276 



The Natural Historg 



making vast Quantities of Turpentine, Tar, and Pitch, be- 

 ing better able to undergo fatigues in the extremity of the 

 hot Weather than any Europeans. 



The Children of both Sexes wear little or no Cloaths, ex- 

 cept in the Winter, and many of the young Men and Women 

 work stark naked in the Plantations in the hot Season, ex- 

 cept a piece of Cloath (out of decency) to cover their ISTaked- 

 ness ; upon which Account they are not very expensive to the 

 Planters for their Cloathing. The Planters at their Death 

 used to make some of their favourite Negroes free, but there 

 is now an established Law (especially in Virginia) that if 

 they do not quit the Province in about Eleven Days after 

 their Freedom, whoever takes them they become his Prop- 

 erty; but before the expiration of that time they either go 

 to another Province, or sell themselves to the Christians. 

 The Planters seeing the Inconveniencies that might attend 

 these kind of Priviledges to the Negroes, have this and all 

 other Laws against them continually put in practice, to pre- 

 vent all Opportunities they might lay hold of to make them- 

 selves formidable. 



AN 



