Page:Abstract of the evidence for the abolition of the slave-trade 1791.djvu/50

( 20 ) to the number of from twenty-five to thirty, and in six or seven days, a part of them returned with three slaves.

In 1769, (says Lieut. Storey) Captain Paterson, of a Liverpool ship, lying off Bristol town, set two villages at variance, and bought prisoners, near a dozen, from both sides.

Mr. Morley owns, with shame, that he has made the natives drunk, in order to buy a good man or woman slave, to whom he found them attached. He has seen this done by others. Captain Hildebrand, commanding a sloop of Mr. Brue's, bought one of the wives of a man, whom he had previously made drunk, and who wished to redeem her, when sober next day, as did the person he (Mr. Morley) bought the man of, but neither of them was given up. He supposes they would have given a third more than the price paid, to have redeemed them.

Sir George Young says, that when at Annamaboe, at Mr. Brue's, (a very great merchant there) Mr. Brue had two hostages, kings sons, for payment for arms, and all kinds of military stores, which he had supplied to the two kings, who were at war with each other, to procure slaves for at least six or seven ships, then lying in the road. The prisoners on both sides were brought down to Mr. Brue, and sent to the ships.

Mr. J. Parker has known presents made by the Captains, to the black traders, to induce them to bring slaves. Captain Colley in particular gave them some pieces of cannon, which he himself saw landed.

Frequently attempt themselves to carry off the Natives, and sometimes succeed.

On the subject of Europeans attempting to carry off the natives, General Rooke says, that it was proposed to him by three captains of English slave ships, lying under the fort of Goree, to kidnap a hundred, or a hundred and fifty, men, women and children, king Damel's subjects, who had come to Goree in consequence of the friendly intercourse between him and Damel. He refused, and was much shocked by the proposition. They said such