Concerning the property of the field-slaves, all the evidences agree in asserting, that they never heard of a field-slave amassing such a sum as enabled him to purchase his freedom. Ab. p. 60.

Having now described the state of the plantation, it will be proper to say a few words on that of the in and out-door slaves.

The in-door slaves are allowed to be better clothed, and fed, and less worked, than the plantation slaves. On account, however, of being constantly exposed to the cruelty and caprice of their masters and mistresses, their lives are rendered so wretched, that they not unfrequently wish to be sent to the field. The out-door slaves are porters, coopers, &c. who are obliged to bring their masters a certain sum every day.

The ordinary punishments of the slaves are inflicted by the whip and cow-skin. This, says Mr. Woolrich, is generally made of plaited cow-skin, with a thick strong lash. It is so formidable an instrument, that some of the overseers can, by means of it, take the skin off a horse's back. He has seen them lay the marks of it into a dealboard. The incisions, according to Dr. Harrison, and the Dean of Middleham, are sometimes so deep, that you may lay your finger into the

wounds, and are such as no time can erase. As a farther proof of the severity of the punishments, the following facts are adduced. Mr. Fitzmaurice says, he has known pregnant women so severely whipped as to have miscarried in consequence of it. Mr. Davidson knew a negro girl die of a mortification of her wounds two days after whipping. Dr. Jackson says, he recollects a negro dying under the lash, or very soon after. Ab. p. 66, 67.

We now proceed to the extraordinary punishments, in the infliction of which, malice, fury, and all the worst passions of the human mind, rage with unbridled licence. Benevolence recoils at the dreadful perspective, and can scarce collect composure to disclose the bloody catalogue.

Captain Rap has known slaves severely punished, then put into the stocks, a cattle-chain of sixty or seventy pounds weight put on them, and a large collar round their necks, and a weight of fifty six pounds fastened to the chain when they were driven to the field. The collars are formed with two, three, or four projections, which hinder them from lying down to sleep. A negro man in Jamaica, says Dr. Harrison, was put on the picket

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so long, as to cause a mortification of both his foot and hand, on suspicion of robbing his master, a public officer, of a sum of money, which, it afterwards appeared, the master had taken himself. Yet the master was privy to the punishment, and the slave had no compensation. Ab. p. 69.

Mr. Fitzmaurice says, it was a practice to drop hot lead upon the slaves, which he saw performed by a planter of the name of Rushie, in Jamaica. This same man, in three years, destroyed, by severity, forty negroes out of sixty. The rest of the conduct of this planter was suppressed by the House of Commons, as containing circumstances too terrible to be given to the world. An overseer on the estate where Mr. J. Turry was, in Grenada, threw a slave into the boiling canejuice, who died in four days.

Captain Cook relates, that he saw a woman, named Rachel Lauder, beat a slave so unmercifully, that she would have murdered her, if she had not been prevented. The girl's crime was, for not bringing money enough from on board of ship, whither she had been sent by her mistress for the purpose of prostitution.

Lieutenant Davidson relates, that the wife of the clergyman at Port Royal, used to drop hot sealing wax on her negroes after flogging. He was sent for, as surgeon, to one of them, whose breast was terribly burnt.

If it should be asked, for what offences the punishments cited have taken place, the following answer may be given.

Under the head of ordinary punisments, the slaves appear to have suffered for not coming to the field in time, not picking a sufficient quantity of grass, for staying too long of an errand, and theft, to which they are often driven by extreme hunger. Under the head of extraordinary punishments, the following reasons have been alleged; for running away, for breaking a plate, or to extort confession, in the moments of passion; and one on a diabolical pretence which the master held out to the world, to conceal his own villainy, and which he knew to be false. Women punish their slaves for being pregnant, for not bringing home the full wages of prostitution, and sometimes even without the allegation of a fault. This is a specimen, and only a specimen, of the evidence that was exhibited in the British House of Commons.

Black catalogue! horrid facts! At the dreadful recital, angels, men, and even devils, seem to stand in silent astonishment. What kind, what degree of punishment must await such miscreants! In the hand of that omnipotent Being, who is the most valuable friend, and, at the same time, the most dangerous enemy, I leave them. And truly it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God. An angry God! Dreadful idea! He is, as a sacred writer speaks, wise in heart, and mighty in strength; and, therefore, it is impossible for any to harden themselves against him and prosper.