134
BARBADOS.
The Governor, Sir E V A N M A C G R E G O B , received us politely. He expressed himself decidedly in favor of immediate Emancipation, as adopted by the legislature of Antigua ; but with regard to the Apprenticeship, he thought the time was now come for conciliation. The remaining term being comparatively short, he thought it of great importance, that there should be no unneces sary irritation of the planters, respecting defects in the provisions of the local Abolition Bill, or abuses which will expire with the Apprenticeship. He would rather endeavour to convince them, that it is their interest to be on good terms with their laborers, and to induce them, if possible, to anticipate the period of \iltimate Emancipation. We had some conversation with the Governor, res pecting the jail discipline of the island. We had pre viously heard of a case which occurred recently, of a woman who was sent by one of the Stipendiaries to the tread-mill. She had an infant in arms, which the jailer refused to receive, and which was therefore left on the road. The circumstance was reported to the Governor, who immediately ordered her to be released, and gave instructions to the Stipendiaries, not to send women with young children to the tread-mill. He has since directed, that pregnant women should not be put upon it. We mentioned the details which had been sent to us, by our fellow travellers SCOBLE and LLOYD, of the scenes they witnessed in the jail. Sir E V A N had then very recently assumed the government. He had already turned his attention to the state of the jail, and had discovered and rectified some of the abuses. He had directed that the superintendent of the tread mill should no longer carry a cat, but that if the prison ers were refractory, a magistrate should be sent for.