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Show 14 i;land, whether of the Church of England, or among the Dissenters, has been formed a friendly society. The laborers subscribe their wceldy pittances to these institnlions, and draw out comfortable supplies, in case of sickness, old age, burials, and other exigen· cies. Thus is the negro gradually trained to the habits of prudence and foresight." " A female proprietor wl1o had become embarrasseu, was advised to sell off part of her property, in small lots. The experiment answered her warmest expcchl.tions. The laborers in the neighborhood, bought up all the little freeholds with extreme eageruess, made their payments faithfully, and lost no time in settling on the spots which they had purchased. 'fhey soon framed their houses, and brought their gardens into useful cultivation with yams, bananas, plantains, pine-apples, and other fruits and vegetables, including plots of sugar cane. In this way Augusta and Liberta sprang up as if by magic. I visited sC\ eral of the cottages, in company with the Rector of the parish, and was surprised by the excellence of the buildings, as well as by the neat furniture, and cleanly little articles of daily use, which we found within. It was a scene of contentment and happiness ; and I may cert' inly add, of industry: for these little freeholders occupied only their leisure hours, in worldng on their own grounds. They were also earning wages as laborers on the neighboring estates, or working at English Harbor, as mechanics." p. 49. 15 "'Ve were now placed in possession of clear documentaty evidence, respecting the stnpl(' produce of the islanJ. T he average export s of the last five years of slavery, (1829 to 183:3 inclusive,) were, sugar 12,189 hogsheads; molasses 3,308 pun cheons ; and rum 2,468 puncheons. Those of the fi rst five years of freedom, ( 1834 to 1838 inclusive,) were, sugar 13,545 hogsheads ; molasses 8,308 puncheons ; e.nd rum l,lOD puncheons ! showing an excess of 1,3.3G hogsheads of sugar, and of 5,000 puncllcons of molasses; and a dirninution of 1,359 puncheons of rum. This comparison is surely a triumphant one; not only does it demonstrate the advantage derived from free labor during a course of fi,rc years, but affords a proof that many of the planters of Antigua have ceased to convert their molasses into rum. It ought to be obsen'ed thal these five years of freedom included two of drought, one, very calamitous. The statement for 1839, forms an admirable climax to this account. It is as follows : sugar 22,383 hogsheads ; (10,000 beyond the last average of slavery,) 13,43:l puncheons of molasses ; (also 10,000 beyond that average,) and only 582 puncheons of rum! r.rhat, in the sixth year of freedom, after the fair t rial of Hve years, the exports of sugar from Antigua, al~ most doubled the ayerage of the last flve years of slavery, is n fact which p recludes the necessity of all other evidence. By what I.mnds was this vast crop raised nnd realized 1 lly the Jmnds of that lazy and impracticable race, (as they have often been describ· |
