The staples of the island must be cultivated after 1840 as now, because if not, the negroes could not obtain the comforts or luxuries, of which they are undoubtedly very desirous, from cultivation of their grounds.
The fruits and roots necessary for the public markets are already supplied in profusion at tolerably moderate prices: if the supply were greatly increased, the prices could not be remunerative. There is no way in which they can so readily as by labor for wages, _obtain money_, and therefore I hold that there must ever be an adequate supply of labor in the market.
The negroes are in my opinion very acute in their perceptions of right and wrong, justice and injustice, and appreciate fully the benefits of equitable legislation, and would unreservedly submit to it where they felt confidence in the purity of its administration.
There is not the slightest likelihood of rebellion on the part of the negroes after 1840, unless some unrighteous attempts be made to keep up the helotism of the class by enactments of partial laws. _They_ could have no interest in rebellion, they could gain nothing by it; and might lose every thing; nor do I think they dream of such a thing. They are ardently attached to the British government, and would be so to the colonial government, were it to indicate by its enactments any purposes of kindness or protection towards them. Hitherto the scope of its legislation has been, in reference to them, almost exclusively coercive; certainly there have been no enactments of a tendency to conciliate their good will or attachment.
The negroes are much desirous of education and religious instruction: no one who has attended to the matter can gainsay that. Formerly marriage was unknown amongst them; they were in fact only regarded by their masters, and I fear by themselves too, as so many brutes for labor, and for increase. Now they seek the benefits of the social institution of marriage and its train of hallowed relationships: concubinage is becoming quite disreputable; many are seeking to repair their conduct by marriage to their former partners, and no one in any rank of life would be hardy enough to express disapprobation of those who have done or may do so.
WM. HENRY ANDERSON.
_Kingston, Jamaica, 24th April, 1837_.
The following communication is the monthly report for March, 1837, of Major J.B. Colthurst, special justice for District A., Rural Division, Barbadoes.
The general conduct of the apprentices since my last report has been excellent, considering that greater demands have been made upon their labor at this moment to save perhaps the finest crop of canes ever grown in the island.
Upon the large estates generally the best feeling exists, because they are in three cases out of four conducted by either the proprietors themselves, or attorneys and managers of sense and consideration. Here all things go on well; the people are well provided and comfortable, and therefore the best possible understanding prevails.
The apprentices in my district _perform their work most willingly_, whenever the immediate manager is a man of sense and humanity. If this is not the case, the effect is soon seen, and complaints begin to be made. Misunderstandings are usually confined to the smaller estates, particularly in the neighborhood of Bridgetown, where the lots are very small, and the apprentice population of a less rural description, and more or less also corrupted by daily intercourse with the town.
The working hours most generally in use in my district are as follows: On most estates, the apprentices work from six to nine, breakfast; from ten to one, dinner--rest; from three to six, work.
It is almost the constant practice of the apprentices, particularly the praedials or rural portion, to work in their own time for money wages, at the rate of a quarter dollar a day. They sometimes work also during those periods in their little gardens round their negro houses, and which they most generally enjoy without charge, or in the land they obtain in lieu of allowance, they seem ALWAYS well pleased to be fully employed at _free_ labor, and work, when so employed, exceedingly well.
I know a small estate, worked exclusively on this system. It is in excellent order, and the proprietor tells me his profits are greater than they would be under the apprenticeship. He is a sensible and correct man, and I therefore rely upon his information. During the hurry always attendant on the saving of the crop, the apprentices are generally hired in their own time upon their respective estates at the above rate, and which they seldom refuse. No hesitation generally occurs in this or any other matter, whenever the employer discharges his duty by them in a steady and considerate manner.
The attendance at church throughout my district is most respectable; but the accommodation, either in this respect or as regards schools, is by no means adequate to the wants of the people. The apprentices conduct themselves during divine service in the most correct manner, and it is most gratifying to perceive, that only very little exertion, indeed, would be required to render them excellent members of society. This fact is fully proved by the orderly situation of a few estates in my district, that have had the opportunity of receiving some moral and religious instruction. There are sixty-four estates in my district over twenty-five acres. Upon four of those plantations where the apprentices have been thus taught, there are a greater number of _married_ couples (which may be considered a fair test) than upon the remaining sixty. I scarcely ever have a complaint from these four estates, and they are generally reported to be in a most orderly state.
