Prisoner then snatched up a hammer, struck the deceased on the head and knocked him down the hatchway; deceased fell on the barrels, and groaned dreadfully. Prisoner then said, " Oh! the black rascal, I'll take the sulks out of him." Prisoner then called the deceased to come on deck, but he was unable; he then went and struck him. Deceased fell, and prisoner took a shovel and began to cover him with the ballast, as if in the act of burying him alive. When he had nearly covered him, he flattened the ballast on his chest. He subsequently took the ballast off, called for a rope, made it fast to the leg of the deceased, and dragged him forward.
He then called out to the people to haul away, which they did; but on perceiving it was the deceased they were hauling, they refused. The prisoner, with one of the crew, hauled the deceased on deck. Deceased was quite unable to stand, and his head lay upon his shoulder. He inarticulately begged a drink of water. Prisoner replied, " Fetch him a panican of pickle." It was brought and he put it into deceased's hand, who endeavored to put it to his lips, but was unable, and let it fall upon the deck: deceased also fell down; prisoner said, " You sulky rascal, I'll make you stand up; " and he desired Bill Cassan to put the poker into the fire; Cassan refused; prisoner did it himself; all this time the deceased lay insensible.
When the poker was red-hot, he applied it to the back of. the deceased, and deceased shrunk a little. Witness saw the steam come from the burning back of the deceased! Prisoner then hauled deceased on his feet, swearing he would take the sulks out of him; a rope was then made fast to the deceased, and he was slewed overboard; lie was hauled up on the larboard side; while he was hauling up, one of the iron hooks struck him on the throat, and lacerated it dreadfully; he then lay on the deck groaning. Some of them said, the best thing was to put the man down below; prisoner replied, " Let him lie there — the rascal; I'll take the sulks out of him before I have done with him; n he lay there until the evening.
Prisoner then told the mate to put him down below, and he was lowered down and placed on the water casks; there was then very little appearance of Jife in him, and he groaned occasionally; they then put him into his hammock, placed him upon his back, and found him dead on the following morning in that position. The prisoner said, he never knew a black man to die of the sulks before. The body was laid out on deck. Prisoner desired that it should be sewed up in his hammock, and heaved overboard, at thesame time ordering the mate to give the crew half a tumbler of rum each. This was the first spirits they had ever got from the prisoner.
While they were drinking, the prisoner asked them if they saw any marks on the body. Ko.answer was given, apprehensive they should be served so themselves. The body was then sewed up in a hammock, a bag of sand put in with it, and it was hove overboard. The crew were then called into the cabin, and prisoner asked them if they would sign a paper, certifying that the deceased died by the will of God. They refused. Prisoner then asked if they would sign — " Accidental death?" They did so, butthrough fear. When the vessel arrived at Port Louis, prisoner employed an attorney, and he asked the crew to swear that the deceased died in his hammock; and on the crew going to explain to him, the attorney replied, that he did not wish to hear any thing about the matter — all he wanted was for them to swear that the deceased died in his hammock, which they did.
The prisoner was then remanded for further examination. Monday morning, took the coach for Staffordshire, as I had letters to one of the most extensive pottery proprietors in the shire. I left the coach at the Red Lion, at Hanley, preferring to walk to Burslem, the town at which I intended to stop. Here I had one of those delicious mutton-chops, such as cannot be found any-where else in the world; and while thus enjoying my repast, an Irish laborer came in to beg something to eat. The kind landlady cut off a good sized piece of Cheshire cheese and a large piece of bread to match which she gave him. The fellow took it, and crossing over to the other side of the road, threw it over the hedge.