OCR Text |
Show 134 ON THE SLAVERY AND COMMERCE " the perpetrator of a cruel murder, com" milted in open day light, in the mofl: publick part of a town, which was the " feat of government, efcaped every other notice than the curfes of a few of the more humane witneifes of his barbarity. An officer of a Guinea lhip, who had the care of a number of new ilaves, and was returning from thefale-yard to the veifel with fuch as remained unfold, obferved a Il:out fellow among them rather llow i11 " his motions, which he therefore quickened with his rattan. The llave Coon afterwards fell down, and was raifed by the L1me application. Moving forwards a, few yards, he fell down again; and this being taken as a proof of his fullen perverfe fpirit, the enraged officer furioully repeated his blows till he expired at his feet. The brute coolly ordered fame of the furviving ilaves to carry the dead body '' to the water's fide, whe{e, without any ceremony or delay,_ being thrown into the fea, the tragedy was fuppofed to have been immediately finifl1ed by the not more inhuman lharks; with which the harbour " thea t>F THE H uMAN SPECIES. 135 " thea abounded. Thefe voracious fil11 were " fuppofed to have followed the veifels from " the coafl: of Africa, in which ten thoufand " flavcs were imported in that one feafon, " being allured by the fl:ench, and daily fed " by the dead carcaifes thrown overboard " on the voyage." lf the reader i11ould obferve here, that cattle are better protetl:ed in this country, than ilaves in the colonies, his obfervation will be jufl:. The beafl: which is driven to market, is defended by law from the goad of the driver; whereas the wretched African, though an human being, and whofe feelings receive of courfe a double poignancy from the power of refletl:ion, is unnoticed in this refpetl: in the colonial code, and may be goaded and beaten till he expires. We may now take our leave of the jir)l recez~Jers. Their crime has been already ell:imated; and to reafon farther upon it, would be unneceifary. For where the conduct of men is fo manifefl:ly impious, there can be no need, either of a lingle argument or a refletl:ion; as every reader of fenfibility will anticipate them in his own feelings. 14 CHAP, |