The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-02-20 00:00:00

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WE ST INDIA SL.WERT

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The following, details, from the pen of a most intelligent
emel respect: h' gentleman, who resided nearly five years
in the island te: flarbadoes, on the estates whose manage-
ment he particularises, hay; cone to our bands, and we
Five :hem insertion. They are :Inlimitted by the anthor,
as e xlet biting a statement of the real condition of the slave
population, and as giving n accourt of the general treat-
went of the slaves—not presenting a few isolated facts
upon one or two plantations only. W-e have already re-
peatcdly expresso' our own opinions on this important
intljeet. We are i erSlintled that the outcry, raised by
tote abolitionists in this courtly against the 11 est Italia
prepfetors and pirenvrv, and the charges brought by them
etisp.v:ing the treatment of the negrocs generally, arc in a
Fr, t degree unwarranted by. facts. The question once raised,
let”:efat to be (-tinily and impartially discussed ; and we
lettve- opimrd our columns to opposite statements. With
that view, facts, and not. assertions, are what the opinion
cf l',-!Litnent and the public generally ottglet to he
gt.i.le 1 by. A fiery zeal and a blind fanaticism will al-
il"stort and pervert what comes before them, to suit
tb.i7 own peculiar purposes. It must be admitted that
tli:! Colonies hate been in imminent danger, and that their
fre !-•;Ainti, with that of the fortunes and lives of the
inhabitants, now bangs on the wisdom and do-
s',,n of the Legislature at home. If the question is tz.) be
iain vizi:feted this Session, on the abolition petition,, we
volv -ish the movers to argue in reality, and not to repro-
rtint n: rocs as differently situated from what they
really are; thus raising fals^ allegations of cruelty and
suffering, to excite an undescivA commiseration without
tors, and extort from Parliament concessiona that must
prove the ruin of thcl'olonies. But it is time to return to
the little pamphlet before us and its details, the correctness
cr which has been vouched to us: they boar all the marks
of unpretending fidelity,—an example we wish the abo-
lition party would imitate.
The three ("elites, in the isknd of Barbadoes, referred to In the
following acemini, are distant, the two most renu.te a little more
than three miles from one another, and the third abort midway
between the other t( n. Although so rear, they are essentially. Ili.-
fern), as to the nature of their coil, and as to their respective situa-
tions: one 110,1 a, the top of one of the highest ndgcs of the
and torordi. g a light and not deep sod., another lying in
the bottom of a vale. ndjotnirg mid extending to Cie eastern sea-
coast, of a dcep and very stiff inn rich land ; :ail the third inter-
mediate, both in situation aril roil, between these two. These
t!'llinmees aren't:rationed, in order to account for some varieties of
cultivation which may appear 111,m thin nport.
The largest of th..se n.tates coacists of nearly 700 acres of land ;
about :150 of *ow, 1,0111/aka.

