns by such 
labour, is so secured to him by law, that the master can- 
not deprive him of it. This is certainly a step towards 
abolifhing absolute slavery ; for as soon as the slave is able 
| to purchase another working day, the master is obliged to 
séll it him at one-fifth part of its original cost, and so, like- 
wise, the remaining four days, at the same rate, whenever 
the slave is able to redeem them; after which he is en- 
