“With shudd’ring horror pale, and eyes aghast,
    They view their lamentable lot, and find
    No rest!”

This they frequently do.  A negro-man on board a vessel of my master, while I belonged to her, having been put in irons for some trifling misdemeanor, and kept in that state for some days, being weary of life, took an opportunity of jumping overboard into the sea; however, he was picked up without being drowned.  Another, whose life was also a burden to him, resolved to starve himself to death, and refused to eat any victuals; this procured him a severe flogging:  and he also, on the first occasion which offered, jumped overboard at Charles Town, but was saved.

Nor is there any greater regard shewn to the little property than there is to the persons and lives of the negroes.  I have already related an instance or two of particular oppression out of many which I have witnessed; but the following is frequent in all the islands.  The wretched field-slaves, after toiling all the day for an unfeeling owner, who gives them but little victuals, steal sometimes a few moments from rest or refreshment to gather some small portion of grass, according as their time will admit.  This they commonly tie up in a parcel; (either a bit, worth six pence; or half a bit’s-worth) and bring it to town, or to the market, to sell.  Nothing is more common than for the white people on this occasion to take the grass from them without paying for it; and not only so, but too often also, to my knowledge, our clerks, and many others, at the same time have committed acts of violence on the poor, wretched, and helpless females; whom I have seen for hours stand crying to no purpose, and get no redress or pay of any kind.  Is not this one common and crying sin enough to bring down God’s judgment on the islands?  He tells us the oppressor and the oppressed are both in his hands; and if these are not the poor, the broken-hearted, the blind, the captive, the bruised, which our Saviour speaks of, who are they?  One of these depredators once, in St. Eustatia, came on board of our vessel, and bought some fowls and pigs of me; and a whole day after his departure with the things he returned again and wanted his money back:  I refused to give it; and, not seeing my captain on board, he began the common pranks with me; and swore he would even break open my chest and take my money.  I therefore expected, as my captain was absent, that he would be as good as his word:  and he was just proceeding to strike me, when fortunately a British seaman on board, whose heart had not been debauched by a West India climate, interposed and prevented him.  But had the cruel man struck me I certainly should have defended myself at the hazard of my life; for what is life to a man thus oppressed?  He went away, however, swearing; and threatened that whenever he caught me on shore he would shoot me, and pay for me afterwards.