The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

Notwithstanding the recommendation of the word of God "not to muzzle even the ox when he treadeth out the corn," nor "to rebuke the needy passenger who plucks an ear of wheat for his necessity;" yet in Jamaica, and in other islands, the poor African, whose lot is cast in the most severe of all cases, hard labour without pity or reward, is not suffered either through hunger or desire, to taste the growing work that ripens under his hands; besides, the threat, the terror of the lash, and even its severer smart, are not enough to satisfy the planter's avarice; his mouth will be muzzled, and the instrument to effect it is now lying on the table, before the writer of the following description: The whole is of iron; an oval rim, about half an inch broad, surrounds the face; the lower part of which, as high as the bottom of the nose, is filled up with a thin plate of iron, perforated with small holes, in the inside of which is fixed a small square piece of iron, which runs into the mouth and presses down the tongue as deep as the root. This mask is fastened on thus; from the forehead runs an iron as broad as the above rim, down the shape of the head behind to the collar bone, where it meets two similar rims that come from the bottom near the cheeks round the neck, and join behind through an eye in the back rims, whereon is fixed a padlock; the weight of which is discretionary.

This muzzle has another use, viz. to prevent our injured fellow-creatures from being heard, when they are writhing under the severity of the merciless lash.

Let the planters come forward and contradict this; let them shew to the world that they are misrepresented; let them prove the contrary. This is not the case in every plantation; but let them prove that it is no where used.