timony to the relation. The boy was carefully educated; and when he grew up a farm was allotted to him well stocked and fertile, but "in depth of woods embraced," about two miles back from the family feat. A deftitute white woman, who had fomehow wandered from the older colonies, was induced to marry him; and all the branches of the family thought it incumbent on them now and then to pay a quiet vifit to Chalk (for fo, for fome unknown reason, they always called him). I have been in Chalk's house myself, and a most comfortable abode it was; but confidered him as a mysterious and anomalous being.

I have dwelt the longer on this fingular inftance of flavery, exifting devoid of its attendant horrors, because the fidelity and affection refulting from a bond of union fo early formed between mafter and fervant contributed fo very much to the safety of individuals, as well as the general comfort of fociety, as will hereafter appear.

CHAP.

CHAP. VIII.

Education and early Habits of the Albanians defcribed.

THE foundations both of friendship and

ftill tenderer attachments were here laid very early by an inftitution which I always thought had been peculiar to Albany, till I found in Dr. Moore's View of Society on the Continent an account of a fimilar cuftom fubfifting in Geneva. The children of the town were all divided into companies, as they called: them, from five or fix years of age, till they became marriageable. How thofe companies firft originated, or what were their exact regulations, I cannot fay; though I, belonging to none, occafionally mixed with feveral, yet always as a ftranger, though 1 spoke their current language fluently. Every company contained as many boys as girls. But I do not know that there was

any limited number; only this I recollect, that a boy and a girl of each company, who were older, cleverer, or had fome other pre-eminence above the reft, were called heads of the company, and, as fuch, obeyed by the others. Whether they were voted in, or attained their pre-eminence by a tacit acknowledgement of their fuperiority, I know not; but however it was attained it was never difputed. The company of little children had alfo their heads. All the children of the fame age were not in one company; there were at least three or four of equal ages, who had a ftrong rivalry with each other; and children of different ages, in the fame family, belonged to different companies. Wherever there is human nature there will be a degree of emulation, ftrife, and a defire to leffen others, that we may exalt ourselves. Difpaffionate as my friends comparatively were, and bred up in the highest attainable candour and innocence, they regarded the company most in competition with their own with a degree of jealous animofity. Each company, at a certain

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certain time of the year, went in a body to gather a particular kind of berries, to the hills. It was a fort of annual festival, attended with religious punctuality. Every company had an uniform for this purpofe; that is to fay, very pretty light baskets made by the Indians, with lids and handles, which hung over the arm, and were adorned with various colours. One company would never allow the least degree of taste to the other in this inftance; and was fure to vent it's whole ftock of fpleen in decrying the rival bafkets. Nor would they ever admit that the rival company gathered near fo much fruit on these excursions as they did. The parents of these children feemed very much to encourage this manner of marshalling and dividing themfelves. Every child was permitted to entertain the whole company on its birth-day, and once befides, during winter and fpring. The mafter and miftrefs of the family always were bound to go from home on these occafions, while fome old domeftic was left to attend and watch over them, with an ample provifion

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of tea, chocolate, preferved and dried fruits, nuts, and cakes of various kinds, to which was added cyder or a fyllabub, for these young friends met at four, and did not part till nine or ten, and amufed themselves with the utmost gaiety and freedom in any way their fancy dictated. I fpeak from hearfay;; for no person that does not belong to the company is ever admitted to these meetings: other children or young people visit: occafionally, and are civilly treated, but they admit of no intimacies beyond their: company.. The confequence of these exclufive and early intimacies was, that, grown up, it was reckoned a fort of apoftacy to marry out of one's company, and indeed it did not often happen. The girls, from the example of their mothers, rather than any compulfion, became very early notable and induftrious, being conftantly employed in. knitting stockings, and making clothes for the family and flaves; they even made all the boys' clothes. This was the more neceffary, as all articles of clothing were extremely dear. Though all the neceffaries.

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