Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1854-10-07
CAPT. CANON: THE SLAYER.

on shpboard
Wit and clevernesS are not all in this world
Our captain returned i'll high spirits to his vessc
but we hardly reached the open sea before he va,
Frustrated with an ague which refused 10 yield 10
ordinary remedies: and finally ripened into fever
that deprived him of reason Other dangers thick
ened around us. We had been several davs OF
The Cape of Good Hope, butieting adverse gale.
when word was brought me after night of wear
watching. that several slaves Were ill of small
poX. Vi ali caiantles that occur in the voyage
OF s!aver, this is the most dreadful and unmau-
ageable The news appalled, me- Impetuous with
anxiety rushed to the captain and regardless o
fever and insanity, disclosed the dreadful fact H.
stared at me minute as if in doubt: then openil;
his bureau and pointing to long coil OF colnbus-
/ tlhle material, said that it communicated through
the decks with the powder magazine, and ordered
me to blow up the brigE'
The masters madness sobered his mate. | lost
no time in securing both the dangerous implement
and its perious owner, while called the officers
into the cabin for inquiry and consultation as 10
our desperate state.
The gale had lasted nine days without inter
mission and during all this time with so muci4
violence that it was impossible to take off the sra-
ungs, release the slaves, purify the decks, or ri,
the wind-sa!ls When the first luIl occurred I.
thorough inspection Of the eight hundred was
made, and ID death announced As life had de-
parted during the tempest. careful inspection
the body was made, and it was this that first dis
closed the pes'ilence III our midst The corps..
was silently thrown into the sea, and the malady
kept secret from the crew and negroes
When breakfast was over on that fatal morning.
determined TO visit the slave deck myself all;
ordered an abundant supply OF lanterns, descended
to the cavern, which still reekcd horribly wit,
human vapor, even after ventilation. But here.
alas found nine of the negroes injected with the
disease. ctook council as to the use of audanun.
IN Kidding ourselves speedily of The sufferers,
remedy that is seldom and secrctely used in de
pcrate' cases TO preserve the living from conta-
gon. But it was quickly resolved that it hu.,
already gone too far when nine were prostra,c.l.
to save the rest by depriving them of life as
cordingly, these wretched beings were at on,..
sent TO the torecastlc hospital, and given i,
charge 10 the vaccinated or were at once inocn,
ted as nurses. The hold was then ventilated ana
lined yet before the gale abated our sick lis, va;
increased TO thirty. The hospital could hold IA,
more. Twelve of the sailors took the inlectio...
and fifteen corpses had been cast into sea-
All llreserve was now at an end. Body after body
fed the deep, and still the gale held on. ut las.
when the wind and waves had luled 50 much . ,
to allow the gratngs TO be removed from o..
hatches, our CONSERVATION knew no bounds wl".,
we found that nearly all the slaves were dead 81
dying with the distemper. l will not dwell o..
the scene or our sensations. II is picture tl...
must cape with all its horrors before the least vivid
imagination. Yet there was no time for langrpr
or sentimental SORROW. Twelve Of the stoutes'
survivors were ordered TO drag out the dead from
among the i'll, and though they were constantly
drenched with rum to brutalizc them, still No
were forced to aid the gang by reckless volunteer,
from our crew, who, arming their hands with tai
red mitens, flung the fptid masses Of pu,reiactloH
into the sea! . ...--
One day was counterpart of another and yc,
the love of Iiie or perhaps the love Of gold, maLc
us fight the monster with courage that became
better cause. At lehgth death was satisfied, but
not until the eight hundred beings we had shipped
in high health had dwindled TO four hundred aud
ninety-seven skeletons .... .....-
have always regretted that left Ayudah on
my homeward voyage without interpreters TO aid
in the necessary intercourse with our slaves
There was no one on board who understood word
of their dialect. Many com plants from tho ne
groes that woult. have been dismissed or satisfae-
torily adjusted, had we comprehended their vi
vacious tongues and grievances, were passed over
in silence or hushed with the lash Indeed, the
whip alone was the emblem of La EstrelIa's dis
ciplne and in the end it taught me the saddest
Of lessons.
From the beginning there was manifest Gis-
content among the slaves. l endeavored at first
TO please and accommodate them by gracious
but manner alone is not appreciated BY
untamed Africans. A few days after our depar-
ture slave leaped overheard in a fit of passion.
and another choked himself during the night
These two suicides in twenty -four hours caused
much nneasiness among the officers, and induced
ne TO make every preparation for revolt
We had been at sea about three weeks without
urther disturbance, and there was SO much n,er-
riment among the gangs tha, were allowed 10
come on deck, that my apprehensions began to
wear away. Suddenly, however, one fair after
noon, squall broke forth from an almost cloud
ess sky; and as the boatswain's whistle piped all
hands to take in sail, simultaneous rush was
made BY the confined slaves at all the after-gra-
.ngs, and amid the confusion of the rising gale
hey knocked down the guard and poured upon
leck. The sentry at the forehatch seized the
cooks axe. and sweeping i, round him like sry-