New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-09-04

Z 1890 AA-Aa5 ZERO ana &AsR Cargo
We clip the following interesting particulars rsa-
ting to the capture, cargo and antecedeuts Of tbe
9fg Echo, from the Charleston Mercury of the Both
uliimo
the real name of the captured brig the General
Putnam These letters are partially eyasad anS c
cred over BY those Of the assumed narne rcbo F
would doubtless have been 4fored ma sg4ss ss
crowned the enterprise 10 which she was enea0ed
when taken. She is of Baltimore huil3 say 9oS 49,
burden, and it is believed was formerly q nacist j
the coffee trade between that port aud Rio a. ,E
9Th March last she cleared from New Orleans sftI
captain Two mates, eight seanle51, cook, steward
and one passenger On the 5tb July she shipnes I
cargo Of 455 slaves on the West coast Of Afgbea AZ
kabenda, situated in latitude $50 S0uth loagitnde
1920 East Is is in Lower G8jBea, In the Southern
part Of the District Of Loango and not ~ from tEe
river Congo OF ZaiFe. These slaves were purchased
IN circuit Of 500 miles, and assembled at baTYacoon
near the point Of shipment. The brig set sail with
| mem and ID ~ days made the trip, reaching the
Pohs OF destination on the morning of the 2Ts5 inst.
10 ms space of time I4I negroes had died. leaving
put 3l4 alive. A bay on Sc Cay Verde . one Of the
Eeys on the North coast Of Cuba latitude 23:39 lon
gltHde s0s20 was the landing place where the Echo
was detected by the Dolphin.
The officers Of the Dolphin left the aFbor Of sagua
e e Lanqe tne gay before, and while cruising westward
70 70 sssrsa o savers perceived the Echo at dayghs
u the distance, bearing the British flag and running
aoWn the coast ahead Of the Dolphin IN tue sane
| directon No suspicion was excited The brfo en-
teLea @ Oay' Inc Dolphin run her course and in
Ine captain Of the SLAYER now Iost his nresanee III
mind' sapposing ne was suspected and pursued and
suddenly hauled of from the coast It was then o5.
served that number Of launches near ahnwa 1,os
their sails set to come out to the brio Ttfa ys;s1
the suspicion excited by her strange movement AMI
the Dolphin gave chase to the yinn vessel at baa.
lng the bFltisn nag Blank cartridges were fired.
and it became evident that the pursueT gained Tfss
SLAYER spread all her canvas in vain aad naing ber
self about to fall into the clutches Of the cruiser
thought e be BRITISH hauled down that flag and run
I h 4NFG fw5Waae
The Dolphin followed suit displaying her true
cOlors and brought her to with few shotted guns
fired after her. She was boarded by Leut Bradford
and sixteen men, and surrendered at discretion. No
papers were found, bat signal Of q black cross
on white ground, which had probably Just been
used TO notify the party on shore by previous agree
ment The crew, nineteen in number, professed to
be all passengers, without captain or officers Bat
Lieut. Maffitt selected the prisoner who appeared to
be at the head Of the enterprise and took him aboard
the Dolphin, with sick seaman andcomrade TO tend
MN. Ihe rest were brought here by Lieut. Brad
lord II seems that the captain and those two men
| were not sent to Charleston board the Catawba
/ from Key West, as was expected, but are now on
their way to Boston in the Dolphin
| One is Greek, one an Italian some Of them are
Portuguese, some paniards and some English Some
/ OF them talk about New York, but none now admit
that they are Americans, or have whereabouts in
this country These smngglers are desperate look
ing set fellows, Under the laws of lSl9 and 1920
they will be tried for their lives as pirates sailing on
| an American bottom under the American flag They
were committed to Jail on Saturday afternoon. Their
trials will take place az Columbia s. c. before his
4 Honor Judge Wayne, Circuit Judge james Conner.
| Y. >. District Attorney, prosecuting officer. The
Court begins to sit the 4th Monday in November
Beng curious to see the cargo and arrangement of
the Echo, we obtained permit from Dr. W. @. Rave
NEIL the Port Physician, and with one or two others
! accompanied Lieut. Bradford in small boat from
| the wharf, Upon clamberng up the side of the brig
a strange and startling sight presented itself deck
covered with native Africans in state Of complete
nudity, with rare instances of narrow strip of rag
! an inch wide round the waist
These people were seated for the most part with
their legs stretched out fiat or drawn up in front or
doubled up some squatted on their feet and hands,
| A few were standing about and few living down.
None were tied or fastened in any way. The major
ty were very young apparently from eight to sixteen
years OF age, some younger and some older: scarcev
1 one, however, over twenty-five. Some of them were
| able.bodied, good sized and in good case; bat the
| greater Part were bal-grOWn children only weak and
| worn. Many were much emacated, and showed
plainly the effects Of their long and crowded passage
in confined ship. A few were evidentyf i'll and soon
to die. All were pure black in color except the drop
sca whose skins were tawny from disease. Their
hair Is very short and crisp Those who were well
appeared curious and pleased, some Of them ogling
| and giggng and chattering, and others smoking to-
bacCO out OF short clay pipes with cane stems inst a
our own negroes do. Those that were thin and sick
looked dull and brutish but there was nothing wild
/ or teToeious in their aspect. They looked aniable
and docie, and readily obeyed the commands of the
/ person who had charge OF them. They are great
thieves, however and appropriate whatever they can
on every occasion
There were 246 males and 60 females, who were
/ kept separate on deck and in the holds The men
and boys were kept on the forward deck and in the
forward hold, which latter is IS feet long 10 feet
wide in the broadest part, and narrow at the head
and Al inches high, the floor being formed of loose
boards movable at pleasure, The hold for the women
and girls is behind this 1t is of the same height IL
feet long md l9 wide. Under this temporary flooring
s stored the provisions, consisting Of rice, peas and
the water to drink Their food is boiled like hop
| pDjohn," put in buckets twice day. at 10 and (
O'clock and placed iD the midst Of circles Of eight Or
| ten each, and well guarded to prevent the strong
negroes from taking more than their share although
all are literally allowed. A pint of water is given TO
each, morning and evening. Most of them sleep on
deck being placed in close order sDoon.fasbon ON
their Sides and not permitted to turn or move during
the night. AT daylight they dashed with buckets
| OF water to wash them off They sing songs clap
ping their hands and rocking their bodies in time
and these songs have great resemblance To some of
| our negro spirtuals.
Several of the negro fellows exercise authority very
much after the manner of our drivers with airs Of a-
thorty and ridiculous gesticuation and grimaees.
Others were cooking the big potn like good fellows
and with old breeChes too obtained from the sail
ors. The captain Of the hold understands their lingo
and says they are very to going back to Afr
ca, as the United States law requires Our coast re-
sembles that they come from and the group of pines
opposite the city on the South looks to them like
cocoanut trees OF their native Africa.
Yesterday, under the direction ofthe United States
civil officers the negroes, 306 in number were taken
by the steamer Cen Clinch and conveyed to Castle
Pnckney in our harbor, where they will be guarded
by detachment from the garrison at Fort Moutrie
AS they passed the plank to gain the steamers deck
they presented strange and affecting sight many of
them being reduced to skeletons by the suffering
and depriYations of the voyage. Several were in a
dying condition. few dropsical, and goodly mum.
ber apparently in health.
Cat an Heiress.