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Show 12 of the slaves is already transferred to the land. Satisfactory as is this computation, I have every reason to believe that it is much below tbe mark. \Vith respect to real property in the town of St. John's, it has risen in value with still greater rapidity. A large number of new stores, have been opened ; new houses are built or building; the streets have been cleared and improved ; trade is greatly on the increase ; and the whole place wears the appearance of progressive wealth and prosperity." p. 43. "Extensive inquiry has led us to the conviction, that on most of the properties of Antigua, and in general throughout the West Indies, one-third only of the slaves were operative. What with childhood, age, infirmity, sickness, sham sickness, and other causes, full two-thirds of the negro population, might be regarded as dead weight.-The pecuniary saving, on many of the estates in Antigua, by the change of slave for free labor, is at least thirty per cent." pp. 45, 46. "We had appointed a meeting at a country village called Parham. It was a morning of violent rain ; but about two hundred negroes braved the weather, and united with us in public worship. It is said that they are less willing to come out to their places of worship in the rain, than was the case formerly. The reason is curious. They now have shoes and stockings, which they are unwilling to expose to the mud." p. 47. 13 " It is a cheering circumstance of no smull importance, that there are no Jess, as we were told, than se-ven tltousand sclwlars in the various charity schools of Antigun. In all these schools the Bible is read and taught. \Vho can doubt the beneficial moral effect of these extensive efforts 1" p. 48. " The vicar of St. John's, during the last seven years of slavery, married only one hundred and ten pairs of negroes. In the single year of freedom, 1839, the number of pairs married by him, was 185. "\Vith respect to crime-it has been rapidly diminishing during the last few years. The numbers committed to the house of correction in 1837- chiefiy for petty offences, formerly pnnished on the estateswere 850 ; in 1838 only 244 ; in 1839, 3 11. The number left in the prison at the close of 1837, was 147 ; at the close of 1839, only 35. "Nor can it be doubted that the personal comforts of the laborers have been, in the mean time, vastly increased. The duties on imports in 1833, (the last year of slavery) were £ 13,576; in 1839, they were £ 24,650. This augmentation has been occasioned by the importation of dry goods and other articles, for which a demand, entirely new, has arisen among the laboring population. T he quantity of bread and meat used as· food by the laborers is surprisingly increased. Their wedding cakes and dinners are extravagant, even to the point, at times, of drinking champagne! "In connection with every congregation in the 2 |