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Show 114 JAMAICA. he declined the appointment, from an apprehension t I1 at hI.S CO lor would subJi ect him to indignitv' . His opm· w· n o ft]1e workin" of freedom in .T amaica, ground. b . . c d on an Cxtensi ve and accurate a. cq uamtance. w1th the subject, is highly favorable.' H1s only ~ear 1s, l~st unequa II a,f,l s ' or unJ'ust practices, should Impede 1ts nat1· ve c1 0r co... , and mar its operation. In thesa views we f u II y ag ree· with him. Let freedom alone, and all will be well. This view of the subject was pleasantly confirmed by some valuable missionaries of the. Scotch Kirk, wh o res1'd. e 1'n the Parish (or counf·l j) of St. Mary. In that district, rent and wages have been arranged quite m• e 1P pen dcntly of e·a ch other,. and labor has . been su, f. fered to find its market, wnhout obstructiOn. 1he consequence is, that there have been no dilfer~nccs, and the people are working wdl. T~c quantity of work obtained from a freeman there, IS far bey~nd the old task of the slave. In the laborious occupatwn o f h ol ing, the emancipated negroes perform . doub1le the work of the slave in a day. In road makwg, t le day's task, under slavery, was to break four barrel::: stone. Now, by task-work, a weak hand will fill rig barrels a strong one, from ten to twelve barrels. Afte,rwards we called on Charles Nicholas Palmer, formerly M.P. for the County of Surrey, who ~~d with us at the ant1. -slavery meetm· g, an d fully m.u.te c ld r1 He IS 1D· in the views which were thrre un•o e · I d . . . h. h are regu ate tcrested in five l'states m Jammca, w •c ' h on fal.l ' pr.m c.1 ples-so powerf i n1 1·1 1 themselves, as t e ,llent accoun1 source of success. He gave us an exec ~ f h . I I orers assllre of the conduct and industry o IS a 1 ' JAMAICA. 115 us that he was greatly indebted to the influence of their Christian pastors, and added the pleasing information that these properties were now emancipating themselves from the burden of debt, and consequent mercantile restrictions, by which they had been oppressed under slavery. Third month (March) 7th.-This day was spent in a tete a tete ride Oll horseback, with J. M. I'hillippo, the respected minister of the Baptist congregation at Spanishtown; and certainly it was one of uncommon interest. We set off very early in the morning, and pursued a gradually ascending course for thirteen miles, until we arrived at Sligo ville, where the Governor has a delightful country-seat, and my friend the Baptist, a missionary station and school. The country through which we passed is rich in fertility and beauty, and we had the pleasure of observing well cultivated provision grounds and gardens, on the road side, which were entirely the growth of freedom. As we rode along, we met a great number of country people, with large, well-balanced baskets, on their heads, filled with frnits and vegetables, which they were carrying to the Spanishtown market. They uniformly met us with a smile of pleasme, and friendly salutations. The minister was well known to them, and many of them ha~ been present at the anti-slavery meeting, with ~1'\lich they were much delighted: Their manners are, 10 an extra01·dinary degree, respecti\1 and polite. At the Baptist station at Sligovilte, we spent several hours. It is located on a lofty hill, and is surrounded by fifty acres <Of fertile mountain land. This property is divided into one hundred and fifty freehold 12 |