guard had to be provided, and provision made
for attempts at rescue by the prisoners' friends. Even this was not all,
for the concession simply granted a certain number, and it rested with
the gaoler to palm off the old, weak, and infirm on those who were at
all wanting in liberality. Then, at the best the prisoners were hatters,
tailors, and haberdashers, rather than agricultural labourers, many of
whom ultimately proved valueless. If a large number was available, and
there were several applicants, the competition became quite
spirited--every one wanted his pick before the others, and the gaoler
made the best of the occasion, leaving those to whom he allotted the
refuse to curse their evil fortune.

Up to the passing of the Navigation Act the Dutch had been free to trade
with English colonies, and had brought a fair number of negroes; and
afterwards the king established the Royal African Company to prevent the
supply being cut off. The average price of the African was then about
L16 or 2,400 pounds of sugar, but the Dutch sold their slaves for a
little less, which led the planters to evade the Navigation Act when
they had opportunities.

The white bond-servant was valued at about 2,200 pounds of sugar, very
little less than the slave for life, although he had generally but five
years to serve. The cost of transport was about L5 per head; it
followed, therefore, that if the London agent got his prisoners cheap he
made a good profit. There was also another way of making money in this
business. Some of the gaol-birds had friends who were willing to pay
good sums on consideration that the convict should be virtually freed on
his arrival. Many a sum of fifty pounds was obtained in this way,
sometimes without helping the bond-servant in the least. How were the
relations to prove that the promise had not been fulfilled, and if they
did so what redress could be obtained? They certainly could not go to
law, as the whole transaction was illegal.

We have seen how Charles the Second tried to people Jamaica with free
settlers, but this did not prevent the transportation of criminals. In
1665 four young men, who had been convicted of interrupting and abusing
a preacher, were whipped through the streets of Edinburgh and afterwards
sent to Barbados, and in 1684 some of the Rye House plotters were
reprieved on condition that they served ten years in the West Indies.
When these plotters arrived in Jamaica, the Governor, "by His Maje