ards flogged by her desire. This cruel practice is
very common in Antigua; and, in my opinion, is but little
creditable to the slave owners and magistrates by whom such
arbitrary punishments are inflicted, frequently for very
trifling faults. Mr. James Scotland is the only magistrate
in the colony who invariably refuses to sanction this
reprehensible practice.

"Of the immoral conduct ascribed to Molly by Mr. Wood, I can
say nothing further than this--that I have heard she had at
a former period (previous to her marriage) a connexion with
a white person, a Capt. ----, which I have no doubt was
broken off when she became seriously impressed with
religion. But, at any rate, such connexions are so common, I
might almost say universal, in our slave colonies, that
except by the missionaries and a few serious persons, they
are considered, if faults at all, so very venial as scarcely
to deserve the name of immorality. Mr. Wood knows this
colonial estimate of such connexions as well as I do; and,
however false such an estimate must be allowed to be,
especially When applied to their own conduct by persons of
education, pretending to adhere to the pure Christian rule
of morals,--yet when he ascribes to a negro slave, to whom
legal marriage was denied, such great criminality for laxity
of this sort, and professes to be so exceedingly shocked and
amazed at the tale he himself relates, he must, I am
confident, have had a farther object in view than the
information of Mr. Taylor or Sir Patrick Ross. He must, it
is evident, have been aware that his letter would be sent to
Mr. Allen, and accordingly adapted it, as more important
documents from the colonies are often adapted, _for effect
in England_. The tale of the slave Molly's immoralities, be
assured, was not intended for Antigua so much as for Stoke
Newington, and Peckham, and Aldermanbury.

"In regard to Mary's narrative generally, although I cannot
speak to the accuracy of the details, except in a few recent
particulars, I can with safety declare that I see no reason
to question the truth of a single fact stated by her, or
even to suspect her in any instance of intentional
exaggeration. It bears in my judgment the genuine stamp of
truth and nature. Such is my unhesitating opinion, aft