9th Month, 25th.

I pursued my way to Rich-
mond

in the mail stage, through a beautiful coun-
try, but clouded and debased by Negro slavery. At
the house where I breakfasted, which is called the
Bowling-green, I was told that the Owner had in his
possession 200 slaves. In one field near the house,
planted with tobacco, I counted nearly 20 women
and children, employed in picking grubs from the
plant. In the afternoon I passed by a field in
which several poor slaves had lately been executed,
on the charge of having an intention to rise against
their masters. A lawyer who was present at their
trials at Richmond, informed me that on one
of them being asked, what he had to say to the
court on his defence, he replied, in a manly tone of
voice: I have nothing more to offer than what
General Washington would have had to offer, had
he been taken by the British and put to trial by
them. I have adventured my life in endeavouring
to obtain the liberty of my countrymen, and am a
willing sacrifice in their cause and I beg, as a fa-
vour, that I may be immediately led to execution.
I know that you have pre-determined to shed my
blood, why then all this mockery of a trial?

In the evening I arrived at Richmond

, the capi-
tal of Virginia. In one respect, this has a good
deal the appearance of an English town, having a
cloud of smoke hanging over it, occasioned by the
use of pit-coal. They have great plenty of this