>77?- A p r il. viz. that he fat, or rather fank himfelf up to his nofe in the r iv er; taking care at the fame time to hide his face behind the boughs that hung over the water. The murderers not being able to find him any where, he having as it were entirely vaniihed out of their fight, immediately began to conclude, that, in order to avoid the ftroke of the ■bloody axe, he had rather chofe to put an end to his life himfelf, by jumping into the river: notwithftanding this, however, they attempted to make themfelves certain whether he was drowned or not. The means they took in order to effeit this, was to found the brook all over with the branches o f a tree ; but they luckily forgot juft the particular place where the boy was fitting, probably as the river was in that part fhallower, and had a brilker current. ■ I ih o u ld d o u b t le fs h a v e b r o u g h t t h e te a r s in to t h e e y e s o f o u r h o l t s , a n d a t th e lam e t im e m a d e th em a b a d r e tu rn f o r th e i r c iv i li t ie s , h a d I , b y q u e f t io n in g th em c lo fe ly c o n c e r n in g th e p a r t ic u la r s o f th is f t o r y , e n d e a v o u r e d fo u n - fe a fo n a b ly to fa t i s f y m y c u r io f i t y . * F o r th is ra a fo n , I h a v e c o n te n te d m y f e l f w i t h ta k in g , i t d o w n , j u f t as I h a v e r e la te d i t a b o v e , f r o m th e a c c o u n t s g iv e n m e b y M r . Im m e l m a n a n d o t h e r s ; a n d c o n fe q u e n t ly w a s n o t a b le to le a r n w i t h a n y c e r ta in t y , w h e t h e r th e d e c e a fe d .h a d b y a n y u n u fu a la d t o f f e v e r i t y p r o v o k e d h i s lla v e s . to c om m i t th is c r im e , b y w a y o f r e v e n g in g , th em fe lv e s ; o r e l f e w h e t h e r th e fe la t te r h a d adied' th u s , f r o m a p e r fu a f io n th a t the- fam e c r im e s a n d p r e d a to r y p r a c t ic e s b y w h i c h v io le n c e h a d b e e n o ffe r e d to th e i r p e r fo n s , an d th e y h a d b e e n d e p r iv e d o f th e i r lib e r t ie s , m i g h t l ik e w i f e la w fu l l y b e h a d r e c o u r fe to , f o r th e r e c o v e r y o f th is p r e c io u s right right beftowed on them by nature, and might confequently be very pardonable when exercifed on their tyrants. Yet, whatever might be the real reafon of the committing this dreadful crime, I am convinced, that it has its origin in the very efience and nature of the commerce in llaves, in whatever manner and in whatever country it may be pradtifed; a motive which I found had as much influence among the Chriftians in many places, as among the Turks on the coaft of Barbary, to induce the unhappy llaves, and ftill more their tyrannical mailers, to behave very ftrangely; nay, fometimes to be guilty of the moft horrid cruelties. I have known fome colonifts, not only in the heat'of their paflion, but even deliberately and in cool blood, undertake themfelves the low office (fit only for the executioner) of not only flaying, for a trifling negledt, both the backs and limbs of their llaves by a peculiar flow lingering method, but likewife, exceeding the very tigers- in point o f cruelty, throw pepper and fait over the wounds. But what appeared to me more ilrange and horrible, was to hear a colonift, not only defcribe with great feeming fatisfadlion the whole procefs of this diabolical invention, but even pride himfelf on the pradlice of i t ; and rack his brains, in order to find iophifms in defence o f it, as well as o f the flave trade; in which occupation the im-: portant poll he enjoyed in the colony, and his own intereft, had engaged him. He was, however, an European by birth; of a free and civilized nation; and, indeed, gave evident proofs o f polleffing a kind and tender heart; lb. that, perhaps, it would be difficult to ihew any where a X x 2 greater 1776. A p r il. k v k
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