Escape of French Slaves
The contiguity of the French West India Islands, where Slavery exists, to the Free Islands under the British crown, affords many opportunities for the escape of slaves from the former to the latter; the British emancipated islands proving a strong temptation to the poor fugitive French slave, who there finds an asylum for oppression, a home and liberty, notwithstanding all attempts to the contrary. Since emancipation, about 1000 slaves have reached the British colonies safely in their light sailing boats, as many have probably perished in the attempt, and as many more have been caught and thrown back into the horrible dungeon of Slavery, to pay the penalty of their crime in the additional severity of their labor and their punishment.
(Liberator, Feb 6, 1846, pg 4)
