Facts which came out in the course of the trial of six servants of this Mudie, who were all hanged for an attempt to shoot his overseer, induced Sir Richard Bourke to strike him out of the commission of the peace. Thereupon this white slave-driver became a grievance-monger, and wrote a book, in which, with perfect unconsciousness, he painted his own picture in such colours as to more than justify his erasure from the roll of magistrates. The curious and instructive part of the business was, that Mudie actually succeeded in obtaining a long string of testimonials in favour of his virtue and humanity from parties, some of whom were highly respectable.
Yet the following extract unconsciously conveys the severest satire on the man and the state of society:—
"A young fellow who had just become free, and had got himself established on thirty acres of land, with a few pigs, &c., set off to the factory (female convict barrack), in search of a wife. On his way he had to pass the estate of Mudie. In conversation with the wife of the porter he mentioned the object of his journey. The porter's wife advised him to pay his addresses to one of her master's convict female servants, whom she recommended as being both sober and industrious, whereby he would at once gain a good wife, and spare himself an additional journey of 140 miles.
"The young woman was sent for and consented at once. No wonder that a woman would accept marriage in preference to slavery with a Mudie. The white slave-driver author then gives the following dialogue as taking place between himself and the young couple:—
"Marianne—'I hope your honour will allow me to get married.'
"His Honour—'Married! To whom?'
"Marianne—(rather embarrassed)—'To a young man, your honour.'
"His Honour—'To a young man! What is he?'
"Marianne—(her embarrassment increasing)—'I really don't know.'
"His Honour—'What is his name? Where does he live?'
"Marianne—' I don't know. To tell your honour the truth, I never saw him until just now. Mrs. Parsons sent for me to speak to him; we agreed to be married, if your honour will give us leave. It is a good chance for me.'
"His Honour—'Send the young man here.'
"Enter Cœlebs.
"His Honour—'Well, young man, I am told you wish to marry Marianne, one of my convict servants. Have you observed the condition the young woman is in?' (Marianne being 'in the way that ladies wish to be,' &c.)
"Cœlebs—(grinning, as we may imagine Mudie if some one had offered him the chance of an heiress, old, ugly, ill-tempered, with a hundred thousand pounds)—'Why, your honour, as to that, in a country like this, where women are scarce, a man shouldn't be too greedy. I'm told the woman is very sober, and that's the main chance with me. If I go to the factory, why I might get one in the same way without knowing it, and that might be the cause of words hereafter; and she might be a drunken vagabond besides. As to the piccaninny, if it should happen to be a boy it would soon be useful, and do to look after the pigs.'"
