118 



PARTITION OF ESTATES 



negro, upon the wages now paid in Jamaica, to lay tip 

 enough with which to purchase one of these properties ; but 

 if he does get one, he never parts with it, except for a larger 

 or a better one. The planters call them lazy for indulging 

 in this feeling of independence ; but I never could see any- 

 thing in the aversion of the negroes here to labor, which 

 was not sanctioned by the example of their masters, and 

 by instincts and propensities common to humanity. 



The planters discourage these sales of land to the blacks 

 in every possible way, for they say it raises the price 

 of labor by increasing the independence of the laboring 

 classes. They insist that a negro will not work longer 

 than he is obliged to, for the mere supply of the necessa- 

 ries of life, which are very few and very cheap. They say 

 with Carlyle, that " where a black man by working about 

 half an hour a day (such is the calculation,) can supply 

 himself, by aid of sun and soil, with as much pumpkin as 

 will suffice, he is likely to be a little stiff to raise into hard 

 work ! Supply and demand, which, science says, should 

 be brought to bear on him, have an up-hill task of it with 

 such a man. Strong sun supplies itself gratis, rich soil in 

 those unpeopled or half-peopled regions almost gratis ; 

 these are his 6 supply ; ' and half an hour a day, directed 

 upon these, will produce pumpkin, which is his 4 demand.' 

 The fortunate black man, very swiftly does he settle his 

 account with supply and demand : — not so swiftly the less 