For the cultltstion of ens le-11 ths— arc 219 negroes. There
ar. also 149 head of catde, 6 horses, 16 asses, besides sheep and
hogs. .•
e•in this estate the quantity of lend, which is annually prepared
f • an: 11:3111.!ti in cures, is front to 40 acres. Ile quantity of
e.-es to be remiss' h, from 100 to 120 acres; the difference between
1% 'VI nn.l the rumitity plaited is owing to the canes being left to
gfri:l: thereby second crop. third crop, &c.; which
unit rnptir tetctlin:4 and ke:ping clean during their early growth.
'the nttutber of negro-httus.o., is 76, many of them thirty feet
berg and twelve feet wide ; and almost every family has a kitchen
th is separate from the haute.
T alum all the estates arc orighially built, and regularly
r.otaircd, at the expense and with the labour of the esta:c.
The rol./w7ty, rf every sort anti denomination, belimging to the
re4ro, is held sacnd ; and In the disposal of it he exercises his
own free will, and the traffic he carries on is as little known to
his mes•er or mar.acer, in its details, as is the business of the
brit merchant in !triage Town.
Cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, and poultry of every kind, are kept
by the negroes. It is very common for a negro to pat out a heifer,
to a poor white man in the neighbourhood, to keep far the first
calf; or a young bull for half the growth : L e. the bull is caned
at the time, by some one chosen by the parties ; and at the end of.
two or three years, as may be agreed on, the animal is re-appraised.
and the negro pays the white titan, after deducing the original
',slue of the animal, one moiety of its present value, and disposes
of the beast to whom he pleases afterwards.
At this time there are four head of cattle in the negro- yard
(bc,ides what may be put out as above described), upwards of
250 heal of sheep, goats and hogs • and from seven to eight hun-
wd head of poultry. Many of the negroes reap annually 100011 e.
or ports each, beetles Guinea and Indian corn, eddoes, potatoes,
cassava, ginger, and the more industrious plant arrow-root, which
they prepare and sell for a good price.
rpon the next estate, consisting of 151 acres of land, of which
ahoy; 110 are cultivated, there are 118 negroes.
There are also 52 head of cattle, and one horse, besides sheep
and bogs.
The number of negro-houses is 41. The quantity of land plant.
ed fit canes annually is front 18 to 20 acres. The quantity of-canes
to be reaped is about 50 acres.
1; mm !he third estate, consisting of 157 acres of land, about 100
or %filth are cultivated, there arc 1,2 negroes.
There are also 43 bead of cattle and three horses, besides sheeP,
hogs, &c.

The number of negro.bouses is 82. The quantity of land, an-
hnally planted in canes, is from 16 to 18 says. The quantity to be
reanM is from I.i to 10 acres. _ _

The next point is the detail of the day's labour, and of the al-
kwances to the negroes.
Is the morning the field people come into the yard before the
wrager's house, a little before sunrise, where they receive tacit a
pint of warm tea (either ginger tea or a mixture of molasses and
veer) ; the hit is called, and the ticld-overseer receives instruc-
tions as to the morning's work ; and the negroes, having drunk
their tea, follow him to the tiettl they are to be employed on, and
set in to work by this time the sun is fully up.
The mothers of children live montl-sold or more go into the field
at seven o'clock, or later. . .

Women after their confinement (who are allowed to choose an
female of the plantation to attend them during their confinement).
at the expiration of five weeks, are said to go Into the field at
eight o'clock in the morning ; but they are allowed great latitude
alit° time, kc. and always avail themselves of it; not labouring
upon the whole more than four hours a day, for the first five or six
months after their confilienient.

At nine o'clock the people go to breakfast, which they carry with
them prepared. and are allowed half an hour for : they then renew
their labour, whistling, singirg, and joking with one another. At
eleven o'clock each negro receives half a pint of pue.ch, which con-
tains half a gill of rum.
About one o'clock they quit the &id, and upon their return home
receive a dressed meal, consisting of two pounds of roots, (vatubs,
eddoes. or potatoes), a pint of vegetable soup seasoned with salted
Esh, fac. and a pint of beverage to each. In wet weather they fry
quently ask for a dram, which is given them in addition to their
equal allowance of puneh.
"After they come home ewer hours elapse before the bell rings to
cad them out; and from the time lost in coming out of their houses,
&r. the avers 'e dine of labour is nut more than eight and a half to
tins, bouts a day.
The weekly allowance of undressed provisions, in addition to the
above, ;o the aduits is as follows :—When corn is given, each
grown negro receives ten pints of Guinea corn, or thirteen pints of
Indian corn. '.hen roots are given, (yantbs, eddecs, or potatoes,)
each grown negro receives thirty pounds. The other allowances are
use pound of asked tWt, half a pint of salt, and two pints of mo-
lasses. . _ _

At Ch - nun= each grown person receives, in addition to the rev.
lie allowance, one pound of unmet pork. and the younger people
half a pound emit; and at the finishing of the crop a harvest-lwrue
dinner is given them and a dance in the evening.
The children. besides having s full breakfast and dinner cooked
for them, arc allowed (and their mothers receive it with their own)
undresard food in quantity in proportion to their age.
The infants are kept in a nursery room, where old women of good
charat.ler end affectionate dispostnims arc placed in charge of them,
and eon gruel boiled with milk, and sweetened with dry sugar to
prevent it. disagreeing with them, is prepared twice a day for them
to be fed with : their mothers visit them five times a day till they
ye five months old, LA afmrwards three times a day till they
e wear.ed.

