256 SLAVE LABOU1L 



cles of wood, placed on clariflcadoras, accelerated the evapora- 

 tion, and led me to believe that a system of cuvercles and 

 moveable frames, furnished with counter- weights, might ex- 

 tend to other cauldrons. This object merits further examina- 

 tion; but the quantity of vezou (guarapo), of the crystallized 

 sugar extracted, and that which is destroyed, the* fuel, the 

 time, and the pecuniary expense, must be carefully estimated. 

 An error, very general through Europe, and one which 

 influences opinion respecting the effects of the abolition of 

 the slave-trade is, that in those West India islands called 

 sugar colonies, the majority of the slaves are supposed to be 

 employed in the production of sugar. The cultivation of 

 the sugar-cane is no doubt a powerful incentive to the 

 activity of the slave trade; but a very simple calculation 

 suffices to prove that the total mass of slaves contained in 

 the West Indies is nearly three times greater than the 

 number employed in the production of sugar. I showed, 

 seven years ago, that, if the 200,000 cases of sugar exported 

 from the island of Cuba, in 1812, were produced in the great 

 establishments, less than 30,000 slaves would have sufficed 

 for that kind of labour. It ought to be borne in mind for 

 the interests of humanity, that the evils of slavery weigh on 

 a much greater number of individuals than agricultural 

 labours require, even admitting, which I am very far from 

 doing, that sugar, coffee, indigo, and cotton, can be culti- 

 vated only by slaves. At the island of Cuba it is generally 

 supposed that one hundred and fifty negroes are required 

 to produce 1000 cases (184,000 kilog.) of refined sugar; 

 or, in round numbers, a little more than 1200 kilog. by 

 the labour of each adult slave. The production of 440,000 

 cases would consequently require only 66,000 slaves. If 

 we add 36,000 to that number, for the cultivation of coffee 

 and tobacco in the island of Cuba, we find that about 

 100,000 of the 260,000 slaves now there, would suffice for 

 the three great branches of colonial industry on which the 

 activity of commerce depends. 



COFFEE. The cultivation of coffee takes its date, like 

 the improved construction of cauldrons in the sugar houses, 

 from the arrival of the emigrants of San Domingo, especially 

 after the years 1796 and 17U8. A hectare yields 860 kilog. 



