﻿OF HINZUAN, OR JOHANNA. 10? 



to the king, who told the governor (and I use the 

 very words of Ahv'i) thi.t *' i would be wiser to hush 

 it up." A/wi mentioned a civil case of his own, 

 which ought not to be concealed. When he was on 

 the coast of Africa* in the dominions of a very savage 

 prince, a small European vessel was wrecked ; and 

 the pr nee not only seized all that could be saved from 

 the week, but claimec 1 the captain and the crew as 

 his slaves, and treated them with ferocious insolence. 

 APwi assured me, that, when he heard of the acci- 

 dent, he hastened to the prince, fell prostrate before 

 him, and by tears and importunity prevailed on him 

 to give the Europeans their 1 berty ; that he supported 

 them at his own ex pence, enabled them to build ano- 

 ther vessel, in which they sailed to Hinzuan y and de- 

 parted thence for Europe or India. He showed me 

 tf] Captain's promissory notes for sums, which to an 

 African trader must De a considerable object, but 

 which are no price for liberty, safety, and, perhaps, 

 life, which his good though disinterested offices had 

 procured. I lamented that, in my situation, it was 

 wholly out of my power to assist Akvi in obtaining 

 justice ; but he urged me to deliver an Arabic letter 

 from him, inclosing the notes, to the Governor Ge- 

 neral, who, as he said, knew him well : and I com- 

 plied with his request. Since it is possible that a 

 substantial defence may be made by the person thus 

 accused of injustice, I will not name either him or 

 the vessel which he had commanded ; but, if he be 

 living, and if this paper should fall into his hands, 

 he may be induced to reflect how highly it imports 

 our national honour, that a people whom we call 

 savage, but who administer to our convenience, may 

 have no just cause to reproach us with a violation of 

 our contracts. 



