The West indies in 1837

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JAMAICA.

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parish, " they had abolished the distinction between predial and non-predial, by making all the apprentices predials." 20th.—We returned early this morning to Spanish Town. 22nd.—We observed to day in the streets six or* seven women, several of whom were hand-cuffed, in ' the custody of the poUce by whom they had been appre- \ bended as runaway apprentices. They were subse-^ quently taken before a Special Magistrate, when it^ appeared, that there was no proof that they were ap- ' prentices except that they could not produce their " free papers." They were in fact free, and had been taken, some from their own houses and others from their peaceable avocations. They were of course liberated, and the police reprimanded, but the injured parties received no compensation for their loss of time, or for the outrage committed on them. We were to day in the company of one of the Bap­ tist missionaries who is a Creole by birth, and one of a family who though they have all been brought up in contact with slavery, have cleared themselves from its contaminating connexion. His brother, now resi­ dent in England, has manumitted his apprentices and directed a considerable amount received as compensato be expended for their benefit. The present esti­ mable individual mentioned to us, that one old negro is now a member of his church, who was formerly one of their domestic slaves, and whom, he was accustomed, when a boy, to strike and beat at his pleasure ; and that the recollection of this makes him deeply feel the debt of kindness which he owes him. 23rd.—We arrived to day in Kingston where we B

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