ehap. III.] WEST INDIES. 295 
time in the West Indies, suicide is much less fre¬ 
quent than among the free-born, happy, and civi¬ 
lized inhabitants of Great Britain. With them, 
equally with the whites, nature shrinks back at ap¬ 
proaching dissolution; and when, at any time, sud¬ 
den or untimely death overtakes any of their com¬ 
panions, instead of rejoicing at such an event, they 
never fail to impute it to the malicious contrivances 
and diabolical arts of some practitioners in ObeaJi, 
* 
Nor lordly pride’s stern avarice there, 
Alone shall nature’s bounties share; 
To all her children free.—- 
For thee, the dulcet Reed shall spring, 
His balmy bowl the Coco bring, 
Th’ Anana bloom for thee. 
The thunder, hark ! ’Tis Afric’s God, 
He wakes, he lifts th’ avenging rod. 
And speeds th’ impatient hours: 
From Niger’s golden stream he calls; 
Fair Freedom comes,—oppression falls ; 
And vengeance yet is ours! 
Now, Christian, now, in wild dismay, 
Of Afric’s proud revenge the prey, 
Go roam th’ affrighted wood 
Transform’d to tigers, fierce and fell, 
Thy race shall prowl with savage yell. 
And glut their rage for blood ! 
But soft,—beneath yon tam’rind shade, 
Now let the hero’s limbs be laid ; 
Sweet slumbers bless the brave : 
There shall the breezes shed perfume, 
Nor livid lightnings blast tiie bloom 
That decks Mahali’s grave. 
