The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-09-16
The slave Ship MT CharIeston.

The Charleston Mercury, Of Monday, the
Soth ult., furnishes the following interesting
particulars regarding the SLAYER recently
captured BY Capt. Maffit:
THE BRIG.
The real name of the captured brig is
General Putnam. The letters are partially
erased, and covered by those OF the assumed d
name of Echo, and would doubtless have
been restored, had success crowned the en-
Iterprise in which she was engaged when ia.
ken. She is Of Baltimore build, say $50
tons burden, and It is believed was fermerly
packet in the coffee trade between that
port and Rio. On the 9th of March last she
cleared from New Orleans, with a captain,
two mates, eight seamen, cook, steward
and one passenger.
THE CARGO OF SLAVES.
On the 9th of July she shipped cargo OF
455 slaves on the west coast of Africa, at
Kabenda, situated In latitude 5 80 south,
longitude IL 80 east. 1t is Lower Guinea,
in the southern part of the district of Loan
go, and not far from the river Congo or
Zaire. These slaves were bought in cir.
cult of 500 miles, and assembled at bara-
coon near the point of shipment. The brig
set sail with them, and in forty seven days
made the trip, reaching the point of destina.
ton on the 2lst inst. In this space Of time
one hundred and forty-one negroes had died,
leaving but three hundred and fourteen alive.
A boy on "Key Verde," one of the keys on
the north corst of Cuba, latitude 23 80, Ion
gtude so 90, was the landing place where
the Echo was detected.
THE CAPTURE.
The officers OF the Dol phin left the har.
Dor of Sagua la Granie the day before, and
while cruising westward in search of slavers,
perceived the Echo at day light in the dis.
tance, bearing the British flag, and running
down the coast ahead of the Dolphin, in the
same direction. No suspicion was excited.
The brig entered bay. The Dolphin run
on her course, and in good time came in
view OF the bay and the Echo. The cap.
tain of the SLAYER now lost his presence of
mind, supposing he was suspected and pur.
sued, and suddenly hay from the coast
1t was then observed that a number of
launches had their sails set to come out to
the brig. This verified the suspicion exct-
ed by her strange movement, and the Dol
phin gave chase to the flying vessel, still
bearing the British flag. Blank cartridges
were fired, and it became evident that the
pursuer gained. The SLAYER spread all her
canvas in vain, and finding herself about to
fall into the clutches of the cruiser, suppos-
ed to be British, hauled down that flag ana
run up the stars and stripes.
The Dolphin followed suit, displaying her
true colors, and brought her to with few
shotted guns fred after her. She was board
ed by Lieut.. Bradford and 16 men, and sur.
rendered at discretion. No papers were
white ground, which had probably just been
used to notify the party on shore, by prey-
GUS agreement.
THE SLAYER CREW.
The crew, l9 in number; professed to be
all passengers, without captain or officers
But Lieut.. Maffit selected the prisoner who
appeared to be at the head Of the enterprise,
and took him aboard the Dolphin, with
sick seaman and a comrade to attend him.
The rest were brought here by Lieut.. Brad
ford. 1t seems that the captain and these
two men were not sent to Charleston on
board the Catawba from Key West as was
expected, but are now on their way TO Bos-
ton in the Dolphin. OF the entire crew,
one is q Greek, one an italian, some of
them are Portuguese, some Spsniards, and
some English. Some of them talk about
New York, but none now admit that they
are Americans, or have whereabouts III
this country. These smugglers are des-
perate looking set of fellows.
TO BE TRIED FOR pIRAcY.
Under the laws of 1919 and 1920 they
will be tried for their lives as pirates sailing
on an American bottom under The American
flag. They we're committed to bail on Sat.
urday afternoon. Their trials will take
place at Columbia, s. c., before bis Honor,
Judge Wayne, Circuit Judge; James Conner,
United States, District Attorney, prosecut=
ing officer. The court begins to sit the
fourth Monday in November.
A VISIT TO THE SLAYER.
Being curious TO see the cargo and ar
rangement of the Echo, we obtained per-
nit from DR.. w. c. Ravenel, the Port Ply
sician, and with one or two others accompa-
MED Lieut.. Bradford in small boat from
the wharf. Upon clambering up the side OF
the brig sight presented itself; deck GOV.
cred with na1ive Africans in a state of com.
plete nudity, with rare instances of narrow
strip OF rag an inch wide around 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 stand
ing about and few lying down. None
were tied or fastened in any way.
THE APPEARANCE OF THE SLAVES.
The majority were very young, apparent
ly from eight to sixteen years of age, some
Younger and some older: scDrcelv one how /
ever, over twenty-five. Some OF them We're
able bodied, good sized and in good condi-
ton; but the greater part were half grown
children only, weak and worn. Many were
much emaciated, and showed plainly the Of.
fects of their long and crowded passage in
confined ship. A few wers evidently i'll and
soon to die. All were pure black in color,
except the dropsical, whose skins were taw-
ny trom disease. Their hair is short and
crisp. Those VINO were well, appeared Gu.
rious and pleased, some of them jogling and
giggllng AID chatterng, and others smoking
tobacco out of short clay pipes with cane
stems, just as our own negroes do. Those
that were thin and sick looked dull and bru.
tish, but there was nothing wild or ferocious
in their aspect. They looked amioble and
docile, 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.
HOW THEY LIVE. a..s.ss
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, |
hsnh1 1aNk = n r.