24 Timehri. 



from Richard Hancock, the Postholder at Mahaica. This is an interest- 

 ing document but I can find room for only two answers. Under the first 

 heading " Supply of Labour " it is asked to what extent has additional 

 agricultural labour been supplied by immigrants, and Mr. Hancock's 

 reply is as follows : — 



" The principal supply of emigrants has been from Madeira, the 

 West India Islands and Africa, also a few Maltese and Coolies ; those 

 from Africa, the W. I. Islands and the Coolies decidedly the best as 

 Agriculturalists both from their ability to work and keeping their health. 

 The Maltese quite useless and the Portuguese little better for field work, 

 but make excellent huxters and traders ; there were also some German 

 and Irish immigrants imported, but failed as agriculturalists. The 

 Maltese and Coolies have nearly all left the colony — the Africans are now 

 increasing by recent arrivals, but not many from the Islands or elsewhere 

 at present or of late." 



The query as to natural increase of the emancipated classes is thus 

 answered : — 



" I doubt very much if any increase of the emancipated classes will 

 be found since 1838, nor do I anticipate any increase from natural causes 

 for some time to come although this is a very healthy district." 



I cannot go into particulars of the ruin which came upon the old 

 planters. Some say they deserved it and that it was retribution, but 

 such ideas will not bear consideration. We can safely state that the old 

 planter must have been generally a man of great ability to be able to 

 manage an estate with two or three hundred slaves and make it pay. 

 The difficulties were enormous for down to the emancipation few negroes 

 could speak English and when the English Magistrates came out they 

 required interpreters, One old planter said that new arrivals were taught to 

 speak as well as to work ; this was done through their fellow countrymen. 

 There would, of course, be misunderstandings through ignorance and 

 puuishments administered for mistakes that could hardly have been 

 avoided. 



When the freed men got their shares iu plantations some good people 

 said it did not matter if the estates were ruined so long as there was a 

 happy peasantry. The few must suffer for the benefit of the whole. 

 This sounds very plausible, and had the happy peasantry ever been 

 realised something could be said for such a view. Yet no one would think 

 it well were a lot of rough school-boys to be left alone and become hooli- 

 gans. A plantation of the old type was managed in such a way that it 

 could not become an eyesore, but the new villages were not managed at 

 all. Every estate was liable for the upkeep of the roads and bridges 

 that passed through it and the owner could be sued ; when there 

 were fifty or a hundred proprietors no one could be made responsible. 

 This was a responsibility to the Government and here was a further 

 obligation that may be considered as belonging to the people them- 

 selves ; everyone in a community must keep his own surroundings 



