is situation, till death
either releases him at once, or age renders him incapable of continuing
his former labour. And here let it be remarked, _to the disgrace of
the receivers_, that he is then made free, not--_as a reward for
his past services_, but, as his labour is then of little or no
value,--_to save the tax_[099].

With the same artifice is mention also made of the little spots, or
_gardens_, as they are called, which slaves are said to possess
from the _liberality_ of _the receivers_. But people must not
be led away by agreeable and pleasant sounds. They must not suppose that
these gardens are made for _flowers_; or that they are places of
_amusement_, in which they can spend their time in botanical
researches and delights. Alas, they do not furnish them with a theme for
such pleasing pursuits and speculations! They must be cultivated in
those hours, which ought to be appropriated to rest[100]; and they must
be cultivated, not for an amusement, but to make up, _if it be
possible_, the great deficiency in their weekly allowance of
provisions. Hence it appears, that the _receivers_ have no merit
whatever in such an appropriation of land to their unfortunate slaves:
for they are either under the necessity of doing this, or of
_losing_ them by the jaws of famine. And it is a notorious fact,
that, with their weekly allowance, and the produce of their spots
together, it is often with the greatest difficulty that they preserve a
wretched existence.

The third advantage which they are said to experience, is that of
_holy-days_, or days of respite from their usual discipline and
fatigue. This is certainly a great indulgence, and ought to be recorded
to the immortal honour of the _receivers_. We wish we could express
their liberality in those handsome terms, in which it deserves to be
represented, or applaud them sufficiently for deviating for once from
the rigours of servile discipline. But we confess, that we are unequal
to the task, and must therefore content ourselves with observing, that
while the horse has _one_ day in _seven_ to refresh his limbs,
the happy _African_[101] has but _one_ in _fifty-two_, as
a relaxation from his labours.

With respect to their _dances_, on which such a particular stress
has been generally laid, we fear that people may have been as shamefully
deceived, as in the former instances. For from the manner in which these
are generally mentioned, we should almost be led to imagine, that