proper chief of the island. It is impossible to describe the absurd
language used, and the ceremonies gone through. It would have been a
complete burlesque had not the matter been somewhat too serious. As it
was, when one of the counsellors kicked another for interrupting him,
and the judge threw a calabash at their heads to call them to order, I
could not help bursting into a fit of laughter, which was soon quelled
when one of my guards gave me a progue with the tip of his spear, to
remind me where I was. I very nearly broke out again when the one who
was hit looked up and exclaimed, "What dat for, Pompey, you scoundrel
you?--What you tink me made of, hey?"

The judge took no notice of this address, but coolly went on summing up
the evidence placed before him. It was, I must own, clearly
condemnatory of most of the prisoners. On the oaths of the negro
witnesses, they were proved to have committed the most atrocious acts.
Some had hung blacks for no sufficient cause, or had shot them, or had
beaten them to death, or even burned them, or had tortured them with
every refinement of cruelty. Scarcely one present who had not given way
to passion, and barbarously ill-treated their slaves, or caused them to
submit to the greatest indignity. At length the judge rose from his
seat. He was a remarkably fine, tall man, and as he stretched out one
arm towards the prisoners, I could not help acknowledging that there was
much grace and dignity in his whole air and manner. To what had been
adduced by others, he added the weight of his own testimony.

"Me prince not long ago in me own country,--me would be king now,--me
carried off--beaten--kicked--wife torn away--me piccaninnis killed--me
made to work with whip--beat, beat, beat on shoulders--me run away--
nearly starve and die. Dose men do all dat, and much worse! Day
deserve to die! Shoot dem all--quick! De earth hate dem--no stay on it
longer!" I cannot pretend to say that these were the exact words used
by the chief, but they had a similar signification.

Immediately we were all seized, each prisoner being held by four blacks,
and marched along to an open space near the edge of the precipice. A
firing-party of twenty blacks, which had been told off, followed us,
their horrible grins showing the intense satisfaction they felt at being
our executioners. The judge or chief and all the rest of the people
accompanied us as spectators. The captain was carried along on