18 



AMP ARO. 



raised upon the estate, and which are entered 

 into at other places by his men, are very numer- 

 ous. * But this person would have done much 

 service to the country in general, if he had 

 managed to keep them in due order, for in that 

 case he would have proved the possibility of the 

 introduction of free men as daily labourers, with- 

 out the opinion of their unruliness being un- 

 avoidable, having been adopted by great num- 

 bers of the planters. The state of Amparo is 

 often mentioned as an objection to hired labour- 

 ers, from the want of reflecting that in the in- 

 stance in question, the evil proceeds not from 

 the plan itself, but from its execution. It is too 

 jtrue that the lower orders of people are unruly, 

 and upon slight provocations murders have been 

 committed ; but does not this proceed from the 

 propensity which the higher ranks show to pro- 

 tect those who reside upon their lands ? Thus 

 they display their influence with men in office, 

 when they plead for the pardon of a criminal, 

 and feel a considerable degree of gratification, — 

 of self-importance in the idea that an individual 

 should have been preserved from punishment by 



* One of these Indians was selling crabs at Pasmado, when 

 a purchaser began to pick out those which he preferred ; but 

 the Indian stopped him, saying, " Don't begin to pick my 

 crabs, for I belong to Amparo." Thus even the crabs 

 which were caught by the dependants of this great man were 

 to be respected. 



