He
replied, he knew that I was. He had been cautioned about falling in with
me; he had, however, taken no pains to avoid me. It was a bad trade, and
ought to be exposed.
I went over the same ground as I had gone with Gardiner relative to the
first of these voyages; or that in the Alexander. It is not necessary to
detail the particulars. It is impossible, however, not to mention, that
the treatment of the seamen on board this vessel was worse than I had
ever before heard of. No less than eleven of them; unable to bear their
lives; had deserted at Bonny, on the coast of Africa,--which is a most
unusual thing,--choosing all that could be endured, though in a most
inhospitable climate, and in the power of the natives, rather than to
continue in their own ship. Nine others also, in addition to the loss of
these, had died in the same voyage. As to the rest; he believed, without
any exception, that they had been badly used.
In examining him with respect to his second voyage, or that in the
Little Pearl, two circumstances came out with respect to the slaves,
which I shall relate in few words.
The chief mate used to beat the men-slaves on very trifling occasions.
About eleven one evening, the ship then lying off the coast, he heard a
noise in their room.
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