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61.36% government vassa lordships gustavus poor commissioners navy black conduct agent sierra provisions dismission committee leone honourable expedition persons employment part commissary warrant twenty orders send memorial appointed months considerable cloathing surplus memorialist petition letter provided expense necessaries aforesaid redress produce city duty presents concerned majesty advantage acted proper trust
15.91% slaves west negroes negro men indies islands poor man state act work pay treatment common pence gentlemen day half human manner life oppressed cruelty instances owner india instance white owners climate order violent witness usage estates distress island barbadoes lives creatures mentioned king jamaica redress oppression surprising despair threatened
12.5% ship people time made great day immediately board till thought night sailed began large called sea manner thing deck mind days left small long heard put brought morning shore water part things hands situation sight land purpose death kind arrived lost appeared struck rest evening life ran house number
10.23% other topics

During my continuance in the employment of government, I was struck with the flagrant abuses committed by the agent, and endeavoured to remedy them, but without effect. One instance, among many which I could produce, may serve as a specimen. Government had ordered to be provided all necessaries (slops, as they are called, included) for 750 persons; however, not being able to muster more than 426, I was ordered to send the superfluous slops, &c. to the king's stores at Portsmouth; but, when I demanded them for that purpose from the agent, it appeared they had never been bought, though paid for by government. But that was not all, government were not the only objects of peculation; these poor people suffered infinitely more; their accommodations were most wretched; many of them wanted beds, and many more cloathing and other necessaries. For the truth of this, and much more, I do not seek credit from my own assertion. I appeal to the testimony of Capt. Thompson, of the Nautilus, who convoyed us, to whom I applied in February 1787 for a remedy, when I had remonstrated to the agent in vain, and even brought him to be a witness of the injustice and oppression I complained of. I appeal also to a letter written by these wretched people, so early as the beginning of the preceding January, and published in the Morning Herald of the 4th of that month, signed by twenty of their chiefs.