In the memory of the oldest inhabitant, the island has never produced a finer crop of canes than that now in the course of manufacture. All other crops are luxuriant, and the plantations in a high state of agricultural cleanliness. The season has been very favorable.
Under the head of general inquiry, I beg leave to offer a few remarks. I have now great pleasure in having it in my power to state, that a manifest change for the better has taken place _gradually_ in my district within the last few months. Asperities seem to be giving way to calm discussion, and the laws are better understood and obeyed.
It is said in other colonies as well as here, that there has been, and still continues to be, a great want of natural affection among the negro parents for their children, and that great mortality among the free children has occurred in consequence. This opinion, I understand, has been lately expressed in confident terms by the legislature of St.
Vincent's, which has been fully and satisfactorily contradicted by the reports of the special justices to the lieutenant-governor. The same assertion has been made by individuals to myself. As regards Barbadoes, I have spared no pains to discover whether such statements were facts, and I now am happy to say, that not a _single instance_ of unnatural conduct on the part of the negro parents to their children has come to my knowledge--far, perhaps too far, the contrary is the case; _over indulgence_ and _petting_ them seems in my judgment to be the only matter the parents can be, with any justice, accused of. They exhibit their fondness in a thousand ways. Contrasting the actual conduct of the negro parents with the assertions of the planters, it is impossible not to infer that _some bitterness is felt by the latter on the score of their lost authority_. When this is the case, reaction is the natural consequence, and thus misunderstandings and complaints ensue. The like assertions are made with respect to the disinclination of the parents to send their children to school. This certainly does exist to a certain extent, particularly to schools where the under classes of whites are taught, who often treat the negro children in a most imperious and hostile manner. As some proof that no decided objection exists in the negro to educate his children, a vast number of the apprentices of my district send them to school, and take pride in paying a bit a week each for them--a quarter dollar entrance and a quarter dollar for each vacation. Those schools are almost always conducted by a black man and his _married_ wife. However, they are well attended, but are very few in number.
To show that the apprentices fully estimate the blessings of education, many females _hire their apprentice_ children at a quarter dollar a week from their masters, for the express purpose of sending them to school.
This proves the possibility of a _voluntary_ system of education succeeding, provided it was preceded by full and satisfactory explanation to the parties concerned. I have also little doubt that labor to the extent I speak of, may be successfully introduced when the apprentices become assured that nothing but the ultimate welfare of themselves and children is intended; but so suspicious are they from habit, and, as I said before, so profoundly ignorant of what may in truth and sincerity be meant only for their benefit, that it will require great caution and delicacy on the occasion. Those suspicions have not been matured in the negroes mind without cause--the whole history of slavery proves it. Such suspicions are even _now_ only relinquished under doubts and apprehensions; therefore, all new and material points, to be carried successfully with them, should be proposed to them upon the most liberal and open grounds.
J.B. COLTHURST, _Special Justice Peace, District A, Rural Division_.
_General return of the imports and exports of the island of Barbadoes, during a series of years--furnished by the Custom-house officer at Bridgetown_.
. s, d.
1832 481,610 6 3 1833 462,132 14 4 1834 449,169 12 4 1835 595,961 13 2 1836 622,128 19 11
IMPORTS OF LUMBER.
Feet. Shingles.
1833 5,290,086 5,598,958 1834 5,708,494 5,506,646 1835 5,794,596 4,289,025 1836 7,196,189 7,037,462
IMPORTS OF PROVISIONS.
Flour. Corn Meal. Y'rs. bbls. 1/2 bbls. bush. bbls. -----+--------+---------+-------+------+ 1833 21,535 397 629 265 1834 34,191 865 1675 1580 1835 32,393 828 160 809 1836 41,975 433 823 1123 -----+--------+---------+-------+------+
Bread and Biscuits. Oats & Corn. Y'rs. hds. bbls. 1/2 bbls. kegs. bags. bags. qrs. -----+-----+------+---------+-----+-----+------+-----+ 1833 49 2146 30 " " 430 50 1834 401 8561 99 57 " 100 1025 1835 2024 10762 " " " 2913 3134 1836 4 4048 " " 1058 8168 3119 -----+-----+------+---------+-----+-----+------+-----+
IMPORTS OF CATTLE, ETC.
