7'.‘ THE NORXVALK GAZ'E'l"I‘E. Can i.." I, .. “good morning, gentleniettl Would you like ‘to examine my lot of boys? I have as fine a lot as ever came into market."— We approached them, one of us as a curious spectator, the other as a purchaser; and as my friend passed along the line, with a scrutinizing eye—giving that singular look, peculiar to_ the buy- er of slaves as he glances from head to feet over each individu- al—the passive subjects of his observations betrayed no other signs of curiosity then that evinced by an occasional glance.- The entrance of a stranger into the mart is by no means an un- important event to the slave. for every stranger may soon become his master and command his future destinies. But slaves are seldom strongly affected by any circumstance, and their reflec- tions never give them much uneasiness. To the generality of them. life is mere animal existence, passed in physical exertion orenjoyment. This is the case with the field hands in particu- lar, and more so with the females than the males, who through a long life seldom see any other person than their master or ov- erseer, or any other gentleman’s dwelling than the “great bus,” the “white house" of these domestic empires in which they are subjects. To this class a change of masters is a matter of in- difference; they are handed from one to the other with the pas- siveness of a purchased horse. These constitute the lowest rank of slaves, and lowest grade in the scale of the human spe- cies. “For what particular service did you want to buy?” inquired the trader of my friend. “A coachman.” “There is one I think may suit you, sir,” said he; "George step out here.” Forth- with a slight colored negro, with a fine figure and good face, bat- ing an. enormous pair oflips, advanced a step from the line, and looked with some degree of intelligence, though with an air of indifference, upon his intended purchaser. “How old are you, George?” he inquired. “I don't recollect, sir, ’zackly—b'lieve I’rn somewhere ’bout twenty dree.”-— “Where were you raised?” “On master R '5 farm in Wirginny.” “Then you are a Virgina negro." “Yes master, me full blood Wirginny.” “Did you. drive you masler’s car- rage?” “Yes, master, I drove ole missus’ carage more dan four year." “Have you a wife?" “Yes, master, I let‘ young wife in Richmond, but I got a new wife here in de lot. I wish you buy her, master, ifyou gwing to buy me.” . Then came a series of the usual questions from the intended purchaser. “Let me see your teeth—you tongue—open your hands—roll up your sleeves—have you a good. appetite? are you good tempered? “Me get mad s_oinetime,” replied George to the last query, “but neber with my horses.”-— “What do you ask for this boy. sir?” inquired the planter. af- ter putting a few more questions to the unusually loquacious slave. “I have held him at one thousand dollars, but I will take nine hundred and seventy-five cash.” The bargain was in a few minutes concluded, and my companion took the negro at nine hundred and fifty, giving negotiable paper—the customary way ofpaying for slaves-—at four months. It is, however, generally understood, that if servants prove unqualified for the particular service for which they are bought, the sale is dissolved. So there is in general perfect safety in purchasing servants untried, and merely on the warrant of the seller. George. in the meanwhile, stood by, with his hat in his hand, apparently unconcerned in the negotiat.ions going on, and .when the trader said to him, “George, the gentleman has bought you; get ready to go with him,” he appeared gratified at the tidings, and smiled upon his companions, apparently quite pleased, and then bounded oil to the buildings for his little bundle. In a few minutes he return- ed aud took leave of several of his companions, who having been drawn up into line only to be shown to purchasers, were now once more at liberty, and moving about the court, all the visiters liavingleft except my friend and myself, “You mighty lucky, George” said one congratulating him, “to get sol so quick.”-- “Oh. you neber min’, Charley,” replied the delighted George; “your turn come soon too." - "You know who you’ master be—-whar he live?” said anoth- er. “Notzafitly; he lib on plantation some whar her 'boiit.” After taking leave of his companions, George came hat in hand, very respectfelly. to his purchaser, and said, “Young master, younever be sorry for buy George; I make you a good servant. But—bcg pardon, master—-but—if master would be so good as buy Jane--" “\Vho is Jane?”