388 December 1748. 



2. The fecond kind of free fervants COii- 

 fift of fuch perfons as annually come from 

 Germany, England and other countries, in 

 order to fettle here. Thefe new comers are 

 very numerous every year : there are old and 

 young ones, and of both fexes ; fome of 

 them ' have fled from oppfelTion, under 

 which they fuppofed themfelves to have 

 laboured. Others have been driven from 

 their country by perfecutiofi on account 

 of religion ; but moft of them are poor, 

 and have not money enough to pay their 

 pafTage, which is between fix and eight 

 pounds fterling for each perfon ; therefore 

 they agree with the captain that they will 

 fuffer themfelves to be fold for a few years, 

 on their arrival. In that cafe the perfon 

 who buys them, pays the freight for them, 

 but frequently very old people come over, 

 who cannot pay their paiTage, they there- 

 fore fell their children, fo that they ferve 

 both for themfelves and for their parents : 

 there are likewife fome who pay part of 

 their paiTage, and they are fold only for a 

 Ihort time. From thefe circumftances it 

 appears, that the price of the poor foreigners 

 who come over to North America is not 

 equal, and that fome of them ferve longer 

 than others : when their time is expired, 

 they get a new fuit of clothes from their 



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