102 STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF THE 



space of ten years, there does not appear on them an increase 

 proportioned to the number of negroes in the colony. Great 

 allowances must be made for new settlers — beginning with a 

 small capital, their chief aim was to cultivate the land, not to 

 increase the population : for that purpose they bought men- 

 slaves, as being best adapted for clearing heavy forests of trees, 

 digging trenches and drains, &c. That being done, they 

 then turn their attention to the domestic wants of the men, 

 and purchase a lot of women to supply them with wives ; 

 each makes his choice, and the business is settled. The man 

 works over hours, saves his money, and buys for his wife ex- 

 tra articles of wearing apparel and finery. As a couple, they 

 generally live happy, and arc very tenacious of decorum ; but 

 in the rare case of any inconstancy on the part of the 

 female, a complaint is preferred to the manager, or pro- 

 prietor of the estate, and a separation takes place, which 

 gives to the parties, a liberty to make another choice. Some 

 negroes on my friend's estate, not being able to accommodate 

 themselves from the collection of females already upon it, and 

 desirous of having wives, were sent for to Stabroek, and taken 

 to a sale-room, where a cargo of negroes was just landed, 

 and there made choice of wives, which their master paid for. 

 Two chose pretty women, and the third an ordinary one. On 

 my asking him M'hy he did not like a handsome wife, he re- 

 plied, " No,, massa, me no want wife for handsome, me want 

 him for do me good, and for work for massa as well as me." 



