Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/157

 

Slavery in the West Indies, 1750 to 1790.

 Abstract of Evidence continued. — Slavery in the West Indies from 1750 to 1700. — General estimation and treatment of the Slaves. — Labor of Plantation Slaves — their days of rest, food, clothing, property. — ordinary punishment by the whip and cowskin. — Frequency and severity of these Punishments. — Extraordinary Punishments of various kinds, for nominal offenses. — Capital offenses and Punishments. — Slaves turned off to steal, beg, or starve, when incapable of labor. — Slaves had little or no redress against ill usage.

natives of Africa, when bought by European colonists, are generally esteemed, says Dr. Jackson, a species of inferior beings, whom the right of purchase gives the owner a power of using at his will. Consistently with this definition, we find the evidence asserting, with one voice, that they "have no legal protection against their masters," and of course, that "their treatment varies according to the disposition of their masters." If their masters be good men, says the Dean of Middleham, they are well off, but if not, they suffer. The general treatment, however, is described to be very severe. Some speak more moderately than others upon it, but all concur in the general usage as being bad. Mr. Woolrich, examined on this point, says that he never knew the best master in the West Indies use his slaves so well as the worst master his servants in England; that their state is inconceivable; that it cannot be described to the full understanding of those who have never seen it, and that a sight of some gangs would convince more than all words. Others, again, make use of the words, "used with great cruelty, — like beasts, or worse;" and the Dean of Middleham, after balancing in his mind all his knowledge upon this subject, cannot say, (setting aside on one hand particular instances of great severity, and on the other hand particular instances of great humanity,) that treatment altogether humane and proper was the lot of such as he had either observed or heard of.

To come to a more particular description of their treatment, it will be proper to divide them into different classes. The first may be said to consist of those who are bought for the plantation use. These are artificers of various descriptions, and the field slaves. The second consists of what maybe termed in-or-out-door slaves. The former are domestics, both in town and country, and the latter, porters, fishermen, boatmen, and the like.

The field-slaves, whose case is the first to be considered, are called out by day-light to their work. For this purpose the shell blows, and they hurry into the field. If they are not there in time, they are flogged. When put to their work, they perform it in rows, and, without exception, under the whip of drivers, a certain number of whom are allotted to each gang. By these means, the weak are made to keep up with the strong. Mr. Fitzmaurice is sorry to Bay, that from this cause many of them are hurried to the grave; as the able, even if placed with the weakly to bring them up, will leave them behind, and then the weakly are generally flogged up by the driver. This, however, is the