Besides, these children are sometimes sold to barbarous and cruel masters, from whence they often make an elopement, to avoid the harsh us- age they daily meet with; but as there is scarce a possibility of making a total escape, they are generally taken and brought back, and for every day they have been absent, they are compelled to serve a week, for every week a month, and for every month a year; they are besides obliged to pay the cost of advertising, apprehending, and bringing them back; which often protracts their slavery four or five years longer. But a more shocking case often occurs; some of these poor deluded slaves, after groaning for some time under the yoke of tyranny and oppression, with only a distant prospect of relief, in order to put an end to their bondage, put a period to their lives at the same time. What a dismal reflection this, to be the instrument of driving an innocent helpless creature to despair, and ruining him both in soul anybody.

The planters themselves are generally of an idle indolent disposition, not caring to fatigue themselves with work. As soon therefore as they can raise 20 [pounds], or 30 [pounds] they purchase servants from the European merchants, whom they make slaves, some for four or five, others for seven years. These they send to the woods [the most dangerous labor], or employ in other kinds of hard labour, and oblige them to perform a certain task of work in a day; in which if they fail, they are severely punished by their masters, who review their work at night. Nor dare the servant, when he is thus chastised, presume to vindicate himself, for fear of giving a new offence to this unrelenting tyrant, whose humour must be indulged, even at the expense of strokes and blows.

This is generally the case throughout the different Colonies in North America; but more especially in Maryland and Virginia. These two are the best markets to which our European merchants can resort for the sale of their illicit cargoes of slaves. Here they may barter them for tobacco, the staple commodity of these colonies, upon which they have an immense return of profit.

The servants in Maryland are mostly convicts, who have been banished their native country for misdemeanors; yet some of them, when their period of slavery is over, acquire plantations of their own, and are very expert in raising tobacco, and in the other branches of trade in that country. They frequently contract with their correspondents in Europe, to send them over men, women, and children, to be employed in the culture of their plantations: But the fallacious promises of the undertakers here are so pernicious to those whom they engage, that they generally prove their destruction. By their manner of cajoling, they induce those ignorant creatures to believe that when they indent themselves for four or five years, to serve in the plantations, they are to have high wages, paid annually in their mother country; but when these deluded persons come to make the experiment, they will find it quite the contrary.

Be assured, you will meet with no such entertainment in any part of America; for you must serve your indented time agreeable to the laws of the country, without one farthing of allowance, but at the discretion of your master; and it is well if you are furnished with clothes sufficient to cover your nakedness.

Besides, you who indent yourselves in this manner, labour under another disadvantage; for, in that country, they are of opinion (and a natural presumption it is), that when men and women, come to the age of maturity, wilfully and deliberately agree to transport themselves as slaves for any number of years, they must have been guilty of some notorious crime; those therefore, who come over in this manner, are looked upon as in the black class of convicts [1], who for fear of a prosecution at home, take this step to prevent a discovery of their vices. For some time, honest people, who had engaged to serve in that country, suffered considerably on this account, both in their characters and fortunes, as these renegadoes were allowed to be evidences against them, and to swear away their reputations.

But this has at last been debarred by the laws of the country, as none are allowed this privilege unless they bring along with them a certificate, signed and attested by persons of character and repute, bearing that they were descended of honest parents, and that nothing criminal or dishonest can be laid to their charge; this being approved of and recorded in the books of a Court of Justice, the person's oath is then deemed legal.

From hence it appears, that numberless inconveniencies and disadvantages attend the person who, though of an age capable to dispose of himself, by foolishly listening to the deceitful promises of these recruiters for slaves, at once stakes his happiness, his liberty, and perhaps his life. You will perhaps be told, that you are going to a country flowing with milk and honey. These, it is true, are to be had in great plenty in America; but before you come to enjoy them, you will find that you must wade through an ocean of labour and fatigue, and that out of the sweet cometh forth bitterness. Whereas, if you are possessed but of three or four pounds to pay your passage, and are of an ingenious disposition, whether in mechanics, commerce, agriculture, or manufactures, you are certain not only of handsome bread, but, by moderate frugality and industry, of making a genteel fortune in a few years.

1. Benjamin Franklin held to this opinion.