68 COMPETITION. 



" The negroes are not only increased by fresli supplies from 

 Africa and the West India Islands, but also are very prolific 

 among themselves; and they that arc born there talk good 

 English, and effect our language, habits, and customs ; and 

 tho' they be naturally of a barbarous and cruel temper, yet 

 are they kept under by severe discipline upon occasion, and 

 by good laws are prevented from running away, injuring 

 the English or neglecting their business. Their work (or 

 chimerical hard slavery) is not very laborious; their greatest 

 hardship consisting in that they and their posterity are not 

 at their own liberty or disposal, but are the property of their 

 owners; and when they are free they know not how to 

 provide so well for themselves generally ; neither did they 

 live so plentifully nor (many of them) so easily in their own 

 country where they are made slaves to one another, or taken 

 captive by their enemies. Their work is to take care of the 

 stock, and plant Corn, Tobacco, Fruits and which is not 

 harder than thrashing, hedging, or ditching; besides, though 

 they are out in the violent heat, wherein they delight, yet 

 in wet or cold weather there is little occasion for their 

 working in the fields, in which few will let them be abroad, 

 lest by this means they might get sick or die, which would 

 prove a great loss to their owners, a good Negroe being 

 sometimes worth three (nay four) score pounds sterling, 

 if he be a tradesmen ; so that upon this (if upon no other 

 account) they are obliged not to overwork them, but to clooth 

 and feed them sufficiently, and take care of their health." 



The planters, supplied with greater facilities for the work, 

 now increased the size of their tobacco plantations, " taking 

 up new ground " (clearing the land) and planting a much 

 larger area. The first exportation of the colony's tobacco 

 was brought into competition with that of much finer flavor, 

 which had acquired an established reputation long before 

 the English began the culture of the plant in the New World. 

 The Spanish, Dutch and Portuguese had long monopolized 

 its culture and trade, and brought from St. Domingo, 

 Jamaica, St. Thomas, the Phillippine Islands, West Florida, 

 and various parts of South America, several varieties of 

 tobacco of excellent quality, and which sold at an exorbitant 

 price. On testing the tobacco grown by the London and 

 Plymouth companies it was found to be sweet and mild in 

 flavor, of a light color, and well adapted for smoking. On 



