“M. Coulthurst.
“The Right Honourable Lord Seaforth,
&c. &c. &c.”
“Extract from the Reverend Mr. Pilgrim’s Letter to Lord Seaforth; dated St. James’s Parsonage, September 25th, 1804.
“The man who killed the woman near Pilgrim, is, I apprehend, named Halls or Halts, one of Sir John Burney’s tenants, and belonging to Saint Michael’s regiment of militia.
“The manager who shot the man in the water is named Crone, living on Mr. H. Rowe’s plantation in Saint Lucy’s parish. The man was an African, a slave to a Mr. Colbeck, the manager to a neighbouring plantation, and had accidentally strayed from his master: Crone seeing him, pursued him with several Negroes; the poor creature pelted his pursuers with stones, and at length took refuge in a pond, where he was inhumanly shot by the dastardly manager, and taken out of the pond; I repeat, my Lord, what I have heard, though I could hope, for the sake of humanity, my information has been false, and buried him while yet alive.
“Nowell, a butcher, living in Saint Joseph’s parish, is the wretch who murdered the slave for letting his wife out of confinement. The circumstances of this horrid barbarity are almost too shocking to be related. On discovering the poor creature had been instrumental to his wife’s escape, he obliged her to put her tongue through a hole in the board, to which he fastened it on the opposite side with a fork, and leaving her in that situation for some time, he afterwards drew out her tongue by the roots.
“This, my Lord, is what I have heard relative to the cases on which your Lordship desires information; and as I have heard the circumstances I have mentioned from different persons, told in nearly the same manner, I am led to suspect that the statement will be found to be but too correct.” Papers, &c. p. [7-10.]
“Extract of a Letter from the Right Honourable Lord Seaforth to Earl Camden; dated Pilgrim, 7th January 1805.
“I enclose the Attorney General’s letter to me on the subject of the Negroes so most wantonly murdered. I am sorry to say, several other instances of the same barbarity have occurred with which I have not troubled your Lordship, as I only wished to make you acquainted with the subject in general.”
“Copy of a Letter from Mr. Beckles to Lord Seaforth; dated 19th November 1804.