Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1856-10-23
GREAT HUMAN SACRIFICE
Horrors of the Slave Trade.

LII TIE year lOoU, tnere WIS uONeflh
on the African coast large clipper bri.
, called the Brilliante, commanded by de,
perado named Homans. Homans was al
Englishman by birth, and was known alon
the whole coast, and in Cuba, as the mos
: successful SLAYER of his day. The brig wa
owned by two men residing in Havana
one an Englishman, and the other Span
lard. She was built to carry six hundre'
: negroes and in her Homans had made tel
successful voyages, actually landing in Gu
ba 5000 negroes The brig carried tel
guns, had thirty sweeps, and crew of six
ty Span.ards, most of them old pirates, a
desperate as their commander. An En-
glish brig of war which attacked her, wa
so cut up in her hull and rigging, that sh'
was abandoned, and soon after sunk. Al
English sloop ofwar attempted to carry
the Briliante with boats, which were beater
of, with great slaughter. Now, it wa.
known that Homans was again on the east
and it was resolved to make another at
tempt TO take him, with the evidence of hi
guilt on board. The arrangements for thi.
purpose were well made. He was allowed
to take in his cargo of negroes and set sail
The Brilliante had not lost sight of the
coast when the quick eye of her comm;m.
der discovered that he was entrapped.-
-Four cruisers, three of them English and
one American, had been living in wait for
him, and escape was hopeless. In running
away from one he would come within reach
of another. Night was coming on, and
Homans was silently regarding his pursuers,
when suddenly the huge sails OF the brig
tapped idly, the wind died away, and the
SLAYER was motionless ON the wafer. "Thls
will not do" Homans muttered, knocking
away the ashes from his cigar, "their boats
will be down upon me before l am ready
for the VISIT" as he said this, hisstern face
lit up with a smile, the expression of which
was diabolical 1t was evident enough that
he meditated some desperate plan.
A dozen sweeps were got out, and the
vessel moved silently through the water.
Meantime the darkness having deepened,
Homans proceeded to carry out his design.
The cable attached to the heaviest anchor
was taken outside of the bawse hole, and
carried around the brig, extending from the
bow, and around the stern, and then for
ward on the other side. The matches were
then taken of, and the negroes passed up,
and securely ironed by the wrists. As the
miserable wretches came up from the hot
hole into the fresh air, they expressed by
their looks gratitude which would have
softened the heart of any but .he fiend in
whose power they were. Without word
they were led 10 the side, and made to bend
over the rail, outside of which the chain.
ran. The irons which clasped their wris,s
were then fastened by smaller chains 10 the
links of the cable. 1t was slow work, but
AT the end of four hours 600 Africans,
male and female, were bending over ihe
rail of the brig, in a prinful position, hold
ing by the chained hands the huge cable,
which was attached TO heavy anchor sus-
pended by single sling from the bow.
Homans himself examined The fastenings
to see that every negro was strongly bound
to the chain. This done, he ordered the
penwork of the hold 10 be broken up,
brought on deck, bound in mating, and
well filled with shot, and thrown overheard.
The work was completed an hour before
daybreak, and now the only witnesses of
Homans' guilt was attached to that fatal
chain. Homans turned to the first mate.
and with smile full Of meaning, said in
Spanish -
"Harro, take an axe and 90 forward
The wind will come off 10 us soon. Listen
to the word, and when you hear ii, cut the
sling" a,.-s..s .s-lss.
The man went forward, and Holnans
turned and in vain endeavored to penetrate
the darkness. II don't want to lose these
ni.sgers,' he said, speaking aloud, ''and yet
l dare not wait until daylight, l wish 1
knew where the hounds were"
AT that instant the report of a gun
reached his ear, then another, in different
directions. The cruisers were firing sig
mails. --.i...
"That's enough" exclaimed Homans, 81
know where you are" Then raising his
voice, he cried, "Harro, are You ready =
The wind will reach us soon." L,s1s.s
cay, ay, sir" was the response.
In afew minutes the sails began to I'LL,
and the vessel moved through the water.
"How much water do you suppose we
have here g observed Homans, turning TO
the man at the wheel. t
Fifteen faihoms at least" was the reply.
"Ihat Will do,' the SLAYER muttered, and
he walked forward, and examined carefully
the "chaln gang" as he brutally termed