small planters told me that they were always uncomfortable when cotton was high; as they put their families, as it were, on short allowance, and adopted a system of saving and scrambling, for the inconveniences of which their profits did not compensate. A very low price of cotton might, on the other hand, lessen the stimulus to exertion and privation; but the planters are very generally in debt, and are therefore compelled to activity in order to preserve their estates in their own hands. Those who wish an idle agricultural life, remove to the cultivated parts of the western country.

It is one of the inconveniences to which slaveholders are exposed (especially where the range of the articles to which the climate is favourable is limited) that they are constantly liable to a great extinction of capital by a reduction in the foreign market of the value of the articles they produce. The cost of production in that country, which can supply the articles at the cheapest rate and in sufficient quantity, fixes the price to which all the others must conform. Now if that price be insufficient to remunerate the cultivator by free labour, he discontinues the cultivation, and dismisses his labourers. The cultivator by slave labour, on the contrary, being compelled still to maintain his Slaves, continues also to employ them; but the value of the articles being reduced, the value of man, the machine which produces them, is depreciated nearly in the same proportion, and this depreciation may proceed so far, that the labour of a Slave is worth so little more

than his maintenance as to afford no recompence to his owner for care and superintendence. In the progress towards this state of things, manumissions would multiply rapidly, for they would cost little; experiments would be made favourable to the freedom of the Negro; many Slaves would become free labourers, and slavery would verge towards its termination.

Does not this view of the subject throw a gleam of hope on the dark picture of slavery? If the free labour of the East can produce cotton, rice, and sugar as cheaply as has been stated, may it not undermine, and gradually exterminate, the slave labour of the West? The indigo of Carolina, long the staple of that state, has for many years been entirely superseded by the cheaper indigo of India. Upland cotton in Carolina and Georgia has fallen, in less than four years, from thirty to fifteen cents per lb. and principally by competition, actual and prospective, with the cotton of Surat and Bengal. Sugar is now resorted to wherever the planter has sufficient capital, and his estate is within the latitude favourable to its production; but for this article legislative support has already been secured by protecting duties.

Nor is it from free labour only that the WestIndia and American planters have much to fear. They have already most formidable competitors in those colonies into which the importation of Slaves is still admitted. But I will not pursue the subject. I will only add, that the great revolu

tions which the natural course of events is silently effecting in the West, are calculated to rivet the attention both of the planter and of the philanthropist, and to inspire each of them with feelings of the most intense interest, though not a little differing in their complexion.

I must not forget to tell you, long as my letter is, that this place derives its name from the Natchez, a celebrated tribe of Indians extinguished some time since with circumstances of peculiar cruelty. Dr. Robertson describes them as distinguished from all the other southern tribes by hereditary rank, and the worship of the sun. The Choctaws, of whom there are nearly 20,000 in this state, often pay us a visit. I have not mentioned, either, that in consequence of the fever last year, more than half of the families seem to be in mourning; and instances have been mentioned to me of great generosity on the part of the planters towards those whom the ravages of death have deprived of their natural protectors, and left orphans and destitute.

We hope to set out in a few days on horseback, through the Indian country, to Richmond, in Virginia.

LETTER XVI.

Richmond, Virginia, 20th June, 1820. My letter of the 25th of May, brought us to the north-west corner of the state of Mississippi, or rather to the boundary between that state and Alabama. I propose now to give you a sketch of

our tour from the state of Mississippi across the Alleghany mountains to the capital of Virginia, from which I am writing. My narrative will be chiefly an itinerary; for, as I cannot consent to fabricate adventures at pleasure, I must give you the memoranda of my journal just as they occurred. I am not, however, without hopes, that if you will trace our progress with your map before you, my letter will at least convey to you a tolerable idea of an important tract of country, on the condition and future prospects of which the philanthropist, the politician, and the Christian, may speculate with considerable interest. I bargain with you before hand, to expect only a list of names and dates, of breakfastings and sleepings; so that all that you get in addition, whether in the shape of adventure or disquisition, you are to consider as pure gain.

After passing the boundary line which I have just mentioned, we were exhilarated and delighted with an extensive view, and a distant horizon, after travelling some hundred miles in a deep forest, almost without seeing the tops of the thickly interlacing trees. In the course of the day, we passed, not without regret, from the Chickasaw nation, into the White settlements, and towards evening reached the Big Spring, a little village of log cabins, on a beautiful clear stream. Here we cut the military road from New-Orleans to Nashville, and ought to have remained all night, but were anxious to make our forty miles, by proceeding six miles farther on a new road, to a house where we were told travellers were receiv

ed. When we arrived there, however, after dark, we found we had been misinformed, as it was the residence of rather a genteel family, and there seemed to be a party there. The gentleman said something about house room; but not repeating it, or pressing us, I determined to proceed two miles farther, where he stated they did take in travellers. After some difficulty we found the house; but the owners said we had been misinformed: indeed he had only one room for his family and guests, male and female. I begged him to sell us some corn for our horses, and bread for ourselves, as we had not eaten since breakfast, and said we would then lie in the woods. He, however, gave us nothing more substantial than civil words, but assured us that a little farther on we should come to Col.'s, who received travellers regularly. I told him we began to be a little incredulous; but as there was no alternative, with horses tired, and at least as much disappointed as ourselves, we proceeded, not exquisitely good humoured, to the Colonel's, who was preparing to retire to bed. He said he did not receive travellers, except when, like ourselves, they were without resources; that four had just arrived in a similar situation, and that he could not give us beds, but that he would cheerfully do the best he could. He then ordered us an excellent supper, had his carriage horses turned out to give us stable room, and would have contrived to provide us a lodging; but I could not think of intruding on him, and insisted on lying out as we had done the two preceding nights. His servant made us a large fire