BOOK III. CHAP. IH. 465 



was proftcuted as far as the lieutenant governor's authority could 

 give it fan6tion, or the aflcmbly fecond his reccmmendations. Mr. 

 Lyttelton arrived as governor the following jear (February, 1762); 

 and the public tranquillity remained undifturbed by infiirfedions for 

 fome time. It was however well known, that feveral Coromantins, 

 who had aflually been in arms during the late commotion, whlld 

 their caufe wore a promifing afpeft, flunk away afterwards, and re- 

 turned again again to their duty, affefting great abhorrence at the be- 

 haviour of their countrymen, and even pretending that they had been 

 exerting themfelves in oppofition to the rebels. With good reafoii 

 therefore it was fufpected, by many perfons in St. Mary's, that thefe 

 deferters, who had taken \\\tf€tij}de, or oath, which they regard as in- 

 violable, would diffemble their genuine fentiments for the prefr;nt, and 

 wait a favourable opportunity to execute their bloody purpoff^s. Some 

 time in July, 1765, there was a private meeting in that pariOi, of 

 feveral Coromnntin headmen, who entered into a confpiracy for a 

 frefti infnrredion, to take plr.ce immediately after the Chriftraas holi- 

 days ; they bound the compaft with their fetifhe, according tocuftom, 

 and received affurances from all or mod of the Coromantins in the 

 parifli, that they would join. But the impatience of fome among 

 them to begin the work, hurried them on to rife before the day ap- 

 pointed, and difconcerted their whole plan ; for, on the 29th of No- 

 vember, at night, a Coromantin, named Blackwall, belonging to 

 Whitehall plantation, who had been tried formerly on fufpicion of 

 being concerned in the rebellion of 1760, and acquitted for want of 

 fufficient evidence, having previoufly feduced to his party nine Coro- 

 mantins on the fame eftate, but a little before imported from Africa^ 

 fet fire to the works and tiafli-houfes, with a view to decoy the over- 

 feer, and other white perfons there, from their beds, to extinguifli it ; 

 and then to cut off their retreat to the dwelling-houfe, fecure the 

 arms lodged there, and proceed to murther them, without fear of 

 refinance. 



Upon the firft alarm of fire, the overfeer and white fervants re- 

 paired to the works, as had been forefeen ; where they met with Black- 

 wall (who held a pofl of fome authority on the eflate), bemoaning 

 the fad accident, and uiewing great alertnefs in fetching water to fup- 

 ply the Whites, whom he advifed to get upon the roof?, where they 

 Vol. II. Goo might 



