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so anxious to obtain religious instruction, that on 

 Sundays not only the church but the churchyard is 

 so completely thronged with them, as to make it 

 difficult to traverse the crowd ; and those who are 

 fortunate enough to obtain seats for the morning 

 service, through fear of being excluded from that 

 of the evening, never stir out of the church during 

 the whole day. They also flock to be baptized in 

 great numbers, and many have lately come to be 

 married ; and their burials and christenings are 

 performed with great pomp and solemnity. 



One of the most intelligent of the negroes with 

 whom I have yet conversed, was the coxswain of my 

 Port Royal canoe. I asked him whether he had 

 been christened? He answered, no; he did not yet 

 think himself good enough, but he hoped to be so in 

 time. Nor was he married ; for he was still young, 

 and afraid that he could not break off his bad habits, 

 and be contented to live with no other woman than 

 his wife ; and so he thought it better not to become 

 a Christian till he could feel certain of performing 

 the duties of it. However, he said, he had at least 

 cured himself of one bad custom, and never worked 

 upon Sundays, except on some very urgent neces- 

 sity. I asked what he did on Sundays instead: did 

 he go to church ? — No. Or employ himself in 

 learning to read? — Oh, no; though he thought 

 being able to read was a great virtue; (which was 

 his constant expression for any thing right, plea- 

 sant, or profitable;) but he had no leisure to learn 



