338 



In fuch a fituatlon, buried In darknefa 

 and fepulchral filence, you will agree that ii 

 required but little aid of fancy to create pic- 

 tures of horror, or to figure to the imagination 

 the mighty abode of terrors and of punifli- 

 ments. Call to your recolledion the efFedk 

 fometimes produced at the theatre, when the 

 lights are withdrawn, and a few imperfect 

 rays are thrown upon the dark fkins of ne- 

 groes, and you will readily allow that when 

 our eyes firft caught thefe Africans, at a dif- 

 taut part of the cavern,, it fcarcely required the 

 powers of fancy to convert them into de- 

 mons of darknefs, approaching us with the 

 tormenting flames of their dread parent ; and 

 you may fuppofe us tracing in our minds the 

 various degrees of punifhment merited by the 

 wicked, each of the party fixing upon that 

 to which his fecret feelings feemed to confign 

 him. Such an aflbciation did adually occupy 

 our minds, and in ftillnefs w-e watched the 

 approach of thefe fpirits of darknefs, while 

 the awful gloom around us, the oblivious 

 feclufion, the dead filence, the occafional 

 gleamings of imperfed light, and the fable 

 fkins of the negroes obfufcated by the par- 

 tial rays, all confpired to fix our contempla- 



