the coast of Africa; touching first, if you think proper, at Senegal, where, if you find encouragement, you may part with such part of your cargo as you can sell to your liking, and then proceed down the coast to such ports or places as you judge best to dispose of your cargo to advantage, so as to purchase a cargo of two hundred slaves, with which you are to proceed to South Carolina, unless a peace should happen, or a good opportunity of coming off with a man-of-war, or some vessel of force, for the West Indies. In that case, I would recommend the Island of St. Christopher's, being handy to St. Eustatia's, for the sale of your slaves. Buy no girls, and few women; but buy prime boys and young men. As you have had often the care of slaves, so I think it needless to say much upon that head in regard to keeping them well secured and a constant watch over them.

"Your cargo is good, and well assorted. Your rum, I make no doubt, will hold out more than it was taken in for; having proved some to hold out more than the gauge. As you have guns and men, I doubt not you'll make a good use of them if required. Bring some of the slaves this way, if not too late.

"I am, with wishing you health, success, and happiness, your assured friend and owner,

One article of the outward cargo stands on the account thus: "Eighty-two barrels, six hogsheads, and six tierces of New England rum; thirty-three barrels best Jamaica spirits; thirty-three barrels of Barbadoes rum; twenty-five pair pistols; two casks musket-ball; one chest of hand-arms; twentyfive cutlasses."

The return cargo is recorded thus: "In the hole, on board of the Snow Cæsar,' one hundred and fifty-three adult slaves, and two children."

The following is a fair specimen of the captain's runningaccount, in his purchase of slaves, while on the coast of Africa, copied by us from the original manuscript: —

How will the above read in the capital of Liberia two

hundred years hence?

In 1754, there were in Medford twenty-seven male and seven female slaves, and fifteen free blacks; total, forty-nine. In 1764, there were forty-nine free blacks. When the law freed all the slaves, many in Medford chose to remain with their masters; and they were faithful unto death.

LIST OF SLAVES, AND THEIR OWNERS' NAMES.

We are indebted to a friend for the following: "It may be interesting here to mention a circumstance illustrative of the general feeling of the town in those days with regard to slavery. In the spring of 1798 or '99, a foreigner named Andriesse, originally from Holland, who had served many years at the Cape of Good Hope and in Batavia as a commodore in the Dutch navy, moved into the town from Boston, where he had lost, it was said, by unlucky speculations and the tricks of swindlers, a large part of the property which he had brought to this country from the East Indies. His family consisted of a wife and four children, with from fifteen to twenty Malay slaves. He lived only a month or two after his arrival in the town; and his widow, immediately

after his decease, sent back to their own country the greater part of the Malays, retaining only three or four of them for domestic service. Among these was a youth named Cæsar, who was master of the tailor's trade, and made all the clothes of the family, three of the children being boys. He worked not only for his mistress, but was permitted by her to do jobs in other families; and, being quick and docile, he became a general favorite. But, in the summer of 1805, Mrs. Andriesse was induced to return to Batavia, having received the offer of a free passage for herself and family in one of Mr. David Sears's vessels, and having ascertained, that, if she returned, her boys might be educated there at the expense of the Dutch government, and she herself would be entitled to a pension. All her servants returned with her, except Cæsar. He was sold to a son of old Captain Ingraham, who resided at the South, and owned a plantation there. Whether his mistress thus disposed of him for her own advantage, or because he was unwilling to return to his own country, cannot now be ascertained. In process of time, four or five years afterwards, Mr. Ingraham came on from the South to visit his aged father, bringing with him his boy' Cæsar, who left behind a wife and two children. Cæsar renewed acquaintance with his former friends, and expressed a decided preference for the freedom of the North over all the blessings which he had enjoyed at the South. They were not slow to inform him that he might be a free man if he chose; and he accordingly attempted to escape from his master. But, not having laid his plan with sufficient skill, he was overtaken in the upper part of the town, on his way to Woburn, and closely buckled into a chaise by Mr. Ingraham, who intended to drive into Boston with him, and lodge him on board the vessel which was to convey both of them home. Cæsar, however, had a trusty friend in Mr. Nathan Wait, the blacksmith, who had promised in no extremity to desert him; and as the chaise reached Medford Bridge, upon the edge of which stood Mr. Wait's smithy, he roared so lustily that Mr. Wait sprang out of his shop, hot from the anvil, and, standing before the horse, sternly forbade the driver from carrying a free man into slavery. Being ordered to mind his own business, he indignantly shook his fist at Mr. Ingraham, and retorted, that he would hear from him again in a manner less acceptable. A general commotion then ensued among Cæsar's friends, and they included many of the most respecta

