MOUETTE. 
iron grate. Into this abode they were let down 
by a ladder of ropes, and, when within it, lay in 
a circle, with their heads to the sides, and their 
feet in the centre. As the place became warm- 
ed, and the damp began to exhale, the atmosphere 
became quite intolerable. Their labour consisted 
chiefly in masonry, which was peculiarly laborious, 
as the walls were built of earth, dragged up by 
puUies alone, without any other machinery. If 
ever a moment's remission took place, a discharge 
of stones immediately warned them of the neces- 
sity of proceeding. Time was not even allowed 
to eat their morsel of bread ; they were expected 
to eat with one hand, and work with the othen 
When illness was complained of, there was one 
only remedy, which was conceived to be equally 
salutary and cheap. It consisted in heating an 
iron rod, and applying it red hot to the part af- 
fected. Many of the slaves consequently chose 
rather to conceal their sufferings, than to enjoy 
the benefit of this cure. 
This state of affairs induced our captive, as his 
master had calculated, to abate somewhat in the 
reports of his own poverty. He enlarged his offer 
of ransom successively to four hundred, to five 
hundred, and to six hundred dollars ; which last 
sum was at length acceded to. Unfortunately, 
the communication with Europe was so imperfect, 
that he was not able to obtain its remittance. 
