"4688, Were you there at the time?-I was there. When I came down I met them coming up, and I heard Mr. Harrison say, 'This is one of my people; ' he said to me, Where is your husband?' I said he was at home.

"4690, After you said your

husband was at home what was done ?-He said that martial law was put on for seven years, and if I did not mind they would catch and shoot him.

1

"4696, Was your husband at home at that time ?He was in the house. "4697, Whereabouts was he?—He was in the house, and I was standing close to the roadside. They came up and said, Who lives here? Open the gate,' and he opened the gate and they went in...

"4704, Keep your attention to what took place after he had opened the gate, and they all got in; what happened then ?-When they came into the room they made search, 9-a mi si

"4705, What for?—They said, Buckra's goods in the house; they did not find anything, and they took away a coat that belonged to my husband; and when they asked who's coat it was she said it was her son's.

.

"4706, Who said that ?My husband's mother.it 997 mo7 6639 dulji "4707, Was she in the house?—Yes. Tad Jurself tu baszony snee "4708, Was he standing by at the time ?He had come out in the yard, and they were in the house, doo, at if cafu dade ainte quiz pię pra^%«f»

4709, What further was done by them?After she said it was her son's coat they said, 'Where did nigger get such a coat as this?? mosta 1 "4712, What next took place?After they came out they asked where was the man. His mother said, Out in the yard and there they catch him, and tie him up to a quassia tree in the yard, and stripped his shirt off his back, and shot him, and gave him a shot in his eye. A „M som 961 siiquos ci "4713, They tied him to a tree in the yard, do you say?—Yes,(42) ♪... "4714, Did you see that done ?—Yes; and as they shot him his head dropped. "4724, Was that the only gun that was fired?Three guns they gave him and Depass shot him here (in the heady and his brains were scattered, an "4725, Did they all shoot him at once? They fired the guns after one another. "4727, How soon?-A's one went boom' the others went boom boom'd “4752, Of those three persons who fired, the first you say was Depass, a volunteer? Yes. og - * modu- - Pi

"4753, Who were the other two?—I do not knowodd diw so 25 Liftwo aco "4754, Were they volunteers, or soldiers ?-Volunteers; some of them were book-keepers who dressed themselves in regimentals. at you vai „Pai "4755, But they were not soldiers? No; when they shot my husband they put fire to the house at the very moment and burnt everything. "4757, What became of you?I was in the road.

"4758, You saw the house burnt ?When they shot him I ran in, and as I returned back I saw everything burnt down.

"4759, Where was your mother? When I came back again I saw my mother as the house was burning, standing there folding her arms and when I

6

said What has he done?' the answer was that Depass had shot him; they took him from the tree, and one of the soldiers went and made his old mother come and stand over him.

"47C0, Did the soldiers or volunteers do anything to you ?-Nothing at all; they did nothing to me, only to my husband, and they burnt my house and left me in distress.

"4761, What became of you afterwards: where did you go after you returned I could not get anybody at all and found your house burnt?—I left the body. to come and bury him, so I went to a man, by the name of Phillips, a carpenter, and said I had no man to bury him and asked him to let a person come and bury his body. I followed him all the way. They left him naked; I wrapped him in calico and carried him to the wharf.

"4766, Did you bury him in the sea?—Yes.

"4767, Did the carpenter take his body in the sea?-It was Corporal Phillips: he was the one; he was a special constable.

He was left at the station,

and he took my husband to the pier and threw him in the sea.

4774, You went to him and got him to come?-Yes, he sent a person to come and dig the hole, but at the time of martial law everybody near was afraid to come, and I wanted somebody who was not of the neighbourhood.

"4775, Was that your reason for going down to Port Morant and getting Phillips?-Yes."

We might give extracts to show the condition of the black population in the outlying districts of Jamaica-isolated from the towns, unvisited in many places by the white people, left without instruction, and sinking too often into a state of vice, crime and misery. The heart may well sicken at the spectacle presented. We could show the strong delusions to which they are subject in their state of ignorance, and the corrupt examples set before them by the white population, leading to wild excitement, the fear of being enslaved, and to consequent recklessness, but we forbear. We want attention to be fixed on the three poor women-the wife, the mother and the mother-in-law-leaving the murdered man in the sea, having lost the two houses provided for by his honest labour and seeking shelter in the bush, removed from the English civilization which might help and guide them, but from which they have suffered wrongs so deep and so cruel. The guilty no doubt there are, but we do not find them in the thousands of poor desolate women and children for whom we have so often asked timely succour and some proofs of practical sympathy.

