parents, when a youth, had encouraged his propensities for bravery.  Without protecting them with that medium of education which assimilates courage with gentlemanly conduct, carrying out the nobler impulses of our nature, they allowed him to roam in that sphere which produces its ruffians.  At the age of fifteen he entered a counting-room, when his quick mercurial temperament soon rendered him expert at its minor functions.  Three years had hardly elapsed when, in a moment of passion, he drew his dirk, (a weapon he always carried) and, in making a plunge at his antagonist, inflicted a wound in the breast of a near friend.  The wound was deep, and proved fatal.  For this he was arraigned before a jury, tried for his life.  He proved the accident by an existing friendship-he was honourably acquitted.  His employer, after reproaching him for his proceedings, again admitted him into his employment.  Such, however, was his inclination to display the desperado, that before the expiration of another year he killed a negro, shot two balls at one of his fellows, one of which was well nigh proving fatal, and left the state.  His recklessness, his previous acts of malignity, his want of position, all left him little hope of escaping the confines of a prison.  Fleeing to parts unknown, his absence relieved the neighbourhood of a responsibility.  For a time, he roamed among farmers and drovers in the mountains of Tennessee; again he did menial labour, often forced to the direst necessity to live.  One day, when nearly famished, he met a slave-driver, conducting his coffle towards the Mississippi, to whom he proffered his services.  The coarse driver readily accepted them; they proceeded on together, and it was not long before they found themselves fitting companions.  The one was desperate-the other traded in desperation.  An ardent nature, full of courage and adventure, was a valuable acquisition to the dealer, who found that he had enlisted a youngster capable of relieving him of inflicting that cruelty so necessary to his profession.  With a passion for inflicting torture, this youth could now gratify it upon those unfortunate beings of merchandise who were being driven to the shambles:  he could gloat in the exercise of those natural propensities which made the infliction of pain a pleasant recreation.  In the trade of human flesh all these cruel traits became valuable; they enabled him to demand a good price for his services.  Initiated in all the mysteries of the trade, he was soon entrusted with gangs of very considerable extent; then he made purchases, laid plans to entrap free negroes, performed the various intricacies of procuring affidavits with which to make slave property out of free flesh.  Nature was nature, and what was hard in him soon became harder; he could crib “doubtful white stuff” that was a nuisance among folks, and sell it for something he could put in his pocket.  In this way Romescos accumulated several hundred dollars; but avarice increased,