BOOK III. CHAP. ir. 595 



admlnidei* more zeft to implacable vengeance. This was the 

 tuttom before the Europeans vilitcd the coaft. But this trade di- 

 verted the thirft of blood, and the refinements of malice, into the 

 love of gain ; and now the pradice of banifliment not only gratifies 

 this powerful incentive, but confults their fccurity equally well as 

 the antient mode, by removing their enemies, and effed:ually pre- 

 venting their repetition of hoftility. 



They, as well as the Europeans, confider their prifoner as one 

 who is to be redeemed with a price. They hold his body as their 

 abfolute property ; and the prifoner, from the moment of his cap- 

 tivity, as well as before he was made a prifoner, knows the full 

 latitude of that power ; he is confcious there is a price fixed upon 

 his head ; if he is redeemed from death by his countrymen, he is 

 fenfible that he becomes juflly their debtor, and no lefs fo if, his 

 countrymen refufuig to ranfom him, he is redeemed by others. VVe 

 form an erroneous idea of the Negroes, if we fuppofe that they prefer 

 death to life; or that, upon the choice being offered, they would not 

 rather be perpetual fervants to a man of tolerable humanity, than be 

 mangled and butchered by their inhuman conquerors. But without 

 entering into the fubtle diftindions of civilians, which would lead 

 us too far, it is certain, that the Negroe dates at prefent encounter 

 with each other, with a view chiefly to acquire as many flaves as they 

 can : flaves being their real wealth, whether retained for their own 

 ufe, fold to other Negroe flates, or to foreigners ; and all parties 

 among them well underftanding this to be, if not the motive^ at leafl: 

 the fare iflue, of all the wars in which they engage, they cannot be 

 faid to fuffer injuflice who meet with that tate, which they either 

 defign for others, or have reafon to expe£t themfelves. 

 , It is faid, that many are kidnapped into our plantations. This 

 however is a fa6l which wants to be proved. The trade is not now 

 to beeflimated by the manner in which it was originally carried on 

 (when irregular rovers of many nations made defcents upon the 

 coaft), but as a regularly conduced, and eftabliflied plan. Our a£ts 

 of parliament, and the African company, ftriclly prohibit the buying 

 any pnnyard or ftolen Negroe, under fevere penalties ; and the flaves 

 bought by the fadlories always undergo a review of the chief men of 

 the place, to prevent any fuch being fliipped otF; their interefl 



E e e 2 makes 



