The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-12-29
MOTTO be witness against her officers and

. Hoepo pe u WHhess dgainst her officers an
crew.
But how do you mansge TO get away with
out exciting suspicion"
why, you see, we keep close and get eve
rything aboard, and 90 not ask our papers ur
til we are just ready to sail Then we 20 t
the custom house and take out papers for Ri
!, Janeiro, st. Helena; Cape do Verde Islands
or any post you please--i: don't matter wher
but instantly clear
But you were seized at that moment
could the officers tell by searching the ship
that she was laverp
'Oh, yes, they couldn't help knowing. Be
{ sides, they mus! suspect something frsm see
ing such an almighty crew. My little bri!
carried but 200 tons and could be manned bl
/, tour men. But | had fourteen before The
+ mast. The noment of leaving port is one o
danger. But we don't lose time steam.
! or is kept ready, and we get under way i'm.
medately. Often two or three slavers leave
at once. We steam down the bay, and oyei
the bar, and then the ocean is before us, ant
we set our course for any quarter we please.
| But when you reach the African coast are
you not in great danger from Britt sh shius-
oI-warP
'Oh, no, we don't care for the English
squadron. We run up the American flag,
and if they come aboard, all we have to do
is to show our American papers, and they
have no right 10 search us. So they growl
and grumble and go off again
THAT may do very well when you are 20
ing in empty. But suppose that You are
coming out with a cargo of slaves on board!'
Even then we can get along well enough
if the niggers will keep quiet. We put
them all below deck and nuil down our hatch
es, and then present our papers. The Off
GERS have no right to go below. The only
danger in the case is that they W i'll stay on
board too long. They o en- suspect the
truth, and hang abou. for an hour or.two.-
Dy this time :he niggeis are st1ed and be-
gin to make a noise. Then the thing is out
and they seize the ship.
after that | supposed you are punshedn
'Oh, no. we generally get off. You see,as
we are Americans, they must bring US to an
American port to be tried. But if they run
the ship into port along the coast, they get
one pound head for every recaptured slave.
So they generally prefer to let us go, and get
their prize money
'How many slaves could you carry OF your
vesselp
'We took on board 664. We might have
slowed away 500. Ifshe had been going to
the Brazils we should have taken that num-
Der. She would carry $50 with pleasure -
The boys and women we kept on the upper
ieck. But all the strong men--those giant
Africans that M ght give US trouble--we put
below on the slave deck.
did you chain them, or put on handcufsr |
No, never, they would die. We let them
move about
'.ire you very severe with themr
'We have to be pretty strict at iirst--for a |
week or Soto make them feel that we are !
heir masters. Then we tighten up for the
est of the voyage
Ilow DO you pack them at nigh,!'
They lie down upon the deck, IN their
sides, body to body. There woald not be
DOM enough Tor them all to liz on their |
,ucks.'
Did many die on the passage" Yes; | |
ost good many. on the last cruise mere
han ever beIorc--semetmcs we find them
lead when we go helsw in the morning.
Then we throw them ovcrboard.'
Are the profits Of the trade very larger
My brig cost $4,000 to ft her out COM
'letrly. My last cargo to Cuba Was worth
$500 900. But it was seized on by the late
captain General Pezuc'a. He did more to
freak up the slave trade than any one else
I he had remained in office, he would have
topped it altogether But now Concha is
'ack again, and it goes on as flourishing as
'vPr.'
'But thought Concha was the great ene-
ny of the slave trade!'
so he is--n ords. He talks a great
eal, but Pezuela acted. From time ilnme-
noria, the planters estate has been sacred.
But PeZuela respected nothing. He seized
he negroes wherever he could find them,
ven on the plantations. BY this he incur
ed the enmity OF the planters; and he would
robaby have been assassinated,lf he had not
een recalled
Did you ever have fights with the Eng
sh shpsr
yes; once ship OF war chased two Of us.
Knocked the sticks out Of her. We didn't
top to look after the dead. At another time
was captured. 1t was in dead calm, aud
here was no chance of getting away. When
saw that we were gone went below and
toye every cask of water but one. The 9TH
n ship was short too. So we had both to
tut in to the land to get water. They put
N board of US Lieutenant and crew. But
le did not know the coast, and, as we drew
owards land, he had to make me pilot threa-
ening at the same time, to shoot me if ran
Ter on shore. took the helm and ran her
nto an inlet.
No sooner had we passed the mouth than
We saw on the bank the barracoons Of the
lave factors. They all knew me, and boats
tut off from the shore. The Lieutenant hail
ID them in English and told them to keep of.
1t the same time hailed them in Spanish
md told them that the ship was prize
rhat night they came off in force and recap.
ured her. We put the Lieutenant and his
nen in boat and sent them adrft, while
vent down the coast and took in cargo Of
laves, and carried them safely across the