344 
HISTORY OF THE [book it. 
young boys and girls, women far gone with child, 
and convalescents, who are chiefly employed in 
weeding the canes, and other light work adapted 
to their strength and condition; and the third set 
consists of young children, attended by a careful 
old woman, who are employed in collecting green 
meat for the pigs and sheep; or in weeding the 
garden, or some such gentle exercise, merely to 
preserve them from habits of idleness. 
The first gang is summoned to the labours of 
the field either by a bell or the blowing of a conch- 
shell, just before sun-rise. They bring with them, 
besides their hoes or bills, provisions for breakfast; 
and are attended by a white person, and a black 
superintendant called a driver.—The list being call¬ 
ed over, and the names of all the absentees noted, 
they proceed with their work until eight or nine 
o’clock, when they sit down in the shade to break¬ 
fast, which is prepared in the mean time by a cer¬ 
tain number of women, whose sole employment 
is not thus productive, and the rum, which is generally appropriated 
to the payment of contingent charges, not being always sufficient for 
that purpose, I will allow £.10 sterling only, as the clear profit per 
hogshead of the sugar, which therefore is the average value of the la¬ 
bour of each negro, old and young ; and one third only of the ne¬ 
groes being able people, their labour may be put at £.30 a head; out 
of which however must be deducted, the interest on their first cost, 
and an allowance for the risk of losing them by death dr desertion, 
(their maintenance, &c. being included in the contingent expenses of 
the estate), for both of which I allow fifteen per cent. This leaves 
about £.25 sterling clear, or nearly a fourth part of the actual value 
of each slave. 
