The patches of cultivated land round their cottages produce, with but little labour, enough vegetables for their subsistence, and to sell, procuring clothing and such luxuries as they care for.

They seemed to live happily among themselves, and to govern their little colony after the manner of the Patriarchs.
Whether any social condition can be better for the black inhabitants of the West Indies, than that of these settlers, I very much doubt.

They are not a hard-working people, it is true; but hard work in the climate of the tropics is unnatural, and can only be brought about by unnatural means.

That they are not sunk in utter laziness one can see by their neat cottages and trim gardens.

Their state does not correspond with the idea of prosperity of the political economist, who would have them work hard to produce sugar, rum, and tobacco, that they might earn money to spend in crockery and Manchester goods; but it is suited to the race and to the climate.