318 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



sideration and forbearance, as he is still essentially 

 a savage, he has no right to equality ; and although 

 I advocate his receiving every protection, I maintain 

 that it is a false kindness to elevate him above his 

 natural position, until he is sufficiently huma- 

 nised to be able to keep it. Yet in this Colony 

 negroes are allowed to sit upon juries even in 

 cases against Europeans. This is an egregious 

 mistake, for not only are they not sufficiently 

 civilised to act in that capacity, but as a race they 

 are so corrupt that bribes will always influence 

 their verdict. A negro will never convict a man 

 of his own tribe, even upon the most conclusive 

 proof of his guilt ; but in a case of black versus 

 white, without paying any attention to the evidence, 

 he will never hesitate to decide in favour of tlie 

 coloured gentleman^ and perhaps cast the ivhite man 

 in heavy damages, because as a rule the black 

 juries share in the plunder. Justice is a very rare 

 commodity in a Sierra Leone Court House, and the 

 sooner the present regime is changed for a more 

 wholesome system the better, as the present admin- 

 istration of the law is not only a mere farce and 



