owner to whom the mother belongs, whether it be black, yellow, or white; as the law knows no period when the child of a slave shall be born free, however removed from the African: nor can the mother, under any circumstances of subsequent liberation, claim her infant from its owner, even though it should be of fairer skin than the fairest European. Thus are the natural ties of our species torn asunder; and the dearest attachments, and purest affections of the heart cruelly broken. down! Babes are separated from their parents, and mothers robbed of their children, by this unnatural appropriation of human substance !

"The manners and the circumstances attending the situation of this mulatto were strongly interesting. Her whole deportment bespake a degree of delicacy and refinement, together with a superiority of mind and understanding! Her intelligence and quickness of perception assured us that she had talents capable of high improvement; and it is probable, that had fortune so placed her in life, as to have offered her the acquirements of a chaste and cultivated education, this woman, notwithstanding the colour of her skin, had made a faithful and virtuous wife; been an ornament to her friends and society; and a blessing to the man who should have made her the partner of his hours.

'The taverns are commonly known by the names of the persons who keep them. The most frequented, at Bridge Town, are those of Nancy Clarke and Mary Bella Green; the former a black---the latter a mulatto woman. Mrs. Clarke or Mrs. Green would scarcely be known! A party is said to dine at Mary Bella Green's, or at Nancy Clarke's--or, more concisely, Mary Bella's or at Nancy's.--The title Mrs.---seems to be reserved, solely, for the ladies from Europe and the white creoles, and to form a distinction between them and the women of colour of all classes and descriptions--none of whom, of whatever shade or degree, are dignified with this appellation.

'In the evening, after taking our first dinner on shore, Dr. Cleghorn and myself made a walk to visit the hospitals and barracks at St. Anne's Hill; and, on our way back to Bridge Town, we were accosted by two negro girls of a respectable

appearance, sitting upon the step of a gentleman's gateway, by the road side.

'Being just arrived in a land of slavery, and desirous to converse with the Africans, and their descendants, in order to ascertain whether any deficiency of intellect, or inferiority of natural capacity was observable among them, we gladly detained ourselves, for some minutes, in conversation with these decent-looking young slaves. They were the property of the gentleman, at whose gate they were sitting; and were employed as house servants, or as they are here termed "housewenches," in his family.

Triffing as it is, I give you the conversation as it passed, divesting it only of the broken accent, with which our language is spoken by the negroes. It will serve to shew you that the replies were not inapposite; and perhaps not inferior to what might have been expected, from the common order of people in Europe. One of the girls was about 16, the other 18 years of age. They conversed with ease and affability, but were very respectful and unassuming; and their whole conduct might have done credit even to European servants, not of the lowest class.

'On our asking to whom they belonged, they replied "We belong to col. B's. lady." Is this col. B's. house?" Yes; but the colonel is not at home---he is gone to England." How does it happen that you are sitting here, instead of being in the house at work? "Our work for to day is finished, and we came to the gate to see the strangers as they pass by." What strangers? "The strangers, who are come with the army from old England." Do you like to meet strangers? "Oh! yes, yes!" And to talk with them? "Yes, if they talk with us." Are the people here kind to strangers? yes! it is always our custom: every body should be more kind to strangers than to their own people." Why so?-should we not be kind to every body? "Yes! we should be kind to every body, but we should be more kind to strangers, because they come far from their own home and their friends; and because we may some time travel ourselves, and want kindness from others." Have you ever been far from your home?

“Oh,

"No! but perhaps we may some day." How far have you ever travelled from "Never more than master's house? your five miles." Did you ride or walk? They both smiled, and hung down their heads, looking to the ground. No reply could have been more expressive, nor better understood.... "Ride! a slave ride! you are strangers here indeed! No! we walked, bore our burdens on our backs, and journied on ́ our naked feet !" We bade them good night, and walked on, pleased with the rencontre.

Carlisle Bay, February.

THE office of caterer for the mess having fallen to the lot of your friend, I may tell you that I sometimes go to Bridge Town, to buy living meat for dinner. You will, perhaps, be surprized to learn that the animals are here brought alive into the market, to be killed after the different joints are sold; and, that it often happens, that the meat is slaughtered, consigned to the pot or spit, brought to table, and eaten, without growing cold!

