X1% N A R R A T I y E O F A N
CHAP- Another plan of murdering with impunity has often
XXVI. - been put in practice. The Have is fattened naked to a
tree in the foreft, with hjs arms and legs extended} under
pretence o f ftretching his limbs ; but here he is left, and
regularly fed, until he is actually ftung to death by the
mufquitoes and other inftdts— a moft infernal punifti-
ment, and fuch as may be with truth afcribed to the in*-
fligation o f the devil ! .Drowning them, by kinking them
overboard with a weight chained to their legs, is called
accidental death. It has been known that by the orders
o f a woman, negro flaves have been privately burnt, to
death, miferably chained in a furrounding pile o f flaming
faggots. As to the breaking out of their teeth, merely
for tailing the fugar-cane cultivated by themfelv-es,
flitting up their nofes, and cutting off their ears, from
private pique, theft are accounted mere fpoft, and not,
worthy to be mentioned.
By fuch inhuman ufege this unhappy race o f men are
fametiraes driven to fuch a height o f defperation, that to
finifh their days, and be relieved from.wn^ftbaai
tian bondage, fome even have leaped into the caldrons o f
boiling fugar, thus at once depriving the tyrant o f his
crop and o f his fervant. , ;
From theft (ketches can it be a matter o f iurprize,
that armies o f rebels are affembled in the foreft, and at
èvery opportunity thirfting for revenge ? :
I ihall how conclude this dreadful fcene by one general
* remark,
remark, (hewing how far population is attested by this
moft infamous treatment.
In Surinam there are, upon an average, about 75,000
negro Haves, as I have ftated; from which i f wé fubtradt
children, and faperannuated ftfon and women, there will
not be found above 50,000 really fit for labour. There
are From fix to twelve Guinea ffiips^thftrimpoft from 2150
to 300 flaves each from Africa annually : we may there-
fore compute,;the yearly importation at ah average o f
2,500, necefiary to fnpply and; keep complete thé above
50,000 j fb that the annual deaths exceed the births by the
number o f ^2,500, though each maft negro ha#& wife or
two i f be chuffs, which is, upon the mafs,fftff 5 per deni,
and confequemly proves that thé whftff race 6f healthy
flaves, eonfifting o f 50,000, are totally eXtmè&'bhfce every
twenty years;
Truth and juftice however oblige me to declare, tM t
the inhuman barbarities ;1‘ have been juft dèffribirrg’ afh
not univerfal. Compaffionate Heaven’has ordained farffe
exceptions, as I (hall impartikHy flséW^'ib|'!lrewiB'rffffg th b '
picture: not, like fome writers-who have treated this
fubjedt, and carefully concealed the moft pleafing toifcftês
o f goodnefs and humanity, whrlft only the darkeft IbadeS;
have been expofed to the public éyë, but by candidly
exhibiting both fides with equal juftice and precifion ;
and it is indeed with pfeafbre I cairaflarm, thatrthe negrft
flavo* ott/m e êffate® are treated, m mybpi4fon>lA& Wék
. ought,