go on with it, I must suppose the whole regiment are flogged four times round in the course of a twelve month. Until you get a fair view of these courts-martial, it will be impossible to form a perfect opinion of the nature of the negro regiments and their predilection for crimes:then you will be convinced how far it is incumbent on the British government to disband them, not in any of the colonies, but in the interior of Africa, out of the reach and possibility of doing harm. Bryan Edwards, Esq. the late historian of the colonies, did not entertain that sanguine assurance of their loyalty and obedience, which other authors do; no, he modestly advanced his opinion thus, (speaking of the negro regiments embodied by general Williamson, during the speculative war of St. Domingo, and afterwards disbanded by general Maitland, before the Mole of Cape Nichola was evacuated),

Whether any great dependence might be placed on the proper subordination and loyalty of such a body of men in time of peace, or on their fidelity in time of war, with people of their own cast, (and in cases where no white troops could be brought to co-operate with them), I will not venture to decide." If the black corps are to be kept on the West India establishment, we shall, in time, be able to judge of their loyalty and subordination, probably not sufficiently until they have set up a form of government for themselves, like their neighbours in St. Domingo; and this, I imagine, we may safely predicate will be the issue of the speculation. I intreat you, Sir, to peruse and weigh well the foregoing considerations, also to analyze the hints I have thrown out respecting a white population, before the crown lands are disposed of in this island, which will

* Vide his Postscript to the Historical Survey of St. Domingo, vol iii. p. 399.

immediately open a vast prospect to a few individuals in Liverpool, and will enable them to continue to ride in their coaches, eat turtle, and drink port or claret. Before you' suffer twenty millions of British money to rush into the luxuriant soil of Trinidad, it is prudent to inquire who is likely to reap the benefit of it ultimately. Be not biassed by the golden dreams of avarice; let humanity alone guide you before you plant the old system in this new soil; but if you think there is not enough of misery already in the western hemisphere, crying out to the British government for redress, you will, in that case, give the crown lands to the best bidder, and a million of murders will soon be added to the sins of Britain!

I remain, &c.

P. S. The best way, in my humble opinion, to employ the negro troops is, in case hostilities should be declared against Spain at any future period, they might be employed in the reduction of some of the rich towns and territories belonging to that power in this quarter of the world. That a conquest, highly important to Great Britain, might be attained, is by no means impossible, which would open a wide field to our commerce and manufactures, and might ultimately lead to the complete subjugation of either Mexico or Peru, where there is as much treasure as would pay off the national debt.

LETTER IX.

Apprehension of Danger-The Illustrious Cabildo, or the Inquisition-Law Proceedings-Plaintiff and Defendant-Escrivanos, or Lawyers-Swindling Anecdote-The Author's Visit to the Bastille-The Horrors of it portrayed-Commission illegally issued by Picton to destroy Negroes accused of Witchcraft -The Proceedings under this Commission described-Rosetta Smith, her influence-J. B. Vallot, his office-Murder of a Negro-Don Phillip Langdon, his Mode of silencing a Dun-The oppressive Imprison ment of Mr. Dowding, &c. &c.

DEAR SIR,

Head-Quarters, Puerto de Espana, March 1803,

SINCE the commencement of these let ters, I frequently indulged the idea of relinquishing altogether my present pursuits, from the many difficulties with which I am circumvented, and the danger I am exposed to in a colony governed by the Inquisition. If the members of it only knew that my pen is so devoted to the cause of humanity, they would soon torture the hand that holds it; therefore I am obliged to be extremely cautious, least my inquiries should insinuate suspicion: I shall be as expeditious as possible in order to

leave a colony already so much a prey to calumny and faction. The Inquisition, or as it is mildly and most nobly termed, the Illustrious Cabildo, consists of thirteen members, who meet every Monday to plot destruction; it is composed of a French junto of jacobins, the dregs of Spain, and the filthy outcasts of the scum of Great Britain and Ireland. From this putrid vortex are annually chosen two judges, one styled judge of the first election, and the other judge of the second, who act independent of each other, and hold separate tribunals, but each to the same purport, where causes are tried in the following manner, though the real code of laws upon which they act, I am unable to comprehend, nor do I learn they have any code at all; neither that justice has any share in the system. I learn. this from the very best authority, that, however malignant, cruel, and corrupt the Spanish Code des Indes is, and which they make some pretence of following, they have so far overtaken it, as to build upon it a system of cruelty even hitherto unauthorised by Cortez and his barbarian followers:-hence every clause remote from reason makes a link in the chain of the Trinidada jurisprudentia.

The plaintiff, who might as well pretend to stop the torrent of the gulf of Paria in its progress through the Bocases, as to look for justice in the equity of his cause, unless he has doubloons enow to sport on the issue of it, goes to work by employing an Escrivano to express the merits of his cause, which is done by scrito, or petition to either of these judges, who, on receiving it, signs his name at the bottom, often without reading the contents or the prayer, according as the glittering presents attending it will interest his fancy. The defendant employs another, and sometimes the same Escrivano, who replies by scrito after the same manner, and so they go.

on like a horse in a mill for months and years, until the^ Escrivanos have accumulated their scritos to several hundreds. As it is their interest to multiply the scritos, as much as possible, they continue till they ruin either, or both, the plaintiff and defendant. The judges proceed in the like manner to try criminal causes, and as they are not restricted in partiality, they very often punish the innocent instead of the guilty, on a mere shadow of accusation, whereas they suffer the very guilty to pass without punishment, although the evidence of criminality be at once as self evident as the light of the sun. I wonder how far the British government will suffer them to proceed without making an inquiry into their proceedings? And how long are they determined to allow a large portion of his Majesty's subjects to lay, as it were, exposed to be preyed upon at the mercy of such a horde, similar, in all respects, to the gallinazoes?*. There is another species of these violators of justice, called Alcaldes of the Bario, meaning, I understand, Justice of the Street, chosen from among a ragamuffin crew that would disgrace the purlieus of St. Giles. They determine simple causes with the same partiality and injustice as the former, but more flagrant and disgraceful if possible, and as they are equally ignorant, consequently the fruits of their de cisions will be found accordingly.

The last, and minor members of the Inquisition that must ever remain as a monument of infamy, and will occupy a long page of disgraceful obloquy in the historic

* Gallinazo, or American vulture, a ravenous and filthy bird that feeds on carrion, and who instantly devours all dead carcases which the hunters have skinned. They are better known in this island by the appellation of the Governor's Life Guard, from the ala crity with which they devoured those who had been hanged.