2. It was some time before the _Europeans_ found a more compendious way of procuring _African_ Slaves, by prevailing upon them to make war upon each other, and to sell their prisoners. Till then they seldom had any wars: but were in general quiet and peaceable. But the white men first taught them drunkenness and avarice, and then hired them to sell one another. Nay, by this means, even their Kings are induced to sell their own subjects. So Mr. _Moore_ (Factor of the _African_ Company in 1730) informs us, “When the King of _Barsalli_ wants goods or brandy, he sends to the _English_ Governor at _James’_ Fort, who immediately sends a sloop. Against the time it arrives, he plunders some of his neighbours’ towns, selling the people for the goods he wants. At other times he falls upon one of his own towns, and makes bold to sell his own subjects.” So Mons. _Brue_ says, “I wrote to the King” (not the same) “if he had a sufficient number of slaves I would treat with him. He seized three hundred of his own people, and sent word he was ready to deliver them for goods.” He adds, “Some of the natives are always ready” (when well paid) “to surprize and carry off their own countrymen. They come at night without noise, and if they find any lone cottage, surround it and carry off all the people.”--_Barbot_, (another French Factor) says, “Many of the Slaves sold by the Negroes are prisoners of war, or taken in the incursions they make into their enemy’s territories. Others are stolen. Abundance of little Blacks of 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!
5. Thus they are _procured_. But in what numbers and in what manner are they carried to _America_?----Mr. _Anderson_ in his history of Trade and Commerce, observes, “_England_ supplies her _American_ Colonies with Negro-slaves, amounting in number to about a hundred thousand every year.” That is, so many are taken on board our ships; but at least ten thousand of them die in the voyage: about a fourth part more die at the different Islands, in what is called the Seasoning. So that at an average, in the passage and seasoning together, thirty thousand die: that is, properly are murdered. O earth, O sea, cover not thou their blood!