322 TRAVELS IN 
criminal has not fo much as deigned to return 
any anfwer to the order fent to him ; he has 
continued to harafs and plunder in the fame 
manner as before : and his difobedience has 
been attended with no bad confequences to 
him ; nay it has been even foon forgotten. 
One day, while difcourfing with fome of the 
planters on thefe abufes, feveral of them told 
me that they had more than once received 
fuch orders from the governor, without ever 
paying the leaft attention to them. Growing 
a little warm in the caufe, I exprefTed my 
aftonifhment that in fuch circumftances the 
governor did not fend a detachment to enforce 
obedience to his orders ; and, in cafe of a re- 
fufal, to feize upon the culprit, and to conduct 
him to town under a ftrong guard. Are you 
" well aware," faid they, " what would be the 
refult of fuch an attempt ? AfTembling all 
*' in an inftant, we would malTacre the half 
of the foldiers, fait their fiefh, and fend 
it back by thofe we might fpare; with 
** threats of doing the fame thing to thofe 
" who fhould be bold enough to appear among 
" us afterwards." Such was their anfwer ; to 
which I thought it would be altogether ufe- 
lefs to offer any reply. To deal with people 
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