Almost every planter he had named had found his Negros increase under the good treatment he had professed to give them; and it was an axiom, throughout the whole evidence, that wherever they were well used importations were not necessary.

It had been said indeed by some adverse witnesses, that in Jamaica all possible means had been used to keep up the stock by breeding; but how preposterous was this, when it was allowed that the morals of the slaves had been totally neglected, and that the planters preferred buying a larger proportion of males than females! The misfortune was, that prejudice and not reason was the enemy to be subdued.

The prejudices of the West Indians on these points were numerous and inveterate.

Mr.Long himself had characterized them on this account, in terms which he should have felt diffident in using.

But Mr.Long had shown his own prejudices also.