From a knowledge of his character, the apprentices of Thornton had a strong prejudice against him.

One of the earliest acts after he went among them, was to break down their fences, and turn his cattle into their provision grounds.

He then ordered them to go to a distant estate to work.

This they refused to do, and when he attempted to compel them to go, they left the estate in a body, and went to the woods.

This is what is called a _state of open rebellion_, and for this they were to be hunted like beasts, and to suffer such a terrible punishment as would deter all other apprentices from taking a similar step.
This Jocken is the same wretch who wantonly handcuffed the apprentice, who went on to his estate by the direction of his master.
Mr.Willis showed us a letter which he had received that morning from a planter in his district, who had just been trying an experiment in job work, (i.e., paying his people so much for a certain amount of work.) He had made a proposition to one of the head men on the estate, that he would give him a doubloon an acre if he would get ten acres of cane land holed.