266
CHAP»
XXVI.
N A R R A T I V E O F A N
« A generous• friendfliip no cold medium knows; 1
! gcw But with one love, with one refentment glows.” ■
Their abominable cruelties alfo, like thofp of all barbarous
nations, are truly (hocking. In the colony of Ber-
hice,.during the late revolt, they made.no fcruple of cutting
up their miftiefies-with child, even in their mafter’s
prefence,- with many other favage devices too dreadful to
relate*.— In the art of poifpning, not even the Accawaw
Indians are more expert*, they can carry it under their,
nails, and by only dipping their thumb into a tumbler of
water, which they offer as a beverage to the objedt of
their revenge, they; i-nfufe a - flow but certain .death t.
Whole eftates, as well as private families, have becqpnethe
vidlims of their furyx and experienced their; fatal vengeance,
even putting to death (cores;of.their own friends
and relations,, with the; double; view of depriving their
* I t Is a well-known fa<9v that a negro,
having, been ill-treated by the family
in which he lived as a fervant, one dajr
took the following defperate revenge
The matter and miftrefc being from home,
he, having locked ail the doors, at their
return prefented himfelf with their three
fine children on the platform on the.,top
of the houfe. When aiked why he ,did not
give admittance, he only anfwered by
.throwing an infant baby to the ground;
they threatened—he totted down the brother
; they intreated, but to no purpofe,
the third Glaring the fame fate, who all lay
dead at their, parents’ feet—then calling
out, to them that he was now fully ,re-
venged, leaped, down himfelf, and dafhett
out his o wn brains amongft, the.-amazed
fpe&ators.----- Another (tabbed the, in-'
offenfive hufbarid to-be.revenged on the
- guilty wife; declaring,- that to kill herfelf
-was only temporary, but tolpfe alj. that
was dear to her-muft be eternal bitter-
nefs, while to himfelf it was the fweetett
fatisfadtion.
f After the molt ferupulous- enquiry,
and even ocular demonftration, 1 can af-
fert the above -as literally true.
proprietors
E X P E D I T I O N T O S U R I N A M . 267
proprietors of their moft valuable poffeffions. Thefe
monfters are diftinguifhed by the name of Wijfy-men,
perhaps fxom ^ifèy ox knowing, and by their fatal genius
carry deftruffion to a moft dreadful length before tbey-
arë detected. < ' ”
All barbarous and uneducated people bave indiftinët
notions of property nor can' wë wonder that (laves,
who in their own perlons fuffer the moft flagrant violation
of every right, fhould be difpofed to retaliate. The
(laves .on--the plantations ate therefore too commonly
thie^#,f: plundering whatever they can lay their hands
upon with-impunity ; nor !eah,ànÿ bounds be fèt' to their
intempérante, êfpecially in drinking. I have feen a negro
girl empty a china-bowl at one draught, containing
two bottles o f claret, which I had given her by way of
experiment, till (he could.no more ft and.
I fhould not forget to, mention that the Gdngo negroes
are I fuppofed to be anthropophagi or cannibals, like thè
Caribbee Indians,' inffigated by habitual and implacable
revenge. Amongft the rebels of this tribe, after thé
taking- o f Boucoti, fome pots" were found on the fire with
human flefh ; which one of the officers had the curiofity
to tafte, and 'declared'it was not inferior to fome kinds o f
beef or pork.
I have been fince affured by a Mr. Fa'ngills, ah American,
that- having travelled for a great number of miles
inland in Africa, he at length came to a place where
human legs, arms, and thighs hung upon wooden fham-
M m 2 bles,
C H A P .
XXVI.