midnight
that the negro Babo answered he might conceive ; that , grieved at the prospect of what might overtake the generous Captain Amasa Delano , the deponent at first refused to ask the desired questions , and used every argument to induce the negro Babo to give up this new design ; that the negro Babo showed the point of his dagger ; that , after the information had been obtained the negro Babo again drew him aside , telling him that that very night he -LRB- the deponent -RRB- would be captain of two ships , instead of one , for that , great part of the American 's ship 's crew being to be absent fishing , the six Ashantees , without any one else , would easily take it ; that at this time he said other things to the same purpose ; that no entreaties availed ; that , before Amasa Delano 's coming on board , no hint had been given touching the capture of the American ship : that to prevent this project the deponent was powerless ; * * * -- that in some things his memory is confused , he can not distinctly recall every event ; * * * -- that as soon as they had cast anchor at six of the clock in the evening , as has before been stated , the American Captain took leave , to return to his vessel ; that upon a sudden impulse , which the deponent believes to have come from God and his angels , he , after the farewell had been said , followed the generous Captain Amasa Delano as far as the gunwale , where he stayed , under pretense of taking leave , until Amasa Delano should have been seated in his boat ; that on shoving off , the deponent sprang from the gunwale into the boat , and fell into it , he knows not how , God guarding him ; that -- * * * * * -LSB- _ Here , in the original , follows the account of what further happened at the escape , and how the San Dominick was retaken , and of the passage to the coast ; including in the recital many expressions of `` eternal gratitude '' to the `` generous Captain Amasa Delano . '' The deposition then proceeds with recapitulatory remarks , and a partial renumeration of the negroes , making record of their individual part in the past events , with a view to furnishing , according to command of the court , the data whereon to found the criminal sentences to be pronounced . From this portion is the following _ ;] -- That he believes that all the negroes , though not in the first place knowing to the design of revolt , when it was accomplished , approved it . * * * That the negro , José , eighteen years old , and in the personal service of Don Alexandro , was the one who communicated the information to the negro Babo , about the state of things in the cabin , before the revolt ; that this is known , because , in the preceding midnight , he use to come from his berth , which was under his master 's , in the cabin , to the deck where the ringleader and his associates were , and had secret conversations with the negro Babo , in which he was several times seen by the mate ; that , one night , the mate drove him away twice ; * * that this same negro José was the one who , without being commanded to do so by the negro Babo , as Lecbe and Martinqui were , stabbed his master , Don Alexandro , after he had been dragged half-lifeless to the deck ; * * that the mulatto steward , Francesco , was of the first band of revolters , that he was , in all things , the creature and tool of the negro Babo ; that , to make his court , he , just before a repast in the cabin , proposed , to the negro Babo , poisoning a dish for the generous Captain Amasa Delano ; this is known and believed , because the negroes have said it ; but that the negro Babo , having another design , forbade Francesco ; * * that the Ashantee Lecbe was one of the worst of them ; for that , on the day the ship was retaken , he assisted in the defense of her , with a hatchet in each hand , with one of which he wounded , in the breast , the chief mate of Amasa Delano , in the first act of boarding ; this all knew ; that , in sight of the deponent , Lecbe struck , with a hatchet , Don Francisco Masa , when , by the negro Babo 's orders , he was carrying him to throw him overboard , alive , beside participating in the murder , before mentioned , of Don Alexandro Aranda , and others of the cabin-passengers ; that , owing to the fury with which the Ashantees fought in the engagement with the boats , but this Lecbe and Yan survived ; that Yan was bad as Lecbe ; that Yan was the man who , by Babo 's command , willingly prepared the skeleton of Don Alexandro , in a way the negroes afterwards told the deponent , but which he , so long as reason is left him , can never divulge ; that Yan and Lecbe were the two who , in a calm by night , riveted the skeleton to the bow ; this also the negroes told him ; that the negro Babo was he who traced the inscription below it ; that the negro Babo was the plotter from first to last ; he ordered every murder , and was the helm and keel of the revolt ; that Atufal was his lieutenant in all ; but Atufal , with his own hand , committed no murder ; nor did the negro Babo ; * * that Atufal was shot , being killed in the fight with the boats , ere boarding ; * * that the negresses , of age , were knowing to the revolt , and testified themselves satisfied at the death of their master , Don Alexandro ; that , had the negroes not restrained them , they would have tortured to death , instead of simply killing , the Spaniards slain by command of the negro Babo ; that the negresses used their utmost influence to have the deponent made away with ; that , in the various acts of murder , they sang songs and danced -- not gaily , but solemnly ; and before the engagement with the boats , as well as during the action , they sang melancholy songs to the negroes , and that this melancholy tone was more inflaming than a different one would have been , and was so intended ; that all this is believed , because the negroes have said it . -- that of the thirty-six men of the crew , exclusive of the passengers -LRB- all of whom are now dead -RRB- , which the deponent had knowledge of , six only remained alive , with four cabin-boys and ship-boys , not included with the crew ; * * -- that the negroes broke an arm of one of the cabin-boys and gave him strokes with hatchets . -LSB- _ Then follow various random disclosures referring to various periods of time . The following are extracted _ ;] -- That during the presence of Captain Amasa Delano on board , some attempts were made by the sailors , and one by Hermenegildo Gandix , to convey hints to him of the true state of affairs ; but that these attempts were ineffectual , owing to fear of incurring death , and , futhermore , owing to the devices which offered contradictions to the true state of affairs , as well as owing to the generosity and piety of Amasa Delano incapable of sounding such wickedness ; * * * that Luys Galgo , a sailor about sixty years of age , and formerly of the king 's navy , was one of those who sought to convey tokens to Captain Amasa Delano ; but his intent , though undiscovered , being suspected , he was , on a pretense , made to retire out of sight , and at last into the hold , and there was made away with .