both sexes, are stolen away by their neighbours, when found abroad on
the road, or in the woods, or else in the corn-fields, at the time
of year when their parents keep them there all day to scare away the
devouring birds.” That their own parents sell them, is utterly false:
Whites not Blacks, are without natural affection!
3. To set the manner wherein Negroes are procured in a yet stronger
light, it will suffice to give an extract of two voyages to _Guinea_ on
this account. The first is taken verbatim from the original manuscript
of the Surgeon’s Journal.
“SESTRO, Dec. 29, 1724. No trade to-day, though many traders came on
board. They informed us, that the people are gone to war within land,
and will bring prisoners enough in two or three days; in hopes of which
we stay.
“The 30th. No trade yet: but our traders came on board to-day, and
informed us the people had burnt four towns: so that to-morrow we
expect slaves off.
“The 31st, Fair weather; but no trading yet. We see each night towns
burning. But we hear many of the _Sestro_ men are killed by the inland
Negroes: so that we fear this war will be unsuccessful.
“The second of January. Last night we saw a prodigious fire break out
about eleven o’clock, and this morning see the town of _Sestro_ burnt
down to the ground.” (It contained some hundred houses.) “So that we
find their enemies are too hard for them at present, and consequently
our trade spoiled here. Therefore about seven o’clock we weighed
anchor, to proceed lower down.”
4. The second Extract taken from the Journal of a Surgeon, who went
from _New-York_ on the same trade, is as follows. “The Commander of the
vessel sent to acquaint the King, that he wanted a cargo of slaves. The
King promised to furnish him, and in order to it, set out, designing to
surprize some town, and make all the people prisoners. Some time after,
the King sent him word, he had not yet met with the desired success:
having attempted to break up two towns, but having been twice repulsed:
but that he still hoped to procure the number of Slaves. In this design
he persisted, till he met his enemies in the field. A battle was
fought, which lasted three days. And the engagement was so bloody, that
four thousand five hundred men were slain upon the spot.”----Such is
the manner wherein the Negroes are procured! Thus the Christians preach
the Gospel to the Heathens!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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