We have not yet seen the extent of the oppression and of the woe that exists, but this story of calamity is surely enough. If it could be read in our English homes without moving the heart to pity and the hand to help, then indeed we should tremble for our country. But we have a very different expectation. The resources of the British and Foreign Freed-men's Aid Society are exceedingly limited; our advocacy is too foalds- last are have the fall assurance that help will coare, Let no one inclined to divinish t'is leed of sorrow wait a Coment longer: however small the trib + lot it come

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. wish through them to say to us, we are We are compelled to defer the announcement willing to work and to send to your of the Tunbridge Wells collection and sub- markets what our Island can produce scriptions for want of space till next month. if you in England will establish an REPORT of Mr. Jones's labours will also appear agency that will deal directly and

in our next number. ALL orders and enquiries concerning Advertisements, or other business connected with

fairly with us, the producers of the crops. Mr. Brydson says that the

this Magazine, are to be addressed to Island is as capable as ever of yieldARLISS ANDREWS, 7, Duke St., Bloomsbury. ing large quantities of cotton, sugar,

The Freed-Man.

AUGUST, 1866.

logwood, rum, coffee, ginger, and other staples. It is prepared to take in return our textile manufactures, salt, salt fish, salt meat, butter, lard, tobacco, ironmongery and crockery. If it be "I have observed with satisfaction that the affirmed that the negro is so lazy United States, after terminating successfully the severe struggle in which they were so long that he will not work, and therefore engaged, are wisely repairing the ravages of that the promised Island crops will civil war. The abolition of slavery is an not be forthcoming to pay for the goods

event calling forth the cordial sympathies and we should be ready to export from congratulations of this country, which has always been foremost in showing its abhorence England, Mr. Brydson and his friends of an institution repugnant to every feeling of reply, that the assertion is utterly false. justice and humanity.-QUEEN Victoria. The black man is the man that clears the land for cultivation, he is the man DEPUTATION FROM JAMAICA that plants, he is the man that manuWe have been favoured with an in- factures the produce-he chips the logterview with three coloured gentlemen, wood, he carries the freight to the who have arrived in England from Ja- wharves for shipment, he labours on maica with a view to promote the ma- the wharves, he works in the boats terial interests of the negro population. which bear the produce to the ships, The Rev. S. W. Holt is a Baptist he stows the ships, he works on the Minister from the Black River: C. roads, he is the chief man on the proPlummer, Esq., comes from May Hill, perties (and is called the head-man,) and W. Brydson, Esq., who is a Justice he also carries Her Majesty's mails of the Peace, comes also from the Black through the Island by day and by River, in the island of Jamaica. These night, he grows the ground provisions gentlemen-for gentlemen they are in to supply the markets, the daily food character and behaviour-have been of the bulk of the population; in short, specially sent to England as a deputa- he is the man that does most of all tion from their brethren in Jamaica, which is done to produce money. not at the suggestion of friends in negro pays the bulk of the taxes. The England, but mero proprio motu, with a week when the negro on the estate is view to promote the peaceful arts of paid, the market of the district is commerce. The negroes of Jamaica thronged, every one expecting to derive

The

put down as destroyed by the recklessness of soldiers and pseudo-volunteers under Mr. their brave lieutenant," The writer then speaks of the hardships, loss and impoverishment of the people, and says: "general and great is the distress brought on by our recent troubles." He concludes by presenting the following suggestions:-"That aid be given

"1 For the immediate relief of hunger, nakedness and destitution.

"2 Pecuniary or material help to those who are desirous of re-building their homes.

"3 Aid in building or repairing mills, schoolrooms, places of worship, &c. "4 A fund for the formation of primary schools in villages remote from the central schools."

The writer further says: "the 'Friends' gave me £50, and I got £20 from £70 I have been enabled to distribute already, but to feed, to clothe, to aid in providing a temporary hut, what was that among so many? My humble prayer is that great as have been our troubles, greater may be the good stimulated by the Supreme Wisdom and Power."

