than irritate so dangerous a neighbour as America, this rule
was rarely supported; but I remember the following instance of its
successful application.

A young American woman, whose character can be best described by the
word "vicious," fell ill at Gorgona, and was left behind by her
companions under the charge of a young negro, her slave, whom she
treated most inhumanly, as was evinced by the poor girl's frequent
screams when under the lash. One night her cries were so distressing,
that Gorgona could stand it no longer, but broke into the house and
found the chattel bound hand and foot, naked, and being severely
lashed. Despite the threats and astonishment of the mistress, they
were both carried off on the following morning, before the alcalde,
himself a man of colour, and of a very humane disposition. When the
particulars of the case were laid before him, he became strongly
excited, and called upon the woman to offer an explanation of her
cruelty. She treated it with the coolest unconcern--"The girl was her
property, worth so many dollars, and a child at New Orleans; had
misbehaved herself, and been properly corrected. The alcalde must be
drunk or a fool, or both together, to interfere between an American
and her property." Her coolness vanished, however, when the alcalde
turned round to the girl and told her that she was free to leave her
mistress when she liked; and when she heard the irrepressible cheering
of the crowded court-hut at the alcalde's humanity and boldness, and
saw the slave's face flush with delight at the judge's words, she
became terribly enraged; made use of the most fearful threats, and
would have wreaked summary vengeance on her late chattel had not the
clumsy soldiery interfered. Then, with demoniac refinement of cruelty,
she bethought herself of the girl's baby at New Orleans still in her
power, and threatened most horrible torture to the child if its mother
dared to accept the alcalde's offer.

The poor girl trembled and covered her face with her hands, as though
to shut out some fearful sight, and, I think, had we not persuaded her
to the contrary, that she would have sacrificed her newly won freedom
for the child's sake. But we knew very well that when the heat of
passion had subsided, the threatener would be too 'cute to injure her
own property; and at once set afloat a subscription for the purchase
of the child. The issue of the tale I do not know, as the woman was
very properly removed