nish them
in different ways, whipping them with ropes; or beating them with canes,
till they fall down exhausted. One of the modes of tormenting them, is
to pinch them with their toes in a certain tender part, against which
their vengeance is chiefly directed; for this purpose, these wretched
girls are made to sit before them in a peculiar position, and so
exquisite is their suffering, that they often faint away. Indeed, the
refinements in cruelty practised on them almost exceed belief.--E.]

These slaves are wholly in the power of their masters, with respect to
any punishment that does not take away life; but if a slave dies in
consequence of punishment, though his death should not appear to have
been intended, the master is called to a severe account, and he is
generally condemned to suffer capitally. For this reason the master
seldom inflicts punishment upon the slave himself, but applies to an
officer called a Marineu, one of whom is stationed in every district.
The duty of the Marineu is to quell riots, and take offenders into
custody; but more particularly to apprehend runaway slaves, and punish
them for such crimes as the master, supported by proper evidence, lays
to their charge: The punishment, however, is not inflicted by the
Marineu in person, but by slaves who are bred up to the business. Men
are punished publicly, before the door of their master's house; but
women within it. The punishment is, by stripes, the number being
proportioned to the offence; and they are given with rods made of
rattans, which are split into slender twigs for the purpose, and fetch
blood at every stroke. A common punishment costs the master a
rix-dollar, and a severe one a ducatoon, about six shillings and
eight-pence. The master is also obliged to allow the slave three
dubbelcheys, equal to about seven-pence half-penny a-week, as an
encouragement, and to prevent his being under temptations to steal, too
strong to be resisted.

Concerning the government of this place I can say but little. We
observed, however, a remarkable subordination among the people. Every
man who is able to keep house has a certain specific rank, acquired by
the length of his services to the Company: The different ranks which are
thus acquired are distinguished by the ornaments of the coaches and the
dresses of the coachmen: Some are obliged to ride in plain coaches, some
are allowed to paint them in different manners and degrees, and some to
gild them. The c