Page:Abstract of the evidence for the abolition of the slave-trade 1791.djvu/39

( 9 ) , and calling him teefee (which implies thief) to the captain, offered him for sale.— Ben Johnson remonstrated, asking the captain, "if he would buy him whom he knew to be a grand trading man;" to which the captain answered, "if they would sell him, he would certainly buy him, be he what he would," which he accordingly did, and put him into irons immediately with another man. He was led to think, from this instance, that kidnapping was the mode of obtaining slaves upon this part of the coast.

Lieutenant Storey says, that slaves are generally obtained on the Windward coast by marauding parties, from one village to another in the night. He has known canoes come from a distance, and carry off numbers in the night. He has gone into the interior country, between Bassau and the River Sestus; and all the nations there go armed, from the fear of marauding parties, whose pillages in these countries are termed war.

At one time in particular, while Mr. Storey was on the coast, a marauding party from Grand Sestus came in canoes, and attacked Grand Cora in the night, and took off twelve or fourteen of the inhabitants. The canoes of Grand Sestus carry twelve or fourteen men, and with these go a marauding among their neighbours. Mr. Storey has often seen them at sea out of sight of land in the day, and taking the opportunity of night to land where they pleased.

Mr. Falconbridge supposes the slave trade, on these parts to be chiefly supplied by kidnapping. On his second voyage, at Cape Mount and the Windward Coast, a man was brought on board, well known to the captain and his officers, and was purchased. This man said he had been invited one evening to drink with his neighbours. When about to depart, two of them got up to seize him; and he would have escaped, but he was stopped by a large dog. He said this mode of kidnapping was common in his country.

In the same voyage, two black traders came in a canoe, and informed the captain there was trade a little B