with his own Wives, Slaves and Dependants, like a ſeparate Prince; and as Power and Plenty naturally beget Contention, they ſometimes quarrelled with one another, and attacked each other at the Head of their ſeveral Armies; and in theſe civil Wars, many of them were killed; but an Accident happened, which obliged them to unite again for their common Safety.
It muſt be obſerved that theſe ſudden great Men, had uſed their Power like Tyrants, for they grew wanton in Cruelty, and nothing was more common, than upon the ſlighteſt Diſpleaſure, to cauſe one of their Dependants to be tied to a Tree and ſhot thro’ the Heart, let the Crime be what it would, whether little or great, this was always the Puniſhment; wherefore the Negroes conſpired together, to rid themſelves of theſe Deſtroyers, all in one Night; and as they now lived ſeparate, the Thing might eaſily have been done, had not a Woman, who had been Wife or Concubine to one of them, run near twenty Miles in three Hours, to diſcover the Matter to them: Immediately upon the Alarm they ran together as faſt as they could, ſo that when the Negroes approached them, they found them all up in Arms; wherefore they retired without making any Attempt.
This Eſcape made them very cautious from that Time, and it will be worth while to deſcribe the Policy of theſe brutiſh Fellows, and to ſhew what Meaſures they took to ſecure themſelves.
They found that the Fear of their Power could not ſecure them againſt a Surprize, and the braveſt Man may be kill’d when he is aſleep, by one much his inferior in Courage and Strength, therefore, as their firſt Security, they did all they could to foment War betwixt the neighbouring Negroes, remaining Neuter themſelves, by which Means, thoſe who were overcome conſtantly lied to them for Pro-
