The apprentices frequently called at our lodgings to complain to Mr. C. of the hard treatment of their masters.  Among the numerous distressing cases which we witnessed, we shall never forget that of a poor little negro boy, of about twelve, who presented himself one afternoon before Mr. C., with a complaint against his master for violently beating him.  A gash was cut in his head, and the blood had flowed freely.  He fled from his master, and came to Mr. C. for refuge.  He belonged to A. Ross, Esq., of Mulatto Run estate.  We remembered that we had a letter of introduction to that planter, and we had designed visiting him, but after witnessing this scene, we resolved not to go near a monster who could inflict such a wound, with his own hand, upon a child.  We were highly gratified with the kind and sympathizing manner in which Mr. C. spoke with the unfortunate beings who, in the extremity of their wrongs, ventured to his door.

At the request of the magistrate we accompanied him, on one occasion, to the station-house, where he held a weekly court.  We had there a good opportunity to observe the hostile feelings of the planters towards this faithful officer—­“faithful among the faithless,” (though we are glad that we cannot quite add, “only he.”)

A number of managers, overseers, and book-keepers, assembled; some with complaints, and some to have their apprentices classified.  They all set upon the magistrate like bloodhounds upon a lone stag.  They strove together with one accord, to subdue his independent spirit by taunts, jeers, insults, intimidations and bullyings.  He was obliged to threaten one of the overseers with arrest, on account of his abusive conduct.  We were actually amazed at the intrepidity of the magistrate.  We were convinced from what we saw that day, that only the most fearless and conscientious men could be faithful magistrates in Jamaica.  Mr. C. assured us that he met with similar indignities every time he held his courts, and on most of the estates that he visited.  It was in his power to punish them severely, but he chose to use all possible forbearance, so as not to give the planters any grounds of complaint.

On a subsequent day we accompanied Mr. C. in one of his estate visits.  As it was late in the afternoon, he called at but one estate, the name of which was Williamsfield.  Mr. Gordon, the overseer of Williamsfield, is among the fairest specimens of planters.  He has naturally a generous disposition, which, like that of Mr. Kirkland, has out-lived the witherings of slavery.

He informed us that his people worked as well under the apprenticeship system, as ever they did during slavery; and he had every encouragement that they would do still better after they were completely free.  He was satisfied that he should be able to conduct his estate at much less expense after 1840; he thought that fifty men would do as much then as a hundred do now.  We may add here a similar remark of Mr.