Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1819-07-03

were shipped. l learned the history of
each one, and discovered that, so far
from AL being taken in war and sold, in
stead of being kiiied, as the advocates Of
the slave trade maintain, not one ofthese
were prisoners of war, but most of them
seized by wretehes hired for the pur-
pose, in the fields, on the road, or sleep
ing in their houses. They express, by
word, and the dismal contortion of their
faces, the greatest horror at their treat
men during the passage. Every morn
ing many were taken out of the hold
dead, and thrown Gas they say to be
messes for the fish, and the rest could
scarcely live for the horrid smell of the
ship. 1t was in this cargo, or the one
seized short time before, and brought
into Savannah, that, while off our coast,
they were reduced to the necessity of
eating the flesh from their own arms, for
the sustenance of life. In conversing
with such of them as had learned to
speak the English tolerably well, found
that they had been to Sierra Leone and
Sherbro, and were we'll acquainted with
those places. Many of them had seen
Kissell, and said he was good man;
and, when | mentioned the name of
Paul Cuffee, half dozen cried out yes
yes. They seemed to know and appre-
ciate his character. One Of the boys in
the parcel can write Arabic; and, am
told, in the other parcel which were sold,
there were several who must have been
great men in their country, and who
made considerable proficiency in such
learning as might be acquired by inter-
course with the northern parts of Africa.
One of them asked, with great concern,
if we would not send back those who
were sold last year, and seemed dis
tressed at being told that it would be i'm
possible. A gentleman, who was pre-
sent at the sale, describes their parting
to their several masters as a most aifct-
ing scene. When they bid each other
farewell, never expecting to meet again,
they wept most bitterly, and plainly
proved that the feelings of nature were
as strong in them as in any others.
This is a dreadful subjectto write about,
my dear friend, but it is my duty to give
you such detail: we must know the
extent Of the evil before. we can apply
The Africans whose release we are
seeking will be left under the care of
the same good old man already mention
ed, and whom cannot mention too
often with too much commentator.
God seems to have raised him up to be
the friend of these unfortunate race of
beings; he is never as happy as when in
the midst of them, and they ever look up
to him as their best friend. He is uni
versally beloved in this place. You
cannot mention his name, but each one
exclaims, Daniel is the best man i'll
the world, and the fttcst person to man
age these poor captives.' So much is
he devoted to this cause, and so generous
is his nature, that, though very poor, he
said he would give fifty dollars of his wa
ges to the society. He will conduct
them-to the ship, whenever they go on
to Smiths Island, if they be ordered
there; indeed it would be impossible to
get them willing to follow any other per-
son, for they coniide in no other.
| have now given you all the nccessa-
ry information about the special object
of my mission to this place. On Fri
day, set out for Augusta, where l shall
spend several days, thence to Savannah,
Beaufort, Charleston, Georgetown, Will
mington, and SO on TO Virginia. 1t will
be some time in July before I reach
home, even without an unexpected delay.
With sincerity, remain your friend,
WILLIAM MEAD.
E. B. CALDWELL, Esq.
Secretary American Colonization Society,"