m A VJSiT TO THE INDIAN AftCHlPELAGO. 



itself to it** * ' Men are apt to excuse themselves, 

 find think they have reason to do ao, if they Itaye but a 

 pretence that it is for God or a good cause — ^tliough it is, 

 in effect, for themselves, their own persuasion, or party. 

 But God requires not men to wrong or misuse their 

 faculties for him ; nor to lie to othere or themselves for 

 liis sake — which they purposely do who will not suffer 

 their undcrstandmgs to have right conceptions of the 

 things proposed to them, and designedly restrain them- 

 selves from having just thoughts of eveiyfching, as far aa 

 they are concerned to inquire. And as for a good cause, 

 that needs not such ill helps ; if it be good, truth will 

 support it^ and it has no need of fallacy or falsehood." 



These and other wise things are said by one John 

 Locke, in liis chapter on Bias. 



The exact number of pirates slain, as certified by the 

 Judge, md on which head-money was decreed, U five 

 hundred. By adding to these all others, who are not 

 known to have reached their homea, the total amount is 

 brought up to about eight hundred. 



Let me observe here, on the subject of head-money, 

 which is now abolished^ that 1 do not believe there is a 

 a man in the I^avj who would not prefer its abolition to 

 the imputation of taking a fellow-creature's life for money. 

 While the law was in foroe^ the payments for pirate 

 senrice could be as honourably received as those for any 

 other service ; but no professional man can regret tliat a 

 ground of illiberal suspicion and reproach is taken out of 



