24 TRINIDAD. 



exacts it tenfold. An African labourer, who may have received 

 an offensive epithet from his employer, or some other trifling 

 injury, will satiate his vengeful passions by firing a magass, or 

 curing house, or perhaps the dwelling of the offender. It would 

 be unfair to pretend that this is a characteristic of the African 

 alone, for it is still more strangely delineated in the Javanese race, 

 and the more civilised inhabitants of Corsica and Italy generally ; 

 with this difference, however, the Africans aim more at the pro- 

 perty, the others, mainly, at the person. 



The. negro appears to nourish a great dread of the watchful 

 eye of a protecting law, and, as a consequence, has the greatest 

 reluctance to aid in the discovery of crime, unless he has very 

 strong personal motives for so doing ; he has, besides, a sort of 

 supernatural dread of a daring criminal, and, the more dangerous 

 to society, the more certain is the culprit of escaping detection 

 and punishment. The fact is this : the African is wanting in 

 moral courage, and he willingly submits to the chance of being 

 deprived of the blessings of civilisation, provided he be not re- 

 quired to fulfil the obligations it imposes. 



Considered in domestic life, the negro has many defects, and 

 not a few capital faults. Since emancipation, marriages are much 

 more frequent among all classes than they were during the period 

 of slavery ; an increased desire exists to engage in its bonds, for 

 marriage is regarded as a claim to respectability. The respect 

 manifested towards this rite is, so far, a good symptom, but let it be 

 added, that in no part of the world, perhaps, are the obligations of 

 marriage less binding than among the lower orders in these colo- 

 nies, since a husband and wife, very commonly, and too often, by 

 tacit consent, live unblushingly in adulterous intercourse. I need 

 not point out the pernicious consequences which such principles 

 must necessarily involve. Whenever domestic associations are not 

 framed on a Christian basis, society is sapped to its very founda- 

 tion ; strife and hatred ensue, children are disowned and aban- 

 doned, industry and economy are out of the question, whilst igno- 

 rance, vice, and poverty are the inevitable results. 



The African is exceedingly, indeed blindly, attached to his off- 

 spring, and yet he cannot be said to be a good parent, inasmuch 

 as he is governed by mere caprice ; at times indulging and spoiling 

 his child beyond all measure, or in rage approaching madness, 

 punishing him with the most savage barbarity. In the latter case, 

 should any interference take place, he pertinaciously exclaims, 

 " his child is his own, and he can do with him as he likes." He is, 

 withal, exceedingly jealous of his paternal authority, and, of course, 

 feels highly offended should his child be chastised, or even repri- 

 manded, by those who may have the authority to do so. Negro chil- 

 dren are, as a consequence, self- willed, impudent, and most disobe- 

 dient ; in fact possessing all the faults of the Parisian gamin. As 



