y buy for each a clean young wife, who can wash and do
the female offices about a farm. I shall begrudge no price, so hope we
may, by your goodness succeed."[14]

From time to time slavery makes its appearance in official
correspondence. Moreover, there are still subsisting records which
show the prevalence of slavery in the province.[15] In January, 1763,
there took place at Longueuil the marriage of Marie, slave of baroness
de Longueuil, with Jacques Cesar, slave of M. Ignace Gamelin. From
1763 to 1769 there are found records of the baptism of the children
of slaves in the registers of the Parish of Lachine. In the first
issue of the _Gazette_ of Montreal, June 3, 1778, there is an
advertisement by the widow Dufy Desaulniers, offering a reward of six
dollars for the return to her of a female slave who had run away on
the 14th. She was thirty-five years old and she was dressed in striped
calico of the ordinary cut and was of "tolerable stoutness."

Alexander Henry writing from Montreal, October 5, 1778, to the
Governor Sir Frederick Haldimand, says that he had obtained a Judgment
in the Court of Common Pleas against one Gillelande in the colonies
who owed him a considerable sum of money. "Hearing that a Negro of his
had deserted from him," said Henry, "and was lurking in this Province
I obtained an execution upon that judgment and got the negro
apprehended--who is still in gaol." General Powell who was the
Commander there sent to Mr. Gray the Sheriff desiring him to postpone
the sale until such time as the Governor should be made acquainted
with the matter. Mr. Gray thereafter informed Mr. Henry that he
mentioned the affair to Sir Frederic Haldimand, who likewise ordered
the sheriff to postpone the sale until the Governor could confer with
the Attorney-General. The Attorney-General thereafter informed Mr.
Henry that he had spoken to the Governor, who was of the opinion that
the civil law should take its course.... Mr. Gray thought he should
have some definite authority to sell.... He said: "There are some
gentlemen from the Upper Countries[16] whom I presume will give more
for him than any person resident here and ... they are now on their
return." He asked that an order for sale should be sent before the
departure of these gentlemen.[16] The higher price which the
gentlemen from the "Upper Countries" would pay indicates the objection
of those in the old settled parts of the province to Slavery.

An official report