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NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



ation of moral causes ; they wish to effect by one corporeal punishment 

 what can be produced only by a repetition of impressions upon the mind 

 of a culprit. 



Only one other regulation shall be mentioned, which appears to me 

 excellent in its kind. If a master cohabit with his female slave, the act 

 makes her free ; but unfortunately, she is not always able to produce tes- 

 timony, and much seldomer disposed to do so. 



That slavery is not always a heavy yoke in Brazil, may be gathered 

 from several instances, which have been mentioned already. There is 

 one other case, which strongly proves the same point, in the mode of 

 carrying on the trade itself, and which has not been properly adverted to 

 in discussions upon this question. A number of the Seamen, employed 

 on board Slave Ships, are themselves Negro Slaves, born in Africa ; 

 and though frequently going over to their own country, they do not 

 leave the vessel there. They are discontented in Rio, and will frequently 

 desert for trifling causes ; but I never heard of a similar case on the 

 African Coast, and am disposed to consider it as a proof, that these people 

 know slavery in Brazil to be preferable to their former condition in 

 Africa. Nor did I ever find a good Slave, that is, one, whose mind is 

 naturally docile, whose manners are social and domestic, and his habits 

 industrious, who, after having been brought over, under the age of 

 eighteen years, and residing two or three years in the country, under the 

 care of a good person, was willing to go back again. I have known the 

 son of a native Prince refuse to return, have heard numbers declare that 

 they should be perfectly happy, if they could remain always with 

 the same master; and those of my own family, whom I thought capable 

 of maintaining or taking care of themselves, when I must necessarily 

 part from them, refused to go back to Africa, or have their liberty in 

 Brazil. Two girls, particularly, in addition to this, refused to come to 

 England, observing, " England, we are told, is very cold, and we shall 

 not like it ; and what shall we do with our liberty here ? We have all we 

 can wish for, you provide us food and clothes, and, if we are sick, you 

 give us medicines and cure us; but if we have our freedom, we shall 



