Page:Abstract of the evidence for the abolition of the slave-trade 1791.djvu/151

( 117 )  with their Masters. Captain Wllson says also they live with their masters, and are not distinguishable from them. Mr. Falconbridge never saw any whom by their treatment he could say were slaves. Mr. Wadstrom speaks of them as well used, and Mr. Morley as treated with kindness, and better than in the West Indies.

Now, if the lives of the slaves in Africa should be so much happier (as may be seen by comparing the above accounts with those in Chap. IV.) than the lives of the slaves in the European colonies, it will not be doubted that freemen in the former parts of the world must be happier than slaves in the latter.

Though the observations already made might be sufficient (both with respect to such as having been originally freemen, and such as having been originally slaves in their own country, are sent to the European colonies) to disprove the assertion insinuated in the title to this chapter, yet as there are other very strong proofs in the evidence, it would be unpardonable not to cite them in the present case.

Africans love their own country, but destroy themselves in the colonies.

Mr. M. Cook has often heard Africans in the West Indies express their praise of their own country and their regret at leaving it. Lieutenant Davison observes it is common for sick Africans to say, with pleasure, they are going to die, and are going home from this Buccra (or White man's) country. It is also notorious that the Africans, when brought into the colonies, frequently destroy themselves. Dr. Harrison, Coor, M. Terry, Cook, Fitzmaurice, Clappeson, Baillie, Dalrymple, Davison, Dean of Middleham, Captain Ross, and Woolrich, all agree in this fact. The causes of it are described in general to be ill treatment, the desire of returning home, and the preference of death to life when in the situation of