106 STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF THE 



It will be a source of gratification to every philanthropic 

 heart to know, that the greatest evil which the negroes la- 

 boured under, in our continental establishments, is nearly, 

 and will in a short time be completely eradicated : I mearr 

 the painful punishments : the inflicting of tortures by the 

 rab rack, and the severe floggings with a cart whip. Only 

 one instance of the former has been known since the colonies 

 became British in 179^, and that was authorized by the Dutch 

 laws 7101V in force, which are very severe in that respect. 

 A negro had murdered his master, and was accordingly ap- 

 prehended and given over to the law ; upon his trial he was 

 found guilty, and acknowledged his crime. He was sen- 

 tenced to the rab rack, a horrid machine, with recesses made 

 for the principal joints to be placed in, upon which the crimi- 

 nals are laid out and extended, when they are broken alive by 

 iron bars, and left in that state to linger out a miserable ex- 

 istence, till some one has the humanity to put an end to it. 

 On the day of execution. Governor Beaujon, sent to the 

 commandant of the troops, Lieut.-Colonel Heslop, now ge- 

 neral and governor of Trinidad, for a file of soldiers, as a 

 guard to keep in awe the populace. To this gentleman's 

 honor be it remembered, that he resisted the application, and 

 returned an answer similar to this : ** That as long as he com- 

 " manded a British soldier, he would never allow him to be 

 " present at such an inhuman execution ; but that any assist- 

 " ance which the military could give to the civil government. 



