The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1858-09-16
H0lltlral,
1s.AnXsA8fsas OF SLAVERY.
The CAPTURED NEGROES IN THE "EcH0."
Their Sufferings and Emacsa-
tea Fearful StO-
- Gy "A Visitor.

-uG. EdttoF: our very Interesting dC
COUNT OF these people almost rendc.s Iur-
thcr description unnecessary, But "a
some Of the resent contributions to your
paper presented a picture altogether
bright, | would be glad to show both
sides.
OF those in health, or comparatively so,
] found abyut 25G-of which some 5U
were feluaes. There were about 81 9th
ers | do not pretend to exactpess in tig-
ures) ii the sick wards, in various stages
of disease, You have already shown thai
the negroes are from almost under the
Equator-latltude 80 S. longitude l.
20 f. In the few books to which | have
had access since saw them, | have not
found them described. Bowen's explor-
ations wele in .Ceutral Aflica-LWiug-
stones in the southern part. Barth 5
volumes, as far as he has gone, are dca
crj tive Of North and Central Africa-so
that | an somewhat at loss for referen-
c4s. The negroes are of various ages
from thirty years to few months, OF
even wleks-some, | should judge. hav-
ing been born on the passage. 1t is won
dcrful how either moIher Or infant sur
Fiyed such an event.
1t has already been stated that they
belong 10 various tribes. This is soon
apparent from the difference of shades,
from their being congregated in separate
groups, and the evident inability to con
verse generally with each other. | OBJ
served nothing like general concert O.
thought or action between them, except
in the chanting and clapping of hands
IN these all, under the leadership OF ono
man, the largest among them, united
1t has also been noticed that these AT
ricans are far BE- low the size common to
tle same age of negroes among Us. This
Is understood to refer to height; for, ema
claIed, as most OF them are, no one not
better skilled in human anatomy than |
am, could conjecture what their weight,
in health, would be. Among the whole
number, it struck me that the man abovy
referred to may have been five feet eighi
inches high-a few more may reach five
feet six but besides these, there did not
seem to be any Of the men who were over
five feet two or three inches. Some few,
half dozen, perhaps, of the men, and
few more women, seemed in good healtl
and condition. 1t is supposed that theEt
exceptions of the former were of such a.
were not slowed away in the hold, but
were employed in working about the slay-
er. The women, for some unexplained
reason, were undoubtedly In better con
dtion than the men. You have alreadY
stated that the latter were wholly nude
and tie former nearly so. One of the
m s. siroular Of the exhibitions [ saw
was that of a woman whose hands were
Accrued by pair of cotton gloves-al-
most her only covering. There was
scarcely any comehDess among them; an,
the only one whose appearance agreeably
attracted attention was the sc-styed Prin-
cess, whose tattooing certainly gave evil
dence Of great deXterlty and skill in til,
art.
| have no pretensions to science, ant
must leave the chronological questions t,
the learned, who, | trust, are engaged IN
their investigations. But to even the
casual observer, the difference Of tribes
quite evident. | was surprised that few
or none exhibited the very thick lips ana
fat noses which we are accustomed to
see in the African. The hair woulC
doubtless be kluked, but, in accordanc
with the usage OF slavers, it has beeL
shaved, probably at the time of sailing
from Africa. Our communications wit
them were made in part by signs, which
they understood readily, and in par
through an interpreter. This man was
one OF the slaver's crew, who did not pro-
fass knowledge Of the negro dialect; but
the priucl Pal negro had smattering
knowledge Of Portuguese, from having
worked on ships, &C, on the coast, and
in this language he conversed with the
Interpreter. 1t was evident they under
stood each other, for upon our party ask
inc the sailor to show US the Congo tribe,
the negro brought three men. who took
their places before US, and l distinctly
heard him say Congo" | was struck
with their teeth; some were even as usu-
al. One tribe had the two central upper
fore teeth cut cut in semi-circle; while
in another, the front teeth were sharpen
ed to point. Many of the negroes, es
pecialy with the aid of an old fannel
shirt or trowsers, looked as familiar as
household or plantation slaves. In many
such the feature and expression reminded
US Of familiar faces at home.
The result OF the whole visit was in
tense sympathy for them and indignation
towards their captors. You may read OF
the horrors Of the "middle passage" but
the half cannot be told as one view o.
these unfortunates will tell the tale. Dys
an+arv drorSv and onhthalmia-aU T h.,