IpJif greater contradiction in the difpofition of, man, though in k^y-0 a world compofed almoft entirely of. contradictions. Many a time, , efpecially in the mornings and evenings,, have I. feen in. various places unhappy flaves,. who with the. moft difmal' cries and lamentations, were fuffering the immoderately fevere punifhments inflicted on them by their matters ;, during which, they are ufed,. as I was informed, to beg. not fo much for mercy,, as for a draught o f water £ but as long as their blood, was ftill. inflamed with the pain, and torture,, it-was; laid that great: care mull be taken to avoid allowing them, the refreihmenfcof any kind of drink; as experience had iliewn, that in that café,, they would die in the fpace of a few hours, and fometimes the very inftant after they, had drank it. The fame thing is laid'to happen; tothofe who are impaled alive,, after having been broken, upon the wheel, or even without having previoufly buffered this punilliment. The fpike- in this cafe is thruft up; along the baek-bone and the vertebrae of the neck, between the ikin and the cuticle, in fuch- amanner, that the delinquent is brought into a fitting poiture. In this horrid fituation, however, they are faid to be capable of. füpport- ing life for leveral; days, as long;as there comes-no rameas in; that cafe, the humidity will occalion their fores to mortify, and confequently put an end. to their füfferingsin a few hours.. I am glad that, during my reiidenee in the town, no,, opportunity prefented itfelf to m e of feeing any one undergo this. puniihment; - which, though it is only doítined-fór incendiaries, or for filch, as. are guilty o f feflition on murder, aggravated with peculiar- circumftanoes-of cruelty and barbarity, yet it appears not lefs- ihocking and revolting to human human nature, than the very crimes, themfelves, and ^776* actually irritates more than k is generally thought to do, the other flaves in the town;, whom,! have feen compelled, to be prefent even- at fuch. public puniibments, as do not affeCt the Mfe o f the culprk, in order that they might take warning from- ii. But the flave who is punifhed for fedi- tion, is always, in the eyes Of his fellow-flaVes a martyr, that fuffers for the common caufe, and for having maintained the; deareft rights beftowed upon them by nature,, which is their liberty; Spikes, wheels, réd-liot pincers,, and all the reft o f the horrid-apparatus employed by their executioners, will never have with the fuflerers the effeCt of eonvincing them of thé contrary doCtrine ; on the contrary,, they become ftill mofeobftinate in feppofing tfiernfelves ty- Bannizediover,and'in thinking that fuch o f their fellow- flaves as have had-the courage to-take away the lives o f their own, tyrants^ and prefer-death and tortures-to the bafely groveling; and crawling any longer upon the1 earth in an opprobrious' fiate o f bondage, are examples worthy o f imitation, and-, that at leait they deferve to be venerated) pitied, and even revenged. The Chinefe maffaere at Batavia ini i.7;4fi,, aflbrds a ftill- more dreadful inftanee o f the rage- andtaruel- ties. into which men-in general may be precipitated by the tyranny o f their rul-erS. ! Had the- Chinefe: fucceeded in this ihfurreCtion, the govemor-genëral‘ Iiv[ïK)FF!,: àhdMiTHE- nxiisy would; have been cut t® pieces and de voured. ( Vide Adr» Valkknjer,, T. XVII.) May not; we- conclude from- hence,tbati òppreflìon ajiet injuftlce'yrathentìian' Hunger, have ; given rdfe- feithe practice o f eating human fleibt, which prevails ih jmifcy parti o f the world-?— 1- have- before obferved,, & that
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