the brethren steps forward to the
centre of the room, and in a loud voice, gives out a tune, beating time
with his foot, and singing _lal lal la, lal lal la_, &c., being joined by
the whole group, all jumping as high as possible, clapping their hands,
and at intervals twirling round,--but making rather ungraceful
_pirouettes_: this exercise they continue until they are completely
exhausted. In their ceremonials they much resemble the howling Dervishes
of the Moslems, whom they far surpass in fanaticism.

Within about ten miles of Cincinnati we took up an old doctor, who was
going to that city for the purpose of procuring a warrant against one of
his neighbours, who, he had reason to believe, was concerned in the
kidnapping of a free negro the night before. This is by no means an
uncommon occurrence in the free states bordering the great rivers. The
unfortunate black man, when captured, is hurried down to the river, thrust
into a flat boat, and carried to the plantations. Such negros are not
exposed for sale in the public bazaars, as that would be attended with
risk; but a false bill of sale is made out, and the sale is effected to
some planter before they reach Orleans. There is, of course, always
collusion between the buyer and seller, and the man is disposed of,
generally, for half his value.

These are certainly atrocious acts; yet when a British subject reads such
passages as the following, in the histories of East India government, he
must feel that if they were ten times as infamous and numerous as they are
in reality, it becomes not _him_ to censure them. Bolts, who was a judge
of the mayor's court of Calcutta, says, in his "Considerations on India
Affairs," page 194, "With every species of monopoly, therefore, every kind
of oppression to manufacturers of all denominations throughout the whole
country has daily increased; insomuch that weavers, for daring to sell
their goods, and Dallals and Pykars, for having contributed to, or
connived at, such sales, have by the _Company's agents,_ been frequently
seized and imprisoned, confined in irons, fined considerable sums of
money, flogged, and deprived, in the most ignominious manner, of what they
esteem most valuable, their castes. Weavers also, upon their inability to
perform such agreements as have been _forced from them by the Company's
agents_, universally known in Bengal by the name of _Mutchulcahs_, have
had their goods seized and sold on the spot, to make good