fhould be collected in the field by four, Mr. Ramfay alone can tell.

Pages 69, 70, &c.-In the author's account of the plantation duty of the flaves, he employs the greatest part of four or five pages, in expatiating on the toil of picking grafs. This is a department of their duty, which is certainly attended with more trouble in the island where he lived (from the peculiarity of its foil) than in any other in the West Indies; yet, there, it is not half fo tirefome as he endeavours to reprefent it; for in feasonable weather, and particularly when the flaves are employed in weeding, they have little to do more than to collect the grafs into bundles, which they have already hoed off the ground; in the drieft parts of the island, this is the cafe near half the year; and in the mountainous and seasonable parts, even of St. Christopher, the grafs and other food for cattle, which grows among the canes, is in fuch plenty as to become a nuifance. The author must likewife well know, that in wet feafons, the flaves are not only able to procure the grafs required of them for the eftate, but that they frequently bring large bundles to town to fell on their own account, both at noon and in the evening. In most of the other islands, this terrible task is a mere nothing, except now and then, during a fpell of uncommon drought.

6

By Mr. Ramfay's account the Negroes do not get to fleep till midnight, and are roufed again by four in the morning. The abfurdity of fuppofing any fet of beings could undergo a regular life of labour, with only four hours reft out of the twenty-four, efpecially when fed fo indifferently, as he pretends, is too glaring to need any comment.-The real fact is, that the whole work expected from the flaves is over by feven or eight o'clock; except in crop-time, when fuch as attend the mill, and boiling-houfe (perhaps fifteen or twenty out of a hundred) continue their attendance an hour or two later; and on plantations where there are only cattle mills, this divifion remains fometimes employed, with proper relief, most part of the night. So that it is a Negro's own fault, if he does not get a much larger portion of fleep, during a year, than falls to the fhare of an officer in garrifon, or on board a fhip of war. Page 75,-After praifing the skill of the overfeers, in being able to take out flakes of kin with a whip, the author fays, "the wretch in this mangled condition, is turned out to work in dry or wet weather, which laft, now and thien, brings on the cramp, and ends his fufferings and flavery together."-So far is this from being the practice, that our planters are remarkably careful to prevent even their unmangled Negroes from being expofed in wet weather; they are permitted, during rain, to retire from the field to the nearest fhelter; nor is it uncommon, for temporary fheds to be erected for that purpose: and it is almost an unvaried cuftom, to fupply fuch flaves as have been

un

unavoidably exposed to a wetting, with a proper cordial to counteract the pernicious effects of fuch an accident; whole gangs being, on thefe occafions, ferved either with a dram, or an allowance of warm toddy'

In a difpute of this kind, it is impoffible to determine, without local knowlege, which of the parties is fupported by truth. Mr. Ramfay's obfervations may not be univerfally ap¬ plicable to the conduct of all the planters, in each of our Weft India iflands; nor did he ever affirm them to be fo; but we cannot help thinking that, in particular parts, there might be found fufficient evidence to confirm the reprefentation he has exhibited; and we muft, on this occafion, fo far interpofe our own fentiments, as to exprefs the extreme abhorrence which we feel at the ungenerous and unprovoked attempt, made by all his opponents, to calumniate his character. Effay was of a political and moral nature, entirely relative to the general rights of human kind, and ought never to have excited the planters, or their advocates, to perfonal invective and fcurrility. But this is too frequently the reward of a public-fpirited writer, who attempts to overthrow a fyftem which is ftrongly fapported by the interefts or prejudices of a numerous body of men.

His

A Reply to the perfonal Invectives and Objections contained in Two Anfwers, published by certain Anonymous Perfons, to an Efay on the Treatment and Converfion of African Slaves, in the British Colonies, by James Ramfay, M. A. Vicar of Tefton. 8vo. 25. Phillips.

IN

N this pamphlet Mr. Ramfay vindicates himfelf from the injurious afperfions of his opponents, with all the honeft indignation extorted by unmerited reproach, and with the acuteness of a man of ability. The subject is of too personal a nature to affect the determination of the controversy. But candid readers, in general, will be ready to admit, that a caufe which is obviously maintained from interested motives, and enforced with detraction, is not likely to be founded, whatever its advocates may pretend, in principles confiftent with the dictates of philofophy or religion. From the good opinion we entertain both of Mr. Ramfay's veracity and judgment, and likewife from the fatisfactory manner in which he replies to the objections of his antagonists, we could have no juft caufe to hefitate with regard to the credibility of the reprefentations he has made; but, with that anxiety which is natural to a man of principle, when labouring under fufpicion or obloquy, he has condefcended to fupport the most effential

Ff4

part

part of his affertions by other authority than his own. To lay before our readers the corroborating evidence which he has produced, would lead us into fuperfluous prolixity, and we fhall therefore refer to the Reply.

An Inquiry into the Effects of putting a Stop to the African Slave Trade, and of granting Liberty to the Slaves in the British Sugar Colonies. By the Author of the Essay on the Treatment and Converfion of African Slaves in the British Sugar Colonies. 8vo. 6d. Phillips.

THE

HE political confequences which would refult from putting a ftop to the African flave-trade, conftitute a very proper fubject of enquiry for the author of the Effay which has given rife to the prefent difpute; and he informs us, in an advertifement, that he had originally intended to publifh his thoughts on fuch an event at an earlier period, as a defence of the abolition which he propofed. Mr. Ramfay acknowledges he is of opinion, that the fugar trade; with which that for flaves is at prefent connected, is of the utmost importance to the ftate; and that any fudden fhock which affects it, will be widely and deeply felt. But to prepare for the abolition of flavery, he proposes that we should endeavour at establishing factories on the coaft of Africa, where, on account of the warmth of the climate, the feveral productions of the Weft India iflands might be cultivated,

Were Africa civilized, fays he, and could we pre-occupy the affections of the natives, and introduce gradually our religion, manners, and language among them, we should open a market, that would fully employ our manufacturers and feamen, morally speaking till the end of time. And while we enriched ourselves, we fhould contribute to their happiness, For Africa, in its highest probable ftate of culture, could not poffibly interfere with the ftaple of Britain, fo as to hinder an extenfive and mutually advantageous trade from being carried on between the countries. The great difference of climate and foil must always diftinguish the fupplies and wants of each.’

