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he had been Obeahed, he should forfeit his share 

 of the next present of salt-fish, which I meant soon 

 to distribute among the slaves, and should never 

 receive any favour from me in future ; so I gave 

 Bessie a piece of money, and she seemed to go 

 away in better spirits than she came. 



This Adam, of whom she complained, is a most 

 dangerous fellow, and the terror of all his com- 

 panions, with whom he lives in a constant state of 

 warfare. He is a Creole, born on my own pro- 

 perty, and has several sisters, who have obtained 

 their freedom, and are in every respect creditable 

 and praiseworthy ; and to one of whom I con- 

 sider myself as particularly indebted, as she was 

 the means of saving poor Richard's life, when the 

 tyranny of the overseer had brought him almost 

 to the brink of the grave. But this brother is in 

 every thing the very reverse of his sisters : there 

 is no doubt of his having (as Bessie stated) infused 

 poison into the water-jars through spite against the 

 late superintendent. It was this same fellow 

 whom Edward suspected of having put into his 

 brother-in-law's head the idea of his having been 

 bewitched ; and it was also in his hut that the old 

 Obeah man was found concealed, whom my at- 

 torney seized and transported last year. He is, un- 

 fortunately, clever and plausible ; and I am told 

 that the mischief which he has already done, by 

 working upon the folly and superstition of his 

 fellows, is incalculable ; yet I cannot get rid of 



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