392 TRAVELS IN 
out any confideration of profit or hope of reward ; or that every 
advantage would not be taken which the fituation might offer. 
Some of the members of the Burgher Senate fent their old and 
infirm flaves to work at the public roads, and received for them 
the fame wages as were paid to able-bodied men; others had 
teams of horfes and waggons that never wanted employ. Thefe 
things are triPiing in themfelves, but the public bufmefs fuiFered 
by it. When the Engliih took the place, the Ptreets were in fo 
ruinous a condition as fcarcely to be paflable with fafety. A fmall 
additional afi^efiment was laid upon the inhabitants, and in the 
courfe of five years they had nearly completed a thorough re- 
pair of the flreets to the great improvement of the town. If 
they fhculd be induced to light the ftreets with lamps, it would 
not only add greatly to the embellifiiment of the town, but pre- 
vent a number of accidents that happen in the night time among 
the flaves. It ivould alfo tend to the encouragement of the 
whale fifhery there. But the greateft of all improvements, and 
one eafily to be accompliflied, would be to condudt the water 
into the houfes. The head of the fpring, where it flows into 
the pipes which conduct it to the prefent fountains, is higher 
than the roof of the highefl: houfe in the town ; yet, by a ftrange 
piece of ignorance or perverfenefs, they have carried it 
down to the lowefl: point on the plain leading to the caftle, 
fo that thofe who live at the upper end of the town have half 
a mile to fetch water, which is done by two flaves, who con- 
fume many hours in the day in this employ, and are a great an- 
noyance at the public fountain, where they are quarrelhng and 
fighting from morning till night. 
The 
