Page:Abstract of the evidence for the abolition of the slave-trade 1791.djvu/90

( 56 ) well handed estates have three spells, and intermissions accordingly.

Mr. Dalrymple speaking also of their labour in time of crop, says they are obliged to work as long as they can, which is as long as they can keep awake or stand on their legs. Sometimes they fall asleep, through excess of fatigue, when their arms are caught in the mill, and torn off. He saw several, who had lost their arms in that way.

Mr. Cook states, on the same subject, that in crop- time they work in general about eighteen hours out of the twenty-four, and are often hurt through mere fatigue and want of sleep. He knew a girl lose her hand by the mill while feeding it, for being overcome by sleep, she dropped against the rollers. He has heard of several instances of this kind.

Their days of rest.

To this account of the labour of the slaves, both in and out of crop, it must be added here, that on some estates, it appears by the evidence, they have Sunday and Saturday afternoon out of crop to themselves, that is, to cultivate their own grounds for their support; on others, Sunday only; and on others, Sunday only in part, for some people, says the Dean of Middleham, required meat for the cattle on Sundays to be gathered twice in the day; and Lieutenant Davison says he has known them forced to work on Sundays for their masters. It appears again, that in crop, on no estates, have they more than Sunday for the cultivation of their lands. The Dean of Middleham has known them continue boiling the sugar till late on Saturday night, and in one instance remembers it to have been protracted till sunrise on Sunday morning: and the care afterwards of setting up the sugar-jars must have required several hours.

The