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PEDRO GIBEET AND OTHERS. 147

prosecution. Yes! the English officer by whom they were
captured was once indebted for his life to the leader of these
men. Mr. Quentin on the stand had stated he had no doubt
that when Capt. Trotter was in the hands of the negro king
he was saved by the interposition of Capt. Gibert. The jury
could find nothing in the whole course of the trial that went
to show that these men were the dangerous and bloodthirsty
miscreants set forth in the charges brought against them.
They (the jury) had been told there was much blood shed,
and many slaughtered on both sides, at their capture. Was
not this a total misrepresentation ?

Perez stated that he could not read or write, when it was
proved on the stand that he could do the former. Here was
a manifest falschood. When asked to write, also, what was
his condnet? Notwithstanding he eaid he could not write he
handled his pen in the most clerkly manner, and with as much
grace as the most experienced writers in this city. This doe-
ument, which I hold in my hand, though not a finished piece
of chirography, yet evinces some of the first elements of let-
tera, 80 well drawn, and so smoothly cut, that I think had we
‘pressed the matter we might have obtained from him a very
beautiful and satisfactory specimen of writing. I will new
eall your attention to some inconsistencies in his testimony
relating to himself. He states that he could not recollect
what was done at Nazareth, because he was so frightened at
the idea of being made a prisoner; while in another part of
his evidence he tells you he was once carried a prisoner into
Havana, and gives as 8 reason, ‘‘because they had slaves on
board the vessel.’’ Gentlemen, I do not state this as having
any bearing on the case, but only to show you how such tes--
timony ought to bear.

This witness has also stated that upon one occasion when
Capt. Gibert saw an English frigate, he (Capt. G.) ordered
all the knives to be taken away from the erew and concealed,
yet says, in the course of his testimony that it is the custom
for all Spanish sailors to carry long knives. How ean you
reconcile all these opposing statements. It appears evident

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