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Show 142 ON THE SLAVERY AND COMMERCE ters: they are employed three afterwards i11 their own necellary concerns; jive only remain for !Jeep, and their day is finilhed. During the remaining portion of the year, or the time of crop, the nature, as well as the time of their employment, is confiderably changed. The whole gang is generally divided into two or three bodies. One of thefe_, befides the ordinary labour of the day, is kept in turn at the mills, that are conll:antly going, during the whole of the night. This is a dreadful encroachment upon their time of rell:, which was before too i11ort to permit them perfect] y to refrcJ11 their wearied limbs, and actually reduces their lleep, as long as this fcafon lall:s, to about three hours and an half a night, upon a moderate *computation. Th?fe :"ho can keep their eyes open during thetr mghtly labour, and are willing to refill: the drowfinefs that is continually coming upon them, are prefently worn out; while . •. :his ~amputation i~ made on a fuppofition, that the gang ts dn•tded mto three bodies; we call it therefore moderate, becaufe the gang is frequently divided into two bodies, which muft therefore fet up alternately trvt r.J other night. fome oF THE H u MAN SPECIES. fome of thofe, who are overcome, and who feed the mill between alleep and awake, fuffer, for thus obeying the calls of nature, by the t lofs of a limb. In this manner they go on, with little or no refpite from their work, till the crop feafon is over, when the year (from the time of our firll: defcription) is completed. * To fupport a life of fuch unparalleled drudgery, we l110uld at leall: expect to find, that they were comfortably clothed, and plentifully fed. But fad reverfc! they have fcarcely a covering to defend themfelves againll: the inclemency of the night. Their provifions are frequently bad, and are always dealt out to them with fuch a fparing hand, that the means of a bare livelihood are not placed within the reach of four out of five ofthefe unhappy people. It is a fact, that many of the diforders of ilaves are contracted from eating the vegetables, which their little t An hand or arm being frequently ground off. • The reader will fcarcely believe it, but it is a faEt, that a flave's annual allowance from his mal\cr, for provifions. clothing, medicines when. fitlc, &c. Is limited, upon an average. to thirty !billings. fpots |