BOOK III. CHAP. V. 491 



8. All mafters, miftreffes, owners, employers, Sec. are to 

 endeavour, as much as poflible, the inftrudion of their 

 flaves in the principles of the Chriftian religion ; and fa- 

 cilitate their converfion ; and do their utmoft to fit them 

 for baptifm ; and, as foon as convenient, caufe all fuch 

 to be baptized as they can make fenfible of a Deity, and 

 the Chriftian faith [w], 



9. Thejuftices, at their firft feflioa in every year, are to 

 appoint the number of holidays to be given to flaves at 

 Chriflnaas, Eafter, and Whitfuntide [.v]. 



1735 



[lu] AU the Creole (laves ought to be baptized, under a high peftalty on their owners for neg- 

 Icvtiii"' it; and the baptil'mal fees fliould be fixed by law at a low ratej fur example, at fix-pence 

 each; which, fuppoiing there are now one bundled thoufand unbaptized Creoles in the ifland, 

 would bring in to the clergy there 2500 /. 



" In all civilized llates two things may be obfervcd, which may be confidered as the great foun- 

 " datlon and fupport of political focicty : the firil of thefe, the ceremonies that accompany the 

 " union of a man with a woman, which fix and regulate the ties of marriage, and the llate of chil- 

 " dren ; the fecond, the ceremonies of public worlhip folemnly paid to the Deity. Thefe two 

 " have been found, by legiflators, the wifert and moll efFedlual means for the fupport and good go- 

 *' vernment of ftates." Goguet. 



[a] The Negroes are fo fenfible of their right to thefe, and their leifure-hours of each day in 

 the intervals of work, that they call them emphatically t/jdr ozvn tir,ic. Nor is it ever borrowed 

 from them but in foine very pai ticLiIar emergency, when they are either paid for it, as may be 

 agreed upon, or allov/ed an equal portion of time on fome other day. They generally begin 

 work at fix in the morning, and leave off at fix in the afternoon, having half an hour at breakfaft, 

 and on moft eftates two hours at noon. Thus their day's work is nine hours and a half in ge- 

 neral. Their leifure-times, on moil eftates, are Saturday afternoon, except in cafe of very urgent 

 bufinefs; every Sunday throughout the }'ear; three days at Chriftiras, two at Eader, and two at 

 Whitfuntide ; and, at forae eftates, a jubilee-day, on fiyilhing crop : fo that the whole number of 

 days, they have to themfelves in the courfe of the year, is about eightj'-fix. The Jews allow their 

 flaves Saturday (which is their fabbath), and Sunday (which is the Chriftian's) : their flaves have 

 therefore about one hundred and eleven holidajs in the year at leaft ; which amount to more than 

 three months out of the twelve. The ufual grofs value of a Negroe's labour, hired per dienii 

 being about two fhillings ; a Chriftian's Negroe (fuppofing him not more confcientious than bar- 

 bers, tavern-keepers, inn-keepers, ftable-kecpers, and many (hop-keepers, are on the Lord's-day 

 in England) gains for himfclf 8/. lis. in value of his labour, and a Jew's flave 11/. z/., per 

 annum. But it is well known, that many of them gain infinitely more, fince the produce of one 

 day's labour for themfelves will turn out more worth than a fortnight's hire. 



An Ingenious writer obferves hereupon, " The principal time I would have referved, for indul- 

 " gence to the flaves, is Sunday, which is prophaned in a manner altogether fcandalous in our co- 

 " lonies. On this day fome pains fliould certainly be taken to inflrutt them, to the bell of their 

 " comprehenfion, efpecially the children, in fome of the principles of religion and virtue, parti- 

 " cularly in the humility, fubmiiuon, and honefty, which become their condition. And, if one 

 " whole day in the week, or two half-days at projicr diftance, weie allowed for their private labour 

 " in their grounds, in lieu of Sundays, they would more chearfully bear fatigue during the other 



R r r 3 . " fi\-c 



