EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 289 



It is indeed upon the whole aftonilhing to fee with chap, 

 what good-nature and even good-naanners thefe dancing _ 

 «^cieties are kept up, of which I repeat it they are fo 

 fond, that I have known a newly-imported negro, for 

 want of a partner, figure and foot it for nearly the fpace 

 of two hours, to his fhadow againft the wall. 



If to what I have ftated relative to negro flaves, when 

 under a candid and humane mailer, we further add, their 

 never being feparated from each other ; parents feeing 

 their children around them., fometimes till the third and 

 fourth generation, befides the confidence that they are 

 all provided for to the end of their lives ; — then if we draw 

 the comparifon between this clafs of people, and the num- 

 berlefs wretched obje6ls that difgrace the flreets of Eu- 

 rope^ we can alTuredly not call thofe Africans who fall 

 under the above defcription — tPnhappy, 



And now, to fum up all I have to fay on the fubjedt of 

 flaves in the feweft words, for the fake of the reader, 

 and alfo for my own, lefl I ihould feem to contradicft 

 myfelf, by having fo frequently animadverted on the 

 fliocking cruelties of fome mafters, and occafionally done 

 juftice to the humane and liberal difpofitions of other?, 

 I beg leave to fay one word more on the proje61ed abo- 

 lition. — Gould we perfuade all our commercial neigh- 

 bours to join in that meafure, the cafe would be different: 

 but fmce I have feen cruelties exercifed fo commonly in 

 Surinam, which I never heard of in the Bi itifli iflands, 

 and from my certain obfervation have declared the foil 



Vol. II. P p of 



