IMPORTATION OF NEGROES. 67 
arrived in the Ship Treasurer “being manned by the best 
men of the colony who set out on roving in ye Spanish 
dominions in the West Indies” and after a successful cruise 
against the Spaniards returned with their spoils including a 
certain number of Negroes. Rolfe in alluding to the impor- 
tation of Negroes says: 
“ About the last of August came in, a Dutch man-of-warre 
that sold us twenty negars.” ; 
Most writers are of the opinion that this was in 1620, one 
of whom says “in the same year that the Pilgrims landed at 
Plymouth, slaves landed in Virginia.” Another writer says 
of the introduction of slave labor into the Plantations, “Is 
there not a probability that the vessel was under control of 
Argall, if not the ship Treasurer? If twenty negroes came 
in 1619, as alleged, their increase was very slow, for accord- 
ing to a census of 16th of February, 1624, there were but 
twenty-two then in the colony, distributed as follows: eleven 
at Flourdiew Hundred, three at James City, one at James 
Island, one at the plantation opposite James City, four at 
Warisquoyok, and two at Elizabeth City.” 
About the same time that “negars” landed in the colony, 
commenced the arrival of starving boys and girls picked up 
out of the streets of London. The “ negars” are described | 
as follows by an early writer of the colony. “The negroes 
live in small cottages called quarters, in about six in a gang, 
under the direction or an overseer or baliff; who takes care 
that they tend such land as the owner allots and orders, upon 
which they raise Hogs and Cattle, plant Indian Corn (or 
maize) and Tobacco for the use of their Master; out of which 
the overseer has a dividend (or share) in proportion to the 
number of hands including himself; this with several privi- 
leges in his salary, and is an ample recompense for his 
pains, and encouragement of his industrious care, as to the 
abor, health, and provision of the negroes. The negroes are 
very numerous, some gentlemen having hundreds of them of 
all sorts, to whom they bring great profit; for the sake of 
which they are obliged to keep them well, and not over- 
work, starve, or famish them, besides other inducements to 
favor them, which is done in a great degree, to such espe- 
cially that are laborious, careful, and honest ; though indeed 
some Masters, careless of their own interest and reputation, 
are too cruel and negligent. 
