^^a. APPENDIX TO Vol. III. 



II. If any of the inhabitants of our colonies, or the oflicers employed 

 in their government, are defirons of bringing any black flaves of ei- 

 ther Tex into France with them, in the capacity of. domeftics, or other- 

 wife, 



wtie'i'c it' cSn,' ' to* t^ke otF the yoke of flavery from all perfons coming into that kingdom from 

 /«•(■.•?« coiiniiie! ; following their antient maxim oi, " Jerhus peregriaus, fnnul atque terram Frari- 

 " corum teiigciir, eodem inomento liber fiat;" which maxim, however, if ftridly taken, and 

 awveeable to its original meaning, extended only to Haves belonging to foreign ilates, who might 

 flee to, and take refuge in, their kingdom; but by no means extended to their o.vn flaves, 

 comitiT from any diftant part of their own-territories. It is plain, that the. French government, 

 weiehincf well the ill confequences which might enfiie to their colonies from the lofs and cmi- 

 "rafipn of, labouiers t'rom thence; and to the mother llate, by their too frequent introduiiion 

 iiiti) it9 and intermixture with their whitfe fubjefts, has taken a moll effertual- means, by the or- 

 dinances of this edict, to keep them' ein ployed on thofe fpots, where alone their labours can re- 

 dound to the advantage of the kingdom. For want ot Ibme controul of the hke fort, enabled 

 by the Englith parliament, our colonies at this time fuftaiu a lofs of many thoufand labouring 

 hands, who anfwer no other purpofe, by their refidiince iii the mother countiy, except ihofe 

 of adding to her lift of vagabonds or beggars, and generating a numerous race of walnut- 

 coloured beings, by way of foil to the complexion of her genuine breed. 



1 have already hinted my fufpicions that the French code, or edict, of 1685, however its regu- 

 lations may feem calculated for repreffing the inordinate feverity of mailers, and mitigating the 

 bardlhips of flavery in their colonies, is not obeyed, nor executed, with that energy, which their 

 •rovernment, in a remarkable manner, compels in moft other inftances ; this remiflnefs is the more 

 faulty, fince, in other cafes, to order and to be obeyed, is the fame thing : the remark I made 

 has been confirmed by the late publication of one who calls himfelf an officer in the French fer- 

 vice. Speaking of the manner in which their. flaves are treated at the ifland Mauritius, he gives 

 the following horrid account : " At day-break, three cracks of the whip are the fignal that 

 ■" calls them to work ; each man appears in the plantation with his mattock, where he works, al- 

 •' moll naked, in the heat of the fun. Their food is ground maize boiled in water, or bread 

 «' made of the calTava root. Their cloathing is a fcrap of linen. For the leaft negleft they arc 

 " bound hand and foot on a ladder. Their overfeer, armed with a poftiHion's whip, Hands 

 " over them, and gives them, on their naked pofteriors, fifty, an hundred, or two hundred ladies. 

 «' Every hifn brings off a portion of the ikin. The poor wretch, covered with blood, is then 

 « let loofe. An iron chain is put round his neck, and he is dragged back to his work. Some 

 ♦' of thefe miferable creatures are not able to fit down for a month after ; and the women arc 

 " punilhed in the fame manner." 



" There is a law made in their favour, called the black code. This law ordains that at each 

 *' puni(hment they Ihall receive no more than thirty ladies ; that they (hall not be obliged to 

 " work on Sundays; that they fliall have their provifions weekly; their cloaths yearly; but 

 " tbi! la-M is not objcrvcd. Sometimes when they grow old, they arc turned adrift to get their 

 " living as they can. One day I faw one of them, who was nothing but fkin and bone, cutting 

 " fome fledi from a dead horfe to eat. It appeared to be one Ikeleton devouring another. When 

 •' a fugitive flave is taken, he has one ear cut off, and is whipped. On a fecond defertion, he 

 " is whipped, has one ham ftrung, and a chain fadened about his neck. On a third, he is hanged ; 

 " though this feldom happen?, the mafters being unwilling in general, on fuch a fcore, to lo(e 

 *' their property. A flave almoil white (ihty are mqftly brought from Ma^agafcar, ivhofe iiiha- 

 *• bitants il:Jfer in almoji e-vcry rcfpcH fiom the naliva of Afiica ) , ihxew herfelf one day at my 

 *' feet ; her midrefs made her rife early, and wntch late. If die chanced to deep, flie rubbed 

 " her mouth with ordure; and if die did not lick her lips, (he commanded her to be whipped. 



" She 



