Page:Books from the Biodiversity Heritage Library (IA mobot31753000820123).pdf/71

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being divided into several Captainships, as well as the Indians of America, have Wars, and besides those slain in Battles many Prisoners are taken, who are sold for Slaves, and brought hither. But the Parents here, altho their Children are Slaves for ever, yet have so great a love for them, that no Master dare sell or give away one of their little ones, unless they care not whether their Parents hang themselves or no.

Many of the Negros, being Slaves, and their Posterity after them in Guinea, they are more easily treated by the English here, than by their own Country-People, wherefore they would not often willingly change Masters.

The Punishments for Crimes of Slaves, are usually for Rebellions burning them, by nailing them down on the ground with crooked Sticks on every Limb, and then applying the Fire by degrees from the Feet and Hands, burning them gradually up to the Head, whereby their pains are extravagant. For Crimes of a lesser nature Gelding, or chopping off half of the Foot with an Ax. These Punishments are suffered by them with great Constancy.

For running away they put Iron Rings of great weight on their Ankles, or Pottocks about their Necks, which are Iron Rings with two long Necks rivetted to them, or a Spur in the Mouth.

For Negligence, they are usually whipt by the Overseers with Lance-wood Switches, till they be bloody, and several of the Switches broken, being first tied up by their Hands in the Mill-Houses. Beating with Manati Straps is thought too cruel, and therefore prohibited by the Customs of the Country. The Cicatrices are visible on their Skins for ever after; and a Slave, the more he have of those, is the less valu'd.

After they are whip'd till they are Raw, some put on their Skins Pepper and Salt to make them smart; at other times their Masters will drop melted Wax on their Skins, and use several very exquisite Torments. These Punishments are sometimes merited by the Blacks, who are a very perverse Generation of People, and though they appear harsh, yet are scarce equal to some of their Crimes, and inferior to what Punishments other European Nations inflict on their Slaves in the East-Indies, as may be seen by Moquet, and other Travellers.

The Horses here are very fine, small, and for the most part well turn'd and swift, though very weak; they are of the Spanish breed, but very much degenerated, the English taking no care of them, but letting them breed in the Savannas, in the mean while destroying their best and strongest Horses in their Mills for grinding their Canes. They are very smooth Skin'd, and by that easily di-