THE RECAPTURED NEGRO. DAZEE was a native of the country on the western coast of Africa, lying north of Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone is a settlement, which was formed towards the end of the last century by certain benevolent English gentlemen on the coast of Africa, in order to afford an asylum for such of the captive negroes as should be taken from the holds of slave vessels, or in other ways delivered from the hands of their barbarous masters. Dazee was born in a village situated at the foot of a very lofty range of mountains, which, by reason of the many trees scattered over them, together with certain natural reservoirs of water which lay in the little valleys between these heights, afforded convenient dwelling-places for many wild animals. This range of hills was called by the natives, the Mountains of the Gazelle, on account of the number of those beautiful creatures which inhabited it. The little town which gave Dazee birth was placed in the centre of an exceedingly thick wood; and the only approach to it was by one or more narrow footpaths carried in a winding direction among the trees: so that a traveller wandering through this wood might suppose himself, even when arrived within a few yards of the vil lage, to be many miles from any human habitation. The hut in which Dazee was born, like most other African buildings, was composed of thick posts, one placed at each of the four corners and sunk deep into the ground, with other smaller ones fixed between; the intermediate spaces being filled up with twigs. The only furniture of this dwelling was a few mats and cloths to sleep on, an iron pot, a kettle for water, and a small chest for clothes. In front of the wood which enclosed this village, there VOL. III.-N 25 was a spacious plain, through which rolled a river large and deep enough to admit vessels of considerable burden. Dazee had only an imperfect remembrance of his father; but he believed him to have been young and handsome, for this reason, that when he was still a mere infant, if by chance he saw a young and handsome man, with an erect mien and open countenance, he used to feel his heart drawn towards him as to a father. But what became of this parent he never knew, neither could his mother give any account of the fate of her beloved husband; for he went out one morning to fish in the river, and never returned. Dazee had also an infant sister, much younger than himself, and young as she was when she died, he remembered her. She was still at the breast when his father was lost; but from that time, probably from his mother's excessive grief, she pined away till she died. Oh! how hard it is to bear the afflictions attendant on human nature, even when we are privileged with all the sweet consolations of religion! How then can those afflictions be supported by the heathen, who are destitute of these consolations? We ask the question; but who can give it a satisfactory answer? After the loss of her husband and infant daughter, the poor widowed mother could find no comfort but in her son Dazee. And upon this darling boy she lavished all her tenderness, recognising in him those very features and that character of countenance which she had so much admired and loved in his father. Every one who has passed the first years of childhood must have observed, that his mind retains some particular impressions of parental kindness, while innumerable others are erased and forgotten. Agreeably to this observation, it was found, after Dazee's separation from his mother, that he recollected with remarkable tenderness some of her maternal habits and customs towards him, while others seemed to have entirely passed from his remembrance. Among those things which he recollected with especial emotion, was a custom which his mother had of sitting at the door of her hut about sunset, and sometimes long after, telling him stories of days long past, and things which she had heard related by her own parents, together with what she herself had done and seen in her youth. Dazee remembered, that when this custom was first taken up, his little sister was still living; and that she used at those times to be sleeping on her mother's bosom. He also recollected, after her removal, that he, being still very young, was allowed to take that place in the arms of his bereaved parent which his infant sister had lately occupied-which place he retained till forced by his increasing growth to relinquish it; and then, as his mother's seat was upon a mat spread at the door of the hut, he not unfrequently stretched himself at full length on this mat, laying his head upon her lap. The discourse of the poor widow, on these occasions, often ran upon the excellences, either real or imaginary, of her lamented husband-his comely person, or his skill in hunting, fishing, and running. Nor did she seldom indulge in vague and vain conjectures upon his doubtful fate; sometimes attributing his loss to the influence of a certain witch, whom he had offended; and sometimes imputing it to evil spirits who haunted the woods. Thus the time passed on, till Dazee had reached the age of fourteen or thereabouts; when one morning, while gathering sago in the plain by the river side, he was surprised by a party of men, whose dress and appearance marked them to be of a different nation from his own. After advancing into the country by water, they had left their boats to reconnoitre the neighbourhood of the village; where seeing Dazee alone, and at a distance from any habitation, they immediately seized and bound him, notwithstanding his screams and struggles: after which they dragged him on board their boat. Here the poor boy was, at first, so much terrified, that he could only utter cries and groans: but presently recovering himself a little, he earnestly besought only this one favour at the hands of his captors, that he might be allowed to take a last sad farewell of his mother. "I know," he said, "I know whither you are taking me, and what you are going to do with me. I have heard of the slave-dealers; and I know that you will carry me to some distant country, from which I shall never return: wherefore, I pray you, only to allow me one short interview with my poor mother. Let me, I beseech you, take a long and last farewell of her: for my father is gone; my sister is dead; and I was her only comfort." It was in vain that the poor boy thus pleaded, no one |