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since her arrival from Africa, and was the terror of the whole neighbourhood.-Upon this he repaired directly, with six white servants, to the old woman's house, and forcing open the door, observed the whole inside of the roof (which was of thatch), and every crevice of the walls, stuck with the implements of her trade, consisting of rags, feathers, bones of cats, and a thousand other articles. Examining further, a large earthern pot or jar, close covered, was found concealed under her bed.—It contained a prodigious quantity of round balls of earth or clay of various dimensions, large and small, whitened on the outside, and variously compounded, some with hair and rags, or feathers of all sorts, and strongly bounded with twine; others blended with the upper section of the skulls of cats, or stuck round with cats teeth and claws, or with human or dogs teeth, and some glass beads of different colours; there were also, a great many egg-shells filled with a viscous or gummy substance, the qualities of which he neglected to examine, and many little bags stuffed with a variety of articles, the particulars of which cannot at this distance of time be recollected. The house was instantly pulled down, and with the whole of its contents committed to the flames, amidst the general acclamations of all his other negroes. In regard to the old woman, he declined bringing her to trial under the law of the island, which would have punished her with death; but, from a principle of humanity, delivered her into the hands of a party of Spaniards, who, (as she was thought not incapable of doing Vol. II.

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some trifling kind of work), were very glad to accept and carry her with them to Cuba. From the moment of her departure, his negroes seemed all to be animated with new spirits, and the malady spread no farther among them. The total of his losses in the course of about fifteen years preceding the discovery, and imputable solely to the Obeah practice, he estimates at least at one hundred negroes."

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OBEAH TRIALS.

Having received some further information upon this subject from another Jamaica gentleman, who sat upon two trials, we beg leave to deliver the same in his own words, as a supplement to what we have already had the honour of submitting.

"In the year 1760, the influence of the professors of the Obeah art was such, as to induce a great many of the negro slaves in Jamaica to engage in the rebellion which happened in that year, and which gave rise to the law which was then made against the practice of Obi.

"Assurance was given to these deluded people, that they were to become invulnerable; and in or

der to render them so, the Obeah-men furnished them with a powder, with which they were to rub themselves.

"In the first engagement with the rebels, nine of them were killed, and many prisoners taken; amongst the latter was one very intelligent fellow, who offered to disclose many important matters, on condition that his life should be spared; which was promised. He then related the active part which the negroes, known among them by the name of Obeah-men, had taken in propagating the insurrection; one of whom was thereupon apprehended, tried, (for rebellious conspiracy), convicted, and sentenced to death.

N. B. This was the Koromantyn Obeah-man
alluded to in our first
paper.

"At the place of execution, he bid defiance to the executioner, telling him, that it was not in the power of the white people to kill him." And the negroes (spectators) were greatly perplexed when they saw him expire. Upon other Obeah-men, who were apprehended at that time, various experiments were made with electrical machines and magic lanterns, but with very little effect, except on one, who, after receiving some very severe shocks, acknowledged that his master's Obi exceeded his own.

"The gentleman from whom we have this account, remembers having sat twice on trials of

Obeah-men, who were both convicted of selling their Obeah preparations, which had occasioned the death of the parties to whom they had been administered; notwithstanding which, the lenity of their judges prevailed so far, that they were only punished with transportation. To prove the fact, two witnesses were deemed necessary, with corroborating circumstances."

CHAPTER IV.

Means of obtaining slaves in Africa.-Observations thereon.-Objections to a direct and immediate abolition of the trade by the British nation only. The probable consequences of such a measure, both in Africa and the West Indies, considered.-Disproportions of sexes in the number of slaves annually exported from Africa. -Causes thereof.-Mode of transporting negroes to the West Indies, and regulations recently established by act of parliament.-Effect of those regulations.

T hath been observed in a former chapter, that no certain and precise account is easily to be obtained, of the means by which the market for slaves is annually kept up and supported in Africa. The several instances that are given of slavery arising from captivity in war, delinquency and debt, seem inadequate to so regular and abundant a supply. It is difficult to imagine, that casual contributions of this kind can possibly furnish an annual export of

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