CHAPTER
VII.
MARTINIQUE. 12th Month,
9^nd,
(December)
1836.
Some of our friends in Dominica put into our hands copies of several petitions to the French Chambers, the last of which is dated only a month ago,* from the colored inhabitants of Martinique, (many of whom are themselves slaveholders,) for the immediate abolition of slavery. The views of the petitioners are just and ad足 mirably expressed, and coming from persons living in immediate contact with slavery, possess a peculiar value. As we must pass by Martinique, on our way to St. Lucia, we concluded to spend a day or two in St. Pierre and Fort Royal, in the hope of obtaining additional information respecting this anti-slavery movement. We reached St. Pierre, about ten o'clock a. m. A colored gentleman, to whom we had an introduction, came to us immediately on learning our arrival, and staid with us during the few hours we re足 mained. He was a decided abolitionist, but was not one of those principally concerned in the petitions, though his signature was attached to them. Our short stay and the disadvantage we were under in not being able to converse fluently in French, prevented * See Appendix C.