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Show ISO ON THE SLAVERY AND COMMERCJ; " he was travelling in one of the colonies " alluded to, he obferved fome people in " purfuit of a poor wretch, who was feek-ing in the wildernefs an afylum from his labours. He heard the diJcharge of a gun, and foon afterwards il:opping at an houfe for refreihmen t, the head of the fugitive, il:ill reeking with blood, was brought in and laid upon a table with exultation. The produCl:ion of fuch a trophy was the proof required by law to entitle the heroes to their reward.'' Now reader determine if you can, who were the moil: execrable; the rulers of the fiate in au.thorizing murder, or the people in beinoo bnbed to commit it. 6 This is one of the common confequences of that immoderate ilnre of labour which is impofed upon them; nor is tha/ which is the refult of a fcanty allowance ~f food ~efs to be lamented. The wretched Africa,; IS often fo deeply pierced by the excruciating fangs of hunger, as a! moll to be driven to defpair. What is he to do in fuch a trying fituation ? Let him apply to the re~ mvers. Alas! the majeil:y of receiverfoip i~ oF THE HuMAN SJ'f:ciEs. is too facred for the appeal, and the intru( ion would be fatal. Thus attacked on. tl:e one hand, and {hut out from every polhbtlit of relief Oil the other, he has only the y l. . I. choice of being il:arved, or of re .'cvm~ liS neceflities by taking a (mall portiOn of the fruits of his own labour. Horrid crime ! to be found eating the cane, which probably his own hands have pla~~ed, and to be eating it, becaufe his neccfittiCS were prefiing! This crime however is of fuch a magnitude as always to be accompanied with the wl~ip; and fo unmercifully has it been applied on fuch an occafion, as to have b:en the caufe in wet weather, of the de!tnquent's d;ath. But the fmart of the whip has not been the only pain that the wretched Africans have experienced. Any thing that paffion could fei.,:e, and convert into an inil:rument of puniihment, has been ufed i and, horrid to relate I the very knife has not been overlooked in the fit of phrenzy. Ears have been !lit, eyes have been beaten out, and bones have been broken ; and fo frequently has this been the cafe, that it has bee[\ a matter of confl:ant lamentation with K ·4; diu(ltere!l:ed. |