Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-06-29
LETTERS FROM ClARALTAR.e
By The .As!hor Of t,IHc .lhis.arg S&ctch Eeok.

ond hear,. ami thought OF many things worth writing
down tor you. entertainments but as cnnnut within |
the UNITS ~" one letter toucb ali, will bekin with
the interesting matter, and fron, it's nau rc
Judge it will be Much speak CT for the |
present..
The subject, then that shall occupy the remainder
Ct this letter, Is the career CT desperate pirate who
was tried and executed last week. He had been 4
prisoner in the garrison for nineteen mouths. during
Which time tho British Government spared neither
pains expense 10 establish full chain of evidence
against him, The affair has caused the creates.
citcmcm here, well rs at Cadiz. owing TO the de-
vclopnent of the atrocities which marked the charac-
ter of this man, and the diabolcal gang of which he
was the lie der. Nothing else is talked eff and
a Thousand horrors added to his guilt,
which, although he was guilty enough, ie has 10
right To bear The following Is all the authentic in
formation i could collect concerning hun. | have
drawn 1t from his trial. from the Confessions of hts
accomplces, from The keepers Of his prison. and no,
little ffou his lips. II Will be found more IN
tcrestng tnn all the tales and sketches furnished in
the " Animals" magazines, and other vehicles of in.
vcn,ion. from the staple fact hat it is truth and not
fiction
Benito Ge Soto, The Pirate Of The Morning Star
Denito de Snto was native of small village
near Corunna; he was bred mariner and was i'm the
gu''tiess exercise OF his calling at Bucnos Ayres III
the year 1897. vessel was there being fitted out
for voyage to the coast of Africa for the purpose of
suEig2;i ing slaves; md she reoucd strong crew
great number CT sailors were Engaged. amongst
Whom Suio The Portuguese o. South Amer,cn
have yet privilege of dealing slaves ON a certain
part Of the African coast but the intent DON of
the captain CT this vessel TO exceed the limits OF his
trade, and To run farther down. to take his cargo
of human beings from part of tho country, which
was prescribed in the certainty of being there ena-
bed to purchase slaves at mulch lower rate than he
could in the regular way; ur perhaps, take away
by force many Us h. could stow into his ship. lie
therefore required considerable number of hands for
the en'erPris'; and IN such traffic, it may easily be
conceived. that the morals of tho could be
subject OF much Confederation with the c,nDloyer-
French Spanish Portuguese, and others, were IN or
ed OH beard most of them renegndocs, and they set
sail on their evil voyage, with every hope of infamous
Those who deal in evil, carry alanr with them tbe
springs of heir destruction upon which they
willread, III spite ofeEery caution and their ina GIN
edsocurty is but the brink of the pit which they
are To fail. 1t with The captain ofthis slave
ship. He arrived in Africa, took IN cons.Cera bic
number of slaves. and in order complete hlr cargo
Went on-shore, leaving his in charge the YES
sci. This mate 5ud, wicked reckless and
ungovcrnable spirit, and pcrceving in Eenso d. Soto
mind congenia with MS own, he fixed on him as a
ut person TO join in design he had conceived of
running away with the vessel and becoming pirate
Accordingly the mate proposed his plan to Soto who
not only agreed to join 1t, but declared that he him
sell had been contemplating similar enterprlze du-
ring The voyage. Thus both were at once of mind
and they lost no time in maturing their plot.
Ihol: first step to bresk the matter to the other
members OK tho crew IN This they proceeded eau. |
tou5iy aud succeeded far as to gain over twenty
Two oui OF he whole, leaving eighteen who remain I'd
Corrupt Tic wei! dispos ed; both persuasion and b-cnts
Wee resored TO- bu without efiect and The lea der of
Tue conspiracy the mate, began to despair OF Chain
li'S the desired Object, SOTO, however, was not so
easily depressed lie at once decided on seizne the
shiP Upon the 'cngt uf biz purty and wit hout con-
stng the e, he collected all the arms of the ves
SOL Called he consprators together, put into each of
TIER possession cntass and brace of pistols and
armed himself in ke MANNER and at the head of tho
gang drew bis sword and declared the mate to be the
commander OF The ship and the men who joined him.
part owners S;nl, those who had rejected the evil
offer remained nnUoved; which Soto ordered out
the boat, and pointing 10 the land, cried out "Tbere
Is the African coast this ship--ene or the 9th
e. must be chosen by every bonrd within five
minutes.
This deciaration although it bad the effect of pre-
venting any resistance that might be offered by the
well disposed to the taking of The vessel did not
change them from their purpose; they still refused to
JOIN In the robbery. and entered by one INTO the
boat at the orders OF Soto and with but one pair of
oars (ail that allowed TO ihem) put off for the
shore, from which they were then about ten miles
distant Had he weather continued ca IN as il WINS
when the boa; left the Snip she would have made the
shore by dusk; out unhappiiy strong gale of wind
set In shortly after her DEPARTURE and she was seen
by Soto and hisg gang struggling with the bilows and
approaching night al such distance from the land
as she could NOT possibly accomplish while the yale
lasted. All on board the ship agreed in the Option
thot the boat could rot I've they flew away from
her at the rate Of ten knots an hour, under close
1eeied topsails leaving heir unhappy messmates to
their inevitable fate. Those of the pirates ggho were
i1tey executed at Cadz declared that every soul in
the boat persbed.
Tie drunken uproaT which that night rcigned in
the pirate ship was in horrId unison with the elements
around her. contention and euarrellnr folow,no the
brutal ebroty OF The pirates; each evil, spirit sought
me mastery OF the Others and Solos, which was the
fend Of all, began to grasp and grapple for its prop
or Piacc-the head OF such diabollcnl community
The mate tuow the chief Mt once gave the reins
to his rufian tyranny; and the Keen eye Of Soto
that ne who had iawned with him the day before,
would next day rule him with an iron rod. Prompt
In MS actions as he was penetrating his Judgment,
be had conceived jealousy for the Iaadcr
than he determined to put him aside and rs his rival
lay IN his drunken sleep, Soto put pistol to his head
and deliberately shot him For this act he excused
himself to his crew, by stating them that it was in
their protection he did the ac that their interest was
the others den and concluded by declaring himself
their leader, and promising golden harvest to their
inture abours, provided they obcyed him. Soto sue
cecdnd to me height of his wishes, and was unapi