to the Printer of that Paper, by Joseph Marryat, Esq. of London, threatening him with a prosecution, which gave occasion to the following reply, which I inserted in the above-mentioned Paper, under date of the 12th December, 1804.
To JOSEPH MARRYAT, Esq. New Bridge Street,
I HAVE been favored with a sight of your letter of the 6th Instant to the Printer of this Paper: and as it wholly relates to my Travels in Trinidad, I shall make no apology for addressing you in this public manner.
The uncommon interest you appear to take in every thing which affects Colonel Picton, reflects great honor on the nature of your friendship for that officer. As the Champion of a man who labours under some of the heaviest charges which the laws of England have power to punish, I cannot observe your active zeal without lamenting that such generous exertions are likely to be so unavailing, or that for the sake of the character of your discretion, you had not employed them in a more popular cause. But, is it not enough that you have become surety for Colonel Picton in the sum of 10,0001. that he shall appear to answer any bill or bills of indictment which may be found against him for murder or
sistibly drawn from yourself to the Colonel, as if you were a cypher in the great account, and of no value, but from the relative situation in which you are placed-as if you were a mere machine, with no impulse of your own-an automaton, acted upon and moved by the archjuggler behind the curtain-you must, therefore, pardon this apparent neglect, and permit me to subscribe myself,
Your very humble Servant,
That these LETTERS will be perused by my countrymen with some degree of interest, I think I may conclude without presumption. Happy shall I esteem myself, if this plain unvarnished tale, this naked exposition of facts of which I have been an eye and ear witness, shall awaken the attention of those whose department it is to watch over the interests of my country, to avenge the wrongs of her children and relieve them from the oppressors scourge, and if it shall be the means, in the remotest degree, of introducing a more mild and equitable Administration of Government into THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD.
Liverpool, 31st August, 1805.
REFLECTIONS on the Conduct of Governor Picton, and the Inha-
bitants of Trinidad, at the close of the War-Their Hopes of a
Change in their political Situation-Opposition of the Governor,
and an Inquiry into the Causes of it-Detail of the Circumstances
respecting an Address to his Majesty on the Event of the Peace-
Address prepared and signed unanimously at a Public Meeting--
A considerable Number of British Inhabitants agree to celebrate
the cessation of Hostilities by a Public Dinner, on the 11th of
December, 1801, but are prevented by order of the Governor--
Messrs. Higham, Shaw, and others, pcrsecuted in consequence of
the Address to the King-The former arrested, and thrown into
Prison-Released without any Charge or Trial-Reflections on
that Transaction-Conversation between Governor Picton and
Mr. Higham -The Manner in which the Governor intimidated the
Inhabitants, by boasting of his Influence at Home-Hints respect-
ing the Execution of an Artillery-Man-And an Anecdote, in
which the Governor asserts that his Majesty's Ministers warranted
and approved of that Transaction-Reflections on so strange a
Declaration-Events in December 1801, resumed, and con-
Page 156,
CASE of Hugh Gallagher, executed by order of Governor Picton,
in May, 1797, reconsidered-An Account of Jean Baptiste Rich-
ard, a free Mulatto man, executed without Trial, by order of Go-
vernor Picton, in the year 1797-Fourteen Privates of the 60th
Regiment, and of Hompesch Corps, executed in 1797, by order
of Governor Picton, without any Form of Trial-Detail of the Case
of John Baptiste Alarcon, a Spanish Sailor, executed in the month
of April, 1797, by order of Governor Picton, without any Form of
Trial, for a Crime commmitted on the High Seas-A Guiacaree
Indian, the Sailing Captain, or Patron of a Schooner, Tortured and
Shot by order of Governor Picton, without any form of Trial, in
1800-The Case of Pierre Francois, executed, December, 1801,
by order of Governor Picton, for Sorcery, Divination, Knowledge
of the Black Art, Poisoning by means of Charms, &c.—Bouqui,
executed December, 1801, by order of Governor Picton, for Sor-
cery, Divination, Knowledge of the Black Art, Poisoning by
means of Charms, &c.-La Fortune, executed February, 1802, by
order of Governor Picton, for Sorcery Divination, Knowledge of
the Black Art, Poisoning by means of Charms, &c.-Thisbe, a
Negress, Tortured and afterwards Hanged, in February, 1802, by
order of Governor Picton, for Sorcery, Divination, Knowledge of
the Black Art, holding Converse with the Devil, Poisoining by
means of Charms, &c.-Michael Gradon, executed March, 1802,
by order of Governor Picton, for Sorcery, Divination, Knowledge
of the Black Art, Poisoning by means of Charms, &c.-Aubinot,
executed April 1802, by order of Governor Picton, for Sorcery,
Divination, Knowledge of the Black Art, Poisoning by means of
Charms, &c.-Prefent, a Negress, Hanged without Trial, by or-
der of Governor Picton-Circumstance relating to Coliah, a Ne-
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