a son of this woman, run away through his master's flogging him. When brought back, he was put in chains, and so severely flogged that he died. One of the deponents saw the boy a week before he died, and perceived, from his swelled and lacerated state, that he could not possibly recover.

13. A boy, named Dick, whom Mr. Hodge charged with having stolen his geese, was very often flogged severely and in quick succession, at close quarters and otherwise; in consequence of which he died. He had also been put in chains, and had his mouth burnt with a hot iron.

14. One of the deponents, besides swearing to several of the above facts, stated, that for several years, during which the deponent resided on Mr. Hodge's estate, Mr. H. had been guilty of repeated and excessive acts of cruelty towards his slaves. Another deponent, who had lived at different periods as a manager on the estate of Mr. Hodge, called Belle Vue, and who was also a witness to many of the atrocities detailed above, swore, that at most of the numerous and severe cartwhippings inflicted by Mr. Hodge on his slaves he was not actually present, Mr. Hodge generally choosing to inflict them without the presence of any competent witness; but that, in addition to the instances at which he happened to be present, and which are mentioned above, there were many others where he saw only the effects of Hodge's cruelty, in the lacerations, burnt mouths, &c. of the slaves. He was satisfied these cruelties were inflicted by Hodge himself, as otherwise he should have heard him inquire and complain concerning these marks of suffering in his own negroes. It was scarcely possible to remain in the sick-house on account of the offensive smell proceeding from the corrupted wounds of cartwhipped slaves. When this deponent first went to live on Hodge's estate, there was upon it a fine gang of upwards of a hundred able negroes; but when the last wife of Hodge died, in 1808, that number was so reduced by cruelty, and absconding in consequence of cruelty, that negroes enough were not to be found on the estate to dig her grave; and therefore, the deponent and Daniel Ross, Esq. one of the magistrates who signed his deposition, assisted in digging it.

He could not remember the names of all the negroes who had died in consequence of the cruelties of Hodge; but he knew the number to be great: sometimes three and four have died in the course of a day and night. On such occasions, no doctor was ever called in. He lived in all about three years with Mr. Hodge; and in that time, he was satisfied that Hodge lost sixty negroes, at least, by the severity of his pu nishments; and he believed that only one negroe died a na tural death during the same period,

Such then are the dreadful facts of this case. On their being brought before Governor Elliot, he immediately issued a special commission for the trial of the offender. The trial took place on the 29th of April, and lasted from ten in the morning till half past five on the morning of the 30th, The jury, after deliberating for two hours, brought in a verdict of Guilty, on the first indictment, which was for the murder of Prosper; (there were five other indictments in reserve); and sentence of death being passed upon him, he was executed on the 8th of May,

The verdict of guilty returned by the jury was accompanied, by a recommendation of the prisoner to mercy by a majority of the jurors. To this recommendation Governor Elliot refused to pay any attention. Such, however, was the state of irritation produced by the novel and unprecedented circumstance of a white man condemned to death on account of the murder of his own slave, and such the dread of an attempt on the part of the white population for his rescue, that Governor Elliot, who had judged it prudent to proceed to Tortola in per.. son that he might be at hand to watch the course of events, felt himself under the necessity of proclaiming martial law, calling out the colonial militia, and availing himself of the aid of a frigate, in order to awe the turbulent into submission. In consequence of these measures the threatened disturbance was prevented, and the sentence of the law was regularly exe, cuted. The Governor observes, in his dispatch," The state of irritation, and I may almost say of anarchy, in which I have found this colony (Tortola), rendered the above measures in dispensible for the preservation of tranquillity, and for en

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suring the due execution of the fatal sentence of the law against the late Arthur Hodge. Indeed, it is but too probable that, without my presence here as commander-in-chief, in a conjuncture so replete with party animosity, unpleasant occurrences might have ensued."

The reply of Lord Liverpool to these communications is so highly honourable to him, that it is thought right to give it entire. It is dated the 20th of June, 1811.!

