of the family on holidays, and a nursery for the young negroes, whom it was the custom to rear very tenderly, and instruct very carefully.

CHAP.

CHAP. VII.

Gentle Treatment of Slaves among the Albanians.-Confequent Attachment of Domeftics.-Reflec tions on Servitude.

IN

the fociety I am defcribing, even the dark aspect of flavery was foftened into a smile. And I must, in justice to the best poffible mafters, fay, that a great deal of that tranquillity and comfort, to call it by no higher name, which diftinguished this fociety from all others, was owing to the relation between mafter and fervant being better understood here than in any other. place. Let me not be detefted as an advocate for flavery when I fay that I think I have never feen people fo happy in fervitude as the domeftics of the Albanians. One reason was, (for I do not now speak of the virtues of their mafters,) that each family had few of them, and that there were no field negroes. They would remind one of Abra

D 2

Abraham's fervants, who were all born in the houfe, which was exactly their cafe. They were baptifed too, and fhared the fame religious instruction with the children of the family; and, for the first years, there was little or no difference with regard to food or clothing between their children and those of their masters.

the

When a negroe-woman's child attained age of three years, the firft New Year's Day after it was folemnly prefented to a fon or daughter, or other young relative of the family, who was of the fame sex with the child fo presented. The child to whom the young negroe was given immediately presented it with fome piece of money and a pair of fhoes; and from that day the ftrongest attachment fubfifted between the domeftic and the deftined owner. I have no where met with inftances of friendship more tender and generous than that which here fubfifted between the flaves and their mafters and miftreffes. Extraordinary proofs of them have been often given in the course of hunting or Indian trading,

when

when a young man and his slave have gone to the trackless woods together, in the cafe of fits of the ague, loss of a canoe, and other cafualties happening near hostile Indians. The flave has been known, at the imminent risk of his life, to carry his dif abled master through trackless woods with labour and fidelity fcarce credible; and the mafter has been equally tender on fimilar occafions of the humble friend who ftuck closer than a brother; who was baptifed with the fame baptifm, nurtured under the fame roof, and often rocked in the fame cradle with himfelf. Thefe gifts of domestics to the younger members of the fa mily were not irrevocable: yet they were very rarely withdrawn. If the kitchen family did not increase in proportion to that of the master, young children were pur chafed from fome fome family where they abounded, to furnish thofe attached fervants to the rifing progeny. They were never fold without confulting their mother, who, if expert and fagacious, had a great deal to say in the family, and would not allow

D. 3

allow her child to go into any family with whofe domeftics fhe was not acquainted. These negroe-women piqued themfelves on teaching their children to be excellent fervants, well knowing fervitude to be their lot for life, and that it could only be sweet ened by making themfelves particularly ufeful, and excelling in their department. If they did their work well, it is aftonishing, when I recollect it, what liberty of speech. was allowed to thofe active and prudent mothers. They would chide, reprove, and expoftulate in a manner that we would not endure from our hired fervants; and fometimes exert fully as much authority over the children of the family as the parents, confcious that they were entirely in their power. They did not crufh freedom of speech and opinion in those by whom they knew they were beloved, and who watched with inceffant care over their intereft and comfort. Affectionate and faithful as thefe home-bred fervants were in general, there were fome inftances (but very few) of those who, through levity of mind, or a love of liquot

or