The Africans (as is well known) generally believe, that there is a life beyond this world, and that they' shall enjoy it by returning to their own country ; and this idea used frequently to induce them, soon after their landing in the colonies, to commit suicide ; but this was never known to take place except among Afresh negroes, and since the execrable slave-trade has been abolished, such an illusion is unheard of. As to those who had once got over the dreadful period of seasoning, they were generally soon sensible enough of the amelioration of their condition, to make the idea of returning to Africa the most painful that could be presented to them. But, to be sure, poor creatures ! what with the terrors and sufferings of the voyage, and the unavoidable hardships of the seasoning, those advantages were purchased more dearly than any in this life can possibly be worth. God be thanked, all that is now at an end, and certainly, as far as I can as yet judge, if I were now standing on the banks of Virgil's Lethe, with a goblet of the waters of oblivion in my hand, and asked whether I chose to enter life anew as an English labourer or a Jamaica negro, I should have no hesitation in preferring the latter. For myselft it appears to me almost worth surrendering the luxuries and pleasures of Great Britain, for the single pleasure of being surrounded with beings who are always laughing and singing, and who seem to perform their work with so much nonchalance, taking up their baskets as if it were perfectly optional whether they took them up or left them there ; sauntering along with their hands dangling; stopping to chat with every one they meet ; or if they meet no one, standing still to look round, and examine whether there is nothing to be seen that can amuse them, so that I can hardly persuade myself that it is really work that they are about. The negro might well say, on his arrival in England - " Massa, in England every thing work ! " for here nobody appears to work at all.

I am told that there is one part of their business very laborious, the digging holes for receiving the cane-plants, and which I have not as yet seen ; but this does not occupy above a month (I believe) at the utmost, at two periods of the year and on my estate this service is chiefly performed by extra negroes, hired for the purpose ; which, although equally hard on the hired negroes (called a jobbing gang) at least relieves my own and after all, puts even the former on much the same footing with English day-labourers.