IMPOLICY OF THE SLAVE-TRADE. 



303 



the community as one who acts for himself, and 

 whose whole exertions are directed to the ad- 

 vancement of his own fortune, the increase of 

 which, by regular means, adds to the general 

 prosperity of the society to which he belongs. 

 This is an undoubted and indisputable fact, to 

 which every person assents, owing to the self- 

 evidence of its truth ; and which must be still 

 more strongly imprinted on the mind of every 

 one who has been in the habit of seeing the 

 manner in which slaves perform their daily la- 

 bour. Their indifference, and the extreme slow- 

 ness of every movement, plainly point out the 

 trifling interest which they have in the advance- 

 ment of the work. I have watched two parties 

 labouring in the same field, one of free persons, 

 and the other of slaves, which occasionally, 

 though very seldom, occurs. The former are 

 singing, joking, and laughing, and are always 

 actively moving hand and foot ; whilst the latter 

 are silent, and, if they are viewed from a little 

 distance, their movements arc scarcely to be 

 perceived. 



Even if Brazil had only to depend upon its 

 slaves for the increase of its agriculture and po- 

 pulation, it would still be better for that country 

 in the main, to put a stop to the introduction of 

 Africans ; but in that case, although its ad- 

 vancement would necessarily be progressive, it 

 would be slow. Every African who enters the 



