The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-11-16

bo0 eiN y WIN. SdS'i WV -
short, to make our visit pleasant one,
and it would i'll become me, when they
entertained thus liberally, to speak Of
them in terms ofdisrespect. If | have
appeared to err in this particular, |
assure them that | do not feel what |
may have unwarily y written.
am not going to enter into any dis
sussion of the Slave Question; neither
shall | waste my readers time by lay
ing before him minute description of
kingsto or the country around it.
On the subject Of slavery, it will be
sufficient to observe, that | landed as
strongly imbucd with prejudice as
most men, and that little close in
spection of the bphauor of both whites
and ..blacks, seemed to convince me,
that the first were not the ministers
which they were So frequently repre-
spnte to b., n,r tn, cost the Obj let's
of that mlw.lisll comparison which it
is the pleasure of Il certain class OF
WORTHLESS to stir up in this favor. The
domestic. S'r,r IL J nlt,. i general
ly speaking, rs we'll treated, ami in
every respect as happily situated as a
domestic servant; and. from what
saw of the tasks imposed upon the
field-negro-, should certainly not say
that the slave in the sugar or coffee
.ntation i, much more hearty OPP
with toll than the English ditcher or
reoper. No doubt ahcrc are many re-
spects in which the slave stands upon
less enviable ground that the Faro
pean laborer, though | cannot rank
among them the mere fact of his being
q bondsman; because to people so little
advanced in the scale of civilization,
taerc is really no pain in 4 degradation
which after ALL is but ideal. But | do
consider their liability to DC separated
at the will of their owner, from their
nearest relatives, rs very grievous
hardship. 1t is a sad sight. too, to be-
hold both men and women walked
backwards and forwards, as in this
country we walk horse through a
cattle market; yet the individuals
thing in all probability they do not
feel it, OF the wanton cruelties so
much talked of here, my own Observa-
tion brought not before me so much as
a solitary example. They may some
times occur; wherever multitude OF
persons possess absolute power, some
will always abuse it; but it is mere fol-
ly to speak of drivers and overseers as
men who delight in the sound of the
whip, and in the agonies oftheir fellow
creatures. There is yet another class
of slaves, on whose condition word or
two may be hazarded Many owners
teach their negroes trades and these
negroes afterwards labor, not for the
exclusive benefit Of their owners, but
for their own. Men even hire them
selves if rhcir masters; that is, under
take to pay their masters so much per
week, in condition that they shall be
allowed to apply their earnings t"'h~;r
uses; and the balance, as often rs 1t
proves to be against the master, is
punctually made good. All these facts
| deem it proper to state, not in the
spirit of one who wishes to involve
himself in the controversy which has
so long ragged between the planters and
abolitionists, but as the results if a
pretty accurate investigation, set on
foot with no design whatever to dis,
cover eXccllcncics rs Il system which
are Englishm'n must consttutionally
abhor.
With respect to the general appear
ance of the island, again, | saw too lit
tie of it to author Il my entering upon
minute details, Stonry Hill Barracks
at the foot of the mountain, on the one
hand, and Spanish Town, with the Gov
ernor's residence, on the other, bounded
my tour in thus quarter; and even when
the ships proc 'etle,l to th,' place of as
semb!y at Negril Bay. never ven
turcd ten miles from the beach, because
our stay was expected to BE- at most a
brief one; the exact moment of its
termination no one could tcll it would
have been as rash as inpoltic, un Ter
away from the shipping. Yet | saw
enough, both in the bold outline of it's
mountainous coasts, and in the fertili-
ty and richness of its midland plains,
to satisfy me, that few places more de-
serve the notice of a traveller, whose
search is after natural beauty alone.
1t was on the 18th of November,
just as day began to break, that the
little squadron of vessels which had
rendezvoued at Port Royal, weighed
anchor. The rest of the fleet having
steemcd for Nigril Bay, and it being
understood that large re nforcemcnt
had been ordered to join tn, cXpe L.
t on in that roa lstca I, it WIS necessary
for us also to direct our ,Hrse thith r.
as soon as our stores of water and pro-
visions should be complete. All things
were in readiness for the move on the
evening of the 10Th, and on the follow
ing morning we put to sea.
Oar short voyage, for it was accom-
IL L. I