CHARACTER OF THE PEOPLE. Ill but the unfortunate being feels severe pain with every blow. Some few fetters may be met with furnished with locks, which, however, are very rare luxuries. To prevent the rings from excoriating the ankles, rags are interposed between the iron and the skin.

If the operation of putting on the irons be attended with pain, the slaves suffer infinitely more when they are taken off. On the latter occasion one side of the ring is firmly attached to a tree, the slave lays himself do\Ti on his back, and about eight people pull in the direction opposite to the tree, at a cord attached to the ring, until it is sufficiently opened to allow the ankle to be disengaged. A quarter of an hour is sometimes spent in efforts to remove the trammels.

The negroes are, generally, at the commencement of their slavery, morose, and speak very little, unless spoken to. Their thoughts are continually directed to their homes, or at work inventing all manner of means of escape, for the prevention of which they are bound in irons. They are all powerful men, and are put to agricultural labour, very few of this race being sent to Egypt. Many of them are aware that urine will, in time, corrode iron, and this knowledge enables them, occasionally, to succeed in gradually ridding themselves of their fetters, when they, of course, immediately decamp. A negro who had liberated himself in this manner told me he had resorted to this process himself.

His flight, however, unfortunately failed, for he