68 TlMEHRI. 



might in due proportion contribute, the slaves were taxed 

 at the rate of nine guilders per head. The whole of this 

 Capitation Tax was ordered to be paid in the course of 

 the same month to the Receiver-General, Peter Hagens. 

 With this view it was enacted that persons who were 

 not possessed of estates should make payment in specie 

 or in colony bills ; and that those who did possess estates 

 should have orders drawn on them by Peter Hagens for 

 the amount of their proportion, payable at sight, in cur- 

 rent coin of the colony — the orders not to exceed ioo 

 guilders each. 



Whoever preferred it had permission to pay in cash, 

 provided it was paid before the end of the month. 



Those living in the colony in those days must have 

 had a rather lively time of it between the fear of inva- 

 sion on the outside, the discontented on the estates, and 

 the runaway slaves in the interior of the county. As 

 trouble diminished on the sea, it appeared to increase on 

 the plantations among the people, and came to a head 

 about the year 1814. Up to this date, year after year, 

 some ordinance was passed restricting, little by little, 

 what freedom the slaves possessed. 



To prevent them communicating with one another, they 

 were not allowed out at night in the town after seven 

 o'clock without a lamp and a pass from their owner 

 stating whither they were going ; and this pass could 

 be used only once. No slave was allowed to go from one 

 estate to another at night ; if found so doing, they were 

 put in the stocks. They could not possess a canoe ; and 

 to prevent communication by signals, they were not 

 allowed to sing in the boat passing up and down the 

 rivers, nor travel in a boat at all without a white accom- 



