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nature asunder. The husband was taken away from the wife, children separated from their parents, the companion was taken away from his friend, and the brother was not suffered to accompany the sister. In one part of the building was seen a wife clinging to her husband, and beseeching, in the strongest eloquence of nature, not to be left behind him! Here was a sister, hanging upon the neck of a brother, and with tears entreating to be led to the same home of captivity! There stood two brothers enfolded in each other's arms, mutually bewailing their threatened separation. In other parts were friends, relatives and companious praying to be sold to the same master; using signs to signify that they would be content with slavery, might they both toil together! Silent tears, deep sighs, and heavy lamentations, bespoke the universal suffering of these poor blacks, and proved that nature was ever true to their feelings. Never was scene more distressful. Among these unhappy degraded Africans, scarcely was there an unclouded countenance! Every feature was veiled in the silent gloom of woe, and sorrowing nature poured forth in all the bitterness of affliction. A whole host of painful ideas rushed into my mind at the moment. In sad contemplation, all the distorted images of this abhorrent traffic presented themselves to my recollection. The many horrors and cruelties I had so often heard of, appeared in their worst shape before me, and my imagination was acutely alive to the unmerited punishment sometimes inflicted, the incessant labour exacted, the want of freedom, and all the catalogue of hardships endured by the slaves. I endeavoured to combat the effect of these impressions by attaching my mind to opposite images. The kind treatment of negroes, under humane masters, occurred to me; I recollected the comfort and harmony of the slaves I had lately seen at profit; I contemplated their freedom from care and the many anxieties of the world, and I remembered the happiness and contentment expressed in their songs and merry dances: but, all in vain! The repugnant influence would not be thus cheated. With such distress before my eyes, all palliatives were unavailing. The whole was wrong, and not to be justified. I felt that I execrated every principle of the traffic nature revolted at it; and I condemned the whole system of slavery under all its forms and regulations.--When purchased, the slaves were marked, by placing a bit of red or white tape round their arms or necks. One gentleman, who bought a considerable number of them, was proceeding to distinguish those he had selected, by tying a bit of red tape round the neck, when I observed two negroes, who were standing together entwined in each other's arms, watch him with great anxiety. Presently he approached them, and after making

The eighth, beryl.] This is a pellucid gem of a bluish green colour.

The ninth, a topaz.] A pale dead green, with a mixture of yellow. It is considered by the mineralogists, as a variety of the sapphire.

The tenth, a chrysoprasus.] A variety of the chrysolite, called by some the yellowish green and cloudy topaz. It differs only from the chrysolite, in having a bluish hue.

The eleventh, a jacinth.] A precious stone of a dead red colour, with a mixture of yellow.

The twelfth, an amethyst.] A gem generally of a purple or violet colour, composed of a strong blue and deep red.

An account of a Negro Sale, which took place at Demarara, an Island of the West Indies, related by an eye witness.

A FEW days ago I had the opportunity of being present at a more regular sale or market of slaves than I had seen before : and here I witnessed all the heart-rending distress attendant upon such a scene. I saw numbers of our fellew-beings regularly bartered for gold, and transferred like cattle, or any common merchandise, from one possessor to another. It was a sight which European curiosity had rendered me desirous to behold, although I had anticipated from it only a painful gratification. I may now say, I have seen it! and while nature animates my breast with even the feeblest spark of humanity, I can never forget it!

The poor Africans who were to be sold, were exposed naked, in a large, empty building, like an open barn. Those who came with intention to purchase, minutely inspected them, bandled them, made them jump and stamp with their feet, and throw out their arms and legs; turned them about, looked into their mouths, and according to the usual rules of traffic with respect to cattle, examined them, and made them shew themselves in a variety of ways, to try if they were sound and healthy. All this was as distressful as humiliating, and tended to excite strong aversion and disgust; but a wound still more severe was inflicted on the feelings, by some of the purchasers selecting only such as their judgment led them to prefer, regardless of the bonds of nature and affection. The urgent appeals of friendship and attachment were unheeded-sighs and tears made no impression -and all the imploring looks, and penetrating expressions of grief, were unavailing! Hungry commerce corroded even the golden chains of affection, and sordid interest burst every tie of

