Mitigation of Slavery; In Two Parts. Part I - Letters and Papers of the Late Hon. Joshua Steele, .. Describing the Steps by Which, to His Own Great Profit, He Raised the Oppressed Slaves, on His Sugar Plantations, Nearly to the Condition (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1814 edition. Excerpt: ...returns of sugar planters fall short of 4% per cent. But one of the Jamaica witnesses states, that he was ofiered 14 per cent. for his money, and to have had it insured, if he would have embarked it in a jobbing concern; adding that owners who work their Slaves themselves, in that way, make much more ""T Agreeably to this, Mr. Long demonstrates 1," by a calculation " founded on fact," that were a distressed Jamaica planter to rent 20 able Field-negroes, on a make-good lease of seven years, at 81. curr. a year each, he would lose, and the lessor would gain 15 per cent. per ann. on their value; supposing that value only 541. curr. a-head, and that only six of them were to die during theilease. Such bargains occur in several of the other islands, both British and French 1; and show what desperate risks planters will run, to obtain that labour which can only be secured by enabling the Slave to rear a natural suc Abridg. Evid. before H. of Commons, No.4. p 48. 1-Hist. of Jamaica, vol. 1. p. 401. 1; P. C. Repon, Answers to Qu. 8; D'Auberteuil, tom.1.p.245. cessor, P. C. Rep. Ans. to Qu. 8. Jamaica; Suppl. to Do. p. 36. 1-Bolingbroke's Voy. to Demerary, 8:0. p. 209, compared with p. 215; Abridg. Evid. before H. of Commons, No.4. p. 123. eessor, to fill his place' when he dies, or becomes unfit for labour. The managers of sugar plantations sometimes undertake auxiliary labour to a considerable extent. VVith their savings of salary, et crstera, they buy Slaves, often women, whom they place in the kitchens of their employers; and, by their increase and occasional purchases, gradually acquire valuable gangs. These they not only let out by the day or year, but, as Mr. Steele complains, sometimes put them to the more...