their hours of sleep, which for
refreshment of food and sleep together can never be reckoned to exceed
eight.

"When they lay themselves down to rest, their comforts are equally
miserable and limited, for they sleep on a bench, or on the ground, with
an old scanty blanket, which serves them at once for bed and covering,
their cloathing is not less wretched, consisting of a shirt and trowsers of
coarse, thin, hard, hempen stuff, in the Summer, with an addition of a very
coarse woolen jacket, breeches and shoes in Winter. But since the war,
their masters, for they cannot get the cloathing as usual, suffer them to
go in rags, and many in a state of nudity.

"The female slaves share labor and repose just in the same manner, except a
few who are term'd house negroes, and are employed in household drugery.

"These poor creatures are all submission to injuries and insults, and are
obliged to be passive, nor dare they resist or defend themselves if
attacked, without the smallest provocation, by a white person, as the law
directs the negroe's arm to be cut off who raises it against a white
person, should it be only in defence against wanton barbarity and outrage.

"Notwithstanding this humiliating state and rigid treatment to which this
wretched race are subject, they are devoid of care, and appear jovial,
contented and happy. It is a fortunate circumstance that they possess, and
are blessed with such an easy satisfied disposition, otherwise they must
inevitably sink under such a complication of misery and wretchedness; what
is singularly remarkable, they always carry out a piece of fire, and kindle
one near their work, let the weather be so hot and sultry.

"As I have several times mentioned homminy and hoe-cake, it may not be
amiss to explain them: the former is made of Indian corn, which is coarsely
broke, and boiled with a few French beans, till it is almost a pulp.
Hoe-cake is Indian corn ground into meal, kneaded into a dough, and baked
before a fire, but as the negroes bake theirs on the hoes that they work
with, they have the appellation of hoe-cakes. These are in common use among
the inhabitants, I cannot say they are palateable, for as to flavor, one
made of sawdust would be equally good, and not unlike it in appearance, but
they are certainly a very strong and hearty food."

--Anburey, _"Travels through America during the War_," Vol. 2, pp. 330-5.

VINDICATION OF THE NEGROES: A CONTROVERSY

First let m