Many dead bodies were soon seen
upon the sands, and others were floating upon the water; and including
those who were seized and carried off, and those who were drowned and
killed, either by the firing of the ships or by the people of New Town,
three hundred were lost to the inhabitants of Old Town on that day.

The carnage which I have been now describing was scarcely over, when a
canoe, full of the principal people of New Town, who had been the
promoters of the scheme, dropped along-side of the Duke of York. They
demanded the person of Amboe Robin John, the brother of the grandee of
Old Town, and the eldest of the three on board. The unfortunate man put
the palms of his hands together, and beseeched the commander of the
vessel that he would not violate the rights of hospitality, by giving up
an unoffending stranger to his enemies. But no entreaties could avail.
The commander received from the New Town people a slave of the name of
Econg in his stead, and then forced him into the canoe, where his head
was immediately struck off in the sight of the crew, and of his
afflicted and disconsolate brothers. As for them, they escaped his fate;
but they were carried off with their attendants to the West Indies, and
sold for slaves.

The knowledge of this tragical event now fully confirmed me in the
sentiment, that the hearts of those who were concerned in this traffic
became unusually hardened, and that I might readily believe any
atrocities, however great, which might be related of them. It made also
my blood boil, as it were, within me: it gave anew spring to my
exertions; and I rejoiced, sorrowful as I otherwise was, that I had
visited Bristol, if it had been only to gain an accurate statement of
this one fact.

In pursuing my objects, I found that reports were current, that the crew
of the Alfred slave-vessel, which had just returned, had been
barbarously used, but particularly a young man of the name of Thomas,
who had served as the surgeon's mate on board her. The report was, that
he had been repeatedly knocked down by the captain; that he had become
in consequence of his ill usage so weary of his life, that he had three
times jumped over board to destroy it; that on being taken up the last
time he had been chained to the deck of the ship, in which situation he
had remained night and day for some time; that in consequence of this
his health had been greatly impaired; and that it was supposed he could
not long survive