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may be advanced against this practice, is unanswerably refuted by the exemplifications I have given, by breaking up and planting eighty-five acres, on each of two succeeding years.

Vices, injuries, and corruptions, are contracted and disseminated, by the ancient custom of allotting land, (called negro grounds) for which the law exacts one day out of fourteen, from the master, during the recess of crop, for the slave to cultivate, and support himself in bread-kind. This is, generally, a Saturday, which gives two days in succession to the slave, in which to travel to a distance from his house, (as most of them do, frequently) and indulge in excesses, contract bad habits and diseases, and communicate them on his return, to his fellow-servants. But another injury too often follows. Fatigued and inebriated, he is unable to appear in the fields, or to perform his usual work, and incurs consequent punishment. Unless this system is abolished, it will greatly interfere with the observance of the Sabbath, as I have shewn it doth, with other relative ingredients to the slave's happiness and duty; and to alter it, will be impracticable for an individual. Like other long-standing errors, it will need the union of several proprietors in a neighbourhood, who may resolve to take the matter under their own care, and to keep their grounds in good order, and to feed their slaves, by sufficient weekly distribution of provision on Sunday morning; and when assembled, the master or manager may repair with them to hear instruction from the teacher. This regulation would effectually close a source of inconceivable vices, and prevent great maladies of body and mind. Besides, its political provident benefits would be of great moment, in cases of storms, hurricanes, and droughts, as a magazine of supply under the master's immediate eye.

It is upwards of twenty years since, amongst other meditated means of lessening the evils of slavery, I digested a scheme for easing labour, and adding comfort to the slaves; by teaching them to make a coarse cloth, for their own use, from cotton raised here; which would afford stronger and healthier clothing, than the tow and flax Osnaburghs imported, and would aid the progress of civilization, by substituting light manufactures, for heavy labour. I lately committed this plan

to some friends in England: but for the present have been obliged to abandon it, as I find there are several old acts of parliament, prohibiting either the necessary machinery, or any man who can work them, from coming out to this country. I would fain hope, in accord with the prevailing charitable spirit for reform, and amelioration of the condition of slaves, that these restrictions will be removed, with every other obstacle; more especially, at this, the most calamitous conjuncture, that the devoted planter has ever experienced.

To the Rev. Mr. Harts, St. Joseph's Parsonage.

Joe's River, June 25, 1808.

Dear Sir,---I have perused the bishop's letter most attentively, and assure you it has made a due impression on my mind. It is a subject I have often reflected on. I have long regarded, as one of our principal sins of omission, the neglect which we have shewn to the spiritual welfare of our slaves, by making no effort to instil into them the practical duties of christianity. Such having hitherto been my opinion, you may suppose, that in me you will find no lukewarm seconder of the bishop's wishes; and that I am ready to take an early and active part in the good work he has undertaken. I fully coincide with the substance of his lordship's opinions, and think the plan of Sunday schools unobjectionable; but I think he will allow me to suggest, that the chief difficulty will be, to obtain, in the first instance, proper school-masters. You are as well aware as I am, that we cannot look for these in the natives of this country; their habits and their own ignorance preclude the idea of their doing any good; and the attempt had better not be made at all, than be made with the probability of a failure, which will operate as a discouragement to the future prosecution of it. To Europe, then, must we look for sober religious school-masters, who with minds already turned to the subject, and anxious for its success, may second the plan with skill and ardour.

A second difficulty has not struck his lordship: this is, the wide extent of our parishes. One school-master, fixed in the most central part of a parish, could hope to do little general

good; the younger children could not travel five or six miles, through rugged or miry roads, for instruction. On the exertions of individual planters, it appears to me, much of the hope of success rests. Every second, or third estate, should, I think, have its school-master, whose instructions might be directed to that neighbourhood: else the benefit will be partial and fleeting, as the attendance from any distance will be irregular; and especially neglected by those of tender years, on whose minds we hope to make the best impressions. I should, therefore, humbly represent to his lordship, that (at least as a beginning) the best plan will be, to send out to each applying planter, a school-master, whose necessary qualifications and turn of mind, I need not hint; and who, if none other could be found, might be a youth from one of the charity-schools, to be resident on the estate of the planter so requesting him ;---that a certain number of hours in every week, and the whole of Sunday, be dedicated to the instruction of not only the negroes of the estate, but---of all the neighbourhood, who will or can attend; and that his intermediate spare time be dedicated to the services of the estate, as a store-keeper, book-keeper, or distiller, as may suit his inclination or ability: for these services, it will be in the master's power to allow him comfortable board and lodging, and a salary (according to the size of the estate) of from 157. to 251. sterling per annum.

This plan will, absolutely, reduce the expence of the undertaking to a mere nothing; while, on the other hand, it would be very great. A school-master for each parish would require an income of 2001. sterling, to enable him to live in a house of his own, and to board himself. In a country like this, where we have no inns, or boarding houses, thus only could he live.

The expence of erecting a parochial school-room would be great, and, I fear, would be in most instances, not incurred; any thing like taxation, to carry the plan into effect, would not be heard of by the people at large.

You are at full liberty to convey (with all due and chastened humility of opinion) to his lordship, these sentiments. Should they be approved by him, I shall feel an honest and virtuous

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pride, if he will allow this praiseworthy undertaking to commence on my estate, by sending out as speedily as convenient, to me, at the expence of the society, of which his lordship is the head, any person whom he may select, as fit for the purpose. On this person's arrival here, I will receive him as a resident on my estate, and he shall be lodged and boarded, on the most liberal plan (even at my own table, if the bishop so recommend); and in return for his services (when not employed in our chief object) either as a book or store-keeper, or distiller, I will allow him a stipend of 201. sterling per ann. and defray all the expences of instructing the negroes. I conceive his being thus fixed, seconded by my efforts, will enable him to extend the benefit of his instructions, to a circle of one mile, or perhaps two miles, around my estate, without any individual (beside myself) incurring any expence, as the buildings already on my estate are fully adequate to the purpose of a lecture or school-room.

I am happy to observe, that something of the same idea strikes Dr. Bell; who recommends (pp. 4 and 46.) instead of maintaining a body of school-masters, the employment of book-keepers, Europeans or natives, for the purpose. The latter we know to be out of the question, at least in the commencement of the undertaking. We may, hereafter, be able to train the young apprentices on our estates, under the resident Europeans, and send them forth as instructors; and this I shall have a fair opportunity of trying, (should the bishop fall in with my view of the subject, and enable me to pursue it) as I have five native indented youths on my estate.

Allow me to suggest another important end to be obtained by the importation of such a class of men, uniting the offices of teachers and book-keepers on our estates. Could the society at home furnish such men, whose minds were properly turned to the subject, in no great lapse of time, planters, influenced by that powerful motive, private interest, as well as by motives of duty, would call to the society most frequently for them. These would rise, very often, in two or three years, to be chief overseers of estates, and in all probability they would continue, not only to promote the undertaking, but by their greater humanity, and gentleness of treatment, would

produce a permanent civilization of the rising generation, both of slaves, and of native peasantry, who fill the situations of inferior servants, or of overseers of negroes, and whose present want of civilization, and of christian morality, much depresses the slave, and prevents his rising from barbarism.

In such an event, we may look forward to an increase of population, and of the christian morality of our negroes, as well as to a great general amelioration of the state of slavery; which, at present, derives its chief evils, if not all of them, from the employment (now a matter of necessity) of low, illiterate, uncivilized whites, on our estates, as inferior servants, and sometimes, I fear, as overseers. The bad examples these set in morals, not only taint and render the slaves worse, but often corrupt the few English boys who come out indented to us: and it is in vain, by precept and his own example, that the master tries to check the evil.

SECOND ADDRESS OF THE BISHOP OF LONDON TO THE PROPRIETORS OF PLANTATIONS IN THE BRITISH WEST INDIA ISLANDS.

To the Clergy and Proprietors of Plantations in the British West India Islands.

As the great and pious work of instructing the negro children in the first rudiments of the Christian religion is now actually begun in those islands, I beg leave to recommend to your serious attention the following considerations, which have occurred to me, on this most interesting and important subject.

In the first place, I think it necessary to inform you, that whenever any proprietor of a plantation in the islands wishes to have a teacher sent to him, to instruct the negro children on his own estate, or two or three neighbouring estates conjointly; if he will write to me, and specify the salary he is disposed to allow the teacher, besides his maintenance, a proper person, instructed by Dr. Bell, shall be sent over to him; and the expence of his passage will be paid by the Negro Society. here, of which I am the president. 2dly. You will please to observe, that the schools meant to be established in the islands

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