448 



vators, as it requires the use of the hoe. It 

 has been observed by the authors of Ame- 

 rica, that there were no robberies com- 

 mitted : but I did not find it so: several 

 highway robberies were committed even 

 in the streets of Philadelphia, which I look 

 upon to be one of the best- regulated towns 

 in America. And it is an usual practice 

 for the negroes to go to see their wives on 

 the Saturday night; and as they are at some 

 distance from the negro men's place of 

 abode, in their road these men will take a 

 horse of any person's, and ride him from 

 ten to fourteen miles, and sometimes leave 

 him, at other times bring him back. This 

 is looked upon as so slight an offence, that 

 I never heard of an instance of any of 

 them being brought to justice for it. 

 During my stay in Philadelphia, there 

 were two women who murdered their 

 children in the most daring manner. 

 The one got out of bed in the night, de- 

 livered herself in the necessary, and mur- 

 dered the child by putting it down in the 