,Inhntity of clothing which was thit year sent out from Eng-
;and fo: the regrors on these three estates and on an adjoining
estdr„ witted' is under the same management, was as follows:
i.srtis of blue venistone. 11:12:1 yards of check. Zl3ll yards of
I tr.:. i-ors, !I pounds of blue thread, 10 pounds of Oinaburgs
(I,.rn 'Alonmoulli hats, 41 doien of raps, and one
s-1- y flannel, one piece of 100 yards of white flannel.
Tito 'Ow!, of persona for whom it was sent about WO,
men, slid children.

In sir a.•: they arc attended two or three times a-day as may be
111,Ye.. 'Ty. I the regular practitioner for the estate ; and in rims
of dorger. or whenever the practitioner requires it, the most ski].
fill of the nie,l'fal profession is called in : besides the coloured
rinse. in the nigbt A white servant superintends the administering
rricditiMes..k c. tind convalescents have ai,irital Mn,', sine, cho-
colate, an•i. in short, every comfort provided for them.
Tile labour of a soar ctate employed in the following man.
rove :-.-The plough is used first to break up the brads, which are
then planted in Indian corn at the space of four or five feet equi.
&itan: ; and when the corn is sufficiently advanced, potatoes,
yambs, and c,'do,s, arc planted in such succession as will allow
the pl:mter to reap them in tin:eft/2' him to put in his cane crop in
•roae hinds ; the ranes being generally planted in November,
la•c:^adore, and January. and in sonic particularly ses,oitable situ.
s• itri, I lir y;:•1.1) field cares arc planted as late as Ain:!.
By this of cut:lva:ion there are two objects in view, Tin.
I lr.rge otianiity of food for the ri,i,wi.cs in the rich
cow which are kept clear of weeds and gr ss he frequent

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WM'. 1.1:7' 4 .0 • , ;ix very lip,ht work), and are thereby pa int) ti tic
vote ti!la,:o. by the time the sea,,on arrives tor ilintinp canes ;
tl : ti:,;ect is to divide the htheur of preparatiot. into 11.1-
sto tit:,: 01:1e shouhl not he at nny time an n:cutuu-
la:kri of ii,rs for ele urgrnes to makers push to get ( x sewed.
jm,tiehlativ stilrmils the land is ploughed, nr.:l cross
it, a, to tender the cultivation of it with tit.. hoc wort-
labourers, whose chief occupation is the cradir.eing of
The plough is generally employed al.,' to turn out the
ten ripe; which, by removing the coulter, it does in a
ray. with the leastgziossitile injury to them. l'reviotis to
action of the plow (which has been in pretty general
!tout twenty years), the optesstion of holeiN the katl ran

