Old Virginia and her neighbours

198 OLD VIRGINIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS.that whosoever should bring in the said Billy aliveor dead should receive a thousand pounds of tobaccoin reward, and if dead, his master's lossshould be repaired with four thousand poimds.Anybody who should aid or harbour Billy was tobe adjudged guilty of felony.^ No penalty wasattached to the murder of a slave by his masterbut if he were killed by any one else, the mastercould recover his value, just as in case of damagedone to a dog or a horse.Slaves were not allowedto have fire-arms or other weapons in their possession;" and whereas many negroes, under pretenceof practisingphysic, have prepared and exhibitedpoisonous medicines, by which many persons havebeen murdered, and others have languished underlong and tedious indispositions, and it will be difficultto detect such pernicious and dangerous practicesif they should be permitted to exhibit anysort of medicine," it was enacted that any slavewho should prepare or administer any medicinewhatsoever, save with the fullknowledge and consentof the master or mistress, should suffer death.^The testimony of a slave could not be received incourt except when one of his own race was on trialfor life ; then, if he should be found to testifyfalsely, he was to stand for an hour with one earnailed to the pillory, and then be released byslicing off the ear ; the same process was thenrepeated with the other ear, after which the ceremonywas finished at the whipping-post with nineand-thirtylashes on the bare back, " well laid1 Hening, iii. 210.2 Hening, vi. 105.