466 JAMAICA. 



might throw it on the flames with the heft advantage ; the overfeer, 

 not having the fmalkft diftruft of him, and wholly employed about 

 extinsjuifliing the fire, readily purfued his advice. In the dwelling- 



houfe were Mr. B , and his fifter Mrs. B d, who had haftily 



Hipped on their cloaths, and were ftanding in the piazza, at the front 

 of the houfe, and looking towards the conflagration ; when, all at 

 once, the nine confederates broke through the back-door, all llark- 

 naked, with the moft hideous yells, and fharpened bills in their 



hands ; Mr. B was unfortunately very infirm, and had no chance 



ofefcaping; while therefore he turned to expoftulate with them, they 

 furrounded and hacked him into a thoufand pieces. The pleafure they 

 enjoyed in mangling the body of this unhc^ppy gentlcn^an (who bad 

 only lodged here, by accident, in his way to Spanlfh Town) afforded 

 Mrs. B d an opportunity to jump out of the piazza, and run to- 

 wards the bottom of the hill on which the houfe flood ; but, before fhe 

 could reach fo far, (lie fell down ; in this (ituation (he was feen by 

 two faithful Negroe men, her domeflics, who flew to her affifiance ; 

 upon their coming up to her, fhe concluded no lefs than that (lie was 

 in the hands of the rebels, and deftined for immediate butchery ; but, 

 whilft flie was imploring for mercy, the fervants feized her in their 

 arms, and, with great prefence of mind, haftened with her as fafl: as 

 they could to the fide of a neighbouring riverj where they concealed 

 her amongfl the fedge and grafs, that grew very thick, injolnlng her 

 to lie clofe, whilft they were gone to look for more aflifiance. The 

 rebels, in the mean time, difpatched another gentleman, who, upon 

 the cry of fire, had come from the next eftate, and fell into their 

 cluthces. But the overfeer, and other Whites, on hearing the groans 



of Mr. B , and the fhouts of his murtherers, fled to Ballard's 



Valley, which efl:ate joins Whitehall -, where they called up the white 

 men to fecure themfelves, and prepare for their defence. The flames, 

 which were feen at a great dlflance, ferved as a fignal to other con- 

 fpiratof s ; fo that their number was now augmented to fifty or fixty ; 

 who, with the moft horrid acclamations, (having got pofleflSon of all 

 the arms at Whitehall, with powder and ball) began their march, paf- 



fed clofe by the place of Mrs. B d's concealment, without perceiving 



her, and proceeded on to Ballard's Valley. When they were got to 

 a fuflicient diftance, one of her trufly fervants returned, with great 



caution. 



