and thirty dollars for their passages; saying he
intended to proceed along the coast of Cuba in search of Spanish
vessels, and in all probability would have some hard engagements, and
did not want a woman sniffling about him; and that he would eventually
meet her in New-York.

Miss Sarah Taylor was educated in Jamaica, and had the appearance of a
lady of some accomplishments, although she was living as a concubine.

Captain Mitchell was a man of some education, about five feet six inches
high, dark hair and eyes, and had the appearance of a gentleman; was
very liberal to unfortunate seamen, and one of the greatest tyrants to
exercise authority over them that I have ever heard of. He had at that
time two sailors lying in the stocks near Taylor's house, with their
ancles two feet above the ground, they lying out of doors on their
backs, their bodies exposed to the sun for two or three days. He
informed me that he had captured a prize some time previous, and the
prize-master and crew had run away with the vessel; that he then took an
oath to shoot any of the crew if he ever saw them again. A few months
after, he visited Corn Island, where one of the crew happened to arrive.
Some of the inhabitants cautioned the man to keep out of his sight. He
boastingly replied that Mitchell dared not shoot him. Mitchell said he
hoped the man would not appear in his presence, as he did not want to
kill him. "But," said he, "one day when I was taking a walk on the
island he (knowing I had made the threat) presented himself a short
distance before me, when I took a musket and shot him dead."

Some of the inhabitants informed me that the negro cook belonging on
board his vessel asked him one day what he should cook for his dinner.
Mitchell told him to kill a pig which they had on board. The cook did
not understand his answer, and knowing his ungovernable temper, dared
not ask him a second time, but built his fire and had his water
boiling. At twelve o'clock Mitchell asked him what he was cooking for
dinner, to which the cook replied, "I did not understand what you wanted
for dinner." Mitchell seized him by the hair of his head with one hand,
and with a ladle in the other poured the boiling water on him until he
scalded him to death. One of the sailors told him he thought that was
hard usage. Mitchell immediately drew a pistol from his belt and shot
the sailor dead and then threw him overboard.

Captain Mitchell informed me that some years