d for some time, broke out among the slaves, particularly
in the parishes of Trelawney, Portland, and St. James. The negroes on
several estates began at first to refuse to go to their work, and then
they assembled together in large bodies, and marched over the country,
spreading devastation around them. The destruction which they caused
was not confined to the whites; the houses and small settlements of free
people of colour were attacked equally with the large plantations of
the white inhabitants. It was found necessary on the 20th of December
to proclaim martial law, and the militia of the different parishes was
called out. Sir Willoughby Cotton also marched to Montego Bay, with
between two and three hundred troops. Two engagements took place between
the negroes and the militia, in both of which the former were routed.
They again made head in some quarters; but at length the troops
succeeded in dispersing them; and offers of pardon being issued to all
but the ringleaders, the greater part of them returned to their masters.
Of the ringleaders, some were shot after trial by courts-martial; and
by the middle of January the danger was over, though some of the negroes
still remained out, and martial law was not recalled. The insurrection
was ascribed by the whites partly to the vague notions existing among
the negroes by the orders in council intended to effect the amelioration
of their condition, and partly to the arts or imprudence of sectarian
missionaries. A belief had been produced among the former that their
liberty had been granted by the king; and it was said that they had
been encouraged in these ideas by some of the missionaries. This
unfortunately gave rise to the work of retaliation. At Montego Bay.
Falmouth, Lucia, and Savanna-la-Mer, the chapels of the Baptists were
razed to the ground by the mob, probably at the instigation of the
planters. A Baptist and Moravian missionary were arrested on the charge
of exciting the insurrection, but nothing was found to criminate them.
But apart from the effect which the orders in council might have had
in misleading the negroes, they were regarded by the colonists as an
unnecessary and mischievous interference with the rights of property,
and even with their political privileges. The orders appointed
slave-protectors to attend to the rights of negroes against their
own masters, fixed the hours of labour, and contained various other
regulations, all deemed useful, and intend