, 1873-08-02

tiOn, and whilst at Jamaica their numerous
families for they are very p~roIic) would
be a source OF multiplied benefit, they are,
at Malta, an aggrayating canse of penury
and extreme distress. AS to their treat
ment at Jamaica, it is so obviously the in
terest OF the employer to exercise towards
them all just dealing and proper considera~
tlon, that it would be irrational as well as
lIHbcral to presume any otherwise. 1t is
also taken for granted that the laws of the
island offer ample protection to British
born subjects against oppression or injury
OF any kind 1t would, however, be de-
slrabIe that The persons experimenting
these IabOurers should be Maltese at all
events it would be inexpedient that their
Iabours would be entirely guided or con-
trOlled by Overseers who hive been accus-
TONED to deal only with negroes. In
short, there can be no reasonable, no legi-
Inmate cause why the best interests of so
splendid a possession as Jamaica should
not be thus promoted, nor why the indi-
gent, destitute condition of the s~uperabund-
ant population of Malta increasing as it
does at the alarming rate of 1000 souls a
Year, should not be thus ameliorated.
The disposition, moral and physical quail
ties, OF the Maltese peasantry are pretty
much as follows Attach as they are to
their native rock, they cmigrate freely and
unhositatiugIy to the neighbouring coasts
OF Barbary and the Levant, where the re-
@straints they are un Ter and the risks they
run are infinitely greater than any they
could encOultor at Jamaica, They are
Catholics, and particularly attentive to the
religious obscryances of their Church; but,
whatever may be their ~prejudi0s in matters
OF this nature, they are neither Extensively
nor obtrusiveIy exhibited, They could
not be brought to labour on certain Church
festivals and Saints days They are eX-
trcmeIy sober, orderly, and peaceable,
though resentful of injury. They are of
the middle size, muscular, active, and ca
pable Of enduring great fatigue. They
are industrious, aud when once in a condi-
ton to save a little money, are careful to
preserve and diligent to increase it. They
are accustomed to hoe husbaudry, and
their hoe is a heavy powerful implement.
They cultivate cotton, wheat, barley, In
dian corn, potatoes, and most other ve9eta-
bles, anniseed and cummin seed. They
understand the management of silk-worms,
and the rearing Of pigs, poultry, &c. Much
native cotton is manufactured into a varie-
ty Of articles, particularly sail cloth from
yarn, spun by the women, who are univer-
sally spinners. Numbers of both sexes are
constantly occupied in the making of
cigars. They Iabour from sunrise to sun
set, with an hour, about 8 in the morning
for breakfast, and two hours (or two hours
and a half in the summer months) in the
middle Of the day for dinner and repose.
Their staple article of food is bread, their
breakfast consisting of coarse wheaton
bread, or bread made from a mixture OF
wheat and barley with a little common
cheese Costing about three pence per lb),
oil, onion, gar!ick, or salt-fsh, At noon
they make a similar meal, and, after their
Iabours are over, they sup on a vegetable
broth with a little oil, or bread, or macca-
roni thrown INFO it. Potatoes. too, and
the cheaper fruits they consume in consi-
derable quantities. When they can get
wine it is of a description that costs about
three halfpence a bottle. Their wages
run from seven to ~ninepence ~a-day-wo-