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retry laborious, because the land was bmten up with mannsi La-
bour; but holeing, there the plough has been employed, is very
easily performed, and is simply drawing the mould in swaiet
lined ridges, so as to make an excavation of three or four. feet
square, and four or five inches deep, for the reception of the cane'
plants, that they may be put a sufficient depth to prevent their
roots being so superficial as to allow the canes to turn up when acted
on by high winds. The land is also prepared for Guinea earn with
the plough, scythat by the use of this salvable instrument, all the
hardest labour in the preparation is got rid of; and the negroes do
nothing that can be accomplished by cattle, ploughs, and carts.
With regard to'.he portion of die labour of an estate_ which is
applied to the cultivation of coin and other provisions fee, the ne- I
glows, it is agreed on all hands, that two-lifths, or perhaps one.half,
of the labour is expended in the production of food for the con.,
sumption of the slaves.
In reaping the crop, the clay's work varies according as the wind
is more or adequate to impelling the mill. When at the
largest estate more titan two hogsheads of sugar are made, two
sets of teems (live to each fire) are at work, which dispatch
the day's liquor by eight o'clock at night, at the latest, and not
unfrequently before that hour: here there are employed at the mill
sixteen negrocs, and in the boiling house 11. fhe mill, if the
canes are distant, is not put to work before seven o'clock in the
morning: and if canes are left from the preceding day, the mill is
put into the wind at broad day, or a little before sun-rise.
By ref :ring to the sugar books of these estates, it appears that
at the largest estate the reaping the crop occupied 115 days; that
there were only ‘.19 days on which more than two hogsheads were
mile during the day ; and only on one day did they reach four
hogsheads. At the next, the crop was reaped in fir:psis days;
and at the third, in thirty days; and on no one day did they make
1 more than two hogsheads of sugar, at either of these two last.
The food which is required for the horses and elude on Sunday is
generally provided the day before.
11:•sides the Sundays and the day after each festival being allowed
the negro:a as a holiday, they are allowed very frequently a Sour.
day afternoon, and mem:hi:tally the whole of Saturday ; and a
week does not elapse without some of the negroes asking the
manavr to give them a day to dispose of some articles, the pro-
duce of their industry.
of I mode of making manure in pens of sufficient size for an
acre of land, which was carried and distributed in the field by the
negrms, is going fast out of practice.
Tying the cattle on the land, and littering and feeding them
hi) hlv at the stake, has been found by experiment to fertilize the
soil sufficiently to produce good canes and a succession of other
crops; by which system the labour of the negro dwindles to in.
significance, assisted as he is with the use of carts, and of mach'.
' nary of every description ; and there is a spirit of • mulation
' amongst agriculturists operating to effect the cultivation of the
lands with the least possible expenditure of human labour.
In treating the subject of punishment, it is necessary to premise,
that it ought always to be recollected, that the ownd or manager of
an estate is in fact the chief police magistrate of the estate, and
is more frequently called upon fur summary convicrions for petty
thefts, or breaches of the peace sinning the negroes, than for any
other cause. The following is given iii the wards of the letters
received :

" Punishments are rarely inflicted ; they ate of two kinds, me-
pond, and s,,litary confinement. With a stogie rod at a time I
order from three stripes to two dozen on the shoulders, both of men
and lemur ; and as punishments arc prospective and not %iodictive
I I find the infliction of this limited number quite enough : should,
however, a stabborn refrae.ory spirit not be brought by this means
to a sense of his fault, I then find !solitary. confinement at noon and
night for a week er ten days, at most, brings the offender to a con-
fession of his error. I have never for the period I have lived here
(nearly six veers) but in one in,tance been ender the disagreeable
necessity of confining a slave beyond the period above named:
the case was this—A negro secreted himself in the chamber of the
white servant upon one of the estates, awl during the night took
out the keys of the buildings and provision.housm, and, with the
assistance of three accomplices, stole sugar, yanibb, fish, atc. On
their guilt being fully established, I gave owl of them 36 stripes
with a single rod : the leader I confined at noon and night foe Ave
weeks, and the accomplices for three weeks. I deducted from the
white servant's wages the value of the stolen property, and dis-
charged him from your service, which I think was a heavier pa.
nishment than the negroes received. I inflict more punishments
for acts of violence and peculation committed by the negroes on
each other than for offences connected with your particular in-
tricots; and am not unfrequently called upon by husband and wife
to settle family differences, where I find in most instances the wo.
men are betrayed by their jealousies Into acts of violence. There
is rot in your estates a cart whip ; and I declare that as far as my
knowledge goes, I only know of one deed or kept for use. The
drivers, or persons who superintend the field laboums, and are
placed over them more to direct the mode of executing the work
than to excite them to great exertion, carry a cat of four or five
tails, and the strands of them very slackly twisted, more as a syn.
bol of authority than an instrument of punishment : and the in-
fliction of punishment by them extends no farther than giving
three stripes with this whip.
And as regards the punishment et females, Corporal punish-
ment is never inflicted but on the shoulders; and it is my opinion,
that if any man, whether he be the owner or manage', were to
a female indecently, or severely on bee shoulders, that man would
be considered as having disgraced himself, and would be shunned
in society accordingly. It is an acknowledged fact, that female
slaves take great liberty of speech, and are allowed greater latitude
than the men, which proceeds from their being, Dam respect to
their sex, used with less coercion."

MO' I') IL'
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TNe now abt