berty
inspired in the Panis by those who do not buy,[7] so that almost daily
they leave their masters under the pretext that there are no slaves in
France--that is not wholly true since in the islands of this Continent
all the Negroes bought as such are regarded as slaves."

The further recital says that all the colonies should be on the same
footing, and that the Panis were as necessary for the Canadians for
the cultivation of the land and other work as the Negroes were for the
islands, that it was necessary to assure the property in their
purchases those who have bought and those who should buy in the
future. Then comes the enactment "Nous sous le bon plaisir de Sa
Majeste ordonnons, que tous les Panis et Negres qui ont ete achetes et
qui le seront dans la suite, appartiendront en pleine propriete a ceux
qui les ont achetes comme etant leurs esclaves." "We with the consent
of His Majesty enact that all the Panis and Negroes who heretofore
have been or who hereafter shall be bought shall be the absolute
property as their slaves of those who bought them."[8]

This ordinance was not a dead letter. On February 8, 1734, Gilles
Hocquart, the Intendant at Quebec issued an ordinance in which he
recited that in 1732 Captain Joanne of the Navy brought a Carib slave
of his to Canada and employed him as a sailor; that he had deserted
when Captain Joanne was ready to embark for the West Indies; and that
the master had seen and recognized him a short time theretofore in the
Parish of St. Augustine but on reclaiming him certain evil-disposed
persons had facilitated his escape. The ordinance directed all
captains and officers of the militia to give their assistance to the
master in recovering the Carib slave and forbade all persons to
conceal him or facilitate his escape on pain of fine or worse.[9]

Slavery thereafter tended to expand. The Edict of October 1727
concerning the American islands and colonies and therefore including
Canada in the preamble spoke of the islands and colonies being in a
condition to support a considerable navigation and commerce by the
consumption and trade of Negroes, goods and merchandise, and the
measures taken to furnish the necessary Negroes, goods and
merchandise. It was decreed that only such Negroes, goods, and
merchandise should be received by the islands and colonies as should
be brought in French bottoms. Very explicit and rigid regulations were
made to that end.

Some of these slaves were t