—“My wife, since I come from \Virginny. She good wife and good girl—she good seamstress am‘ good nurse——make de nice shirts and ebery thing. “\Vhere is she, George?" ”'IIf.'l'0 she be, master," said he, pointing to a bright inullatto girl, about eighteen, with a genteel figure and a lively countenance, who was waiting with anxiety the reply of the planter. Opposite to the line of males was also a line of females, extended along the left side ofthe court.-u They were about twenty in number, dressed in neat calico frocks. white aprons and capes, and fancy kcrchiefs, tied in a mode pe- culiar to the negroes, upon their heads. Their whole appear- ance was extremely neat and “tidy.” They could not be dis- ciplined to the grave silence observed by the males, but were constantly laughing and chattering with each other in suppress- ed voices, and appeared to take, generally, a livelier interest in the. transactions in which were all equally concerned. The planter approached this line of female slaves, and inquired of the girl her capabilities as seamstress, nurse, and ironer. Her price was seven hundred and fifty dollars. He said he would take her to his family; and ifthe ladies were pleased with her, he would purchase her. The poor girl was as much delighted as though already purchased ; and, at the command of the tra- der, went to prepare herselfto leave the mart. Some other ne- groes were purchased, several of whom appeared merely pow- erful combinations of bone and muscle, and the only idea sug- gested in the mind, in gazing upon them, was of a remarkable physical energy. In the dull eye and fleshy month there was no expression indicative of intellect- THE CALENDAR» DIVISION OF TIME. The North American Review, in noticing the Americana Almanac, and the Repository ofUseful Lnowledge, has a valuar. ble paper on the “Divisions of Time," of which article the fol-. lowing is an abstract. The dial of ancient times was very im-- perfect. Herodotus says that the Chaldeans were theinventoish and it was doubtless from their country that the memorable dial, of Ahaz, mentioned in scripture, was brought. But so slowly was the invention improved, that, at the time ofthe first punic. war a dial was brought to Rome, and placed in the forum ; but. itdid not keep good time, as it was made for a different latitude., They discovered that it was of no use, yet did know how to reme-. dy the difiiculty. The hour was measured much as we measure by the hour glass, by the time it took a certain quantity ofwater to drop frotn the upper glass into the one below. These water clocks were used to determine the length of pleading in court, and if the advocate did not complete his argument in the time assigned, so much the worse for his client. In puritanical times. preachers kept the hour glass on the cushion for the same pur.-.. pose, although they by no means regarded the hint which it gave them. A Clocks are of modern origin. They were invented by the monks in the middle ages. They were not finished like our clocks. They did not tell the minutes. They were probably such as the wooden clock of a pedlar might have looked down upon with disdain. ‘ We are not to suppose when we see the word of hour in an- cient writings, that it had the same meaning then which it has now. In the writings of Moses, it siuiply means the time when any thing happened or was to happen. So in the expressson of our saviour. “My hour is not yet come.” In I_-Iomer and Hesiod the hours were the seasons of the years. The day was like the night, divided into four equal parts in very ancienttimes, loosely called the morning, the heat of the day, the miday and the evening. This was in use in the Saviour’s time. The da ofthe Jews began at sunset ; thus their Sabbath began on Fri- day evening. _ The wee/c was suggested by the time it takes the moon to pass through one of her quarterly changes. In Scripture, the word applies not merely to days but" to ye:1rs—thus Laban says to Jacob, "fulfil her week,"--meaning thciseven years‘ term of service by which Jacob was to earn the hand of his daughter. This division of time has been in use from very early ages : and itis singular that the days of the week have been named from the heavenly bodies by the ancient Chinese, Hindoos and Egyptians, as they were named by the inoderns, as we name them now. The division of the year into months, is suggested by the changes ofthe moon. These changes ofthe moon‘ are so obvious and striking that it was very natural to employ the circle of changes or lunation for one ofthe larger measures of time. The earliest months mcntiened in scripture, consisted of
Norwalk Chronicler