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Show 46 ST. CHRISTOPHER's. ticularly, they perform a far greater q~1antity of work in a given time, than could be obtamed from them under slavery. When we called on our excellent friend R. Cleghorn, a faithful and intelligent stipend. iary magistrate, he summed up his favorable report of the laborers of St. Christopher's, by the folio >\ ing emphatic remark-" They will do an iTifinity of work for wages." This state of things is accompanied by a vast in· crease in their own comforts. Our friend Cadman, the Methodist minister, was on this station, during slavery in the vear 1826. He has now returned to it und:r freed on~. "The change for the better," he observed, " in the dress, demeanor, and welf[tre of the people, is prodigious." The imports are vastly in. creased. The duties on them were £1,000 more in 1838, than in 1837; and, in 1839, double those of 1838, within £150. This surprising increase is owing to the demand on the part of the free laborers, for imported goods, especially for articles of dress. The difficulty experienced by the gentry living in th~ town, in procuring fowls, eggs, &c., from the negroe~ is considerably increased. The reason is well knoll'n, -the laborers make use of them for home consump· tion. Marriage is now become frequent amongst them, and a profusion of eggs is expended on their wending cakes ! Don btless they will soon learn to exchange these freaks of luxury, for the gradual ac· quisition of wealth. We had much pleasure in calling at the Moravian establishment at Cayon, under the care of Brother Munzer. It seemed to be admirably conducted; he ST. CHRISTOPHER'S. 47 has three hundred children in his school. Another of their establishments, at Basse-terre, is equally prosperous. W c visited the school there, and examined the children. Their answers to our questions were lively and correct. Crime, and petty offences, arc greatly rliminished since the date of full freedom. Education in useful knowledge, and religious in struction, arc rapidly advancing. There arc nine churehes on the island, under the establishment; six Methodist chapels, and three Moravian institutions. The Moravians have 3,000 members by birth and otherwise; the Methodists 2,899 in church communion, besides attenders. These numbers include a vast proportion of the population, which is calculated at 20,000. To the favorable account of this island, which our own observation has thus enabled us to give, I will now add the testimony of the able and popular Lieut. Governor, recei1•cd in a letter, after the lapse of three months from the date of our visit. " I have," says he, "just received the reports of the stipendiary magistratP.s, as to the general state of their respective districts on this island. I am thankful to say that they are, without exception, most cheering and satisfactory. These reports will be transmitted home; and, if similar reports are forwarded from the rest of the West Indies, the friends of the negro must feel proud and gratefnl. I do not mean to say that individual proprietors and laborers do not occasionally complain of each other; but certainly, in the mass, the proprietors of this island evince a willingness to adopt conciliatory measures, and to pay a fair remunerative price for labor; and the laborers arc eager to work for fair wages." In a |