ble citizens in the whole town. Apprehensions were entertained that he would be secreted, and that his pursuers might be subjected to a long, and perhaps fruitless, search. In those days, one daily coach maintained the chief intercourse between Boston and Medford. Accordingly, on the evening of this memorable day, Mr. Ingraham was one of the passengers who happened to be returning to Medford. His unguarded whisper to his next neighbor, I have him safe now on shipboard,' chanced to be overheard by some ladies, who speeded the intelligence to Caesar's friends. Their course then became clear. Mr. Wait instantly obtained from the Governor of the State the requisite authority and officers, proceeded to the vessel, and brought off Cæsar in triumph. Great pains were taken by Mr. Ingraham to ascertain the names of the eavesdropping ladies who had betrayed his counsel; but Mr. Wyman, the long-approved Medford stagedriver, was visited on the occasion by a convenient shortness of memory, which wholly disqualified him from recollecting who were his female passengers that evening; 'women,' as he afterwards added when telling the story, never liking to be dragged into court.' Redress by law was vainly attempted by the master. The case was tried, first at Cam-. bridge, in the Court of Common Pleas, and then by appeal, at Concord; large numbers of witnesses being summoned from Medford. Cæsar worked at his trade in Medford several years with great approbation, and afterwards removed to Woburn, where he married again, and was called Mr. Anderson. He died in middle-age."

Medford was the first town in the United States that rescued a fugitive slave. The antislavery movement of our day is one of the most prominent and effectual agencies ever witnessed. It has waked up the nation to the injustice and moral evil of involuntary bondage; and Medford has its full share of intelligent, persevering, and Christian opposers of the slave-system. Advocates of the system we have none. The Rev. John Pierpont and the Rev. Caleb Stetson early became devoted and able lecturers in the field; and, if a fugitive slave should now reach Medford, there would be fifty Nathan Waits to shelter and comfort him.

PAUPERISM.

To this class of unfortunates every Christian heart should turn with sympathy, and desire to become a Howard to them. Sad, sad indeed it is to be left to the bleak mercy of the world. That provisions for the poor increase the poor, there can be no doubt; yet, after all due allowances are made, the fact is that there are the imbecile, the unfortunate, the widow, and the fatherless, who come to extreme want without much fault on their part. The virtuous poor should always be separated from the vicious. To force them into familiar intercourse is cruelty and wickedness. Indigent persons, supported by public charge, were known but in the smallest numbers to our early ancestors. When a case of extreme want occurred, it was provided for by private charity. There seemed to be a settled resolve of the Pilgrims that they would not have here the poverty and the alms-houses they had left behind them. In Medford was illustrated these remarks as early as June 6, 1637, when we find the following vote concerning a resident here: "Whereas John Binfield died, leaving two children undisposed of, the charge of the one is ordered to be defrayed by Mr. Cradock, he having the goods of the deceased, the other child being disposed of by the country." We see from this that the poor belonged to the whole colony, and "the country disposed of them."

The care of our forefathers to keep pure may be seen in the following vote:

"March 4, 1685: The selectmen shall be empowered to prevent any person from coming into the town that may be suspicious of burden or damage to said town."

This vote of Medford looked at a case then existing. April 1, 1685, the selectmen protest as follows:

"Whereas William Burges, of Cambridge, hath lately intruded himself, with his family, into the town of Meadford, contrary to law, without the approbation of the town or townsmen, and he having been warned to be gone, and yet continues in said town without liberty, we, as selectmen, do hereby, in behalf of said town, protest against him, said William Burges, and his family, as being any legal inhabitants of the town of Meadford."

The first person who threw himself on the charity of Medford, and caused legislation in the town, was John Man, who