SLAVERY. 



291 



disturbed by one of these communities, who rob 

 t,he provision-grounds, steal calves*, lambs, and 

 poultry ; and stories are told of the Gabam 



negroes stealing children. 



what afraid of a second meeting in the woods, when he might 

 not perhaps be treated so courteously. He as obstinately 

 refused to sell the negro as the negro objected to serving 

 him ; because he knew that the slave wished to be sold to 

 some one else, and from a notion which some of the planters 

 entertain of not choosing to dispose of any person whom they 

 have owned, unless by manumission, 



* There was a boy of twelve years of age, of African 

 birth, who belonged to Jaguaribe ; this child often inhabited 

 the woods for several days together. He killed a calf on one 

 occasion, and separated the quarters of the animal by means 

 of a sharp stone. He was discovered by the dropping of the 

 blood, from the field to the hiding-place. As soon as the 

 owner of the calf found the boy, he wished, of course, to 

 take him to his master ; but the boy laid himself down upon 

 the ground, and refused to stir. The man bound him to a 

 tree, and went home to fetch a horse, upon which he placed 

 the boy and tied him there ; he walked after him to Jagua- 

 ribe, driving the horse on before. The boy was punished ; 

 but a few hours after he had been flogged, be said to one of 

 his companions, " Well, at least I have had the honour of 

 being attended by a pagem," or page, the usual word for a 

 groom. This happened under a former tenant at Jaguaribe. 



A short time before I left that plantation, the same boy 

 fled with another of nearly the same age, both of them being 

 about fourteen years of age. They had been absent some 

 days, when late one evening an Indian labourer brought 

 them both home. The children had thrown off all clothing, 

 and had made bows and arrows suited to their own size, with 

 which they were to kill poultry, rats, &c. as food. Their 

 appearance was most laughable, but it was distressing ; it 



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