274 HISTORY OF THE [book tv. 
indifference about life, they bring with them to 
the West Indies; but if fortunately they fall into 
good hands at first, and become well settled, they 
acquire by degrees other sentiments and notions. 
Nature resumes her lawful influence over them. 
With the consciousness of security, the love of ex¬ 
istence also, amidst all the evils that attend it in a 
state of slavery, gains admission into their bosoms. 
They feel it, and, such is the force of habitual bar- 
baritv, seem ashamed of their own weakness. A 
gentleman of Jamaica visiting a valuable Koroman- 
the man he had injured ; which not being able to do, he delivered over 
him (Cudjoe) who was at that time, by his own account, a boy about 
sixteen, as a compensationand Qpashee immediately carried him off, 
and soon afterwards sold him to a black slave merchant, who having 
purchased many others, carried them all to the sea coast, (they were 
two months on their journey), and sold them to a Captain Reeder, who 
brought them to Jamaica. 'I asked him, what right his brother had 
to sell him ? * Because ,’ said he ‘ my father was dead j and by his ac¬ 
count fathers have an unquestionable right to sell their children, and 
probably, on the demise of the father, the same power is assumed by 
the eldest son over the younger branches. He relates further, that the 
king has the power of life and death, and that executions are very fre¬ 
quent. That when the king or any considerable man dies, a great 
number of his slaves are sacrificed at his tomb. He pretends not to 
ascertain any particular number, but remembers perfectly well the 
death of the old king whom poco succeeded, and is positively certain, 
that upwards of one hundred people were slaughtered on that occa¬ 
sion. To convince me that he understood what he said when he men¬ 
tioned that number, he counted the fingers of both his hands ten times. 
He saith further, that wars are very frequent; that all able men ar e 
compelled to bear arms; and that when they take prisoners, the old 
and infirm are killed, and the young and able preserved to be sold for 
slaves. 
