proper that the state of things should be thoroughly understood; and we are enabled to add a few particulars from the Tables of the Population, &c., of the Colonies, presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of his Majesty. Berbice, according to the last census, taken in Oct. 1827, contains a population of 523 whites, (the males being four-fifths,) 1,161 free blacks, (of whom 707 were females,) and 21,792 slaves *. Total 23,476. The following is a return of the number of schools in the colony.

Demerara and Essequibo, contained, according to the last returns, 3,000 whites, 6,370 free coloured, and 69,470 slaves: total, 78,840. We find no return of schools.

The London Missionary Society has six missionaries in the colony of Berbice, and six in Demerara and Essequibo, whose joint returns give only 1,255 scholars, in the Report for 1834; and there had been 261 adults baptized, and 170 marriages within the year. The Wesleyan Missionary Society has four teachers stationed at George Town and Mahaica in Demerara, who report to have in their schools, 105 free boys and girls, and 53 slaves: total 158. The members in society are 399 free, 1,408 slaves: total 1807. The Church Missionary Society have two catechists in British Guiana, and, in two schools, 160 scholars. Such appears, so far as we can glean information from scattered sources, all that has hitherto been done for the religious instruction of the population of the magnificent province of British Guiana,' comprising nearly 100,000 human beings!

6

Jamaica was the last colony visited by Mr. Innes; and here again, but from causes of a somewhat different character, he found the apprenticeship working so unsatisfactorily as to produce upon his mind the conviction, that the gradual diminu'tion of the sugar-cultivation during the apprenticeship, and its 'almost entire annihilation thereafter, can be averted only by the early adoption of decided measures for enlightening the apprentices, and by the enactment of laws to enforce industry under a state of freedom." With regard to the state of things in this important colony, it will be proper that our readers should have our Author's report more in detail, and in his own words.

* A later return gives 552 whites, 1,151 free coloured, 21,319 slaves.

I have observed, with the deepest regret, that between the apprentices and those in authority over them, there is an extensive feeling of mutual distrust. Except in one district, the negroes are much less respectful in their deportment towards the whites than in the other colonies: they appear to consider that their masters are unjustly withholding freedom from them, and that their labour is without remuneration, although in most districts they enjoy privileges and advantages greatly exceeding what it is in the power of planters in other colonies to confer. I find the apprentices on some estates possessed of wealth, and enjoying luxuries, unknown in most other colonies. It is quite common to see them riding to church, &c., on their own horses or mules; and, on one estate I visited, two had gigs, (subject to annual taxes of £6 currency each,) driven by blacks in livery! The pastureland in many quarters is unrivalled; and the planters, generally, are most liberal of it to the apprentices, who are permitted to rear horses,

&c.

Provision-ground is also peculiarly luxuriant; the apprentices are not restricted in quantity, and they have every facility afforded (in many instances at great expense to the estates) in conveying their extra provisions to market. For the cultivation of their provisionground they have the half of every Friday, and, throughout the year, they have Saturday wholly to themselves. Still, distrust and dissatisfaction are nearly universal; and I have not met with an individual of experience who is of opinion that there is even a chance of maintaining sugar-cultivation after the apprenticeship, except on estates peculiarly circumstanced. Unfortunately, this gloomy anticipation is likely to assist its own accomplishment; it induces persons whose circumstances will admit of their leaving the colony, to form all their plans and regulate their proceedings on the calculation of retiring in 1840, when the apprenticeship will terminate. I however hope that measures will be speedily adopted to reassure them, and prevent so great a calamity as the secession of persons of wealth and experience, at the time their influence will be most wanted.

