fc-^r- ipifci' MHH| 



262 



SLAVERY. 



them wish to be raised to an equality with them, 

 and they feel at every moment their unfortunate 

 doom. The consideration with which the free 

 persons of mixed casts are treated, tends to in- 

 crease the discontent of their brothers who are 

 in slavery. The Africans do not feel this, for 

 they are considered by their creole brethren in 

 colour, as being so completely inferior, that the 

 line which by public opinion has been drawn be- 

 tween them, makes the imported slave feel to- 

 wards the Creoles as if they had not been ori- 

 ginally of the same stock. 



Miserable objects are at times to be seen in 

 Recife, asking alms in various quarters of the 

 town, aged and diseased ; some of these persons 

 have been slaves, and when from infirmity they 

 have been rendered useless, their masters have 

 manumitted them ; and thus being turned away 

 to starve in their old age, or in a crippled state, 

 their only resource is to beg in the public streets. 

 These instances of gross injustice and depravity 

 in masters, are not many, but that they should 

 occur, is sufficient to cause the aid of law to be 

 called in, that the existence of them should be 

 prevented. 



The sugar-plantations which belong^o the Be- 

 nedictine monks and Carmelite friars, are those 

 upon which the labour is conducted with the 

 greatest attention to system, and with the great- 

 est regard to the comfort and ease of the slaves. 



