December the 6th. On long voyages the sailors sometimes catch such fish as are known to none of the ship’s company; but as they are very greedy after fresh provisions, they seldom abstain from eating them, however it proves often venturing too much, experience having shown, that their want of caution has often cost them their lives, for sometimes poisonous fish are caught. But there is a method of finding them out, as I have heard from several captains of ships: it is usual when such unknown fish are boiled, to put a silver button, or any piece of silver into the kettle, which if the fish be poisonous, will turn quite black, but if it be not, it will not change: some of the seamen referred to their own repeated experience.[52]
Mr. Franklin and several other gentlemen frequently told me, that a powerful [[387]]Indian, who possessed Rhode Island had sold it to the English for a pair of spectacles: it is large enough for a prince’s domain, and makes a peculiar government at present. This Indian knew to set a true value upon a pair of spectacles: for undoubtedly if those glasses were not so plentiful, and only a few of them could be found, they would on account of their great use, bear the same price with diamonds.
The servants which are made use of in the English American colonies are either free persons, or slaves, and the former are again of two different sorts.
1. Those who are quite free serve by the year, they are not only allowed to leave their service at the expiration of their year, but may leave it at any time when they do not agree with their masters. However in that case they are in danger of losing their wages, which are very considerable. A man servant who has some abilities, gets between sixteen and twenty pounds in Pensylvania currency, but those in the country do not get so much. A servant maid gets eight or ten pounds a year: these servants have their food besides their wages, but must buy their own clothes, and what they get of these they must thank their master’s goodness for. [[388]]
2. The second kind of free servants consist of such persons as annually come from Germany, England and other countries, in order to settle here. These new comers are very numerous every year: there are old and young ones, and of both sexes; some of them have fled from oppression, under which they supposed themselves to have laboured. Others have been driven from their country by persecution on account of religion; but most of them are poor, and have not money enough to pay their passage, which is between six and eight pounds sterling for each person; therefore they agree with the captain that they will suffer themselves to be sold for a few years, on their arrival. In that case the person who buys them, pays the freight for them, but frequently very old people come over, who cannot pay their passage, they therefore sell their children, so that they serve both for themselves and for their parents: there are likewise some who pay part of their passage, and they are sold only for a short time. From these circumstances it appears, that the price of the poor foreigners who come over to North America is not equal, and that some of them serve longer than others: when their time is expired, they get a new suit of clothes from their [[389]]master, and some other things: he is likewise obliged to feed and clothe them during the years of their servitude. Many of the Germans who come hither, bring money enough with them to pay their passage, but rather suffer themselves to be sold, with a view that during their servitude they may get some knowledge of the language and quality of the country, and the like, that they may the better be able to consider what they shall do when they have got their liberty. Such servants are taken preferable to all others, because they are not so dear; for to buy a Negroe or black slave, requires too much money at once; and men or maids who get yearly wages, are likewise too dear; but this kind of servants may be got for half the money, and even for less; for they commonly pay fourteen pounds, Pensylvania currency, for a person who is to serve four years, and so on in proportion. Their wages therefore are not above three pounds Pensylvania currency per ann. This kind of servants, the English call servings. When a person has bought such a servant for a certain number of years, and has an intention to sell him again, he is at liberty to do so; but he is obliged, at the expiration of the term of the servitude to provide the usual suit of cloaths for the servant, unless [[390]]he has made that part of the bargain with the purchaser. The English and Irish commonly sell themselves for four years, but the Germans frequently agree with the captain before they set out, to pay him a certain sum of money, for a certain number of persons; as soon as they arrive in America, they go about and try to get a man who will pay the passage for them. In return they give according to the circumstances one, or several of their children to serve a certain number of years, at last they make their bargain with the highest bidder.
3. The Negroes or Blacks make the third kind. They are in a manner slaves; for when a Negro is once bought, he is the purchaser’s servant as long as he lives, unless he gives him to another, or makes him free. However it is not in the power of the master to kill his Negro for a fault, but he must leave it to the magistrates to proceed according to the laws. Formerly the Negroes were brought over from Africa, and bought by almost every one who could afford it. The quakers alone scrupled to have slaves; but they are no longer so nice, and they have as many Negroes as other people. However many people cannot conquer the idea of its being contrary to the [[391]]laws of christianity to keep slaves. There are likewise several free Negroes in town, who have been lucky enough to get a very zealous quaker for their master, who gave them their liberty, after they had faithfully served him for some time.
