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Show 2:1.4 ON THE SLAVERY AND CoMMERCE appropriated to 1/ rell:; and they mull: be cultivated, not for an amufement, but to make up, if it be pqfjible, the great deficiency in their weekly allowance of provifions. l;lence it appears, that the receivers have no merit whatever in fuch an appropriation of land to their unfortunate flaves : for they are either under the neceflity of doing this, or of lqjing them by the jaws of famine. And it is a notorious faCt, that, with their weekly allowance, and the produce of their fpots together, it is often with the greateil: difliculty that they preferve a wretched exiil:ence. The third advantage which they are faid to experience, is that of holy-days, or days of refpite from their ufual difcipline and fatigue. This is certainly a great indulgence, and ought to be recorded to the immortal honour of the receivers. We wii11 we could exprefs their liberality in thofe handfome II They muft be cultivated always on a Sunday, and fre· quently in thofe hours which fhould be appropriated tojlup, or the wretched polfelfors muft be inevitably flar'7.Jtd. terms, or THE HuMAN SPECIES. terms, in which it deferves to be reprefented, or applaud them fufficiently for deviating for once from the rigours of fervile difcipline. But we confefs, that we are unequal to the talk, and mufl: therefore content ourfelves with obferving, that while the horfe has one day in ftvm to refrefl1 his limbs, the happy African has but one in * jijty-t7vo, as a relaxation from his labours. With refpeCt to their' dances, on which fuch a particular il:refs has been generally laid, we fear that people may have been as fhamefully deceived, as in the former inil: ances. For from the manner in which thefe are generally mentioned, we fhould almoil: be led to imagine, that they had certain hours allowed them for the purpofe of • They are allowed in general three holy-days at Chriftma!, but in Jamaica they have two al (o at Eafler, and two at Whitfun tide: fo that on the largcft fcale, they have only feven days in a year, or one day in fifty-two. But thi9 is on a fup~ pofition, that the receivers do not break in upon the afternoons, which they are frequently too apt to do. If it fuould be faid that Sunday is an holy-day~ it is not true; it is fo far an holy-day~ that they do not work for their mailers; but fuch an holy-day, that if they do not employ it in the culti .. \'at ion of their little fpots, they muft be jltzMJu/. p joining |
