Confederacy, in which Maſſachuſetts was the ruling colony. The Commiſſioners of the United Colonies found occasion to complain to the Dutch Governor in New Netherlands, in 1646, of the fact that the Dutch agent at Hartford had harbored a fugitive Indian woman-ſlave, of whom they ſay in their letter: "Such a ſervant is parte of her maſter's eftate, and a more conſiderable parte than a beaſt." A proviſion for the rendition of fugitives, etc., was afterwards made by treaty between the Dutch and the Engliſh. Plymouth Colony Records, ix., 6, 64, 190.
Hiſtorians have generally ſuppoſed that the transactions in 1644–5, in which Thomas Keyſer and one James Smith, the latter a member of the church of Bofton, were implicated, "firſt brought upon the colonies the guilt of participating in the traffic in African ſlaves." Bancroft, i., 173–4.
The account which we have given of the voyage of the firſt colonial ſlave-ſhip, the Deſire, shows this to have been an error, and that which we ſhall give of theſe tranſactions will expoſe another of quite as much importance.
Hildreth, in whoſe hiftory the curious and inſtructive ſtory of New England theocracy is narrated with scrupulous fidelity, gives ſo clear an account of this bufineſs as to require little alteration, and we quote him with ſlight additions, and references to the authorities, which he does not give in detail.
This affair has been magnified by too precipitate an admiration into a proteſt on the part of Maſſachuſetts againſt ſlavery and the ſlave-trade. So far, however, from any ſuch proteſt being made, the firſt code