At present they seldom bring over any Negroes to the English colonies, for those which were formerly brought thither have multiplied considerably. In regard to their marriage they proceed as follows: in case you have not only male but likewise female Negroes, they must intermarry, and then the children are all your slaves: but if you possess a male Negro only, and he has an inclination to marry a female belonging to a different master, you do not hinder your Negro in so delicate a point; but it is no advantage to you, for the children belong to the master of the female; it is therefore advantageous to have Negro-women. A man who kills his Negro must suffer death for it: there is not however an example here of a white man’s having been executed on this account. A few years ago it happened that a master killed his slave; his friends and even the magistrates secretly advised him to leave the country, as otherwise they could not avoid taking him prisoner, and then he would be condemned [[392]]to die according to the laws of the country, without any hopes of saving him. This lenity was employed towards him, that the Negroes might not have the satisfaction of seeing a master executed for killing his slave; for this would lead them to all sorts of dangerous designs against their masters, and to value themselves too much.
The Negroes were formerly brought from Africa, as I mentioned before; but now this seldom happens, for they are bought in the West Indies, or American Islands, whither they were originally brought from their own country: for it has been found that on transporting the Negroes from Africa, immediately into these northern countries, they have not such a good state of health, as when they gradually change places, and are first carried from Africa to the West Indies, and from thence to North America. It has frequently been found, that the Negroes cannot stand the cold here so well as the Europeans or whites; for whilst the latter are not in the least affected by the cold, the toes and fingers of the former are frequently frozen. There is likewise a material difference among them in this point; for those who come immediately from Africa, cannot bear the cold so well as those who are either born in this country, or [[393]]have been here for a considerable time; for the frost easily hurts the hands or feet of the Negroes which come from Africa, or occasions violent pains in their whole body, or in some parts of it, though it does not at all affect those who have been here for some time. There are frequent examples that the Negroes on their passage from Africa, if it happens in winter, have some of their limbs destroyed by frost on board the ship, when the cold is but very inconsiderable and the sailors are scarce obliged to cover their hands. I was even assured, that some Negroes have been seen here, who have had an excessive pain in their legs, which afterwards broke in the middle, and dropt entirely from the body, together with the flesh on them. Thus it is the same case with men here, as with plants which are brought from the southern countries, and cannot accustom themselves to a colder climate.
The price of Negroes differs according to their age, health and abilities. A full grown Negro costs from forty pounds and upwards to a hundred of Pensylvania currency. There are even examples that a gentleman has paid hundred pounds for a black slave at Philadelphia, and refused to sell him again for the same money. A Negro boy, or girl, of two or three years old, can hardly be got for less than eight or [[394]]fourteen pounds in Pensylvanian currency. Not only the quakers, but likewise several christians of other denominations sometimes set their Negroes at liberty. This is done in the following manner: when a gentleman has a faithful Negro who has done him great services, he sometimes declares him independent at his death. This is however very expensive; for they are obliged to make a provision for the Negro thus set at liberty, to afford him subsistence when he is grown old, that he may not be driven by necessity to wicked actions, or that he may be at any body’s charge, for these free Negroes become very lazy and indolent afterwards. But the children which the free Negro has begot during his servitude are all slaves, though their father be free. On the other hand those Negro children are free whose parents are at liberty. The Negroes in the North American colonies are treated more mildly, and fed better than those in the West Indies. They have as good food as the rest of the servants, and they possess equal advantages in all things, except their being obliged to serve their whole life time, and get no other wages than what their master’s goodness allows them: they are likewise clad at their master’s expence. On the contrary, in the West Indies, and especially in the Spanish [[395]]Islands they are treated very cruelly; therefore no threats make more impression upon a Negro here, than that of sending him over to the West Indies, in case he would not reform. It has likewise been frequently found by experience, that when you show too much remissness to these Negroes, they grow so obstinated, that they will no longer do any thing but of their own accord: therefore a strict discipline is very necessary, if their master expects to be satisfied with their services.
In the year 1620, some Negroes were brought to North America in a Dutch ship, and in Virginia they bought twenty of them. These are said to have been the first that came hither. When the Indians who were then more numerous in the country than at present, saw these black people for the first time, they thought they were a true breed of Devils, and therefore they called them Manitto for a great while: this word in their language signifies not only God, but likewise the Devil. Some time before that, when they saw the first European ship on their coasts, they were perfectly persuaded that God himself was in the ship. This account I got from some Indians, who preserved it among them as a tradition which they had received from their ancestors: therefore the arrival of the Negroes seemed [[396]]to them to have confused every thing; but since that time, they have entertained less disagreeable notions of the Negroes, for at present many live among them, and they even sometimes intermarry, as I myself have seen.