"I received your several dispatches from No. 34 to No. 41 inclusive; and however deep the indignation which your former letters, in reference to the case of Mr. Huggins, have excited, and however strong my apprehension that the law, as at present administered, is inadequate to the prevention of similar excesses, I could still little have expected the addi tional detail of cruelties that is therein conveyed.

The individual by whom they were perpetrated, has suffered the severest and most ignominious punishment the law can inflict; and it only now remains for me to express an earnest hope, that this rare example of just retribution may effect that change in the treatment of the unfortunate slaves, which it should require no other motives to produce than the common feeling of humanity towards a fellow-creature, or even the common regard to public decency.

"I am commanded, by his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, to convey to you the high satisfaction he has derived from your anxious endeavours, on this occasion, to secure impartial justice on the trial, and the solemn execution of the sentence; and his full approbation of your conduct, in not permitting the intercession of the individuals, who partly composed the jury by which Mr. Hodge was tried, to suspend the termination of that iniquitous career which he had but too long been suffered to pursue.

You are authorised to make every reasonable compensa. tion to those individuals who may have been inconvenienced by personal attendance on the part of the prosecution.

I have received the further command of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, to desire that you will take an opportunity of publicly assuring the Council and Assembly of the

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Virgin Islands, that his Royal Highness has had the greatest pleasure in witnessing their anxiety to co-operate with you in the cause of humanity and justice; and you will acquaint them, on the part of his Royal Highness, that his Royal Highness cannot receive from them a more flattering assur ance of their regard to the wishes of their Sovereign, and of the interest they feel in supporting the honour of the British name, than their anxious endeavours to ameliorate the condi tion of that class of beings whose bitter and dependant lot entitles them to every protection and support."

E.

Extract from the Report of the Commissioners of African Inquiry.

1. SLAVE TRADE.

"THE death of one of the Commissioners early in the execution of our duty, and the long sickness and consequent debility of another, prevent our going so much into detail as might have been originally intended, and compel us to confine our report to a more general view of the subject.

"A general view will, however, be amply sufficient in the present state of things, until the entire and effectual abolition of the Slave Trade shall have afforded to the natives of Africa a fair opportunity of shewing, whether personal security will stimulate them to any exertion for the improvement of their condition; or, whether they will persist in submitting to no labour, 'further than to that small portion necessary for the caltivation of the lowest articles of human sustenance.

"This question, we are sorry to say, is still far from being fairly at issue, notwithstanding the enactments of the British and American legislatures, and the benevolent interferences of the executive government, and of numerous individuals in the former country. The Slave Trade is at present carried on to a vast extent; and as the continuation or suppression of this inhuman traffic appears to be the great hinge on which the future welfare of Africa turns, we shall begin with stating its present condition, and the obstacles which prevent, and probably will long prevent, its being put an end to.

"This trade having been carried on principally by the English before the abolition took place, a vast diminution of the usual number of ships thus employed immediately followed the passing of the laws for that purpose; and as America had passed some severe laws to the same effect, it was reasonably hoped, both in England and Africa, that a mortal blow had been struck against this traffic, as the only two great maritime people who could effectually carry it on, had now, according to all appearance, willingly abandoned it.

"The natives themselves began to entertain the same opinion; the slaves which were brought down from the interior remained unsold, and were either sent back to the interior, or gradually dispersed as domestic slaves. As far as our inquiries have been able to discover, none of them were murdered in this part of Africa.

“A cessation of the trade did indeed take place for several months; but this space was much too short to afford any criterion whereby to judge of the future indolence or exertions of the Africans, in the event of the Slave Trade being effectually done away.

"The great advantages to be derived from occupying the openings thus left on the coast of Africa, by the retreat of the English, were soon perceived by the Americans, particularly those of the Southern States, who, setting the laws of their country at defiance, have boldly engaged to an immense extent in this trade, covering their vessels by a fictitious sale at the Havannah, Teneriffe, or any other of the Spanish colonies, where they are easily furnished with false papers.