The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1846-03-31
Letter from Capt. Bell to the
Secretary OF the Navy
UNITED STATES SHIP YoRKrowN.
KApINpA. fAfrica.l J DEC. I6. 1s45

| DIX L idNt ttiS HOilOI W YOU
that addressed letter to you on the
30th ultlRO, giving an account of the cap
ture OF the American barque Pons, of
| Philadelphia, with eight hundred and
ninety-six slaves on board, duplicate of
whish | now enclose. was SO anxious
to dispatch the vessel in the shortest time
for Liberia. in order to land the slaves,
and relieve them from their miserable
confinement, that it was not in my power
to give you more particular account of
this vessel. will now endeavor to do
so, and also state some facts which have
since come to my knowledge.
The Pons, under the command of
James Berry, was at anchor at Kabinda
for about twenty days before she took on
board the slaves, during which time she
was closely watched by her Britannia
MJesty's brig Cygnet, Commander Lay
ton. At about nine o'clock on the morn
ing Of the 9th November the Cygnet
got under way and stood to sea. Imme-
diately Berry gave up the ship to Gala
no, who commenced getting on board the
water. provisions, and slaves; and so ex-
peditous were they in their movements,
that at eight o'clock that evening the
vessel was under weigh, having embark
ed nine hundred and three slaves. In
stead of standing directly to sea, she kept
in with the coast during the night. At
daylight they were off Kacongo, about
twenty-five miles to the north of Kabinda,
when they discovered the Cygnet in the
offing. They Immediately furled all
their sails, and drifted SO near the shore
that the negroes lined the beach in hope
Of shipwreck. Tney continued in this
situation until ne idiln, when, finding
they had not been discovered, they set
their lower sails in order to clear the
shore, and, as the Cygnet drew off from
the land, they afterwards set their more
lofty ones. Two days afterwards we
captured her. Her cargo consisted Of
Spanlards, Portuguese, Brazilians, and
some from other countries; and, al
though continuing under the American
flag, with probably American papers, not
one American was on board.
As could not despatch her the eve
ming of her capture, she kept company
with US that night. The next morning |
regretted to learn that eigteen had died
and one jumped overheard. So many
dying in so short time was accounted
for by the captain in the necessity he had
of thrusting below all who were on deck,
and closing the matches, when he first
fell in with US, in order to escape detec-
ton.
The vessel has no slave-deck, and up
wards of eight hundred and fifty were
piled, almost in bulk, on the water-casks
below. These were males. About for
" or fifty females were confined in one
half Of the round-house cabin on deck;
the other half of the cabin remaining for
the use of the officers. As the ship ap-
peared to be less than three hundred and
fifty tons, it seemed impossible that one
half could have lived to cross the Allan
tic. About two hundred filed up the
spar-deck alone, when they were permit
ted to come up from below, and vet the
captain assured me that it was his inten-
ton to have taken four hundred more on
board if he could have spared the time.
The stencil from below was so great
that it was impossible to stand more than
few moments near the hatchways.-
Our men who went below from curiosity,
were forced up sick in few minutes;
then all the matches were off. What
must have been the suferings Of these
poor wretches when the hatches were
closed! am informed that very often
in these cases, the stronger will strangle
the We ker; & this was probably the rea-
son why so many died, or rather were
dead, the morning after the capture
None bntssan eye witness can form a con-
ception of the horrors these poor crea-
lures must endure in their transit across
the ocean.
regret to say that most of this misery
is produced by our own countrymen,
they furnish the means of conveyance in
spite of existing enactmenis; and although
there are strong circumstances against
Berry. the late master of the "Pons,''
sufficient to induce me to detain him, if
| should meet with him, vet fear neither
he nor MS employers can be reached by
our present laws. He will no doubt
make it appear that the "Pons,'' was be-
yond his control when the slaves were
brought on board. Yet from the tcsti-
mony of the men who came over from
Rio as passengers, there is no doubt the
whole affair was arranged at Rio between
Berry and Gallano before the ship sailed.
These men state that the first place they
anchored was at Onin, near the river
Lagos. in the Blight of Benin; here they
discharged portion OF their cargo, and
received on board a number of hogsheads
or pipes filed with water. These were
slowed on the ground tier, and tier Of
casks containing spirits were placed over
them. They were then informed that