natural law which renders the infant dependent on her for its first year's
nourishment, is more so; but as neither of them is bound to educate or to
support their children, all the unspeakable tenderness and solemnity, all
the rational, and all the spiritual grace and glory of the connection is
lost, and it becomes mere breeding, bearing, suckling, and there an end.
But it is not only the absence of the conditions which God has affixed to
the relation, which tends to encourage the reckless increase of the race;
they enjoy, by means of numerous children, certain positive advantages. In
the first place, every woman who is pregnant, as soon as she chooses to
make the fact known to the overseer, is relieved of a certain portion of
her work in the field, which lightening of labour continues, of course, as
long as she is so burthened. On the birth of a child certain additions of
clothing and an additional weekly ration are bestowed on the family; and
these matters, small as they may seem, act as powerful inducements to
creatures who have none of the restraining influences actuating them
which belong to the parental relation among all other people, whether
civilised or savage. Moreover, they have all of them a most distinct and
perfect knowledge of their value to their owners as property; and a woman
thinks, and not much amiss, that the more frequently she adds to the
number of her master's live stock by bringing new slaves into the world,
the more claims she will have upon his consideration and goodwill. This
was perfectly evident to me from the meritorious air with which the women
always made haste to inform me of the number of children they had borne,
and the frequent occasions on which the older slaves would direct my
attention to their children, exclaiming, 'Look, missis! little niggers for
you and massa, plenty little niggers for you and little missis!' A very
agreeable apostrophe to me indeed, as you will believe.

I have let this letter lie for a day or two, dear, E---- from press of
more immediate avocations. I have nothing very particular to add to it. On