Part 15 (1/2)
”Open the door, Boy Jack.” As soon as it was open, about twenty black children from seven to three years old, most of them naked, with their ivory skins like a polished table, and quite pot-bellied from good living, tumbled into the room, to the great amus.e.m.e.nt of Newton and the party. They were followed by seven or eight more, who were not yet old enough to walk; but they crawled upon all-fours almost as fast as the others, who could walk erect after the image of their Maker.
The company amused themselves with distributing to the children the contents of the dishes on the table--the elder ones nestling alongside of the planter and his friends with the greatest familiarity, while the youngest sat upright on the floor, laughing as they devoured their respective portions.
”Of course, these are all slaves?” observed Mr Berecroft.
”Yes, bred them all myself,” replied the planter ”indeed, out of two hundred and fifteen which I have on the estate, I think that there are not more than twelve who were not born on this property, during my father's time or mine. Perhaps, as breakfast is over, you will like to inspect my nursery.”
The planter led the way into the yard from which the children had entered. It was a square, of about two roods of ground, three sides of which were enclosed by rows of small houses, of two rooms each; and most of them were occupied by female slaves, either nursing children at the breast, or expecting very soon to have that duty to perform. They received their master with a smiling face, as he addressed a question to each of them when he entered their abode.
”Now these are all my _breeding_ women; they do no work, only take care of the children, who remain here until they are eight or nine years old.
We have a surgeon on the estate, who attends them as well as the other slaves when they are sick. Now, if you feel inclined, we will go round the works.”
The old planter, in a few minutes' walk, brought them to an extensive row of detached cottages, each centred in a piece of garden-ground, well stocked with yams, sweet potatoes, bananas, and other tropical productions. Poultry of all descriptions were scattered in profusion about the place, and pigs appeared to be abundant.
”Now, captain, these are the cottages of the working slaves. The garden-ground is allowed to them; and whatever they can make by its produce, or by their pigs and their poultry, is all their own.”
”But how are they subsisted?”
”By rations, as regularly served out as yours are on board of your vessel, and they have as much as they can consume.”
”Are they all single men?”
”No, mostly married to slave girls on the estate: their wives live with them, unless they breed, and then they are removed up to the nurseries.”
”And what work do you exact from them?”
”Eight hours a day--except in cropt-time, and then we are very busy; so that they have plenty of leisure to look after their own interests if they choose.”
”Do they ever lay up much money?”
”Very often enough to purchase their freedom, if they wished it.”
”If they wished it!” replied Mr Berecroft, with surprise.
”Yes; without explanation, that may appear strange to you, and still more strange, the fact, that freedom offered has often been refused. A man who is a clever workman as a carpenter, or any other trade, will purchase his freedom if he can, because artisans can obtain very high wages here; but a slave who, if I may use the term, is only a common labourer, would hardly support himself, and lay by nothing for his old age. They are aware of it. I have offered emanc.i.p.ation to one or two who have grown old, and they have refused it, and now remain as heirlooms on the estate, provided with every thing, and doing little or no work, if they please. You saw that old man sweeping under the portico? Well, he does that every day; and it is all he has done for these five years. Now, if you please, we will go through the plantations, and visit the sugar-mills.”
They pa.s.sed the slaves, who were at work hoeing between the canes; and certainly, if an estimate of their condition was to be taken by the noise and laughter with which they beguiled their labour, they were far from demanding pity.
”But, I must confess, that there is something in that cart-whip which I do not like,” observed Newton.
”I grant it; but custom is not easily broken through; nor do we know any subst.i.tute. It is the badge of authority, and the noise of it is requisite to summon them to their labour. With me it is seldom used, for it is not required; and if you were captain of a man-of-war I should answer you as I did Captain C---; to wit--I question much whether my noisy whip is half so mischievous as your silent _cat_.”
The sugar-mills, stables of mules, boilers, coolers, etcetera, were all examined, and the party returned to the plantation house.
”Well, captain, now you have witnessed what is termed slavery, what is your opinion? Are your philanthropists justified in their invectives against us?”
”First a.s.sure me that all other plantations are as well regulated as your own,” replied Mr Berecroft.
”If not, they soon will be: it is the interest of all the planters that they should; and by that, like all the rest of the world, they will be guided.”
”But still there have been great acts of cruelty committed; quite enough to prepossess us against you as a body.”