or Indian slaves
as aforesaid, he, the said master, shall pay to the naval
officer the sum of L3 current money, of New England, for
each negro; and the sum of forty shillings of the like money
for each Indian that shall be by him imported into this
colony, or that shall be brought into this colony in the
vessel whereof he is master.

"But if he hath not ready money to pay down, as aforesaid,
he shall then give unto the said naval officer a bill, as
the law directs, to pay unto him the full sum above
mentioned, for each and every negro and Indian imported as
above said, which bill shall run payable in ten days from
the entering the manifest as above said; and if at the end
of the ten days, the said master shall refuse to pay the
full contents of his bill, that then the said naval officer
shall deliver the said bill unto the Governor, or in his
absence, to the next officer of the peace, as aforesaid who
shall immediately proceed with the said master in the manner
above said, by committing of him to Her Majesty's jail,
where he shall remain without bail or mainprize, until he
hath paid unto the naval officer, for the use of this
colony, double the sum specified in his said bill, and all
charges that shall accrue thereby; which money shall be paid
out by the said naval officer, as the General Assembly of
this colony shall order the same.

"And it is further enacted, that the naval officer who now
is, and who ever shall be for the future put into said
office, shall at his entering into the said office, take his
engagement to the faithful performance of the above said
acts. And for his encouragement, shall have such fees as are
hereafter mentioned at the end of this act.

"And for the more effectual putting in execution those acts,
and that none may plead ignorance:

"It is enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all masters
of vessels trading to this government, shall give bond, with
sufficient surety in the naval office, for the sum of L50,
current money of New England."[462]

We have omitted a large portion of the bill, because of its length;
but have quoted sufficient to give an excellent idea of the marvellous
caution taken by the good Christians of Rhode Island to get every cent
due them on account of the slave trade, which their proh