SLAVERY. 



&f3 



their work in the morning ; — that is, before sun- 

 rise. The time which is allowed for dinner, is 

 from twelve o'clock till tw r o, when the labourers 

 again continue their labour until half-past five 

 o'clock. They are now, generally speaking, ex- 

 pected to pick a small bundle of grass for the 

 master's saddle-horses, in some of the neigh- 

 bouring provision-grounds ; but if this is not re- 

 quisite, the work continues until sun-set, about 

 six o'clock. On the arrival of the people at 

 home in the evening, they are sometimes re- 

 quired to scrape the rind from the mandioc for 

 about one or two hours ; but as none of the 

 principal estates make a practice of selling the 

 flour of the mandioc, and only prepare the quan- 

 tity which is necessary for the subsistence of the 

 slaves, this labour only occurs about once in 

 each week, or less frequently. In crop time, 

 the work is only discontinued on Sundays and 

 holidays ; and, as is practised on board vessels 

 at sea, the negroes relieve each other at stated 

 hours. 



The field negroes are attended by a feitor 

 or driver, who is sometimes a white man ; but 

 more frequently a free mulatto is employed for 

 the purpose. It is the practice likewise of 

 some of the planters to appoint a Creole, or 

 even an African slave to the situation. Upon 

 a feitor who is a slave, more reliance is to be 

 placed, than upon a free person of colour, tor 



vol. II. T 





