Page:Abstract of the evidence for the abolition of the slave-trade 1791.djvu/144

( 110 ) that situation, after being taken out of the boat, for some weeks after. During this time, Mr. Towne was obliged to go to Junk River, and on his return he inquired for Hilton, and was told that he was lying before the foremast, almost dead. He went and spoke to him, but Hilton seemed insensible. The same day Mr. Towne received his orders to go a second time in the shallop to Junk River. After he had gotten under weigh, the commander of the shallop was ordered to bring to, and take Hilton in, and leave him on shore any where. He lived that evening and night out, and died early the next morning, and was thrown overboard off Cape Mezzurado.

Mr. Falconbridge, being called upon also to speak to the ill usage of seamen, says that on board the Alexander, Capt. McTaggart, he has seen them tied up and flogged with the cat frequently. He remembers also an instance of an old man, who was boatswain of the Alexander, having one night some words with the mate, when the boatswain was severely beaten, and had one or two of his teeth knocked out. The boatswain said he would jump overboard; upon which he was tied to the rail of the quarter-deck, and a pump-bolt put into his mouth by way of gagging him. He was then untied, put under the half-deck, and a centinel [sic] put over him all night—in the morning he was released. Mr. Falconbridge always considered him as a quiet, inoffensive man. In the same voyage a black boy was beaten every day, and one day, after he was so beaten, he jumped through one of the gun-ports of the cabin into the river. A canoe was lying along-side, which dropped astern, and picked him up. Mr. Falconbridge gave him one of his own shirts to put on, and asked him if he did not expect to be devoured by the sharks. The boy said he did, and that it would be much better for him to be killed at once, than to be daily treated with so much cruelty.

Mr. Falconbridge remembers also, on board the same ship, that the black cook one day broke a plate. For this he had a darted at him, which would