502 JAMAICA.. 



" number of planters, dlminiflnes the flock of labouring Negroes, 

 ■" and produces a certain lofs to tlie community in various ways." 



There is every year a certain number of theie negroes, whofe la- 

 bour (if I may fo exprefs myfelf) is in ^^^_)'i7«c^, from the time of 

 heir being taken upon a writ oi venditioni, to the time of their being 

 being brought to a regular courfe of work again, at the place to 

 whicli they are removed' by their purchafer. The number of (laves fo 

 levied on, one year with another, I compute, upon the beft grounds, 

 four hundred ; and thattlieir lofs of labour is equal at leafl: to one 

 month each in the year, without taking into account tlie time fre- 

 quently fpent in their concealment, to prevent their falling into the 

 marfhal's hands. In fevcn years the account will therefore ftand thus : 



-. . , ^ ,.. o r Value of lofs, com- 



Levied 1 Negroes 2,800 . , n. 



1 r r 1-1 f \/i .1 -^ puted at leafl: at 



Lofs of labour; J Months 7] ^ ^ , 



L 04,000/. currency. 



Of thefe Negroes, it is not eafy to difcover how many perifli by 

 change of place, nor the lofs on the fale fufl:ained by tlieir owners ; but 

 the latter muft be confiderable ; for, at an average, the Negroes, thus 

 fold, have not yielded above 26/. to 30/. trett, which probably was 

 not more than one third of their real worth, or what they would 

 have been appraifed at, upon their fiile with the land. 



To conclude ; fuice Negroes are the fmews of Weft-India property, 

 too much care cannot be taken of them j and it well becomes a 

 Chrifl:ian legiflature, at the fame time that it conforms its policy to 

 what may refpeft their health, and ability for labour, to foften by 

 .every reafonable means the obduracy of their fervitude, fo as to make 

 them forget the very idea of -flavery ; together with this, I acknow- 

 ledge that flricl jufl:ice and equitable inftitutions ought to guarrantee 

 all legal contrads entered into either by the planter, or the merchant, 

 or other individuals : but if the rigorous exaftions of payment can 

 admit of any alleviating meafures ; if lands can be made more 

 transferable by writ of elegit, or other fcheme of extent^ or bonds 

 andlimplecontrai£l debts be payable by other means, than hauling 

 the Negroe labourers from one part of the country to another, tear- 

 ing them from their fettlement and family, aggravating the hardfhip 

 of their condition, and obftrudting the population and culture of the 

 ifland ; it well deferves the interpofition of legiflative wifdom and 

 humanity, to amend the law, to let juflice flow in a fmootii eafy 



current, 



