(2,700 typically called "panis", from the French term for Pawnee) and one third were of African descent (1,443). They were house servants and farm workers. The number of black slaves increased during British rule, especially with the arrival of United Empire Loyalists after 1783. The Maritimes saw 1,200 to 2,000 slaves arrive prior to abolition, with 300 accounted for in Lower Canada, and between 500 and 700 in Upper Canada. A small portion of Black Canadians today are descended from these slaves.