The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-10-17
.sSgsCetGGo Tn.
From the .Ae,e ReaGam Cionr;e,.
NEGRO SLAVERY IN THE w. INDIES
AND UNITED STATES.

NEGRO SLAVERY IN THE w. INDIES
AND UNITED STATES.
The last number of the phiiadelnhia
Quarterly contains review Of a book writ
ten By Alexander Barclay, the object of
which is to shew that the condition Of the
slaves Of the West Indies has been melior-
ated TO great extent within Il few wears.
In the article in the Quarterly, the review
or has taken occasion to institute a parallel
between the state of slavery in the United
States and the West Indies. ALTHOUGH we
think the following sketch presents the
condition OF the slave in a somewhat more
favorable view than it will be found to he
IN tact on the average, it yet furnishes
much information which may. no doubt, be
reAed upon. The reviewer claims to have
obtained his information from personal Oh
servation in the slave holding States. He
IS IN favor Of colonizing the blacks of the
United States by sending them to Afrira.
to Hayti, and over the Rocky Mountains
on the Pacific. In the parallel referred to,
the reviewer begins with
FOOD AND CLOTHING.
Mr.. Barclay thus sketches the houses
and mode Of life of the slaves in Jamaica:
The common size of the negro houses is
twonty-eight feet long, by fourteen broad
Posts of hard wood about nine feet long, or
seven above ground, are placed at distance
OF two feet from one another, and the space
between is closely waited and plastered. The
roof IS covered with the long mountain-thatch
pameto-thatch, or dried guinea-grass, either
OF which Is more durable than the straw -thatch
used in this country. Cane tops are also used
for the purpose, but arc not so lasting To
a considerable Fd2ial, the tAatch is brought down
in consequence, look low, and the roof high.
The house is divided into three, and sometimes
four apartments. That in the middle occupy
ing the whole breadth of the house, has door
on each side, to admit circulation of air
This is the sitting apartment, and here the
poorer class make fire and cook their victuals
the more wealthy have separate kitchen at a
little distance The smaller houses have the
sitting room in one end, and two sleeping
apartments in the other.
g Behind the house is the garden, filled with
plantains, ochras, ard other vegetables, which
are produced at all seasons. II abounds, also
with cocoa nut and calabash trees. A good
cocoa nut will be a meal to man, and boiled
among the sugar (Which the negroes frequent
ly do) would be feast TO an epicure 1t con-
tains also about pint Of delicious Juice, called
. cocoa 7iut milk" The leaves which are
thick, and twelve or fifteen feet long, are shed
occasionally all the year round, and not only
make excellent fuel, but are sometimes used
for thatch. The nut also yields oil for lamps,
and the shell is made into cups. Thus, one
tree affords meat, drink, fuel, thatch, oil for
lamps, and cups TO drink out of.
"They have also their hog-sties; poultry
houses are not wanted; the chickens are care
fully gathered at night, and hung UP in bas-
kets TO preserve them from the rats The
fowls lodge at all seasons in the trees about the
houses The premises, belonging TO each fam
lily, are commonly surrounded with a fence
their provision grounds are generally at some
distance.
"The furniture in the negro houses, Of
course, varies very much according to the in
dustry or otherwise of the family Some Of
the Africans have no idea of domestic comfort
and are so improvident that it is utterly impos-
sible to make them comfortable. They will
/ sell their very clothes to buy rum nay, the
/ pot given them to cook their victuals in and
! | have known several instances of their pulling
down and burning the very waiting of the
houses provided for them, rather than take the
trouble TO collect fire wood, although in abun
dance almost at their doors. With these moth
1 inc can be done but their number is now
small. The ordinary class of negroes have
fixed beds, covered with deal boards and MATS
on which they sleep under single blanket Of
sheet, which is all that the climate requires
The rest of the furniture consists Of a trunk o
chest TO hold their clothes, small cupboard
for their cups and dishes, iron pots, and til
pans for cooking, plain deal table, bench, an,
a few chairs The more wealthy, of which
the number has increased much during tn
last ten years, sleep on beds filled with tn
dried leaves OF the plantain tree, used also b
tho free people of color and the whole Of thci
furniture, as ! have before observed, is such a
would astonish an English visitor, who, seen
it, would not easily believe himself in the hous
of slave"
For such of our readers as have nc
E travelled south of Pennsylvania, we state
. that the houses of the negroes on the farm
f and plantations in Virginia and the adjoir
ing States, are usually built of logs of tin
: Der, and are from twelve to sixteen fee
: square, and though rude and unseeml!
, they are very comfortable both in summC
= and winter the large logs of which the
, are made being better non-conddctors tina
: brick or stone. Every family inhabits on
of these houses, to each of which is attacl
ed small garden that furnishes them wit
u beans, cabbages, potatoes, melons, and oil
err esculent vegetables. On large estat
their houses are placed near each other, {