more gentle in Bermuda than in other places.

The new booklet, aimed at encouraging "cultural'' visits, says the Island had a "relatively benign system of slavery''.

Benign, says the Oxford dictionary, means gracious or gentle. About 30,000 copies of the brochure have been printed by Tourism. The description of Bermuda's slave system comes under the heading "black history''.

It was written, along with the rest of the booklet, by advertising writer Mr.

Edward Bottone, known as the "Curious Cook'' in his articles and TV shows.

"There was nothing benign about slavery in Bermuda,'' said historian and former PLP senator Mr. Ira Philip.

"Some of the most brutal measures were undertaken by the slave masters, by those who institutionalised slavery in Bermuda.

"It was as cruel and as degrading as anywhere in the world.'' The Island's self-governing rulers "did as they liked'', he said. And they set precedents with laws governing slaves.

"Some of the most brutal punishments were inflicted on slaves for the slightest deviation from those regulations.'' Youth Library head Mrs. Florence Maxwell said she also objected to the "relatively benign'' phrase.

"Slavery nowhere was benign. Here it was equally as brutal and as cruel.'' This was clear from the life story of Bermudian slave Mary Prince.

"Her book was only introduced to Bermudians very recently. It's a horror story. No slave ever was happy about their lot in life.

"For some strange reason Bermuda has never dealt with slavery honestly, maybe because the Island is small and there's a lot of guilt.

"It's got to be dealt with. It's history and we can't pretend it didn't happen, or it was a Sunday School picnic.'' But cultural commentator Mr. Andrew Trimingham defended the brochure's statement.

"I'm not defending the institution of slavery but I think it's a true comment.

"The nasty slavery was associated with plantations. We didn't have plantations or anything resembling plantations.

"The slaves that we had were either domestics or subsistence farmers. "They must have been quite remarkably well treated because they were crews for our ships.

"The ships were sailed by a small team and it can only have worked when master and slave were working together.

"There would have been exceptions to the generally benign system. But Bermuda's slave population was in the great part very, very fortunate compared to the appalling experiences that their fellows down south had to try to survive.

"Very broadly they were not treated like chattels here, they were treated like people.'' Historian Mr. William Zuill said: "To my mind, what was said by a lady in 1828 seems to me to be correct. She said that slavery was a dreadful institution but that in Bermuda it wore its mildest face.'' He thought the brochure should perhaps have used "comparatively'' rather than "relatively''.

"And it probably should have had something saying it was a dreadful institution and a dreadful way of treating people.

"There was a good deal of harshness and cruelty. But there were occasions when slave crews could have escaped from Bermuda and didn't.'' Mr. Cyril Packwood, who has written a book on Bermudian slavery, was off the Island. Other experts declined to comment.

Mr. Bottone defended his choice of words. "From my reading and from what I could find, imported labour was relatively well treated.

"But my reading and my research could have been misleading because everyone writes history to their agenda.'' There had been worse treatment in the US and Haiti, he said. He had thought it important to raise the subject in the booklet.

"It's not to be ignored, or to be highlighted as something horrendous or heinous or something we should hang our heads in shame for.

"I think it's just part of the past and it should be studied along with the past. I don't think it's a hot issue.

"In those times these practices were accepted, however horrible they seem to be today.'' Tourism Minister the Hon. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge said he did not want to get involved in a row.

"If we dwell on these subjects we create ongoing controversy. I'm trying to give tourism a positive direction and I think that's what this brochure is doing.''