The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-04-08
THE NEW SLAVE TRADE-H0RR0Rs OF THE
MIDDLE PASSAGE RENEWED
From the London Morning Star, March :, 1

From the London Morning Star, March Z, 1883
On the 18th of November last, small steam
er of 383 tons, and 80 horse power, construct
ed to sail with or without steam, fully armed
and equipped for war, carrying crew of 80
men, and displaying the French flag, might
have been seen putting out from Loango, on
the western coast Of Africa, and creeping along
shore towards Cabenda. Her name was the
Stella. A small feet of French men ofwar
ives awaiting her arrival at that port. 1t con-
sisted of four vessels, namely, La Tourmente,
La Canoniere, the corvette La Zelie, and La
Jeanne dArc, the whole division being under
the command of NJ. Prote, captain of the latter
vessel. The Stella had lost its captain, by
name Oddo, at Loango, where it seems he had
taken l23 Africanson board, and the command
had therefore devolved on her first mate, a
native of Brittany, named Bernard. He found
nc papers, no instructions, no plans, no mani
feet to guide his movements; but he knew that
been chartered by Messrs Regis g. Co., of
Marseilles; that the object of her visit to the
coast was to take in "African Immigrants -
that the Imperial Government had sanctioned
the transaction; and that all he had to do was
to obtain full cargo, and convey the people to
| Guadaloupe, one of the French West India
co.onies. He probably knew, too, that there
WIS q squadron of British cruisers somewhere
sL.ng the coast, and may have had misgivings
as to the fate of his vessel, her GREY, and her
passengers in the hold, were the Stella chal.
LEI ged to produce her papers. But the pres
ets e of the French squadron, under such cir
CT distances, doubtless encouraged him to pro.
C ID with what was evidently desperate enter.
prsse. he found the Stella short Of Goals, short
Of water, and ehort of provisions, and the small
= T. - ~4 t~~1 e. m
hegever is proverbially determined and obsti.
ns ,e and Capt. Bernard reached Cabenda in the
co ,rse of few hours. On the Both he took
or board Elk hundred and nine "immigrants,' y
all of them more or less sickly. On the LIST Of
d cember, the agent of the Imperial Govern
m mt, Commodore Prote, came on board, and
en4ered into !" contracts for service" with the
Immigrants" Immediately after, the Stella
weighed anchor for Lopguebonne, towing La
Csnoniere; the Commodore having given or
deFs that the latter was to protect the embark
alton of the complement of the Stella,s car
ga. At LoDguebonpe, and on signal being
| glgen-a signal preconoerted between those on
beard and those on shore-the Government
aren't obtained and shipped eighty.seren mora
"mmigrsnts." On the 4th of December the
Stella left Longuebonne, having ON board q
cargo of nine hundred and fifty Africans. male
/ and female, most of them sickly, and none older
than twenty-five, bat ranging from the ages Of
eighteen to twenty. The crew, as already sta
ted, numbered thirtytwo, making grand total
of nine hundred and eighty-tvo human beings
on board a steamer of three hundred and eighty.
three tons, though one account sets her at six
hundred. Let our readers but bear in mind
how much after cabin passengers suffer from
| the great heat Of the machinery on board even
the largest steamers, end they may form faint