Cleghorn and myself frequently make excursions on shore, and stroll about the town and the fields, by way of exercise, and of gratifying the strong curiosity which we feel to see and know all that appertains to the change we have made. Near the residence of the governor our attention was arrested by a party of slaves, or, according to the language of the island, a gang of negroes, who were employed in making a road to the governor's house. It was the first large body of slaves we had met with, toiling at their regular employment, immediately under the lash of the whip; and we could not but remark that the manner of executing the task afforded a striking example of the indolence of climate, and of slavery. Nothing of diligence, nor industry appeared among them; and, verily, but little of bodily labour was expended. They seemed almost too idle to raise the hammer, which they let fall by its own weight, repeating the blow several times upon the same stone, until it was broken to pieces. A mulatto overseer attended them, holding a whip at their backs; but he had every appearance of being as much a stranger to industry, as the negroes; who

proceeded very indolently, without seeming to be at all apprehensive of the driver or his whip, except when he made it fall across them in stripes.

In proportion to the work done by English labourers, and and the price usually paid for it, the labour of these slaves could not be calculated at so much as two-pence per day; for almost any two men in England would, with the greatest ease, do as much work in a given time, as was performed by a dozen of these indolent meagre-looking beings.

In one of our late preambulations, we fell in with a party of negro women washing linen, at the opening of a river near the sea; and a more disgusting sight I do not recollect ever to have beheld. They were old women, of strong-marked, and very hideous African countenance; and had no regard to decency either of manner or person. Their bodies were naked, save a bit of blue cloth folded round the loins, and brought between the legs from behind to fasten before. As they stooped down to dip the linen in the river, many of them exposed the crowded and callous scars of repeated punishment; and when they moved themselves in rubbing the clothes, or beating them upon the large stones before them, their long flaccid breasts fell over their arms, or hung in loose masses of corrugated skin flapping upon their bodies, so as to create a most disgusting and abhorrent appearance.

It has also happened to us to witness another species of ⚫indelicacy among the negro women, which is extremely offensive to an European eye. Regardless of decency, and of the crowd they meet, they are sometimes seen drawing their naked pendulous breasts as they walk along, and spilling their milk upon the public streets.

You will, perhaps, be more shocked than surprized that such-like indecencies should occur among the slaves; but you will join in my regret that they should happen before the eyes of European wives, and spinsters; and you will lament the sad effect which the frequent recurrence of such offensive scenes must necessarily have, in destroying that modest delicacy of sentiment, which renders so truly lovely, while it so much exalts the female mind.

Of this baneful effect, I am sorry to have it in my power to mention to you a striking example, which lately occurred to my notice. Being in company with a large party of Europeans, and white creoles, male and female, husbands, wives, widows, maidens, and strangers, at the time when the party was assem bled, during the short moment before dinner, a sweet little babe, only a few months old, was brought into the room, by its black nurse, to be exhibited to the company: when the woman, who, with the exception of one short petticoat, was in perfect nudity, was desired before all present to suckle the child; and its mother and grandmother, two of the most respectable ladies we have met since we left England, in order to please "little bab," amused themselves by slapping, pressing, shaking about, and playing with the long black breasts of the slave, with very indelicate familiarity, before the whole company; and without seeming to be at all sensible, that it was in any degree indecent or improper!

In all corners of the streets we meet with the filthy sight of pairs of negroes, of both sexes, sitting and lying about, with their heads in each other's laps, picking out the swarms of vermin which occupy their wool. This, as we had been told on board the slave ships, seems to be a feast of delight to the blacks, whether in freedom, or in slavery.

Sunday is a day of festivity among the slaves. They are passionately fond of dancing; and the sabbath offering them an interval from toil, is generally devoted to their favourite amusement. Instead of remaining in tranquil rest, they undergo more fatigue, or at least more personal exertion, during their gala hours of Saturday night and Sunday, than is demanded from them in labour, during any four days of the week.

< They assemble in crowds upon the open green, or in any square or corner of the town, and, forming a ring in the centre of the throng, dance to the sound of their beloved music, and the singing of their favourite African yell. Both music and dance are of a savage nature. The instrumental parts of the band consist of a species of drum, a kind of rattle, and their ever-delighting banjar.