The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-03-07
SLAVERY AT SURINAM.
From Household Words.

Our attentions have lately been so much
i!Se'i o" the slave struggle between North
and South America. that we seem to have
forgotten that llolland.a country to be seen
on clear day With good glass from the
coast OF Yarmouth, or Lowestoft, owns fnr,v
thousand slaves in the COLONY of Surinam.
situated between the English COLONY OF De-
me1ara and the French colony of CAYENNE.
Professor an lloevcll. formeriva clergyman.
but now member of the Dutch S;aIs,.G..
neral, has recently published very interest
ing work, entitled Slaves and Free. wherein
he reveals the mysteries of the s.ave-driyinu
craft IN SuTinam, IN which colony he seems
to have spent several years The work =
now IN lis third edition. Three editions in
little more than year. Of Dutch work. is
quite literary phenomenon The work is 81,
q once noble contribution 10 Dutch Literature
aud fearful revelation o.; crimes rernetr,-
ted IN SurIna,n. under the sanction of laws
prescribed by the States General of I,lls,J
on" OF the lea'iin. Christian powers of Eu-
rope, as the Dutch like to call ii. We sslec.
two sketches from lf.anJ recommend those 70
whom Dutch Is not perfect Greek, to read
Mr.. Van lloevell's volumes entirely.
""HAT news is there, bastina,!o 2" asked
a man about httv years of age, of a negro
VINO stood before him with a whip IN his
hand, the symbol of his dignity. lie who
made the enquiry had a countenancc q,
whicf The traces of an immodera,e use of
'ran"' and rum were clearly rercep,ihle.
while ms lntamrd ewes and husky yoics.
his trembling hands and bloated ta..e. and
the ciaInmv sweat that covered his forehead.
were so many evidences that h. had. a,
least the night before, been iu:;uia;uo
to an excess in these burnin. waters. n.
was dressed IN coarse lirrn trcwsrrs. and
J,ckct that covered his shoulder, lc,,;p,,
Ills chest bare. to cool Is much a. pos,;i,l,. ~,
the morning air the consuming fire that wa.
burning within. lie was the J,rector of :,
remote plantation which We DO rot care to
name.
"Ihe slaves have done the work given
them yesterday there were few law ones
but stroke or two had the effect of makirr
them complete their task"
us that all. bastinado >"
Yes, ma>sa. One q: the COWS have caIy-
ed. but the calf is dead
1.-The calf dead :" asked the director with
a fearful curse-''the calf dead How can
that be? Why is not my property better
taken care Of: That is MY property, bas,i
nadO"
u"n t know, sir, what was the Cause Of
the misfortune. Old Herman saws that the
COW could not stand Yesterday svcuiuo On
that he could not drive her into the stable,
ana had to leave her all night in the mead.
Ow." VIZ "''"u-
80! then this is the fault of that cu,sed
ola Herman. he has neglected to look after
'h's business So he left the cow in the
meadow. The lazy nisser, what else has he
10 20 1 10 out TO look after my property What
else has he to do Bastinado ."
Nothing. Massa, nothing"
but l understand it perfectly we'll. lis
an tale that he could not get the cow into
'he stable. lie has done all this to suit him
sell. lie wanted the beast to calye in ,h.
meadow; there was nobody near. He kill
ed the calf, and now he saws it was ,lro,,nal
dead-thinking will not eat it and H..
ne will thus have it all to himself. l.. il M,
so, bastinado ?'' HUI
81 don't know. massa."
is 1T not so, bastinado ?" he rene,tea
win features excited into savase:y. with
eyes threatening to start from their sockets
with voice that yelled fearfully tLrou"b
hoarseness and passion.
es, massa, it is so," answered the b,st;-
nado, apprehensively. '''
$50, then' YOU charge Herman with hav-
I" Yes" "uo'oie
him." speak 10
The bastinado retired. but shortly return,
co. accompanied by slave, who followed
I'm totter'nsly and with difficulty. Em,r;.
ted AMI bowed down with age, the old man
PProached, coughing and Wheeling. with with
tE,Ien, " symptoms OF astonishment and fear
tie d had been born on that plantation, % and
nat bis father was of European, and NOT AZ
rlcan origin; was proved by his colour and
eatures. Ills whole life he had I,hou,c