The latter, seeing the freedom and the happiness of servants in this country, and considering what would be their own hard fate on their return to the islands, frequently absconded.

Their masters of course made search after them, and often had them seized and carried away by force.

It was, however, thrown out by many on these occasions, that the English laws did not sanction such proceedings, for that all persons who were baptized became free.

The consequence of this was, that most of the slaves, who came over with their masters, prevailed upon some pious clergyman to baptize them.

They took of course godfathers of such citizens as had the generosity to espouse their cause.