SETTLEMENTS ON THE DEMERARY &C. 175 



houses, and the number of children on the estate, as a cer- 

 tain proof of his humanity ; I observed that the aged and 

 grey headed negroes I had seen in the cottages, proved that 

 he had treated them well in their young days, and now that 

 they were past labor, he provided for them with the careful 

 hand of a kind protector, it gave the most indelible test of his 

 being a worthy man. He said he had been in the colony up- 

 wards of forty years, all of which time had been bestowed 

 upon negroes ; he had been a proprietor thirty years, he was 

 not affluent, but he underwent personal deprivations to render 

 his negroes comfortable, whose claims he considered prefer- 

 able to his own; thinking and acting as he did, he was a 

 gainer, his negroes were happy and contented, their work was 

 done with ease and his estate improved, the produce of that 

 begot a second and a third, "should I not then be a villain to 

 ** discard or ill treat my negroes now they are old and past 

 " labor. No ! no ! my friend, I have learnt that humanity 

 " is the best policy, and in tiie end will produce riches." 

 Our sentiments being so congenial it was late ere I parted from 

 this worthy Dutchman. Having walked from New Amster- 

 dam, my kind host insisted on my taking his tent boat, which 

 was accordingly manned for the pin*pose, and I arrived in 

 town at nine o'clock at night, highly gratified with my trip, 

 and pleased with the business which Introduced me to such 

 a character in a Dutchman. 



