"My friend, (he answer'd) gen'rous is thy care,

These toils, young heroes and my sons should bear ;-
Their tender thoughts and pious loves conspire
To ease a chieftain and relieve a sire ;

But now the last despair surrounds our host,
No hour must pass, no moment must be lost;
Each single chief in this conclusive strife
Stands on the sharpest edge of death or life :
Yet if my years thy kind regard engage,
Employ thy youth as I employ my age.
Succeed to these my cares, and rouse the rest,
He serves me most, who serves his country best."
He spoke; the chieftain o'er his shoulders flung
A leopard's spoils, that to his ancles hung ;
Then grasp'd his sword and lance and strode along.
And now they all approach the distant guard,
Brave, wakeful heroes, each in arms prepar'd
They watch unweari'd, and all list'ning, keep
A sharp look out, nor heed invading sleep.
As faithful dogs their fleecy charge maintain,
With toil protected, from the prowling train,
When the gaunt lioness with hunger bold,

Springs from the mountains tow'rd the guarded fold ;
Thro' breaking woods her rustling course they hear,
Loud and more loud the clamors strike their ear
Of hounds and men; they start, they gaze around,
Watch ev'ry side, and turn to ev'ry sound.

Thus watch the guards still cautious of surprize,
The smallest motion draws their ears and eyes.
The prince with joy the watchful band survey'd,
And thus address'd them thro' the gloomy shade:
" 'Tis well brave men, your nightly cares employ,
Neglect must prove our fall, the town destroy,
Watch thus and we shall live ;" the hero said,

}

Then o'er the plain the following chieftains led..
The piles of dead now pass'd the chiefs around,
In solemn state the mournful council crown'd;
A field there was not stain'd with human gore,
Where fierce LOUVERTURE stop'd his rage before,
When night descending, from his veng'ful hand
Repriev'd the relics of the Christian band.
The plain beside with hills of carnage spread,
And mangled corpses and mountains of the dead.
There stood the mournful chiefs, when ZANGA'S SON
The counsel op'ning, in these words begun :
"Is there (said he) a chief so greatly brave,
His life to hazard and his country save?
Lives there a man who singly dares to go
To yonder shore, or seize some straggling foe?
Or favor'd by the night approach so near,
Their speech, their council, and designs to hear,
Spy yonder fleet, a bold discov'ry make,

.

What watch they keep, and what resolves they take,
If now subdu'd they meditate their flight,
And spent with toil, neglect the watch of night;
If to destroy our town they now prepare,
Our fields once more must be the seat of war;
This could he learn, and to our chiefs recite,
And pass unharm'd, the dangers of the night.
What fame were his thro' all succeeding days,
While Phoebus shines or men have tongues to praise ;
What gifts his grateful country would bestow,
What must not we to our deliv❜rer owe.
He who is boldest speak, nor be afraid,
To birth or office no respect be paid;
Let worth determine here." The hero spake,
And inly shudder'd for his brother's sake.
As when a gen❜ral darkness vails the main,

The mild winds curling the wide watry plain,
The waves scarce heave, the face of ocean sleeps,
And a still horror saddens all the deeps:

The chiefs thus heard and shudder'd at the sound,
Prop'd on their spears, and standing wide around.
Fear held them mute; alone, untaught to fear,
MONDINGO Speke; " The man you seek is here;
Tow'rd yon black fleet to bend my dang❜rous way,
'Tis Jove commands, and Jove I will obey;
But let some other chosen warrior join
To raise my hopes and second my design;
By mutual confidence and mutual aid,

Great deeds are done, and great discov'ries made,
The wise, new wisdom from the wise acquire,
And one brave hero fans another's fire."
Contending chieftains at the word arose,
Each hero's breast with emulation glows;
So brave a task each warrior wish'd to gain,
But most brave SAMBO wish'd nor wish'd in vain,
Then thus the prince in brief the contest ends;
"Thou first of brothers, and thou best of friends.
Undaunted MONDINGO, what chief to join,

In this great enterprize, is only thine."
The prince invincible in brief rejoin'd,

"My choice declares the impulse of my mind ;
Here can I doubt when mighty SAMBO stands
To lend his counsel and assist our hands?
A chief whose safety is the Spirit's care,

So fam'd, so dreadful in the works of war;
Bless'd in his conduct I no aid require,

Wisdom like his might pass thro' flames of fire.”
"It fits thee not, before these chiefs of fame,
(Reply'd the sage) to praise me, or to blame ;
Praise from a friend, or censure from a foe,

Are lost on hearers that our merits know;
But let us haste; night rolls the hours away,
The red'ning orient speaks the coming day;
The stars shine fainter in the etherial plains,
And of night's empire but a third remains."
Thus having spoke, with noble ardour press'd,
T'explore the distant shore, the heroes haste.
A two edg'd faulch'on, LOUVERTURE the brave,
With poison'd arrows, to his brother gave.
The furious SAMBO took a dreadful sword,
A bow, and quiver with sharp arrows stor’d.
And lo! thus arm'd the council they forsake,
And dark, thro' paths oblique, their course they take.
So two grim lions from their nightly den
O'erleap the fences, and invade the pen,
Regardless of the hounds or voice of men:
On sheep or goats, tho' guarded in their way,
They fall, and growling rend the quiv'ring prey.
As thus they slowly mov'd, MONDINGO pray'd
To heav'n, and thus the filial hero said:
"Thou Spirit, ever present in my ways,
Who all my motions all my toils surveys,
Safe may we pass beneath the gloomy shade,
Safe by thy succour to the shores convey'd ;
And let some deed this signal night adorn,
To claim the tears of Christains yet unborn;
Avenge my country's wrongs," the hero said,
And march'd all fearless o'er the heaps of dead ;
Thro' the red horrors of th' ensanguin'd plain,

Thro' dust, brains, blood, o'er arms and hills of slain.
Like two fell tygers panting for their prey,

With deathful thoughts they trace the bloody way,
Fix'd and resolv'd, the tyrants they explore,
And seek the winding of the distant shɔre.

Th' approach the ships, and as th' approach, they see
Full fifty boats, landing the enemy;

Thousands already marching on the shore,
And still the boats employ'd in landing more.
They saw their foes, and sicken'd at the sight,
Then left the shore before th' approaching light;
Rush'd tow'rds the council swifter than the wind,
And left the ships and enemy behind.
Meantime an army from the distant plain
Of natives, allies for the thirst of gain,

Approach the shore: the Christains' arts succeed,
Now first the natives by the natives bleed.

Now tow'rd the ships they bend their shameful way,
And on the left the panting chiefs survey.

""Tis not for nought these troops appear; declare,
(Cries the commander) who and whence you are,
And whither bound, and wherefore arm'd for war;
What moves you, say, when sleep has clos'd the sight,
To roam the silent fields in dead of night;
Perhaps some foes by hopes of plunder led,
Thro' heaps of carnage to despoil the dead."
Nought they reply, but took their instant flight,
To the thick forests, and the shades of night;
Swift as the wind they press o'er heaps of slain,
And rush'd to meet the warriors on the plain,
To join the council and respire again.

LOUVERTURE saw them first; forth from his breast

He sigh'd and sighing, thus the chiefs address'd
"Ah! hapless leaders of our warlike host,
Then must we perish on our native coast!
Is this our fate, to glut the dogs with gore,
And must we press our own paternal shore?
Say, great MONDINGO, shall we, shall we stand,
Resist the Christians and proud HAWKINS' hand?