THE SLAVE PUGILIST. 



SOME years ago, a slave named Hannibal Straw was imported to 

 this country from one of the West India islands for pugilistic pur- 

 poses. His frame was Herculean, his agility astonishing for a man 

 of such heavy muscle, and his disposition dauntless. After having 

 acquired considerable local celebrity as a boxer, he was at length re- 

 gularly matched against a brawny stout-hearted sailor, whom he put 

 hors de combat with such ease, as to render him an object of specu- 

 lation to a Bristol skipper, who witnessed the fight. This fellow, 

 when in his native city then the hot-bed of pugilism generally 

 associated with a set of persons who warmly patronized the ring ; and 

 it occurred to him, that a good deal of money might be made of Han- 

 nibal, if he could be got over to England for it was evident to the 

 skipper, that the champion himself would have no chance of success 

 in a match with our hero. Morgan, so the skipper was called, accord- 

 ingly, threw himself in Hannibal's way, and by glowing pictures of 

 the glory he might gather in England, through the exercise of his 

 fistic accomplishments, endeavoured to prevail upon the slave secretly 

 to stow himself away in his, the skipper's hold. Hannibal's owner, 

 however, a free man of colour, had always used him so well, and was, 

 moreover, so borne down by bodily ailments and a large family, that, 

 nipping the bud of ambition in his bosom, Hannibal declined the 

 skipper's offer. 



On returning to Bristol, Morgan gave such an account of the black's 

 abilities, that he was commissioned by his gang to buy Hannibal, and 

 bring him over. Accordingly, when homeward bound from the next 

 trip, the skipper included among his cargo the thewes and sinews of 

 Hannibal Straw. Wild with delight at obtaining his freedom, and 

 eager to display his gratitude towards those who had conferred the 

 precious boon upon him, Hannibal panted for a match. Those into 

 whose hands he had fallen meditated a deep scheme. They proposed, 

 previously to pitting him against the champion for a very heavy stake, 

 that he should enter the ring for something trivial, with a man of 

 minor reputation, and be beaten. Honest Hannibal took fire at this 

 he would not be conquered by any man living if he could help it 

 he did not see why he might not be permitted to fight fairly and 

 rather than not do so with many thanks to the gentlemen much as 

 he loved liberty, he would rather go back to his owner again. 



Finding him proof against all their arguments and entreaties they 

 assumed a different tone, and swore he should rot in prison until he 

 repaid his purchase-money and the expenses of transport which they 

 had disbursed in his behalf. Poor Hannibal quailed at this so per- 

 ceptibly that his owners and importers so they termed themselves 

 followed up their advantage, by depicting the terrors of an English 

 gaol in such fearful colours, that Hannibal, half frantic, made an 

 attempt to escape. He was instantly surrounded, and nearly over- 

 powered ; but goaded to desperation by the efforts made to secure 