Cattle. Horses. Mules.
1833 649 462 65 1834 549 728 24 1835 569 1047 43 1836 1013 1345 104
RETURN OF EXPORTS--SUGAR.
hhds. trcs. bbls.
1832 18,804 1278 838 1833 27,015 1505 651 1834 27,593 1464 1083 1835 24,309 1417 938 1836 25,060 1796 804
VALUATIONS OF APPRENTICES IN JAMAICA.
"From the 1st of August, 1834, to 31st of May, 1836, 998 apprentices purchased their freedom by valuation, and paid 33,998. From 31st May, 1836, to 1st November, in the same year, 582 apprentices purchased themselves, and paid 18,217--making, in all, 52,216--a prodigious sum to be furnished by the negroes in two years. From the above statement it appears that the desire to be free is daily becoming more general and more intense, and that the price of liberty remains the same, although the term of apprenticeship is decreasing. The amount paid by the apprentices is a proof of the extent of the exertions and sacrifices they are willing to make for freedom, which can scarcely be appreciated by those who are unacquainted with the disadvantages of their previous condition. The negroes frequently raise the money by loans to purchase their freedom, and they are scrupulous in repaying money lent them for that purpose."
The above is extracted from the "West Indies in 1837," an English work by Messrs. Sturge and Harvey, page 86, Appendix.
We insert the following tabular view of the crops in Jamaica for a series of years preceding 1837.--As the table and "Remarks" appended were first published in the St. Jago Gazette, a decided "pro-slavery"
paper, we insert, in connection with them, the remarks of the Jamaica Watchman, published at Kingston, and an article on the present condition of slavery, from the Telegraph, published at Spanishtown, the seat of the colonial government.
A GENERAL RETURN OF EXPORTS _From the island of Jamaica, for 53 years, ending 31st December, 1836--copied from the Journals of the House._
___________________________________________________________________ . d MO- e SUGAR RUM LAS GINGER t SES r ____________________ _______________________ ___ ____________ o s s s p d n d x a s s o a s E e e l e e l h c e h h s e s s r s r r c s k r k k s a g e r n g s r s s g e o i a u o a a a a a Y H T B P H C B C C B ___________________________________________________________________ 1772 69,451 9,936 270 1773 72,996 11,453 849 1774 69,579 9,250 278 1775 75,291 9,090 425 1776 1788 83,036 9,256 1,063 1789 84,167 10,078 1,077 1790 84,741 9,284 1,599 1791 85,447 8,037 1,718 1792 1793 77,575 6,722 642 34,755 879 62 8,605 1794 89,532 11,158 1,224 39,843 1,570 121 10,305 1795 88,851 9,537 1,225 37,684 1,475 426 14,861 1796 89,219 10,700 858 40,810 1,364 690 20,275 1797 78,373 9,963 753 28,014 1,463 259 29,098 1798 87,896 11,725 1,163 40,823 2,234 119 18,454 1799 101,457 13,538 1,321 37,022 1,981 221 10,358 1800 96,347 13,549 1,631 37,166 1,350 444 3,586 1801 123,251 18,704 2,692 48,879 1,514 12 239 1802 129,544 15,403 2,403 45,632 2,073 473 205 366 23 2,079 1803 107,387 11,825 1,797 43,298 1,416 461 51 3,287 1804 103,352 12,802 2,207 42,207 913 429 1,094 1,854 1805 137,906 17,977 3,689 53,211 1,328 133 167 471 315 2,128 1806 133,996 18,237 3,579 58,191 1,178 499 485 1,818 1807 123,175 17,344 3,716 51,812 1,998 699 512 1,411 1808 121,444 15,836 2,625 52,409 2,196 379 436 1,470 1809 104,457 14,596 