in particular, is his pride and study ; but the
slaves have their heads half shorn. The male
slave is not allowed to marry; and any intercourse
with a female, if discovered, is generally
punished by death. Never was there a
body of men so completely cut off from all
society as these poor slaves; they never can
count, with certainty, on a single moment of
life, as the savage caprice of their master may
instantly deprive them of it. I f by chance;
a slave should belong to a kind and good
master, an accident happening to him, or any
of his family, will probably prove equally fatal
to the slave, as some are generally sacrificed
on the death of a chief
Thus these poor slaves are deprived of
every hope and stimulus by which all other
classes and individuals are animated; no good
conduct of theirs towards their master, no attachment
to his person or family, no fidelity
or long service can ensure kind treatment.
If the slave effect his escape to his own part
of the country, he is there treated with contempt;
and when he dies (if a natural death),
his body is dragged to the outside of the village,
there to be made sport of by the children,
or to furnish food for the dogs! but more
frequently his fate is to receive a fatal blow
in a fit of passion, and then be devoured by
his brutal master! Even the female slaves
who, if pretty, are frequently taken as wives
by their conquerors, have not a much greater
chance of happiness, all being dependent upon
the caprice of their owners.
When I can relate any thing favourable to
the missionaries, I invariably intend to do so,
which will account for the introduction of the
following: — A few days since, I paid a visit
to one of their settlements, and noticed a remarkably
fine native woman attending as a
servant. She was respectably dressed, and in
every respect (except complexion) she was
similar to an European. She spoke English
fluently. Upon expressing my admiration of
her, I was informed that this woman had been
a slave of Shunghie’s, and that about a year
previous he had lost one of his sons, and had
determined to sacrifice this poor girl as an
atonement. She was actually bound for the
purpose, and nothing but the strong interfer