Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1856-04-23
ORIGIN or SL1VERY.

Mr.. Bancroft, in his first volume of hi
History of the United States, gives an ac
count of the early traffic of the Europeans in
slaves. In the middle ages, the Venetians
purchased white men and Christians, and
Others and sold them to the Saracenes, in
Sicily and Spain. In England the Anglo
Saxon nobility sold their servants as slaves
to foreigners. The Portuguese first imported
negro slaves from Western Africa into Europe
in l442. Spain soon engaged in the traffic,
and negro slaves abounded in some places Of
that kingdom. After America was discover
ed, the Indians of Hispaniola were imported
into Spain and made slaves. The Spaniards
visited the coast of North America, and kid
mapped thousands of Indians, whom they
transported into slavery in Europe, and the
West Indies. Columbus himself enslaved
500 native Americans, and sent them into
Spain, that they might be publicly sold at
Seville. The practice of selling North Amer
lean Indians into foreign bondage continued
for nearly two centuries Negro slavery was
first introduced into America by Spanish
Shareholders, who emigrated with their ne
groes. A royal edict of Spain authorized
negro slavery in America, in 1903. King
Ferdinand himself sent from Seville fifty
slaves to labor in the mines. In 1911, the
direct traffic in slaves between Africa and
Hispaniola was enjoined by aroyal ordinance
Las Cassas, who saw the Indians vanish away
like dew before the cruelties of the Spaniards,
SUGGESTED that the negroes, who alone could
endure severe tolls, might be further en-
ployed. This was in 1913. The mistaken
benevolence of Las Cassas extended the slave
trade which had been established.
Sir John Hawkins was the first English
man that engaged in the slave trade. In
1862 he transported large cargo Of Afri-
cans to Hispaniola. In 1867 another expe
dition was prepared; and Queen Elizabeth
protected and shared in the traffic. Haw-
kins in one of his expeditions, set fire to an
African city, and out of 5000 inhabitants,
succeeded in seizing 260. James Smith, of
Boston, and Thomas Kcyscr first brought
upon the colonies the guilt of participating
in the slave trade. In 1850 they imported
a cargo of negroes. Throughout Massachu-
sctts the cry Of justice was raised against
them as malefactos and murderers; the
guilty men were committed for the offense,
and the representatives of the people ordered
the negroes to be restored to their native
country at the public expense. At the lat
ter period there were both Indian and negro
slaves in Massachusetts. In 1920, Dutch
ship entered James river, and landed twenty
for sale. This was the epoch of the
of slavery in Virginia. For
many years, the Dutch were principally con-
cerned in the slave trade in the market of
Virginia.
THE MosQU1ro KNG.-In his lecture on
Nicaragua, at the Lyceum Hall, on Monday
night, Dr. Mclean gave an amusing account
of an interview he once had with the young
Mosquito King, who was dressed in the full
costume of his country, to wit: straw hat
and segar The young sovereign said that
his father, the old King Bob, was very drunk
when he sold his lands to Capt. Sheppard,
of Grcytown, and that therefore the grant or
sale was not valid This is the grant which
Col. Kinney has purchased, and under which
be claims vast region of territory. 1t is
about as valid as the English claim to Grey
town and the Mosquito coast, and neither
party appears to have consulted the Govern
ment of Nicaragua, the only real and un-
doubted owner. Q
This old King Bob, by the way, was GU
riosity. He was excessively fond of rum
and tobacco in which he was supplied by
the English from Jamaica. About the time
the latter first begun to turn their serious at
tention to the acquisition of territory in Cen
trail America King George the Third sent
his sable brother richly ornamented gene
RAILS coat and cooked hat King Bob was
excessively delighted with his present, and
took every occasion to exhibit himself in his
new dress. The captain of the English war
vessel which conveyed the present wishing
to do honor to the recipient of his sovereign's
bounty, gave grand entertainment on board,
invited King Bob and his court to be present.
The latter come, and as they approached the
vessel, the captain was gratifed to perceive
that King Bob was dressed in the coat and
hat he had just received. But what was the
and CONSERVATION of all to per-
ceve, when he boarded the vessel, that he
had nothing else on. The ludicrous appear
ance which the old Indian must have presen-
ted, dressed in richly laced red coat, with
tails hanging down behind, and full plumed
cooked hat, and no other article whatever
can be better imagined than described