POPULATION, AND LAWS OF MARRIAGE. 
875 
Children not included 
in above, 1,500 
Registered Slaves 58,000 
3,160 ,, 75,360 
'I'o which may be add- 
ed, the Troops and 
dependents, 2,500 
Indian Prisoners, 300, 
and (jovernment 
Slaves, 400, 700 3.200 
78.460 
The population may be divided into the 
several obvious classes, for the sake of having a 
distinct view ; and the following may be con- 
sidered as shewing, as nearly as possible, the 
different portions of it, according to their nu- 
merical strength ; 
Slaves, 58,000 
Mulattoes, 10,640 
Whites, 3,670 
Children, 1,500 
Sojourners, 800 
Free Indians, 750 
75,360 
I have been obliged to calculate the number 
of individuals in one house variously, as I 
thought would be most agreeable to the actual 
state of the case. As the women are very 
prolific, and, generally speaking, rear large 
families, I am not sure that I have been 
sufficiently large in my estimate. The chil- 
dren are, moreover, very healthy, and' few die 
early. After some deliberation, I have assign- 
ed seven individuals to houses possessed by 
planters, as they live in comfortable circum- 
stances, and their families are almost always 
very considerable. On the other hand, 1 have 
only allowed three individuals to one house 
inhabited by free gNegroes, as I believe the 
produce ofblack parents is not generally such 
as to warrant a higher rate. 
J'he encouragements to population are by 
no means small ; many circumstances tend 
indeed to promote it to the last degree, al- 
though it must be confessed, sometimes by 
means which are in opposition to good morals.” 
Our author, on the subject of laws of 
marriage, considers their moral and physi- 
cal effect, with reference to the influence of 
the climate on the inhabitants and their 
offspring, — a subject, it must be confessed, of 
great importance, and one which will, no 
doubt, excite the interest of our readers in 
this country. It appears that the laws of the 
Isle of France are particularly tenacious and 
positive on this subject. Europeans are pro- 
hibited marrying those who are born on the 
island, of slave extraction. 
“The former can only be allied to people 
born »n Europe, while the latter can only mar- 
ry those born in the country. The object of 
these laws is to preserve that distinction which 
exists between European and African blood. 
The nature of these laws gives rise to certain 
connexions between the Europeans and the 
Mulattoes, from which spring a race which, 
although not. legitimate, still possess all the 
benefits of a legal issue, whence it occurs that 
illegitimate children are not subject to that de- 
gradation to which they w'ould be under simi- 
lar circumstances in Europe, and connexions 
of ibis nature .are not beheld with similar 
severity, but are even acknowledged in pub- 
lic without incurring extreme censure. Con- 
sequently, illegitimacy offers no bar to a 
young man’s prospects in life, and does not 
prevent his associating in society ; therefore, the 
feelings of society not being outraged, chil- 
dren of .such an origin are well brought up, 
and receive all the advantages of education 
which it may be in the power of the parents 
to bestow. 
Children born of European parents appear 
to thrive wonderfully well till a certain age. 
All the children I saw in the island appeared 
wonderfully healthy and strong, of excellent 
shapes, and every attention appeared to have 
been bestowed on their being kept clean and 
well dressed. The mothers seem to perform 
every office ofkindness towards children, and 
none perhaps in any country can be more 
wrapt up in their welfare. The climate of 
the colony being extremely temperate, and 
not subject to an excessive continuance of heat, 
and only enjoying an agreeable degree of cool- 
ness in the winter season, is to a considerable 
degree favourable to the longevity of the inha- 
bitants, and no where in a climate in the 
torrid zone, are such a number of elderly 
people met with. I have frequently met the 
grand-children dining at the same table with 
their grand-mother and grand-father.” 
We have on a former occasion alluded to 
warm climate being congenial to infancy : we 
learn from Mr. Stirling that it is the case 
in a remarkable degree at the Isle of France. 
“ They as well as the children of Mulattoes 
have very precocious talents, and receive 
their learning w'ith a degree of comprehension 
and quickness unknown in Europe,” 
This is precisely the case here ; but we 
fear that the impression from education is 
not so permanent as it is in Europe. This, 
probably, may be owing to a want of that 
conversation among literary and scientific 
men, with whom civilized Europe abounds. 
Alluding to the females, our author says, — 
“They possess a degree of vivacity, and excel- 
lency, and beauty of shape, not often exceeded . 
I heir features, however, it must be confessed, 
are not so engaging as their forms, as the 
muscular necks and peculiar heads, if not 
large features, often intimate the stock from 
which they have sprung ; however, in some 