It would be easy to present touching cases of distress, but this cannot be needed. The Report of Her Majesty's Commissioners

"That the punishments inflicted were excessive

"1 That the punishment of death was unnecessarily frequent,

"2 That the floggings were reckless, and at Bath positively barbarous,
"3 That the burning of a thousand houses was wanton and ernel,"

together with the Minutes of Evidence, are sufficiently thrilling to afford a sufficient justification for my appealing with confidence to the sympathy and support of the generous British public. I shall be glad to receive the donations of those who are willing to come to the aid of these suffering and perishing people, or donations may be paid into Messrs. Barclay, Bevan,Tritton, & Co., Bankers, 54, Lombard Street, to the account of the British and Foreign FreedMen's Aid Society, or sent to the Secretary, 102, Fleet Street, E.C.

I am yours faithfully,

ALFRED S. CHURCHILL,

President of the British and Foreign Freed-Men's Aid Society.

16, Rutland Gate, S.W., July 3, 1866.

In support of the preceding appeal from the President of the British and Foreign Freed-men's Aid Society the most affecting statements might be cited from the minutes of evidence taken before the Jamaica Royal Commission. The chief difficulty is in making a selection and in presenting a summary sufficiently condensed. The Blue Book contains 1162 pages. We present the following case as an example. On the 21st of October Lieutenant Adcock with a small company of volunteers came in carts to the house of Charles Mitchell at a place called Harbour-head. EDWIN GENTLE, a master builder, one of the volunteers, says: (3077) "Captain Adcock gave the word to halt: we all stopped, and he said, This fellow (Mitchell) looks d-d suspicious.' (3079) Any of you know this man; can any of you identify this man?' No one could. We all

6

said, no we did not know the man. He said Rear, advance.' The rear advanced, and one of the volunteers, whose name was Sigismund Depass, said, 'I know him, sir; he was one of the men with a cutlass in his hand.' The captain then gave orders to tie and shoot him." (3012) "He was tied to a tree in his yard and shot." (3083) Whilst he was hanging shaking on the tree Sigismund Depass loaded his gun and went to his head." (3085) "The others began to set the house on fire; his wife was bawling, and another old lady." (3092) "We set two houses on fire." (3093) "They were Mitchell's houses." (3095) "He lived in one and his mother in the other."

LIEUTENANT HERBERT BURROUGHS ADCOCK did not admit on all points the correctness of the statement made by Mr. Gentle, the volunteer. Lieutenant Adcock said: (34,237) "Mitchell was charged with being concerned with the rebels at Morant Bay' on the 11th of October." (34,339) "I examined two witnesses upon that and it was proved, and I ordered him to receive fifty lashes." (34,240) "He was afterwards charged with having attempted to commit murder' on the 12th of October. I must tell you that he had received the fifty lashes. I then assembled the same officers again, and we examined into the case, and he was ordered to be shot. I had his house searched, and found some plunder there and a bayonet."

(34,878) "Depass and Mr. Duffus," Lieutenant Adcock said, "gave the most. strong evidence that their lives were attempted by Mitchell."

The witness, MR. DUFFUS, was proprietor of Bowden, and in the military expedition rode "in front along with Lieutenant Adcock" (9577). In his examination he stated that at the trial of Mitchell he was not sworn nor was his evidence taken down in writing. On the march he said to Lieutenant Adcock, "there was a man who was threatening me the other day" (9547); the troops were halted and he was arrested. On being pressed to explain the way in which his life was attempted by Charles Mitchell, Mr. Duffus gave the following

answers:

"9539, The man went and cut off a bamboo, and said, that is the way to cut off buckra's head.

66

9540, IIe did not cut your head off?---No.

"9541, Or your overseer's ?-No.

"9542, Only the bamboo ?--Yes.

"9513, And for that he was executed ?-He was executed."

"SIGISMUND DEPASS, overseer to Mr. Duffus, said that Mitchell, irritated and angry in his manner, gave three chops to a bale of bamboos, and said: 'I would as soon cut your d-d head off'" (14804). "He was flourishing his cutlass recklessly, as if he were vexed, saying Why don't you put iron hoops on, and then they could not be chopped in that way'" (14,805). "Was any threat made use of by him with regard to yourself? (14,843). Nothing beyond that.” (14,814). "14,857, I was called up before Captain Adcock and saw Mitchell tied to a tree. I immediately said to the captain that I could give evidence of threats that man had offered to me. He asked me the nature of the threats: