The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-10-25
III srrlInnp y .
Captain Canon, the Shaver.

Below we give some extracts from
scenes in the work of Captain Canon,
recently published. 1t is a perfect rev.
clatiun of the slave trade by one who
was for twenty years engaged in it. The
following extracts relate to scenes which
occurred on shipboard
VIII and clevcrness are not all in this
world. Our captain returned in high
spirits to his vessel but We hardly
reached the open sea before he WAS pros
tratcd with an aguc which refused to
yield to ordinary remedies and finally
ripcncd into fever that deprived him of
reason. Other dangers thickened around
US. We had been several days off the
Cape of Good Hope, builcting adverse
gales, when word was brought me after
a night of weary watching, that several
slaves were i'll of smallpox. OF all ca
lamites that occur in the voyage of n
SLAYER, this is tho most dreadful aud un.
manageable. The news appalled, me
Impetuous with anxiety rushed to the
captain, and regardless of fever and in.
sanity, disclosed the dreadful fact. He
stared at me a minute as if in doubt !;
tLen opening his bureau and pointing to
a long coil Of combustible material said
that it communicated through the decks
with the powder magazine ard ordered
me to blow up the brig v
The masters madness sobercd his
mate. | lost no time in securing both
the dangerous implement and its peril
Gus owner, while l called the officers in
10 the cabin for inquiry and consultation
as TO our desperate state.
The gale had lasted nine days without
intermission, and during all this time
with so much violence that it was i'm.
possible TO take off the graiings, release
the slaves, purify the decks, or rig the
wiudsails. When the first lull occurred,
thorough inspection of the eight hun.
dred was made, and a dedth announced.
AS life had departed during the tempest,
careful inspection Of the body was
made, anG it was this that first disclosed
the pcstilcnce in orr midst. The corpse
was silently thrown into the sea, and the
inalady kept secret from crew aud ne
groes.
When breakfast was over on that ia.
tai morning, determined to visit the
slave deck myself, and ordering an abuu.
dant supply of lanterns, descended to the
cavern, which still rocked horribly with
human vapor, even after ventilation. But
here, alas | found nine oe the negroes
infected with disease. We took counsel
as to tho use Of laudanum in Kidding our.
selves speedily Of the suiIerers-a rem.
edy that is seldom and secretly used in
desperate cases to preserve the living
from contagion. But it was quickly re
solved that it haG already gone too far
when nine were prGstratcd, TO save tho
rest by dcpriying them of life. Ac
cordingly, these wretehed beings were al
once sent to the forecastln as hospital
and given in charge to the vaccinated OF
were at once inoculated as nurses. The
holo was then ventilated and lined ye
before the gale aba'ed our sick list wa
increased to thirty. The hospital coult
hold 40 more. Twelve of tho sailor
took the infection, and fifteen corpse
had been cast into the sea.
All reserve was now at an end Bod
after body fed the deep,and still the gal
held on. At last, when tho wind an,
| waves had lulled so much as to allow til
I, gratings to be removed from our hatchei
our CONSERVATION knew no bounds whe
we found that nearly all the slaves wer
n dead or dying with the distcmper.
S will not dwell on the scene or cur sensl
tions. 1t is picture that must gap
with all its horrors before the least vivi
imagination. Yet there was no time fo
langaor or sentimental sorrow. Twely
of the stontest survivors were orderc
Q to drag out the d9ad from among the il
and though they were constantly drencl
ed with rum to brutalizo them, still "
= were forced to aid the gang by rccklei
: volunteers from our crew, who, armiu
II their hands with tarred mittens, fur
the fotid masses of putrefaction into Il
sea
g One day was q counterpart Of anot
'er aud yet the love of lifo, or, perhap