Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-04-02
Another SLAYER eau hit.
The following is the official account of the
capture of the Slave ship Pons.
United States Ship Yorktoacn, }

Kabinda, (Africa,) Dec. l6, IS45.
SIR:-I have the honor to inform you that
addressed letter to you on the 30th ultmo,
giving an account of the capture of the Amer
lean bark Pons, of Philadelphia, with eight hun
dred and nnety-six slaves on board duplicate
OF which now enclose. was so anxious to
despatch the vessel in the shortest time for Ii
IBERIA, in order to land the slaves, and relieve
them from their miserable confinement, that it
was not in my power to give you more partc-
ular account of this vessel. | will now en-
deavor 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 Kabnda for about twen-
ty days before she took on board slaves, during
which time she was closely watched by her
Britannia Majesty's brig Cygnet, Commander
Layton. At about nine o'clock, on the morn
ing of the 9th of November, the Cygnet got
under way and stood to sea- Immediately Ber-
ry gave up the ship to Gaano, who commenced
getting ON board the water, provisions, and
slaves and so expeditions were they in their
movements, that at eight o'clock that evening
the vessel was under way, having embarked
nine hundred and three slaves Instead of stand
ing 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 ofing. They Immediately furled all their
sails and drifed so near the shore, that the ne
groes lined the beach, in hope of a shpwreck-
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 consist
ed of Spaniards, Portuguese, Brazans, and
some from other countries, and although contin-
uing under the American flag, with probably
American papers, not one American was on
board
As could not despatch her the evening of
her capture, she kept company with US that
night The next morning regretted to learn
that eighteen had died, and one Jumped over
board. So many dying in so short time, was
accounted for by the captain in the necessity he
had Of thrusting below all who we're on deck and
closing the matches, when he first fell in with US,
in order to escape detection
The vessel had no slave-deck, and upwards
of eight hundred and fifty were piled, almost in
bulk, on the water casks below; these were
males; about forty or fifty females were confined
in one-half of the round-house cabin, on deck,
the other half of the cabin remains for the use
of the officers. AS the ship appeared to be less
than three hundred and fifty tons, it seemed
impossible that one-half could have lived to cross
the Atlantic. About two hundred filled the
spar-deck alone, when they were permitted to
come up from below, and yet the captain assur-
ed me that it was his intention 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 mo-
ments 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 suherings of these
poor wretches when the matches were closed?-
| am informed, that very often, in these cases,
the stronger will strangle the weaker; and this
was probably the reason why so many died. or
rather were found dead, the morning after the
capture None but an eyewitness can form a
conception 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
enactments; and although there are strong cir
cumSanees against Berry, the late master of the
" Pons," sufficient to induce me to detain him,
if should meet him, yet fear neither he nor
his employers can be reached by our present
Jaws He will, no doubt, make it appear that
the " Pons" was beyond his control when the
slaves were brought on board. Yet, from the
testimony of the men who came over from Rio