268 J A M A I C A. 



edged Weapon, « the planter makes no fcrople to gain by wearing 

 *' out his flaves with continual labour, and a Icanty allowance, 

 *• before they have lived out half their natural days ;" and he com- 

 pares this excefs of conftrained labour to " the mercilefs ufage 

 praftifed in England over poft-horfes, fand-affes, &c." Soon after 

 this declamation, he tells us, " that the allowance of food is not 

 «' given to a flave for his own fake, but merely for the interefl of 

 ♦' his mailer; to enable the (lave to continue his daily labour in the 

 « fame manner as the foddering a horfe, or fattening of cattle for 

 « flaughter, becaufe the food is given on no other confideration 

 *« than for the profit of the owner."^ Then he gives us a quotation 

 from the learned and reverend Mr. Godwyn, " that the planter 

 " confiders this allowance of provlfion as expedient and fit, in- 

 ♦* order to enable his Negroes to undergo their labour, without 

 « which, himfelf cannot get riches and great cftates ; but nothing 

 *' for the wretch's health and prefervation !" Now, with all fub- 

 miffion to this profound advocate and his co-adjutor, I prefume, 



groe-flave and that of a white contraft-feivant, in his time, and affigned the true caufe of it. 

 Speaking, firft, of his countrymen at Hifpaniola, he feys, " the fervants commonly bind them- 

 " felves to their matters for three years ; but their mafters, having no confcience, traffic with 

 " their bodies as with cattle at a fair, felling them to other mafters as they do Negroes. Yet, to 

 " advance this trade, fome perfons go purpofely into France, and liktwife to England and other 

 " countries, to pick up young men and boys, whom they inveigle and tranfport ; and, having 

 " once got them into the iflands, they work them like horfes ; the toil impofed upon them being 

 " much harder than what tliey enjoin the Negroes, their flaves ; tor thefe they endca\our to pre. 

 " ferve, being their perpetual bond-men ; but, for their white fervants, they care not whether 

 " they live or die, feeing they are to ferve them no longer than three years. 



" The planters of the Caribbee I-fles" (he alferts) " were Hill more cruel to their white fer- 

 " vants." And he names a Frenchman, at St. Chriflopher's, " who had killed above a hundred with 

 " ftripes and blows. In regard to the Englifli" (he fays), " they did the fame with theirs ; and 

 " that the mildeft cruelty they exercifed towards their fervants was, that, when they had ferved fix 

 " years of tteir time (the ufual term of their contracts being feven), they ufed them i'o ill, as 

 " forced them to beg their mafters to fell them to others, tliough it were to begin another fervi- 

 •' tude of feven years ; and that he had known many v.ho had thus ferved fifteen or twenty 

 ♦' years." 



The low price at which thefe fervants were furniflied by the French company to the planters, 

 being no more than from 4/. lo.i. to 61. i^u fterllng/fr head, was another caufe of their ill 

 ufage ; fince the lofs fuftalned by their death was confidered, by the purchafer, as very trifling, 

 and eafily to be replaced. 



At prefent, it requires no argument to prove, that the enormous price of Negroe-flaves mud 

 procure them an indulgent and careful treatment even from owners of an inhuman difpofition ; 

 and with fuch men, however felfifh the motive is, ftill the effcft may be no lefs favourable to the 

 Have. 



that. 