3,534 43,492 2,717 230 2,321 572 1810 108,703 4,560 3,719 42,353 1,964 293 520 1,881 1811 127,751 15,235 3,046 54,093 2,011 446 1,110 2,072 1812 105,283 11,357 2,558 43,346 1,531 151 804 1,235 1813 97,548 10,029 2,304 44,618 1,345 382 874 208 816 1,428 1814 101,846 10,485 2,575 43,486 1,551 202 1,146 145 884 1,668 1815 118,767 12,224 2,817 52,996 1,465 574 1,398 242 1,493 1,667 1816 93,881 9,332 2,236 35,736 769 281 903 166 2,354 1,118 1817 116,012 11,094 2,868 47,949 1,094 203 916 254 3,361 1,195 1818 113,818 11,388 2,786 50,195 1,108 121 191 407 2,526 1,067 1819 108,305 11,450 3,244 43,946 1,695 602 1,558 253 1,714 718 1820 115,065 11,322 2,474 45,361 1,783 106 460 252 1,159 316 1821 111,512 11,703 1,972 46,802 1,793 153 534 167 984 274 1822 88,551 8,705 1,292 28,728 1,124 9 442 144 891 72 1823 94,905 9,179 1,947 35,242 1,935 20 118 614 1,041 60 1824 99,225 9,651 2,791 37,121 3,261 5 64 910 2,230 52 1825 73,813 7,380 2,858 27,630 2,077 101 215 894 3,947 348 1826 99,978 9,514 3,126 35,610 3,098 1,852 549 5,724 517 1827 82,096 7,435 2,770 31,840 2,672 1,573 204 4,871 240 1828 94,912 9,428 3,024 36,585 2,793 1,013 189 5,382 279 1829 91,364 9,193 3,204 36,285 2,009 563 66 4,101 168 1830 93,882 8,739 3,645 33,355 2,657 1,367 154 3,494 15 1831 88,409 9,053 3,492 34,743 2,846 982 230 3,224 22 1832 91,453 9,987 4,600 32,060 2,570 1,362 799 4,702 38 1833 78,375 9,325 4,074 33,215 3,034 977 755 4,818 23 1834 77,801 9,860 3,055 30,495 2,588 1,288 486 5,925 116 1835 71,017 8,840 8,455 26,433 1,820 747 300 3,985 486 1836 61,644 7,707 2,497 19,938 874 646 182 5,224 69
. d e PIMENTO COFFEE t r _____________ __________ o p x REMARKS E s s d r k s n a s g u e a a o Y C B P ________________________________________________________________ 1772 841,558 1773 779,303 1774 739,039 1775 493,981 1776 1788 1,035,368 1789 1,493,282 1790 1,783,740 1791 2,299,874 August--Destruction of 1792 Santo Domingo.
1793 420 9,108 3,983,576 1794 554 22,153 4,911,549 1795 957 20,451 6,318,812 1796 136 9,820 7,203,539 1797 328 2,935 7,869,133 1798 1,181 8,961 7,894,306 1799 1,766 28,273 11,745,425 Bourbon cane introduced.
1800 610 12,759 11,116,474 1801 648 14,084 13,401,468 1802 591 7,793 17,961,923 1803 867 14,875 15,866,291 1804 1,417 19,572 22,063,980 1805 288 7,157 21,137,393 Largest sugar crop.
1806 1,094 19,534 29,298,036 1807 525 19,224 26,761,188 March 25th, abolition of 1808 225 6,529 29,528,273 African slave trade.
1809 21,022 1,177 25,586,668 1810 4,276 21,163 25,885,285 1811 638 22,074 17,460,068 1812 598 7,778 18,481,986 1813 1,124 14,361 24,623,572 Storm in October, 1812 1814 394 10,711 34,045,585 Largest coffee crop.
1815 844 27,386 27,362,742 1816 851 28,047 17,289,393 Storm in October, 1815 1817 946 15,817 14,793,706 1818 941 21,071 25,329,456 1819 882 24,500 14,091,983 1820 673 12,880 22,127,444 1821 1,224 24,827 16,819,761 1822 699 18,672 19,773,912 Extreme drought.
1823 1,894 21,481 20,326,445 Mr. Canning's resolutions 1824 599 33,306 27,667,239 relative to slavery.
1825 537 20,979 21,254,656 1826 522 16,433 20,352,886 Severe drought in 1824, the previous year.
1827 3,236 26,691 25,741,520 1828 4,003 25,352 22,216,780 1829 3,733 48,933 22,234,640 1830 5,609 37,925 22,256,950 1831 2,844 22,170 14,055,350 1832 3,736 27,936 19,815,010 1833 7,741 58,581 9,866,060 Emancipation act passed.