Page:Abstract of the evidence for the abolition of the slave-trade 1791.djvu/57

( 27 ) their sons, and the boys he had carried off, (the same as Walker alluded to) and told him, that if he dared to come on shore, they would have his head.

As a farther corroboration, that such practices as the above take place, it appears in evidence, that the natives of the coast and islands are found constantly hovering in their canoes, at a distance, about such vessels as are passing by, shy of coming on board, for fear of being taken off, [Hall, Falconbridge, Claxton, Bowman, &amp;c.] But if they can discover that such vessels are not in the slave trade, but are men of war, they come on board readily, [Sir George Young] or without any hesitation, which they would not otherwise have done, [Mr. Howe] and in numbers, [Lieutenant Simpson] and traverse the ships with as much confidence as if they had been on shore, [Captain Wilson.]

Europeans force trade as they think proper on the Coast, and are guilty of great injustice in their dealings with the Natives there.

Mr. Ellison says, when he was lying at Yanamaroo, in the Gambia, slaves were brought down. The traders raised the price. The captains would not give it, but thought to compel them by firing upon the town. They fired red hot shot from the ship, and set several houses on fire. All the ships, seven or eight, fired.

Mr. Falconbridge heard Captain Vicars, of a Bristol ship, say at Bonny, when his traders were slack, he fired a gun into or over the town, to freshen their way. Captain Vicars told this to him and other people there at the time, but he has seen no instance of it himself.

Mr. Isaac Parker says, the Guinea captains lying in Old Calabar River, fixed on a certain price, and agreed to lie under a £.50 bond, if any one of them should give more for slaves than another; in consequence of which, the natives did not readily bring slaves on board to sell at those prices; upon which, the captains used to row guard at night, to take the canoes as they passed the ships, and so stopping the slaves from getting to their towns, prevent the traders from getting them. These they took on board the different ships, and kept them till the traders agreed to slave at the old prices. D 2