Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/158

 mode of their labor. As to the time of it, they begin, as before said, at daylight, and continue, with two intermissions, (one for half an hour in the morning, and the other for two hours at noon,) till sun-set.

The above description, however, does not include the whole of their operations for the day, for it is expected that they shall range about and pick grass for the cattle. It is clear, from the different evidences, that the custom of grass-picking varies, as to the time in which it is to be done, on different estates, for on some it is to be done within the intervals of rest said to be allowed at noon, and on others after the labor of the day. It is complained of, however, in either case, as a great grievance, as it lengthens the time of work; as also, because, particularly in droughts, it is very difficult to find grass at all, and because, if they do not bring it in sufficient quantities, they are punished. Grass-picking, says Captain Smith, is one of the most frequent causes of punishment. He has seen some flogged for not getting so great a quantity of it as others, and that at a time when he has thought it impossible they could have gotten half the quantity, having been upon the spot.

It is impossible to pass over in silence the almost total want of indulgence which the women slaves frequently experience during the operations in the field. It is asserted by Dalrymple, that the drivers, in using their whip, never distinguish sex.

The above accounts of the mode and duration of the labor 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 labor is of much longer duration. Weakly handed estates, says Mr. Fitzmaarice, 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 pens, 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 the estates the boiling goes on night and day without intermission; but full-handed estates have three spells, and intermissions accordingly.

Mr. Dalrymple, speaking also of their labor 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 crep 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.

To this account of the labor of the slaves, both in and out of crop, 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