142 
PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
nature is capable, and seemed to have no desire beyond the tor¬ 
toises and other animals of the island, except that of getting 
drunk. But this man, wretched and miserable as he may have 
appeared, was neither destitute of ambition nor incapable of un¬ 
dertaking an enterprize that would have appalled the heart of any 
other man ; nor was he devoid of the talent of rousing others to 
second his hardihood. 
He by some means became possessed of an old musket, and 
a few charges of powder and ball ; and the possession of this 
weapon first set into action all his ambitious plans. He felt him¬ 
self strong as the sovereign of the island, and was desirous of prov¬ 
ing his strength on the first human being who fell in his way, 
which happened to be a negro, who was left in charge of a boat 
belonging to an American ship that had touched there for refresh¬ 
ments. Patrick came down to the beach where the boat lay, 
armed with his musket, now become his constant companion, 
and directed the negro, in an authoritative manner, to follow him, 
and on his refusal snapped his musket at him twice, which lucki¬ 
ly missed fire. The negro, however, became intimidated, and fol¬ 
lowed him. Patrick now shouldered his musket, marched off’ 
before, and on his way up the mountains exultingly informed the 
negro he was henceforth to work for him, and become his slave, 
and that his good or bad treatment would depend on his future 
conduct; but arriving at a narrow defile, and perceiving Patrick 
off his guard, the negro seized the moment, grasped him in his 
arms, threw him down, tied his hands behind, shouldered him, 
and carried him to his boat, and when the crew’ had arrived he 
was taken on board the ship. An English smuggler was lying 
in the harbour at the same time, the captain of which sentenced. 
Patrick to be severely whipped on board both vessels, which was 
put in execution, and he was afterwards taken on shore handcuffed 
by the Englishmen, who compelled him to make known where 
he had concealed the few dollars he had been enabled to accumu¬ 
late from the sale of his potatoes and pumpkins, which they took 
from him; and while they were busy in destroying his hut and 
garden, the wretched being made his escape, and concealed him¬ 
self among the rocks in the interior of the island, until the ship 
