ight the French or Dutch when war
broke out. Later, when there was no fear of enemies from without, they
had a continual dread of slave insurrections. It followed, therefore,
that the planter was always on the alert, and, even if he felt inclined,
could do little in the way of cultivation.

In England serfdom had virtually come to an end, and the agricultural
labourer might go where he pleased. But the love of country, the unknown
but magnified perils of a sea voyage, and stories of cruel Spaniards and
man-eating Caribs, prevented many from going to the Indies,
notwithstanding the great inducements offered. The English planters
found it difficult to get negroes, as their enemy controlled the trade.
As for the Indians, they had to deal with cannibals whose women
cultivated small clearings, but resented anything like coercion, while
no labour whatever could be got from the men. Something had to be done.
If the English labourer would not come willingly, he might be kidnapped,
and the carrying out of this work led to the organisation of bands of
ruffians, who went sailing along the coasts, especially of Scotland and
Ireland, to pick up likely fellows wherever they found opportunity.
However, this caused such an outcry that extraordinary efforts were made
on the part of the Government to put down "spiriting," as it was called.

In June, 1661, the Council for foreign plantations considered the best
means of encouraging and furnishing people for the colonies, and they
thought that felons condemned for small offences, and sturdy beggars,
might be sent. They had several complaints of men, women, and children
being spirited away from their masters and parents, and later the Mayor
of Bristol and the Lord Mayor of London petitioned the king for
authority to examine ships, with the view of finding out whether the
passengers went of their own free will. It was stated that husbands
forsook their wives, wives fled from their husbands, children and
apprentices ran away, while unwary and credulous persons were often
tempted on board by men-stealers. Many who had been pursued by hue and
cry for robberies, burglaries, and breaking prison, also escaped to the
plantations. Certain persons, called spirits, inveigled, and by lewd
subtleties enticed, away young persons, whereby great tumults and
uproars were raised in London, to the breach of the peace and the hazard
of men's lives.

These abuses led to an Order in Council, published in Septe