Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-03-27

covering it they plunged into it, swallowing
its black contents with avidity.
Several of the citizens succeeded with
threats and whips finally, in driving them
from it. In walking halt a mile along the
beach several of them lay down to die, but
were carried along bytheir suffering compan.
ions, or the citizens"
The following official account of her cap
ture we clip from the National Intelligencer
of the 2Ist inst.
(LeHer from Capt. Bell 10 the Secretary of The
Nnry.)
United States Ship Yorktown,
Kabinda, (Affica) Dec. l6, 1915.
Sir Il have the honor to inform you that
| addressed a letter to you on the 3Oth ult.,
giving an account of the capture of the Amer
lean barque Pons, Of Philadelphia, with $50
slaves on board, a duplicate of which | now
enclose. ! was So anxious to despatch the
vessel in the shortest time for Liberia, in or
der to land the slaves, and relieve them from
their miserable confinement, that it was not
ia my power to give you a more particular
account Of this vessel. ] will now ondeavor
10 do so, ard 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
20 days before she took on board the slaves,
during which time she was closely watched
by her Britanic Mtiesty's brig Cygnet, com
mander Layton. At about 8 o'clock on the
morning IF the eth November the Cygnet
rot under way and stood to sea. Immediate
y Berry hove UP the ship to Gallano, who
commenced getting Oh board the water, pro-
visions, and slaves; and so expeditions were
they in their movements, that at 8 o'clock
that evening the vessel VAS under weigh, ha-
wing embarked 900 slaves. Instead of stand
ing directly to sea, she KEEP; in with the coast
during the night. At daylight they were of
kacongo, about twenty-five miles to the moth
Of kabinda, when they discovered the Cyg-
net in the ofing. they Immediately rurled
all their sails, and dritied so near the shore
that tile negroes lined tie beach in hope Of a
shipwreck. They continued in this situation
until meridian, 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 crew consisted of
Spaniards, Portuguese, Bra2ilians, and som
from other counties {; and, although c%ontinu-
ing under the American flag, with probably
American papers, rot one American was on
board.
As | could not despatch her ;he evening Of
her capture, she kept company with us that
night. The next morning | regretted to learn
that Is had died and one jumped overheard.
So many dying in 50 short a time was ac-
counted For By the captain in the necessity
he had Of thrusting below all who were on
deck, aud closing the matches, when he first
fell in with rs, in order to escape detection.
The vessel has nt slave deck, and upwards
Of $50 were piled, almost in bulk, on the
water casks below. These were mllss.-
About forty or fifty females were confined in
one half of the II. nd-house cabin on deck 4;
the other half Of the cabin remaining for the
use of the officers. As the ship appeared TO
he less than $50 tons, il seemed Impossible
that one-half could have lived 10 cross the
Atlantic. About 200 filled up the spar-dec!;
alone, when ,hey were permitted to CONS up
from below, and yet the captain assured me
that il was his intention 10 take 400
more on board if he could have spared the
time.
The stencil from below was 50 great that
il was impossible TO stand mere than a few
moments near the hatchways. Our men who
vent below from curiosity, were forced NJ
sick in a few minutes /; then all the matches
were off. What must have been the suffer
- NOS Oh LltSC IbNl < 4lNo NAN
were closed am informed that very offer
in these cases, the stronger will strangle thC
weaker and this was probably the reason
why so many died, or rather were found dead
the morning after the capture. None but an
t eve witness can form a conception of the hor
+ ro.s these poor creatures must endure nthel
: transit across the ocean.
| regret to say that most Of this misery L
a.. nroducpd by our own countrymen they fur
, nish the means of conveyance in spite of ex
istinr enactmentS; and although there ar
strong circumstances against Berry, the lat,
3 master of the " Pons," sufficient to Undue
me to dctain him, if | should meet with him
f vet | fear neither he nor his employers Ca
be reached by our present laws. lie will n
= doubt make il appear that the Pons" wa
e hovopd his control when the slaves wer
2 brought o. board, Yet. from the testimon
of he men who came over from Rio as Pa
~senrers, there is no doubt the whole aitdi
n was ARRANGED at Rio between Berry and Ga
a l,no before the ship sailed. These men stat
d that the first place they anchored was
$ Onin. near the river Lagos, in the Blight
h Benin here they discharged a portion
ir tbeir cargo, and received on board a numb
d Of hoqshsqas or pipes FLIED tcith tcater. Ihe'
v we're slowed on the ground tier, and a tier
casks containing spirits were placed ov
h them. They were then informed that The re
30 sci igns goilg 10 Kabinda JOr q load Of Slaves
On their arrival at the latter place, the 81
ne rt was kent on board until a few days b
fore Berry gave up the command, Govern
d, nm the water casks in order to elude the su
IN nicions of any cruiser. For twenty days d
ar Rerry wait in the roadstead of kabinda, Pl
al 80, Lv tho hau nj his country, vet close