The murder in the streets of Coupang on 21 October 1818 was witnessed by the French. See Arago's drawing of the same incident in lot 45. Yesterday a boy ... ran away from his master: a slave, endeavouring to stop him, was stabbed by him in the throat with a knife. The latter, having pulled out the knife, and struck the fugitive with it, he dropped down dead ... The assassin was taken to the governor's secretary, who told us that he should send him to Java, where the slave would be hung.' J.Arago, Narrative