d in the evidence by instances in various parts of
the world. From one end of the continent of America to the other their
increase had been undeniably established; and this to a prodigious extent,
though they had to contend with the severe cold of the winter, and in some
parts with noxious exhalations in the summer. This was the case also in the
settlement of Bencoolen in the East Indies. It appeared from the evidence
of Mr. Botham, that a number of Negros, who had been imported there in the
same disproportion of the sexes as in West India cargoes, and who lived
under the same disadvantages, as in the Islands, of promiscuous intercourse
and general prostitution, began, after they had been settled a short time,
annually to increase.

But to return to the West Indies.--A slave-ship had been many years ago
wrecked near St. Vincent's. The slaves on board, who escaped to the island,
were without necessaries; and, besides, were obliged to maintain a war with
the native Caribbs: yet they soon multiplied to an astonishing number; and,
according to Mr. Ottley, they were now on the increase. From Sir John
Dalrymple's evidence it appeared, that the domestic slaves in Jamaica, who
were less worked than those in the field, increased; and from Mr. Long,
that the free Blacks and Mulattoes there increased also.

But there was an instance which militated against these facts (and the only
one in the evidence) which he would now examine. Sir Archibald Campbell had
heard, that the Maroons in Jamaica in the year 1739 amounted to three
thousand men fit to carry arms. This supposed their whole number to have
been about twelve thousand. But in the year 1782, after a real muster by
himself, he found, to his great astonishment, that the fighting men did not
then amount to three hundred. Now the fact was, that Sir Archibald
Campbell's first position was founded upon rumour only; and was not true.
For according to Mr. Long, the Maroons were actually numbered in 1749; when
they amounted to about six hundred and sixty in all, having only a hundred
and fifty men fit to carry arms. Hence, if when mustered by Sir Archibald
Campbell he found three hundred fighting men, they must from 1749 to 1782
have actually doubled their population.

Was it possible, after these instances, to suppose that the Negros could
not keep up their numbers, if their natural increase were made a subject of
attention? The reverse was proved by sound reasoning. It had been confi