Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-10-07
Drowning Of Six Hundred Slaves.

In the year 1880, thare was lowering on the African
coast large clipper brig called the Brante, com
manded by a desperate named Romans. Romans
was at Englishman by birth, and was known along
the whole coast and in Cuba as the most successful
SLAYER of his day, The brig was owned by two men
residing in Havana, one an EngIshman the other
Spaniard. She blt to carry six hundred negroes
and in her Holman had made ten successful voyages,
actually landing in Cuba five thousand neg, oes The
brig carried ten guns had thirty sweeps and crew Of
sixty Spanards, most of them old pirates, as
desperate as their commander. An English brig
of war which attacked her was so cut up in hull
and rigging that she was abandoned and soon
after sunk an English soop of war attempted
to carry the Brillante with boats which were
beaten off with great slaughter. Now it was
known that HOmans was again on the coast, and
it was resolved to make another attempt to take
him, with the evidence of his guilt on board
The arrangements for this purpose were well
made lie was allowed to take in his cargo of
negroes and set sail
The Brlante had not lost sight of the coast
when the quick eye of her commander discover
ed that he was entrapped. Four cruisers, three
of them English and one American, had been
lying in wait for him, and escape was hopeless,
! In running away from one he would come with
in reach of another. Night was coming on, and
Hom1ns was silently regarding his pursuers,
when suddenly the huge sails of the brig tapped
idly--the wind died away, and the SLAYER was
motioness on the waters. "This will not do
Homas muttered, knocking away the ashes from
his segar--'' their boats will be down upon me
before am ready for the visit" and as he said
this, his stern face lit up with smile, the ex-
preston of which was diabolical 1t was evil
dent enough that he meditated some desperate
plan,
dozen sweeps were got out, and the vessel
moved slowly through the water. Meantime the
darkness hpving deepened, Homas proceeded to
carry ont his design.
The cable attached to the heaviest anchor was
taken outside of the hawse hole, and carried
round The rail of the brig, extending from the
how, aft round the stern, and then forward on
the other side The matches were then taken
off, and the negroes passed up, each securely
ironed by the wrist. As the miserable wretches
came up from that hold, into the fresh air,
they expressed by their looks gratitude which
would have soliened the heart of any but the
hcnd in whose power they We're Without
word they we're led to the side, and made to bend
over the rail, outside of which the chain ran.
The irons which cIasped their wrists were then
fastened by smaller chains to the links of the Ca
BILE. 1t was slow work, but at the end of four
hours, six hundred Africans, male and female,
were bending over the rail of the brig, in a
painful position, holding by their chained hands
the huge cable, which was attached to heavy
anchor, suspended by single sling from the
bow.
Homans himself examined the flstenings to
see that every negro was strongly bound to the
chain This done, he ordered the pen work of
the hold to be broken up, brought on deck,
bound up in mating, and well filled with shot,
and thrown overheard. The work was COM
plcted an hour before daybreak, and now the
only witnesses of Romans guilt were attached
to that fatal chain. Romans turned to the mate
and with smile full of meaning, said in Span
sh--
'Haro take an axe and 90 forward The
wind will come off to us soon. Listen to the
word and when YOU hear it, cut the sling
The man went forward, and Romans turned
and in vain eudeavored to penetrate the dark
ness. don't want to lose the niggers, he said,
speaking aloud-'and yet dare not wait until
day light. wish | knew where the hounds
were
{ At that instant the report Of gun reached
his ear, then another, and another, IN different
direction The cruisers were firing signals.
That's enough, exclaimed Romans, i know
where you are Then raising his voice, ne
f cried, Harro, are you ready The wind will
Il reach us SOON
! 'Ay ay, sir, was the response.
n In few minutes the sails began to fill, and
+, the vessel moved slowly through the water.
How much water do you suppose we have
herep asked Homans, turning to the man at the
wheel
Fifty sat1,ora; a lels.,' was the reply