352 



strangle Marlborough with the thong of a whip, and 

 had nearly effected his purpose before he could be 

 dragged away : he had knocked Nato down in 

 some trifling dispute, and while the man was sense- 

 less had thrown him into the river to drown him ; 

 and having taken offence at a poor weak creature 

 called Old Rachael, on meeting her by accident 

 he struck her to the ground, beat her with a supple- 

 jack, stamped upon her belly, and begged her to be 

 assured of his intention (as he eloquently worded 

 it) " to kick her guts out." The breeding mothers 

 also accused him of having been the cause of the 

 poisoning a particular spring, from which they 

 were in the habit of fetching water for their chil- 

 dren, as Adam on that morning had been seen 

 near the spring without having any business there, 

 and he had been heard to caution his little daughter 

 against drinking water from it that day, although 

 he stoutly denied both circumstances. Into the bar- 

 gain, my head blacksmith being perfectly well at 

 five o'clock, was found by his son dead in his bed at 

 eight ; and it was known that he had lately had a 

 dispute with Adam, who on that day had made it 

 up with him, and had invited him to drink, 

 although it was not certain that his offer had been 

 accepted. He had, moreover, threatened the lives 

 of many of the best negroes. Two of the cooks 

 declared, that he had severally directed them to 

 dress Sully's food apart, and had given them 

 powders to mix with it. The first to whom he ap- 