The two leading evils of this island are, absenteeism, and what may be termed a monopoly of attorneyships;-these place the negroes at a distance from those to whom they ought to be able to look as their best friends. There are whole parishes with scarcely a resident proprietor of magnitude; and in an examination into the working of the apprenticeship, which took place before a Committee of the House of Assembly, in November last, it will be seen, by the parliamentary papers, that one gentleman was examined who had forty-eight estates, with a population of about 10,000 under his charge. Another witness had charge of twenty-nine estates, (besides one of his own,) with from 7 to 8,000 apprentices. When the size and population of estates are considered, it will be obvious that only a nominal superintendence can be exercised by such attorneys, even when the properties are contiguous; but that when they are scattered, as is frequently the case, no one not gifted with ubiquity, can even go through the form of attending to many of the important duties of an attorney. There are instances of estates upwards of 100 miles distant from each other being under the same attorney; and 100 miles here, considering the

climate, roads, and modes of conveyance, are equal to 200 miles in England.

To these combined evils of absenteeism and attorneyship-monopoly, may be traced much of what is distressing and alarming in the present position of affairs. But for absenteeism, it is impossible that the negroes should not have advanced further than they have done in civilization. Had a proprietor resided on each estate, he would have found it for his interest and comfort to be surrounded by persons who could read, and understand the duties of social life; he would have studied to enlighten those on whom his own comfort so much depended, and with whom he must be in daily intercourse. Attorneys, whose visits are necessarily short, suffer little or no personal inconvenience from the ignorance of the negroes, with whom they rarely come in contact, their communications being principally with the overseer. Overseers are so engrossed by their daily laborious occupations, that they have no time to bestow on the mental improvement of those under them; and the book-keepers are too subordinate to interfere. Thus, with few exceptions, the daily business of the estates of absentees proceeds, without instruction forming any part of it; and the negroes are without a family at their head by whose example they might profit. In one of the parishes I visited, the time was in the recollection of some of the residents, when about forty close carriages were seen every Sunday taking families to church; whereas there are now only two such carriages in the parish, the other families having deserted the island. In some large districts, it is uncommon to meet with a married man of influence. In such a state of society, it would be unnatural to expect a high moral tone, or much regard to external religious observances. Indeed, where there is not ready access to the society of amiable females of education, indifference to our highest duties will ever be soon found to prevail. Almost every man I conversed with deplored the state of society, and expressed anxiety for its improvement; but too many have entanglements in which they have been involved, in opposition to their judgment, to be able to set the example they desire with effect; and therefore the amelioration will be a work of time, and must be founded on the introduction of married families, and the encouragement of married men in every department. Hitherto marriage has been an obstacle, if not an insuperable bar, to employment as overseers and book-keepers.'

Even with every advantage of residence, an attorney of the present day, who faithfully discharges his duties, has no ordinary difficulties to contend against in making the new system work. It is only natural to suppose that the overseers and book-keepers should be out of humour with a system that deprives them of authority to which they had been always accustomed. Almost to a man, they have predicted ruin as the inevitable consequence of the change, and therefore they cannot be expected to be over-zealous in overcoming obstacles to the falsification of their predictions, especially as their own immediate incomes are not dependent on success.'

With regard to the working of the apprenticeship system, I am afraid I cannot report favourably. I do not think that there has been much of the crop of this year lost for want of labour, planters having

devoted all their strength to taking it off; but this has been to the neglect of other branches of the business, and the consequence is, that the cane-fields for next crop are in many places so dirty and overrun with weeds that full returns cannot be expected from them. Fewer fields have been planted this year than usual; in short, every species of work that could be postponed gave way to sugar-making, and I apprehend it will be impossible to make up by subsequent exertions for the neglect. It is more difficult to secure continuous extra labour here at a moderate rate than in other colonies, from its being more advantageous to the apprentice to apply his own time to raising provisions, than to work for his master at reasonable wages; and on Saturday they do not think of working, that day being devoted to marketing, &c. From an early hour in the morning the roads in the neighbourhood of towns present a lively appearance, from the number of well-dressed negroes resorting to market with fruit, vegetables, &c., on their heads, In saying that extra labour can only be obtained regularly by paying highly, I beg to exclude the digging of cane-holes, which is generally done at less expense than before the abolition of slavery; yet, being performed as task-work, the negroes exert themselves, and earn largely in a short time. I saw the pay-list of an estate, where the holes were four feet square, and about six inches deep, where able-bodied apprentices had been paid frequently equal to 6s. 8d. per day. Each planter must regulate the wages according to his soil and system. On some estates, cane-holes are three feet and a half square, and six inches deep; on others, four and a half and ten inches: different rates of wages must of course be established. In some districts, ratoons yield fifty per cent. more than cane-plants; in others, cane-plants produce fifty per cent. more than ratoons. In some districts, ratooning is not carried beyond three years; in others, it is extended to ten and fifteen. These discrepancies are easily accounted for; but it is unnecessary to trouble you with explanations, my object being merely to state the existence of such variety.