Should it be objected, that if we abandon the African trade, our rivals will extend their share in it, by which their wealth will be immediately increafed, and their fugar colonies improved to the certain advancement of their, and as certain lofs of our, naval importance, I might leave the answer to the man of morality and fentiment; but I fear not to encounter it in a political view. That the African trade is in itfelf deftructive to our feamen, is known to every perfon who has an acquaintance with it. Indeed, a mortality among his crew in the middle paffage (from Africa to the Weft Indies) is a pleafant thing to a Guinea captain, of which he is not often dif

appointed,

appointed. It faves the fhip a great expence in wages; for many more mariners are wanted to collect the flaves on the coaft, than to navigate the fhip after fhe is fully loaded. And it is not obfcurely hinted, that ill-ufage, at leaft, has often been tried, in order to produce it; which if it has not its full effect on the paffage, makes the feamen quit the fhip as foon as the arrives in the West Indies. I mean not here an undistinguishing cenfure; however oddly it may found, I have, in this line, known men of feeling, that were far above fuch vile notions of parfimony. But the greatest advocate for the trade will not fay, that these laft are the most numerous party.

The

Now if the flave trade were changed for an ordinary commerce, or mutual barter of commodities with Africa, this temptation to deftroy or diffipate feamen would be taken away. Some fhips would load on the African coaft directly for Britain; others would load with cattle, mules, rice, pipe-ftaves, &c. for the fugar colonies. One great caufe of an alarm in the fugar colonies, from the checking of their intercoufe with America, is the lofs of a market for their rum. This might be most profitably exchanged, by fitting it for the African market, and giving it in return for African commodities. quantity of goods exchanged for flaves in Africa, is perhaps the leaft object of that commerce. The annual British exports to Africa are not eftimated higher than 500,000, including a confiderable quantity that is ufually exchanged with American and other foreign traders on the coaft; about £.50,000 of this is returned in ivory, gold duft, &c. The greatest part of profits of the flave trade is raised on the fugar planter. It is true, flaves grow every year dearer on the coaft, in proportion as the Africans become better acquainted with the value fer by the white traders on their wretched countrymen. But at their highest price they have feldom, if ever, come up to one-third of what they fold for in the Weft Indies, if valued as the goods for which they were bought were shipt in Britain. Till lately, a great proportion was bought on the coaft, at a fixth part of what the planter was obliged to pay for them. It is alfo to be remarked, that our prefent trade to Africa is confined to a few tyrants and their brokers. But were the country once civilized, every perfon in it, who could labour with his hands, would make a demand on our manufactures, and extend our ommerce. The change then propofed here, fo far from leffenng our trade, and the number of our feamen, would extend e one, and preferve and increafe the other in an almost inimable proportion; and we have plainly fhewn, that its eft on the trade of the new empire of America ought not to the object of our concern,'

4r. Ramfay is aware of the ojection, that our quitting the A trade would throw a profitable branch into the hands of uivals, improve their fugar colonies, and advance them in a importance. But he replies, that this trade can continue

in no hands longer than the Negroe countries remain in a state of barbarifm; and that as Britain was the most forward in the traffic of flaves, it becomes her to be the first to labour in effecting a reformation. But he farther obferves, it is a notorious fact, that a confiderable proportion of our African trade, for the laft twenty-five years, has been actually directed to the fupplying of the French colonies with flaves; and that the improvement arifing thence contributed towards their making fo formidable an appearance in the beginning of the late war. It is his opinion, likewife, confidering the extenfiveness and fertility of the French islands, particularly Hifpaniola, with the habitual frugality of their planters, that in less than twenty years, even in fpite of our bounty of twenty fhillings per cwt. they will fupplant the fubjects of this nation in every foreign market for fugar.

The author next confiders the probable confequences which would refult to our own fugar colonies from advancing the condition of their flaves.

That Britain, fays he, has a majority in them attached to her laws and her intereft, it would be ungenerous not freely to acknowledge; and whatever prejudices exifted among them against a connection with her, when compared with her rival, they have in a great measure been done away in the small iflands, by their late experience of the nature of a French government. Still it is not to be concealed, that in feveral of them there is a strong lurking bias for the new empire of America. The conduct of Barbadoes and Jamaica, in the beginning of the late conteft, marked this too ftrongly to admit of a contradiction; the reftlefs emigrations from the fugar colonies thither continue to mark it. The Americans indeed have not yet been able to give any fpecimen of liberality of fentiment to encourage this bias, or of advantages to be gained by efpoufing their caufe. But that individuals, who have occafion to wish for an eafy method of paying debts, fhould delight in change, even when it promifes little, needs not to be wondered at....

But fuppofing this bias, and the propriety of it, ftill it is a doubtful point, if any confiderable fhare of Weft Indian propriety will be in the families, who now poffefs it, at that pe riod when Britain and France fhall be fo weak, and America fo strong in naval force, as to allow of our fugar iflands bein added as an appendage to the American empire. Though may be an object of deliberation with whom they may be be connected, yet it will not be difputed that they can nev think of fetting up for themselves. They muft ever contin to belong to fome one or other naval power; and furely fr prefent appearances no period can be affigned, when that por

D