nature asunder. The husband was taken away from the wife, children separated from their parents, the companion was taken away from his friend, and the brother was not suffered to accompany the sister. In one part of the building was seen a wife clinging to her husband, and beseeching, in the strongest eloquence of nature, not to be left behind him! Here was a sister, hanging upon the neck of a brother, and with tears entreating to be led to the same home of captivity! There stood two brothers enfolded in each other's arms, mutually bewailing their threatened separation. In other parts were friends, relatives and companions praying to be sold to the same master; using signs to signify that they would be content with slavery, might they both toil together! Silent tears, deep sighs, and heavy lamentations, bespoke the universal suffering of these poor blacks, and proved that nature was ever true to their feelings. Never was scene more distressful. Among these unhappy degraded Africans, scarcely was there an unclouded countenance! Every feature was veiled in the silent gloom of woe, and sorrowing nature poured forth in all the bitterness of affliction. A whole host of painful ideas rushed into my mind at the moment. In sad contemplation, all the distorted images of this abhorrent traffic presented themselves to my recollection. The many horrors and cruelties I had so often heard of, appeared in their worst shape before me, and my imagination was acutely alive to the unmerited punishment sometimes inflicted, the incessant labour exacted, the want of freedom, and all the catalogue of hardships endured by the slaves. I endeavoured to combat the effect of these impressions by attaching my mind to opposite images. The kind treatment of negroes, under humane masters, occurred to me; I recollected the comfort and harmony of the slaves I had lately seen at profit; I contemplated their freedom from care and the many anxieties of the world, and I remembered the happiness and contentment expressed in their songs and merry dances: but, all in vain! The repugnant influence would not be thus cheated. With such distress before my eyes, all palliatives were unavailing. The whole was wrong, and not to be justified. I felt that I execrated every principle of the traffic nature revolted at it; and I condemned the whole system of slavery under all its forms and regulations.When purchased, the slaves were marked, by placing a bit of red or white tape round their arms or necks. One gentleman, who bought a considerable number of them, was proceeding to distinguish those he had selected, by tying a bit of red tape round the neck, when I observed two negroes, who were standing together entwined in each other's arms, watch him with great auxicty. Presently he approached them, and after making

his examination, affixed the mark only to one of them. The other, with a look of unerring expression, and with an impulse of marked disappointment, cast his eyes up to the purchaser, seeming to say, "And will you not have me too?" then jumped, and danced, and stamped with his feet, and made other signs to signify that he also was sound and strong, and worthy his choice. He was nevertheless passed by unregarded; upon which he turned again to his companion, his friend, brother, whichever he was, took him to his bosom, hung upon him, and with a sorrowful countenance expressed the strongest marks of disappointment and affliction. The feeling was mutual-it arose from reciprocal affection. His friend participated in his grief, and they both wept bitterly. Soon afterwards, on looking round to complete his purchase, the planter, again passed that way, and not finding any one that better suited his purpose, he now hung the token of choice round the neck of the negro whom he had before disregarded. All the powers of art could not have effected the change which followed: more genuine joy was never expressed! His countenance became enlivened, grief and sadness vanished, and flying into the arms of his friend, he caressed him with warm embraces, then skipped, and jumped, and danced about, exhibiting all the purest signs of mirth and gratification. His companion, not less delighted, received him with reciprocal affection; and a more pure and native sympathy was never exhibited! Happy in being again associated they now retired a part from the croud, and sat down in quiet contentment, hugging and kissing the red signal of bondage, like two attached and affectionate brothers, satisfied to toil out their days for an unknown master, so they might but travel their journey of slavery together. In the afternoon of the same day, I chaced to be present when another gentleman came to purchase some of the slaves who were not sold in the inorning. After looking through the lot, he remarked, that he did not see any who were of pleasant countenance; and going on to make further observations respecting their appearance, he was interrupted by the vender, who remarked, that at that moment they were seen to great disadvantage, as they looked worse, from having lost their friends and associates in the morning. Aye! truly, I could have replied, a very powerful reason why they are unfit for sale this afternoon. If to be of smiling countenance were necessary to their being sold, it were politic not to expose them for long to come. Still some were selected, and the mark of purchase being made, the distressful scene of the morning was in a degree, repeated. A few of the most ill-looking only now remained. These remained to a future day, and would probably be sold, not to the planters, but to the boat-women, tailors,

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