The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-09-21
UNE BIER 3s.

A'ter conVersng awhile, through the interpret.
ell WIN 'he men, who are in five different rooms
T. ana WIN the Tour children, who are in room bv
themselves we went to the door of the room where
: Jlngua IS confined. lie is with several savage
= looking fellows, black and white, who are in ;aiI
}, on various charges Visiters are not allowed I'd
enter this strong hold of the JAIL and the inmates
can only be seen, and conversed with, through the
. aperture in the door. The ailor is fearful that
5 some of them would escape if the door was open.
ed too frequently. Even the other African pris.
oners are not permitted to hold converse with their
leader. Before he and they were deprived of this
privilege, and when he occasionally came among
them, they gathered around him, all talking at
once, and shaking hands, as if they reoiced to see
him among them. They appeared to look up to
him. am told, with great respect We found
him stretched upon his bedding on the floor, Who'll
y ,uncothed with single blanket partly wrap
ped around him. He arose at the call of the jail
or, rather reluctantly, but came towards us with
good degree of gracefulness and native dignity
Afterwards we saw him we'll clothed but he does
not seem 10 like the tight dress of this country
AT first he seemed aVerse to answering the ques-
tons OF the Interpreter, and made the impression
that he could not speak the Mandingo language
But after the interpreter had told him that he had
conversed freely with his comrades, he conversrd
very freely, and with much energy of expression
and action, R. S. Baldwin, Esq, of counsel for
the prisoner and Prof Gibbs, having accompan-
ed the interpreter. -&
Joseph Cinquez, as the Spanards have named
him, but who pronounces his name in his own
language, Jingua says he is native of the Man.
dlngo country. His father is neither king nor a
chief, but one OF the principal men. Jingua was
kidnapped and sent down to the town of Gende-
ma, or Geduma, in the Gallina country. The in.
terpreter knows the place-says it is from ten to
fifteen miles from the ocean, 1t is a small town,
on an inconsiderable river. Here he was put in
to the hands of King Sharka, and after staying a.
while was delivered by this king to " a great man.
named Fulekower belonging to Manu-, who dis
posed of him TO the Spaniards. By them he was
sent on board ship where he met, for the first
time, the persons WAC are now with him in pris-
on. From Jingua and his comrades we gather
the following statements, nearly in their very words
as translated by the interpreter They demand
ed OF the slavers where they were going to take
them, but got no satisfactory answer. In one and
a half moons, they said, we arrived at Havana
Here they were put ashore and confined one moon
in house very close. Then they were put on
board the schooner which brought them to this
country, and continued on board of her about one
moon or a month. After being on board the
schooner sometime, they agreed to take the school,
ner and go back to their own country. Previous
CUptUCU
severely. They would not take 1t, 10 use their
own expression and therefore turned to and fought
for it. After this they did not know which way
TO go. But at length they told the Spaniards to
take them to Sierra Leone. "They made fools
of u.s." said Jngua. "and did not go to Sierra Lee
one." In the day time, they said, they could tell
very we'll which way to go by the sun, but at
night the Spaniards deceived them, and put the
vessel the other way. After this, said they, I've
got here and did not know where we were.
Captain Green, of Sag Harbor, who was one of
the first men the prisoners met ashore, before their
capture by Lieut.. Gedney, of the U. S. brig WASH
ington, and who has given me circumstantial acA
count of all that took place, differing in many re-
spects from what has been published, says that the
Africans asked him, by one of their number who
speaks little broken English What country is
this?" He replied, this is America They i'm
mediately asked, " Is il slave country?" Capt.
Green answered. it is free here, and safe and there
are no Spanish laws here. Jingua then gave a
sort of whistle when they all sprang upon their
feet and shouted. Capt. Green and his associate
sprang to their wagon for their guns, supposing
the Africans were about to attack Them But jim
qua came up, delivered his cutlass and gun; and
even offered his hat, and the rest did the same,
that they would give all up that Capt.
G, might take charge of the schooner and every
tnlnS OH uodIu' Aney however oeSSeu OF MIN
to take them to Sierra Leone. Jingua positively
assured Capt. G. at the time, and he repeats it
now, that they threw nothing overheard. The
stories about his loosenng his girdIe and letting
three or four hundred doubloons drop into the sea,
and of diving and keeping under water forty min
utes CD are considered fabulous. The Africans
assert that there was quantity Of douboons in
the trunks that were returned on shore on Long
Island, and Captain Green says he heard the mon-
ey rattle the trunks were returned to the school,
ner by order of Lieut. Gedney. On examining
the contents of the trunks afterwards no gold was
found Some person, or persons, are supposed
to have the money, but aoho, as secret. While
on shore at Long Island, Jingua and his eonipan-
ions, although hungry, and with arms in their
hands, would not kill single animal, or take an
article even to satisfy their hunger without pay
ing generously for it. They appeared, it is true,
to know very little about the value of money, and
gave donbloon for a dog, and small gold piece
for some victuals.
The African prisoners are orderly and peacea-
BILE among themselves. Some of them sing well,
and appear to be in good spirits and grateful for
the kindness shown them. Col. Stanton PenGle-
i'm nj whose house | sion. is the iaiof ard is