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Maryland Gazette (Green), Annapolis, November 14, 1750.
By Capt. Tarr who arrived a few days ago from St. Kitts, we have the following
account that was sent him by Hamilton Montgomery, belonging to the ship
King David of Bristol, bound from the coast of Guinea, viz. That on the
8th day of May last, the slaves on board the said ship rose about 5 o'clock
in the morning, none of them being in irons on board.------The insurrection
was contrived and begun by 15 that had for a considerable time been treated
with the same freedom as the white men; and a great many of the latter
dying, encouraged them to the design.------As the chief of these slaves
spoke very good English, he often convers'd with the captain in his cabbin,
where all the arms were loaded.------and consulting with his comrades,
knowing the small strength of the white men, they at once flew into the
cabbin, and secured the arms in a few minutes, kill'd the captain and five
of the people, thereby putting it out of the power of the remainder of
the ship's crew to make any resistance, so that they got down the hold
to save themselves. But the head of the Negroes call'd to them, and told
them, if they would come upon deck and surrender, he would save all their
lives; which they soon did, except the chief mate, who remain'd in the
hold for some hours after; but sending down a white boy to acquaint him,
if he did not come upon deck, they would come down and cut him to pieces;
he thereupon came up, and they directly put him in irons, as they had all
the others before: About eight of the clock the same evening, they threw
overboard nine of the white men alive, with their irons on: The chief mate
was also brought on the gunnel, to be serv'd in the same manner; but one
of the head Negroes interposed, and said, Who must take care of the ship?
and withal declared, that if they destroy'd him, he would kill the first
man that attempted it; whereupon they saved his life.----Having let the
ship drive with wind and tide for 24 hours, they at last insisted to have
her carried to the Gold Coast, or Calabar, or St. Thomas's, an isle near
the coast of Guiney; but the head Negro being a fellow of more sense than
common, being persuaded there was no possibility of getting there, it was
agreed upon to go where no white man liv'd; and Desiada was pitch'd upon,
which they made on the 14th of May; and at 6 in the evening the Negroes
obliged the chief mate to hoist out the boat, and they then put two white
men and four Negroes on board to go for the isle; and if there were any
Whites liv'd there, they were to return and kill the remainder of the crew.---But
as the relator writes, he afterwards heard that they did not reach the
island, and that he heard nothing of them 'til he got the ship to an anchor
at Grand tier point, in Teage, a French island, on the 10th.----Where the
French, upon giving some small assistance, not so much as venturing their
lives, or anything like it, charged the expences to 3000 l. currency.----What
further was done with the ship, or the Negroes, he does not write.
Bibliographic Information
Maryland Gazette (Green), Annapolis, November 14, 1750.
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