Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1838-08-31

filled up by faithful History
Shocking Increase of The Slace Trade
Lord Brougham, in recent speech in the
British Parliament, which does him infinite
credit, made some startling statements con
corning the increase in this nefarious traf-
tic. We quote some appalling facts on this
head below, which ought to be known to
the American people His Lordship com
planned that the clumsy and .preposterous
course which the civilized nations had adopt
ed, positively aggravated the evil. The
plan, as agreed upon by England and Amer.
ica and the other parties to the arrange
ment, was to conine the right OF capturing
or searching vessels on the African coast 10
The United States and British cruisers and
in order 10 quicken the diligence ofthe com
manders il was agreed that they should not
only share in the proceeds Of each vessel
captured aud condemned as prize, but a
certain sum of money per head, and there
fore called head money, should be paid for
each slave taken.
The effect OF this mode of compensation
proves TO be that cruisers make no attempt
10 prevent slave vessels, known 10 be such,
from taking in cargoes OF slaves but keep
at distance until they are fully loaded and
put to sea, for the sake of the head-money.-
The more slaves, OF course the better for the
captor Some instances OF the horrid con-
sequences of this course were stated. The
SLAYER, finding cruiser after her, the captain
begins to tighten his ship by throwing over
board the heaviest of the negroes. We
quote some heart.stirring details
Men, women, and children were thus
thrown overheard without remorse and IN
numbers proportloned TO the distance which
the pursuing ship might be gaining on him.
The slaves were thrown over with the letters
placed on them before they were brought on
board-letters which were considered ne.
cessary, first, for the protection OF the crew
against mullitudes OF the slaves, and also to
prevent attempts a. suicide, TO which the
slaves were ever ready TO resort if an oppor.
tunity presented itself on their voyage.
Another object of the letters was, that
" hen il became necessary to throw parties
over to tighten the ship, they when cast in,
letters aud all. would have the less chance
of escape To lessen that chance weights
were sometimes added,-for the negro, with
the Herculean strength which he generally
possessed, and from that facility of swim
ming which gave him a sort OF amphibious
nature, could easily, if left to his own I'M
feltered exerions, support himself IN the
waves until the pursuing schooner came
and if taken on board would prove a most
important witness against those who had
torn him from his native home to prevent
this the weights were added, which sunk
him before aid could arrive but that was
not the only mode of tightening the vessel.
Sometimes three human beings were pack
ed closely in cask, which was thrown over
with weights attached TO it, and one SLAYER
which was pursued had, before she was cap
tured, thrown over 2 such casks, each close
| " packed with human beings la another
instance two slave ships which were chased
| had had upwards Of 500 slaves on board,
every one of whom met a watery grave
Let not their lordships imagine that this
was fancy sketch 1t was unhappily, a
detail of facts which he received from gal
liant officer who was for some time Com
modore on the Western African sla,lon.-