Page:Abstract of the evidence for the abolition of the slave-trade 1791.djvu/89

( 55 ) expected from pregnant women as others. He has seen them holing till within a few hours of their delivery, and has known them receive thirty-nine lashes while in this state. Mr. Woolrich thinks the pregnant women had some little indulgencies, but it was customary for them to work in the field till near their time. The whip was occasionally used upon them, but not so severely as upon the men. Mr. Rees observing the gangs at work, saw a pregnant woman rather behind the rest. The driver called her to come on, and going back struck her with the whip up towards her shoulders. He asked another pregnant woman, if she was forced to work like the rest, and she said, Yes. Sir G. Young adds, that women were considered to miscarry in general from their hard field labour; and Captain Hall says, that, where they had children, they were sent again after the month to labour with the children upon their backs, and so little time afforded them to attend their wants, that he has seen a woman seated to give suck to her child, roused from that situation by a severe blow from the cart whip.

Their labour in the crop season.

The above accounts of the mode and duration of the labour of the field slaves, are confined to that season of the year which is termed, "Out of Crop," or the time in which they are preparing the lands for the crop. In the crop season, however, the labour is of much longer duration. Weakly handed estates, says Mr. Fitzmaurice, which are far the most numerous, form their negroes in crop into two spells, which generally change at twelve at noon, and twelve at night. The boilers and others about the works, relieved at twelve at noon, cut canes from shell-blow, (half past one) till dark, when they carry cane-tops or grass to the cattle penns [sic], and then they may rest till twelve at night, when they relieve the spell in the boiling-house, by which they themselves had been relieved at twelve in the day. On all estates the boiling goes on night and day without intermission: but