Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-10-13
From The Citizen, U. y
A Sentimental SLAYER.
CAPTAIN CANor; or Tieenty Yearsof an 4friean
lSarcr. 1ppiefoHs

Siaper. 1pptefoHs.
This is an autobiography Of Captain Canot,
by Mr.. Brantz Mayer: an old weather beaten sea
dog aud professional aud practical pirate, telling
his rough story through the mouth Of
lackadaisical Htieraiteur, well acquainted with
the language Of circulating libraries. and posted
upon all the finer sensibilities of the heart. The
product il amusing, Is not unusual in such
cases. Dean Swift wrote n far better autobiog-
raphy for old Creighton, the veteran Cavalier Of
ficor and fell hunterof Coyonanters, than Creigh-
ton ever could have done for himself
IL thought says Mr.. Mayer, that true
picture of aboriginal Africa, unstirred by pro-
gress, unmodifed by reelected civilization full
of the barbarism that blood and tradition have
handed down from the beginning and ombalmed
IN Its preIudces like the curpses of Egypt,-could
not fail to be of ncalculable Importance to phi
lanthropists who regard no people As beyond the
reach of enlightenment
However that may be, the picture Is interest
ing, even to those who, like ourselves, are no
phlanthropists. Captain Canot is of French
extraction by the fathers side; his mother was
an ltalIon he made his first voyage under an
American captain; had good Yankee training
at Boston and Salem, committed back sidings
aud zowcd wild outs Mt Antwerp and Paris may
he snid Ia have finished his education in Cuba;
and sailed from thence on his first voyage 10
Alricn. Some insight may be had into the effect
upon the poor negroes, of the vigilance exercised
by the cruisers of tho African squadron its fist
effect is TO make it nccdful to stow them fol.
lows
CArTAIS GANOr PACKS CARGO
When the runners returned from the interior
with the slaves required to complete the Areosta-
ticos cargo, considered it my duty to the Itnl-
ian grocer of Regia to dispatch his vessel per-
sonaly. Accordingly, | returned on board to
aid in slowing one hundred and eight boys and
girls, he eldest Of mhom did not ercecd ffteen
ytdrs As crnwcd between decks, confess
| could not imagine how this little army WIS to
bc packed, or draw breath in hold but tnonty-
tro hcheS high Yet the experiment
promptly made inasmuch as it was necessary to
secure them below in descending the river, in
order 10 prevent their leaping overheard and
swimming ashore. found 1T impossible To ad-
just the whole in sitting posture but we made
them lie down in each others laps, like Sdrdnes
in II can and in this way obtained space for the
entire cargo.
The hardshps of shipment, however, are hard
y worse than the hardships OF decentralization
and all owing to the same Exeter Hall 'philan-
thropY."
CAPTAIN CANOT COMNENps TIE GOOD OLD TINES
In old times, bciorr treaties nude slave trade
piracy the landing of human cargoes was as com
lortably conducted rs the Decentralization of
llour. But now the enterprise is effected with
secrecy and hazard. A wild, minhabted portion
of the eoast, where some little bay or sheltering
nook exists is commonly selected by the captain
and his eonfcderatcs. As soon the vessel Is
driven close TO the beach and anchored, her
boats are packed with slaves while the craft is
quickly dismantod to avoid detection from sen
or land. The busy skifs are hurried TO and fro
necessarily till the cargo is entirely ashore,
when the secured gang led by the captain, and
escorted by armed snilors, is rapidly marched to
the nearest plantation. There it is safe from the
rnpncity of local magistrates, who, If they have
n chance initiate their suporiors by cXactng
"grdfifcatiohS"
Then the captain goes on to explain how some
Captains General of Cuba, really try to conform
to treaties, and make sqnadrons of cavalry visit
thu plantations but all this, it seems, chiefly
with a view to the "gratiieatlons.' 80 1t gene
rally happens that when ;he hunters arrive the
game is gone And thon--
Scandal declares that, while brokers are sell
ing the blacks ut the depot, it is not unusual for
their owner or his agent to be found knocking at
the door OF the Captain Generals Secretary. II
is even said that the Captain General himself Is
sometimes present in the sanctuary, and, after
II familiar chat about the happy landing of the
eontrabnnd, as the traffic i nmiably called, -
the requisite rOUlcdHr are lnsinuated into the OF
fetal desk under the intense smoke of a fragrant
cigdrHio. The metal is always considered the
property of the Captain General, but his scribe
aynils himself of lingering farewell at the door,
10 hint an immediate and pressing need for IA
very small darkcy!" Next day, the diminutivc
African does not appear; but as IT Is believed
that Spanish officials prefer gold oven to mortal
Hosh his algobraic equivalent Is unqueStlonably
furnished IN the shape of shining ounces ~
No book of wild adventure IN these days is
toorahle without its Fayaway; on the model of
Herman Meve's Polynesian love passages :;
and ON the principle of Alfred Tenny sons poetic
rcsolution--"l will take some savage woman"
Mr.. Mnvor seems to have been we'll aware of
this literary necessity and accordingly, when
the captain sednecs one of the women of his
friend Omonds African harem, the transaction
becomes, under his delicate handling, quito beau
tifu.
CAPTAIN CANoT MAKES ROMANTIC LOVE.
ut was the first time for many u long and des-
! olate month that had experienced the gentle
touch of woman's hand, or felt the interest of
mortal solictudc fall like refreshing dew upon
my heart. Who will censure me for hating on
my door-sill rs led forth, retaining her little
| hand in mine while cast my eyes over the 1.-the
symmetry of those slender and rounded limbs ,
while Toasted on the flushed magnolia of those
beautiful cheeks, twned my fingers in the trail
! ing braids of that raven hair peered into the
| blackness of those large and swimming orbs, felt
tear uickle down my hardening face, and left
on those coral lips the print of kiss that
| fuller of gratitude than passion ~
Now, captain; you may tell that to the horse
marines. We fear that we owe this pretty view
of the ease to Mr.. Mayer.
The captains experiences were many and
strange. He travels in the interior OF Africa to
/ hunt for slaves, or buy them. He goes to a ne
gro fortune teller all covered with monkey skins,
and has his destiny read. He participates in
many scene of horrible superstition and british
testyity; and ii is impossible to follow him n lac