164
MASSA
SEIZAR'S
LETTER.
and he leaves his native island, his wife and children, without remorse, until sickness seizes him, and he is returned upon the country an emaciated being, unable to work at all. Emigration is not always profitable to the negro, even if he retains his health. Many, many of them, would gladly return, were they not bound for a certain number of years by the captains of the emigration vessels, (who make a complete trade of it by selling their indentures,) or else taken so far up the country as too often prohibit such resolve. A clever letter appeared in one of the West Indian newspapers some time ago, supposed to have been written from a negro at St. Kitts to his friend of the same dye, who had emigrated to Demerara, which I will insert for the amusement of the reader :— " Sink Hitts, July
.
" Deer Pomp Eye, " You no I tould you how it wood be, but you all ways were a wild nagur, and wood neber hear reeson, and lubbed to follow your hedstrong ways. But now you are suffering for it, an I hope you'll repent, as good Massa Parson says. You no you had no right to run away and leabe you yong pic'nees here to starbe. It was a most wicked act, but I 'spose the Capen who took you away will be made to support 'em as he ought. You are all no better dan ' Caraline who sent our fren Mushel's pic'nee widout him knowing at all 'bout it, to Jimmy Radder (Demerara), having sold him me magin to de Capen. What you say 'bout de Spaniards is all bery true, an likely to happen, an me tink wid you our Capens are not to be trusted, for you no what our fren Fletcher did for which he get hang—how he carry off Nagers from Nevis, and trowed dem in de sea and drowned dem. Now me no tink dese Capens will trow de Nagurs in de sea, but me tink it bery like dat dey will hab private signell wid de Spaniards, who will way lay an take de nagurs