SOUTHERN AFRICA. 47 
demand his liberty, and met with a refufal. The following 
morning the Malay murdered his fellow-flave. On being 
taken and brought up for examination before a commiflion of 
the Court of Juftice, he acknowledged that the boy he had 
murdered was his friend ; but he had confidered that the moft 
effectual way to be revenged of his mafter was, not by taking 
away his life, but by robbing him of the value of a thoufand 
rixdollars, by the lofs of the boy, and another thoufand by 
bringing himfelf, in fo doing, to the gallows, the recoUedion 
of which would prey upon his avaricious mind for the remain- 
der of his life. 
The effects that a ftate of flavery invariably produces on the 
minds and habits of a people, born and educated in the midft 
of it, are not lefs felt at the Cape than in the warmer climates. 
Among the upper ranks it is the cuftom for every child to have 
its flave, whofe fole employment is to humour its caprices, and 
to drag it about from place to place left it fhould too foon dif- 
cover for what purpofes nature had beftowed on it legs and 
arms. Even the lower clafs of people objedt to their children 
going out as fervants, or being bound as apprentices to learn 
the ufeful trades, which, in their contraded ideas, would be 
confidered as condemning them to perform the work of flaves. 
The education of youth has hitherto been very much ne- 
glected. The government never hit upon any fuccefsful plan 
for the eftablifhment of public fchools ; and the individual had 
no other ambition but that of qualifying his fons, by writing 
and accounts, to become fervants of the Company. This body 
of 
