Notices óf
Stt- Helena.
southern wftafë^shêry might bë cïrriêd^off to ^feat
hafional advanWg e r^
The country is chiefly cultiV^ed'hy blacks. Persons
of*tfiat OT^ur%ere brought in a state‘óf slavery to it by
its first Euroffeah-'settlers ; and it seldom happens thait
white men' will submif-to 'common work where thfere
afe black sla4%s to whom it may be transferred: These
wé^'för a long time under the - unlimited dominion of
their1 owners^ until a tépfëlÉSïtoio^öf thé.-abus^oËïle
of that powér’ induced the India Company to place then»,
under the immediate protection of the Magistracy, arid
to erfact various regulations in their favour; which have
contributed to render them, in a great degree; comfortable
and sectiffe^ These regulations may have hurt, “at
first, the feelings of the owners of slaves, but not their
real Interest,; for it appears, that before their introduction
there was a lóss, upon an average, of about ten in a
hundred slaves every year, fobe supplied at a very heavy
expence ; whereas, under the present system, they naturally
increase. All future importation ó f slaves into
the island is prohibited.
Besides the blacks in a state of slavery, there are some
who are free. The labour 8f these tending to diminish
the value of that of slaves, the free blacks became once
obnoxious to"some slave owners; who hid sufficient influence,
in a grand jury, to present them as without v isible
means of gaiuiti| » livelihood, and liable to become
burdensome tp the community; but
iirippieared that all; free.'btodkfcjif
actually emp lo y ed th at not onoiofthem hadjbeen tried
for a 'crime for several years;, uorh-ad anyuof th^md>egu
upon the parish. Theyia-Be nrfw'jffhy* thgi h a gjjP
position of the Company^ placed.] under-*the immediate
protection fe^ithe government/and putuj-^rly upon a
footing -with the^ otjil^frefe' inhabitant^ who, wbenv^gj.
eused o f Crimes, have-this privilegeijof-a jwrygi^ wHLi as1-
causes, : -i
: While. ships .ars riding in the roads,- and th a fahab®?
taifttibbusy i-n supplyihlgtheir wants, or.eageut® enfeistai®
their guests, their minds oecupied'slso with the.fetaigia
eventy,; b£ which the*strangepsi! bring accounts to them*
ally -^dtssei^o^idbrisliug among ludividfA>i®
arecsuspended-dof.’the, time ; -but it i# .said, cthai when
the-shipping^eason is| oyer,, add: the;settlement is. void
efybnriurtl, ' 0 wfell'a^-of topicsioridismsridu oh disbant
incidents; rinfeistine divisionss sometimes revives; it is;
however, aEL C^iOtuaf^wrpmfejit to divert theirminds
from private feuds, fey engagingbt’feem in military-exeri
cises, or even -in domestic amUsCments, and dramatic
entertainments.
The principal settlement of St: Helena has thejpeeul
liar advantage of uniting the shelter of ailesewdiaiik sitUsas-
tion, with the. coolness o f wi'ndwardkgales.. THe south*
east wind blows chnstantlyldowh the valleyjrenderfdf
VOX. II. 4 l )
S^jfeieim