ogether.

This did not satisfy the negroes, who became more discontented, and in
1848 an insurrection took place on the island of St. Croix. On the 2nd
of July it was rumoured that the slaves would refuse to work next day,
and in the evening the whites were alarmed by the ringing of bells and
blowing of conch shells. At first it was considered as an alarm of fire,
but on inquiry the whites found that the negroes had revolted, and were
demanding their freedom. Later, people came in from the country
districts with the news that there were noisy demonstrations, but that
as yet no actual violence had been committed. So little alarm was as yet
felt that no precautions were taken, although some persons became
uneasy.

Next morning the negroes streamed into Christiansted in great numbers,
and commenced to demolish the police office. An officer coming into town
was attacked by a woman with an axe, which fortunately missed him, but
the crowd was so good-humoured that, on his treating the matter coolly
he was allowed to pass: this apparent good feeling made the authorities
hesitate in taking extreme measures, even when the mob came round the
fort, shouting and calling for freedom. Now, however, they began to
collect trash for the purpose of setting fire to a house, and the
Stadthauptman and a Roman Catholic priest went among them to try
remonstrances. All the answer they got was that the slaves could not
fight the soldiers, but they intended to burn and destroy everything if
freedom were not given them. One of the mob carried a British flag as an
emblem of liberty, and several English sailors were reported as forming
part of the crowd. Soon all their good-humour was gone, and they
commenced plundering the stores, the whites running away to vessels in
the harbour.

About three o'clock in the afternoon the Governor arrived from St.
Thomas, and went among the crowd telling them that they were free, at
the same time ordering them to disperse quietly. For a few hours there
was a lull, but next morning they reassembled in the country districts
as if in doubt whether the Governor really meant what he had said. Some
planters now brought their families to town, leaving their houses to be
plundered. Parties of soldiers were sent out, and hundreds of prisoners
were taken, the mobs, which in some cases numbered two or three
thousand, dispersing at their appearance. Martial law was declared,
Porto Rico sent six hundred Spanish troops, the