112 STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF THE 



taking one, whom he makes his servant, and teaches how 

 to dress his food, and to provide for his wants. From that 

 time they turn out with the gang, and are instructed, by the 

 persons they respectively live with, to work, which is gradu- 

 ally done, and soon becomes familiar, as most of them were 

 slaves in their own country, where they were accustomed to 

 harder toil and less regular meals. The plantation bell rings 

 at nine o'clock for breakfast, for which they have an hour 

 allowed ; at one o'clock they come in for their dinner, and 

 have an hour and a quarter ; at sun set they return from 

 work, and enjoy themselves at home, with a pipe and their 

 supper, which is a negro's favorite meal. Besides necessary 

 food, the weekly allowance of rum is about a quart, and the 

 weekly allowance of tobacco two pounds ; so that the utmost 

 degree of luxury and accommodation, consistent with sobriety, 

 is willingly promoted. 



The seasoned negroes keep fowls, pigs, goats, and grow 

 gardenstuff; the tradesmen employ their spare time in making 

 those articles of their several trades which they can sell to 

 advantage. At the close of life they often keep a retale shop. 

 It is by no means an uncommon thing in these colonies, for 

 negroes when they have accumulated a sufficiency, to pur- 

 chase their freedom ; and I have known many instances of 

 negroes, who payed their owners a proportion of the pur- 

 chase money, and were allowed after emancipation to work 



