INTRODUCTION. 17 



record it here, under those trying* circumstances the labouring 

 class, generally, behaved very generously, many of them con- 

 tinuing to work for several months without exacting wages. 

 Lest they should soon be placed in the same position, the other 

 employers, compelled by necessity, began to give less wages and 

 to exact more work ; the labourers became dissatisfied, and the 

 emancipated population began gradually to retire from estate 

 field-work. It was about this period, and consequent on this 

 movement, that they were ejected from the houses and land 

 they occupied on estates, and their provision grounds destroyed. 



"During the last two years/'' said Lord Harris, "great 

 exertions have been used by sugar-growers here to lower the 

 cost of production through a diminished rate of wages, and by 

 getting more work performed ; this has caused dissatisfaction 

 among the labourers, and increased their migratory and idle 

 inclinations, which has resulted in visible inattention to their 

 provision grounds — an evil of serious import, operating un- 

 favourably against reduced cost of production by rendering the 

 labourer totally dependent upon high money wages to pay for 

 imported articles of consumption j an alarming position to be 

 in, with the prospect of curtailed employment, through sugar 

 cultivation being diminished. 



' ' The general excuse offered by the labourers for their inat- 

 tention to raising provisions, is that they are liable to be robbed, 

 and turned off estates. True, this is the case; but the latter is 

 invariably caused by their own fickleness and pervert acts." 

 (Lord Harris to Earl Grey, April, 1846.) 



Could the planters exercise any control over such circum- 

 stances ? They did struggle to the utmost of their power, and, 

 as a class, they are more worthy of praise than of blame. 



Increased labour is required in the West Indies, whatever 

 may be said to the contrary, and their deficiency in this respect 

 is certainly the greatest obstacle to their progress. Listen to 

 the words of the Governor of Jamaica : " Let us remove all 

 obstacles to their recruiting the ranks of their labourers from 

 other countries ; let us go further indeed, and take active steps 

 to set on an immigration of the negro population of the United 

 States at the public expense. - " 



I will quote Governor Barkly once more, for all he says 

 concerning Jamaica is applicable to the other islands : — " Far 

 from deserving the imputation of supineness, and ignorance of 

 their business, which it has been too much the fashion to lavish 

 upon them, I found the planters of Jamaica as eager to intro- 

 duce new machinery and to adopt new processes of manufacture 

 as any of their competitors, British or foreign, and I have had 

 more opportunities than most persons of observing both; and 

 c 



