Page:Trials of the Slave Traders Samo, Peters and Tufft (1813).pdf/15

 sworn. Evidence.—He is a cooper by trade, and coopered the casks for the vessel; he saw Mr. Samo make a bargain with Mr. Wilson for slaves; Wilson gave Samo rum, tobacco, and gunpowder, for the slaves; he opened a cask by Mr. Wilson's order, for Samo to look at the articles; he saw the ten slaves Samo sent off, he saw them on board the vessel, he saw the vessel sail off with them, the vessel had previously landed her cargo at Wilson's factory; the factors made up the cargo of slaves among them; there were about 150 slaves; witness saw no dollars or ivory for barter of slaves, but there was tobacco and rum; Mr. Samo took his own share of the pay for the slaves to his factory.

Cross-examined. Evidence.—He is not a slave; he was in the river when the slave vessel sailed; he lived with Mr. Lawrance; Wilson sent for him to cooper the casks; he saw no money paid for goods that Samo received; he saw Mr. Samo take the goods away; he saw Samo's slaves on board; Samo's people told witness that they were his slaves; he was three weeks on board himself, he asked the people who brought the slaves, where they came from, and they told him, from Samo's factory; the slaves came in a canoe; he saw them come along side the schooner, at Wilson's factory, and saw them put on board the schooner; there were ten slaves; when he saw the slaves they were far from Samo's factory.

sworn. Evidence.—The last slave vessel he saw leave the Rio Pongas, was in January, 1812; he does not know of Mr. Samo supplying any slaves; the slave dealers trade as secretly as possible, to evade the acts.