I have found the working of the apprentices very much influenced by the character and conduct of the special magistrate of the district. Where the special magistrate understands and performs his duty, the working is comparatively little complained of; but, where he is deficient, complaints are universal, and a great sacrifice of the interests of the planter is the consequence. Too much care cannot be taken in the selection of special magistrates, for on them mainly depends the good or bad working of the apprenticeship system. Here the duties of the special magistrate are more arduous than elsewhere, and I cannot help remarking that these functionaries are still inadequately paid. It is impossible that persons of their rank in society can pay houserent, keep up the requisite establishment of horses and servants, and support even a moderate-sized family, on 450l. a year. The consequence is, that many of those who are married have been obliged to leave their families behind them, thus depriving themselves of the happiness of domestic life, and the community of the benefit of having families of respectability located in every district of the island; a consideration which, I regret to say, has been too much neglected in ap pointments to official situations in the colonies. As there is nothing

that so much forwards improvement in the West Indies as the settlement of respectable families there, it is earnestly to be hoped that this will never in future be lost sight of.'

The coffee-planters are so little apprehensive of being injured by the termination of the apprenticeship, that I have witnessed instances of increasing cultivation, and have heard of the contemplated establishment of new plantations, as well as of speculations for raising ginger, pimento, and tobacco, by free labour. When all are free, it is not to be expected that the growers of such articles will have difficulty in procuring labourers. Now that the number of free labourers is extremely limited, they will not work continuously, even on such productions. It was mentioned to me by an old resident, that in his neighbourhood eighty-three slaves had some years ago been made free under a will. They were located on a pimento-walk, and during crop had an offer of a dollar a day for picking: only thirty-seven were tempted to this easy labour by such enormous wages the first year, and thirteen the second year; subsequently not one would pick; they support themselves by raising provisions, and fishing.

Some of the families lately imported from England are working satisfactorily on a coffee-estate; and I think that if the negroes should refuse to work when free, coffee-planters may easily support their cultivation by English families.

It appears to me that the primary object ought to be, to advance the present negro population in civilization as rapidly as possible; to make them sensible of its advantages, and willing to work to procure and retain them. It will not be sufficient to establish schools in central situations; attendance must be made compulsory, until they are capable of appreciating the value of education. It may be deserving of consideration, whether the negroes ought not to be required to contribute towards the payment of teachers : from the liberality of the planters, every deserving negro has or may earn the means, and they value most what they have to pay for. When negroes are civilized, they will not readily give up comfortable cottages and abundance of provision-lands. It is civilization, and their attachment to their cottages and grounds, that will form the hold of the planter on the labour of the negroes. It is clear they do not generally contemplate the abandonment of their present dwellings, for it has been observed in almost every quarter, that when a negro has to repair or build a cottage, he is doing so more substantially and with greater care than formerly, under the persuasion that at the end of the apprenticeship it will become his own. I have heard of many instances of apprentices who, wishing to buy their freedom, and in some cases having even gone the length of paying for it, withdrew from the contract on learning that freedom would be accompanied by the forfeiture of their dwellings and provision-grounds.' pp. 82-103.

Now under such circumstances as these, is it not clear, that nothing but ill treatment would drive the negroes into vaga-bondage? We regret to find Mr. Innes deprecating the frequent references made to the special magistrates, as destroying the good