D. BERMUDA. No. 1.-Extract of a Letter from Governor Beckwith to his Grace the Duke of Portland; dated the 24th December, 1799. (N° 69.) I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Grace's Duplicate, ular, of 12th July 1799, refpecting Negro Slaves; to which immediate attention been paid. My Lord, No. 2.--Copy of a Letter from Governor Beckwith to his Grace the Duke of Portland; dated Bermuda, 22d March 1800. IN obedience to the King's command, conveyed in your Grace's Difpatch of the 1 of July laft, marked Circular, I have the honour to tranfmit an account of the Ne Slaves and Slaves of Colour in and belonging to this Colony, with the follow explanation: The account is made up by parishes, and has been taken up by the feveral parish m strates, but the navigation of the Bermudas being chiefly carried on by black feamen, g numbers are constantly at fea in the West India and North American trade. They are clu In Governor Beckw ACCOUNT of NEGRO SLAVES and SLAVES of COLOUR, of all Ages dded in the account of numbers which is made up to Christmas 1799, but the births and Caths could not be carried down lower than the end of 1798. Notwithstanding the yellow fever made its way into this Colony from the American States in 1796, and carried off feveral Negroes in one parish, and a very general inoculation took lace in others in 1797 and 1798, which muft have added to the deaths in thofe years, yet the births greatly exceed the deaths. It is neceffary to add, that of the adults many, no doubt, fell a facrifice to the Weft India climate, or perifhed at fea in the course of navigation. The number of free perfons of colour and of free negroes is inconfiderable. I have the honour to be, &c. Geo. Beckwith. Enclosure.) the 22d March 1800. Seres, in and belonging to the Colony of BERMUDA, 24th December 1799. |