bodied men of this and the
neighboring villages fitted themselves out for a three months' voyage to
the southward, to catch turtle. After they had all embarked I found
there was no male inhabitant left except myself, my five negroes, two or
three old infirm Indians, and a whole village of women and children. The
negroes gave me the title of governor, and agreed to submit to such laws
as I should prescribe for them. One of the laws I passed was to sell
them only one bottle of rum per day, which they agreed to, and behaved
themselves well for two or three weeks, caught some shell, and sold it
to me. Ebo Jim I found to be a good marksman with a gun, and I furnished
him often with powder and shot, with which he killed a great many wild
parrots for me to eat, from which I had a number of good meals.

After a few weeks the negroes imagining there was a plot laid to entrap
them, agreed to retire to a house they had found in the woods, where
they thought themselves secure, and live in peace together. Scotland,
Moody and the two Jims, took their leave of me and departed. Prince, the
neutral negro, remained in the village. He was a coarse carpenter, and
made some tables and sundry little articles for the Indians, and had
many friends among them. Scotland and his party visited me two or three
times after they had gone to their new habitation, and were supplied
with their one bottle of rum per day, according to agreement, when they
would depart peaceably to their new home. The fourth time they visited
me they asked me for their bottle of rum, as usual, which was furnished
them. They then left for a short time and returned with a request that I
would fill the bottle again for them, which I refused to do, by telling
them it was a breach of our agreement; but on their promising me
faithfully if I would let them have another bottle they would not broach
it until they got home, I filled it; they left, and as I supposed, had
gone home. About one hour after, a number of women and children appeared
at my door, where I had laid myself down in my hammock, reading, and
making a most hideous noise, called on me to come out, as Scotland was
killing Moody. I ran as fast as I could until I came near to the
combatants, when I saw Scotland thrust his cutlass into the thick part
of Moody's thigh, near the bone, the point running at least one foot
through. Moody being vanquished, Mandingo Jim, his comrade, then rushed
forward with cutlass in hand and