IIL mine; and many little bags stuffed with a variety CHAP. 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 capable of doing 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." 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 supple ment BOOK ment to what we have already had the honour of submitting. IV. "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 order 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 Obeahman alluded to in our first paper. "AT the place of execution, he bid defiance to the executioner, telling him, that " It was not III. not in the power of the White people to kill CHAP. 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." IV. CHAP. IV. Means of obtaining Slaves in Africa.—Obsercations thercon.-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 Indics, considered.-Disproportion of sexes in the number of Slaves annually exported from Africa.-Causes thereof.-Mode of transporting Negrocs to the West Indies, and regulations recently established by act of parliament.-Effect of those regulations. BOOK IT 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 74,000 (a). Having an opportunity, a few years ago, of consulting a very intelligent (a) Besides which great numbers are supplied from the nations bordering on the rivers of Senegal and Gambia, for the emperor of Morocco and the states of Barbary. Caravans also travel from thence across the continent to Upper Egypt IV. person on this point, who had visited many CHAP. parts of the coast, and appeared to be a man of veracity and candour, I received from him, in writing, an answer, which I shall present to my readers verbatim; and subjoin such further information as I have been able to collect. The answer which I received, was given in the words following:-" In all parts of the coast, and I apprehend it to be the same inland, the body of the people are in a state of absolute and unlimited slavery; their children are born to no other inheritance, and are liable to be sold by their owners as they think proper. Most parts of the coast differ in their governments; some are absolute monarchies, while others draw near to an aristocracy. In both, the authority of the chief or chiefs is unlimited, extending to life, and it is exercised as often as criminal cases require, unless death is commuted into slavery; in which case the offender is sold, and if the shipping will not buy the criminal, he is immediately put to death. Fathers of free condition have power to sell their Egypt with considerable supplies of Negroes, some of which are sent afterwards to Constantinople. A very curious and interesting account of this traffick is given in the Report of the Lords of the Privy Council. Great numbers of slaves are likewise sent from Mozambique, and the ports on the eastern coast, to Persia, Goa, and other parts of the East Indies. Hence it has been calculated that Africa is drained annually of not less than 150,000 of its natives. children |