about in the woods or concealed themselves in the glens and strong
places of the mountains.

These plundering excursions always produced speedy retaliation: and
when large parties cannot be collected for this purpose, a few
friends will combine together and advance into the enemy's country,
with a view to plunder or carry off the inhabitants. A single
individual has been known to take his bow and quiver and proceed in
like manner. Such an attempt is doubtless in him an act of
rashness; but when it is considered that in one of these predatory
wars he has probably been deprived of his child or his nearest
relation, his situation will rather call for pity than censure. The
poor sufferer, urged on by the feelings of domestic or paternal
attachment and the ardour of revenge, conceals himself among the
bushes until some young or unarmed person passes by. He then,
tiger-like, springs upon his prey, drags his victim into the
thicket, and in the night carries him off as a slave.

When a negro has, by means like these, once fallen into the hands of
his enemies, he is either retained as the slave of his conqueror, or
bartered into a distant kingdom; for an African, when he has once
subdued his enemy, will seldom give him an opportunity of lifting up
his hand against him at a future period. A conqueror commonly
disposes of his captives according to the rank which they held in
their native kingdom. Such of the domestic slaves as appear to be
of a mild disposition, and particularly the young women, are
retained as his own slaves. Others that display marks of discontent
are disposed of in a distant country; and such of the freemen or
slaves as have taken an active part in the war are either sold to
the slatees or put to death. War, therefore, is certainly the most