one-third by their increased habits of regularity and industry.

Whatever might have been said to the contrary, it was plainly to be
inferred from the evidence, that the slaves were not protected by law.
Colonial statutes had indeed been passed; but they were a dead letter;
since, however ill they were treated, they were not considered as having a
right to redress. An instance of astonishing cruelty by a Jew had been
mentioned by Mr. Ross. It was but justice to say, that the man was held in
detestation for it; but yet no one had ever thought of calling him to a
legal account. Mr. Ross conceived a master had a right to punish his slave
in whatever manner he might think proper. The same was declared by
numberless other witnesses. Some instances, indeed, had lately occurred of
convictions. A master had wantonly cut the mouth of a child, of six months
old, almost from ear to ear. But did not the verdict of the jury show, that
the doctrine of calling masters to an account was entirely novel; as it
only pronounced him "Guilty, subject to the opinion of the court, if
immoderate correction of a slave by his master be a crime indictable!" The
court determined in the affirmative; and what was the punishment of this
barbarous act?--A fine of forty shillings currency, equivalent to about
twenty-five shillings sterling.

The slaves were but ill off in point of medical care. Sometimes four or
five, and even eight or nine thousand of them, were under the care of one
medical man; which, dispersed on different and distant estates, was a
greater number than he could possibly attend to.

It was also in evidence, that they were in general under-fed. They were
supported partly by the produce of their own provision-ground, and partly
by an allowance of flour and grain from their masters. In one of the
islands, where provision-ground did not answer one year in three, the
allowance to a working Negro was but from five to nine pints of grain per
week: in Dominica, where it never failed, from six to seven quarts: in
Nevis and St. Christophers, where there was no provision-ground, it was but
eleven pints. Add to this, that it might be still less, as the
circumstances of their masters might become embarrassed; and in this case
both an abridgment of their food, and an increase of their labour, would
follow.

But the great cause of the decrease of the slaves was in the non-residence
of the planters. Sir George Yonge, and many others, had said, the