Page:Abstract of the evidence for the abolition of the slave-trade 1791.djvu/53

( 23 ) whites for seizing negroes, and joined by other boats to receive those they could catch. To prevent all alarm, they bound the mouths of the captives, with and handkerchiefs. One woman shrieked and the natives turned out in defence. He had then five of them tied in the boat, and the other boats were in readiness to take in what more they could get. All his party were armed, and the men of the town pursued them with first a scattering, and at length a general fire, and several of the men belonging to the boats, he has reason to believe, were killed, wounded, or taken, as he never heard of them afterwards. He was wounded himself. The slaves he had taken were sold at Charlestown, South Carolina. The natives had not previously committed any hostilities against any of the ships, whose boats were concerned in this transaction. They owed goods to the captain, for which he resolved to obtain slaves at any rate. He has had several ship-mates, who have themselves told him, they have been concerned in similar transactions, and have made a boast of it, and who have been wounded also.

Mr. Falconbridge was informed by Captain Gould of the Alert, that he had carried off a man from Little Cape Mount.

Mr. Storey believes the natives of the Windward Coast are often fraudulently carried off by the Europeans. He has been told by them, that they had lost their friends at different times, and supposed them taken by European ships going along the coast. He has himself taken up canoes at sea, which were challenged by the natives, who supposed the men in them had been taken off the day before by a Dutchman.

When once at an anchor, in his boat, between the river Sestus and Settra Crue, he prevented the crew of a long-boat, belonging to a Dutchman then lying off shore, from being cut off by the natives, who gave as a reason for their intentions, that a ship of that country some days before had taken off four men belonging to the place.