1849.] 
TREATMENT OE SLAVES. 
119 
Children, of all classes, never meet their parents in the 
morning or leave them at night without in the same 
manner asking their blessing, and they do the same in- 
variably of every stranger who enters the house. In 
fact, it is the common salutation of children and inferiors, 
and has a very pleasing effect. 
The slaves here were treated remarkably well. Senhor 
Calistro assured me he buys slaves, but never sells any, 
except as the last punishment for incorrigibly bad con^ 
duct. They have holidays on all the principal saints' 
days and festivals, which are pretty often, and on these 
occasions an ox is killed for them, and a quantity of 
rum given, to make themselves merry. Every evening, as 
they come round, they prefer their several petitions : one 
wants a little coffee and sugar for his wife, who is un- 
well ; another requires a new pair of trousers or a shirt ; 
a third is going with a canoe to Para, and asks for a 
miirei to buy something. These requests are invariably 
granted, and Senhor Calistro told me that he never had 
cause for refusal, because the slaves never begged for 
anything unreasonable, nor asked favours when from bad 
conduct they did not deserve them. In fact, all seemed to 
regard him in quite a patriarchal view, at the same time 
that he was not to be trifled with, and was pretty severe 
against absolute idleness. When picking rice, all had a 
regular quantity to bring in, and any who were consi- 
derably deficient several times, from idleness alone, were 
punished with a moderate flogging. He told me of one 
Negro he had bought, who was incorrigibly lazy, though 
quite strong and healthy. The first day he was set a 
moderate task, and did not near complete it, and re- 
