LETTER IX. 227 



that fell in his way for fome time afterwards, 

 pray who could juftly blame him ? 



4. Another abandoned Wretch, of a Captain, 

 did (about three or four years, before my going 

 to Nevis) fteal fome Negroes off the Coaft of 

 Guinea^ and fold a flout Man and his Wife, with 

 a fmall fucking Child, to a Gentleman of my Ac- 

 quaintance, at Nevis ^ who ufed them well. The 

 poor unfortunate Fellow, afTured the Gentleman, 

 That the Captain ftole him, and as he was a con- 

 fiderable Perfon, upon the Coaft of Whiddaw^ 

 he fcorned to work at Nevis, However, in or- 

 der to bring him to relifh a ftate of Slavery, by 

 gentle and eafy degrees, he fet him to look after 

 his Horfes, Mules, and Sheep : But he had not 

 been long in that ftation, before he quarrelled 

 with another of his Mafter*s Negroes, and killed 

 him with a Knife -, upon which, he fled away, 

 with his Wife and Child, to the thick Woods, 

 where he immediately erefted a Hut, refolving 

 to die rather than fubmit : However, he was 

 foon found out, and his Hut furrounded with 

 armed White Men, and Negroes, who were re- 

 folved to apprehend, and make a publick ex- 

 ample of him : He firft of all butchered his Wife 

 and Child, and then came out of the Hut with 

 the bloody (reeking) Knife in his hand, oflfer- 

 ing it to his Matter, and faying, that as he had 

 fairly bought, and paid for him, he had a juft 



p 2 right 



