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Show 120 ON THE SLAVERY AND CoMMERce While we were making thefe remarks, the intelligent African thus refumed his difcourfe. " The firfl: three whom you obferve, at the head of the train, to be " chained together, are prifoners of war. " As foon as the i11ips that are behind " you arrived, the news was difpatched into the inland country; when one of the petty kings immediately afiembled his fubjeCl:s, and attacked a neighbouring tribe. The wretched people, though they were furprized, made a formidable reljll:ance, as they refolved, almofl: all of them, rather to lofe their lives, than furvive their liberty. The perfon whom you fee in the middle, is the father of the two young men, who are chained to him on each fide. His wife and two of his children were killed in the attack, and his father being wounded, and, on account of his age, z7zcapa6/e if flrvitude, was left bleeding on the fpot where this tranfaCl:ion happened." " With refpeCl: to thofe who are now paffing us, and are immediately behind the former, I can give you no other in- " telligence, than that fame of them, to " about oF THE HuMAN SPECIES. 121 about the number of thirty, were taken in the fame fkirmi01. Their tribe was faid to have been numerous before the attack; thefe however are all that are lift alive. But with refpeCl: to the unhappy man, who is now oppofite to us, and whom you may difl:inguiili, as he is now looking back and wringing his hands in defpair, I can inform you with more pre- " cilion. He is an unfortunate conviCl:. He lived only about five days journey from the faCl:ory. He went out with his king to hunt, and was one of his train; but, through too great an anxiety to alford his royal mall:er diverlion, he roufed the game from the covert rather fooner than was expeCl:ed. The king, exafperated at this circumfl:ance, immediately fentenced " him to flavery. His wife and chddren, fearing !ell: the tyrant l110uld extend the punii11ment to themfelves, •vhich is not unufual, fled direCl:ly to the woods, where they were all devoured." " The people, whom you fee clofe behind the unhappy conviCl:, form a numerous body, and reach a confiderable '' way. |
