Page:An account of a voyage to establish a colony at Port Philip in Bass's Strait.djvu/124

( 99 ) A short time previous to our arrival, an instance of heroism was exemplified in a native negro, for which ancient Rome would have erected him a statue next to that of Virginius; arid although my pen is greatly incapable of doing justice to the story, it would be still, greater injustice to suppress it.

The law obliges a master to give freedom to his slave, if the latter can procure the sum, at which he may he fairly estimated; and this is almost the only boon granted to this degraded race.

Senor D. was a wealthy planter in the district of the mines, and among his numerous slaves was one named Hanno, who had been born on the estate, and whose ingenuity had increased his value much