292 JAMAICA. 



peace; nor be turned off, when grown infirm, under pretence of 



giving them freedom ; nor be buried until the body had been 



viewed by a jufticeofthe peace, conftable, tything man, or two 



neighbours. 



But the penal" claufes of thefe afts have long fince been extinft ; 

 and at prelent the white Indented fervants are laid under few re- 

 ftriiflions, except fo far as refpedts their ferving out their term. 

 And by a later law, pafled in 1736, the milbehaviotir of fervants 

 durino- their contrail:, and all differences between them and their 

 mafters (^overfeers of lugar -plantations excepted) are to be heard 

 and determined before two jufiices of the peace, according to the 

 nature of the cafe, and without appeaJ, fave that they are to infli6t 

 no punifliment extending to life or limb. Where they have not 

 frefli meat, they are allowed four barrels of beef per annum, with 

 flour, or bread-kind in proportion ; but, in general, their allowance 

 is not limited; and the tradefmen and better fort mefs with this 

 overfeer of the refpeftive plantations, unlefs he thinks proper to 

 keep a feparate table forthera, which is fometimes the cuftom on 

 very large eftates, where they rarely eat any falt-meat, except for 

 a forenoon luncheon. 



Any mafter of a (hip attemptiiig to carry off the ifland, or run 

 away with another perfon's white indented fervant, without a dif- 

 charge from the employer, is, on conviftion, to be adjudged guilty 

 of felony, without benefit of clergy, and to fuffer accordingly. 



Many of the artificers who have come under thefe contra£ls, if 

 they were fober and diligent, have fettled afterwards in the ifland, 

 and acquired very handfomc fortunes, particularly the Scotch. 

 That part of Britain has likewife fumiftied fome of the ableft fur- 

 veyors known here. There are generally twelve of thefe, wh'o 

 are commiffioned by the governor, give bond in 300/. for the 

 faithful execution of their office, and are put under feveral regula- 

 tions by law. This bufinefs was formerly very profitable ; and ffiU 

 is fo in the hands of able draughcfmen, the charges of making 

 plans being extremely high : befides. the ignorance xind knavery of 

 furveyors, formerly employed to run out the w. od-lands, have 

 caufed fuch errors as to breed numberlefs difputes concerning the 

 true fixings and boundaries even to this day ; and the adjuftraent 



of;. 



