202 N AR R A T I VE O F A N '
C H A P. and ^éêtening your coffee withTugar, per^evere 'în ïhe
v . moft unjuft and execrable b a rb â rity ^T o this h is an-;
fwered, Take Icare,* w â e r l ^ ojf‘iu f l
manity. you do not, at the e^pènce of your neighbour,
and .perhaps'' o f your country,; incon fidëfatély gi ve ' ' up
^o«r ^ v a n t ^ e v without th e l|a& chance of^bene^ting;
or improving' ' thcf* ' condition of' thó-fe,'> whöifc'*^ * töö&
Heartily join with you in calling Öur' ljr'èthferxf' '
, After To many volumes which, withinhfëvP ^ a 3rl^haVe
been written on this fubjeót, it may appear great prë-
fumption in me to offer my poor opimc$fbut I hav&made
it'a rule, among the' ‘variousTubjecSiîPi have' mhrik^n$3,
to dwell on thofe only to which I have been hn ey£-$jff-
nefs; and which I ariï 'c^ViÜdèiïthéfé^é^l^-idöi^.iü
this -country that have feen:and' fo Icëurately ôbfervëà.
I havé feen the moft cruel tortures inflicted, for füBMd-
ting to the defire o ffa hufband, "or for refulîfi^fiïé fartie
to a libidinous matter, arid more fre^uëhtly a ràfcâîly ;o vef-
feet ; nay, éven. oh thé moft innöèent, from the falfe ac-
çufations o f âlüftful woman, prompted alone ïfy jealoûiy.
I have feen m other placés*' negro flaveV Êsr well treated
, as the mott favoured ferVants in England ; and as I have
feen feme Tailors, foldiers, and apprentices, molt tyrannically
treated when under the command of ill-tempered
defpots, I mult pronounce the condition of lucht not tb he
envied even by negroes. If, therefore, fo much depends on
the difpofition or humour of thofe who are èxércifîng a
* permanent
203
permanent or a temporary power, we mult duly con- CHAP,
fider,. before-we haftily judgefthe whole from partial in- . IX; ^
formation-. .
Cruelty is -too," often plantations:; but.
If not To fhockingly to-human nature as in other court*-
ti;ies, ^hat-are we'doingi^yfaifuddemenaanoipatiomi bxk
turning the poor creatures!over to more cruel matter!,-? -
The,quantum o f fugar,. gcc^ will be.had, an'd rilulbbepro-
videdhy. negroes,' natives, of Africa;., who alone are born
to enduretiabour.under awerticalTun.
The .national character of thole, people»- as I-have remarked
it, where, they, are as free to a& by theirnwn wM
andrdifpofnionas in Africa, ioperfe&ly f a v a g e ^ e twenty
thonfand Ouca a.nd-,Seramica fre.cuegfu^s have lived fe-'
parated, and under no controul of »Europeans» for anum*
her of.yeaj^„;and yet I havemever Teen-.- any 'marks of, -
civilization, order, or government amOngithem, butrpn>
the contrary, many examples- of ungovernable paffion*4
d ^ u c h fry » and indolence,..
I-lover the African negroes,, and havcj Ihewti how fin-:;
c#rely T have -feltTor them oit manyhecafions-; and what-1
ever wrong,canftrn<aion may be put-on wha^I.haye faid.,
op this fubjetft, I w-ifb, from the b o ttom o fm y heart, ?
that my words could be fubmitted to:the confideration of
that relpedtable-.body the Britilh parliament; and foTar -
be- regarded, ,as to prevent the fatal de'silipn of a total >
abolition of fiavery till 180.Oy .or the beginning o f next
D d e century..