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However, on searching his house, a musket with a 

 plentiful accompaniment of powder and ball was 

 found concealed, as also a considerable quantity of 

 materials for the practice of Obeah : the possession 

 of either of the above articles (if the musket is with- 

 out the consent of the proprietor) authorises the ma- 

 gistrates to pronounce a sentence of transportation. 

 In consequence of this discovery, Adam was im- 

 mediately committed to gaol ; a slave court was 

 summoned, and to-day a sentence of transportation 

 from the island was pronounced, after a trial of 

 three hours. As to the man's guilt, of that the 

 jury entertained no doubt after the first half hour's 

 evidence ; and the only difficulty was to restrain 

 the verdict to transportation. We produced no- 

 thing which could possibly affect the man's life ; 

 for although perhaps no offender ever better de- 

 served hanging ; yet I confess my being weak- 

 minded enough to entertain doubts whether hang- 

 ing or other capital punishment ought to be 

 inflicted for any offence whatever : I am at least 

 certain, that if offenders waited till they were 

 hanged by me, they would remain unhanged till 

 they were all so many old Parrs. However, 

 although I did my best to prevent Adam from 

 being hanged, it was no easy matter to prevent his 

 hanging himself. The Obeah ceremonies always 

 commence with what is called, by the negroes, 

 "the Myal dance." This is intended to remove 

 any doubt of the chief Obeah- man's supernatural 



