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419 



informed me that all the gold mines of Choc6 

 do not yield more than from eighteen to 

 twenty quintals (a hundred weight, English) of 

 gold, and about ten quintals of platina per an- 

 num. They formerly yielded more, but the war 

 has drawn away all the best negroes, and the 

 laws of the Congress are taking the rest ; for 

 any negro that does not like his master can go 

 and offer himself to the commanding officer of 

 a regiment, who is obliged to receive him, for 

 a soldier, giving his master a promissory paper 

 on the government for the value of the slave, 

 which may not be paid these ten years : be- 

 sides this, every child a negro has had, since 

 the freedom of the republic, is born free, the 

 master being obliged to support him until the 

 age of eighteen, after which he is offered for 

 the service of the army ; but if not wanted, 

 he is allowed to go wherever he chooses. 

 There is, besides, a tax of three per cent, on 

 the property of every person deceased, which 

 goes to a fund, formed in every district, for 

 the emancipation of the best-conducted slaves. 

 The consequence will be, that in about thirty 

 years there will not be a slave in Colombia. 

 This is a cheering and delightful thought, — 



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