Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-09-18
ME CAPruNEn NEoRoEs IN mo orcno.!

Iue ChatteSt0n Mercury OF the I'd inst. puhlish.l
es the following communication from "a South
Carolinian -
Mr.. Editor Your very interesting account of
these people almost renders further description un.
necessary. But as some of the recent contribu,
uons to your paper presented n picture altogetb
er bright, | would be glad to show both sides.
VI those in health. or CONT aritively so, l found
about 25O-of whom some so were females. There
we're about 80 others Il do not pretend 10 exact.
ness in 6gures)in the sick wards, in various stages
OF disease. You have already shown that the ne
groes are from almost under tho Equator-lati.
tude 3 50 5. longitude 1920 E. In the few books
to which | have had access since | saw them. |
have not found them described. BIwen's expior'
atoms were in Central Africa Lisingstone's 10
the southern part. Barth's volumes, as far as he
has gone, are descriptive of North aud Central
Atrica-so :bat | ain left somewhat at a loss for
references. The negroes are of various ages.
from thirty years to a few months, or even weeks
some, | should judge, have been born on the
passage. 1t is wonderful how either mother or
infant survived such an event.
1t has already been stated that they belong to
various tribes. This is soon apparent from the
differences OF shades, from their being congregat'
cd a separate groups, aLd the evident inability to
converse generally with each other. | observed
nothing like general concert OF thought or action
between them, except ia tho chatting and clapping
Of hands. In these all, under the leadership Of
one man, the largest among them, united.
~ nus nlsO Dee0 nOtCeQ t0at tneSe Africans are
far below the size common to the same age of ne
groes among us. This is understood to refer TO
height for, cmaciated as most Of them are, no one
not better skilled in human anatomy than l am,
could conjecture what their weight, in health,
could be. Among the whole number, it struck
me that the man above referred to may have been
five feet eight 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 q dozen,
perhaps, of the men, and a few moro women,
seemed in good health and condition. 1t is sup.
posed that these exceptions of the former were Of
such as were not ttuwed away in the hold, but
were employed in working about the SLAYER, The
women for some unexplained reason, were un-
douotedly in better condition than the men. You
have already slated that the latter were wholly
nude, and the former nearly so. One of the most
singular of tho exhibitions | saw was that of a wo-
man whose hands were adorned by a pair of cot
ton glOves-aim0st her only covering. There was
scarcely any comeliness among them ; and the
only one whose appearance agreeably attracted
attention was the SO styled Princess, whose tatto,
ing certainly gave evidence Of great dexterity and
skill in the art.
have no pretentiuns to science, and must leave
the astrological questions to the learned, who, !
trust, are engaged in their Investigations. But to
even the casual observer, the difference of tribes
is quite evident. | was surprised that few or none
exhibited the very thick lips and fiat noses which
we are accustomed to see in the African. The
hair would doubtless be kinked, but, in accord
ance with the usage OF slavers, it has been shaved,
probably at the time Of sailing from Africa. Our
communications with them were made in part by
signs, which they understood readily, aud in part
through an interpreter. This man was one of the
slaver's crew, who did not profess knowledge Of
the negro dialect but the principal negro had a
smattering knowledge of Portuguese, from hay.
ing worked on ships, &c. on the coast, and in
this language he conversed with the Interpreter,
1t was evident they understood each other, for up
on our party asking the sailor to show us the Con-
90 tribe, the negro brought three men. who took
their places before us, and | distinctly heard him
say Congo" | was struck with their teeth
some were even as usual. One tribe had the two
central upper foreteeth cut out in a eemicircle
while in another, the front teeth were sharpened
e to a point. Many Of the negroes, especially Will
!. the aid of an old flannel shirt or trowsers, looked
$ as familiar rs household or plantation slaves. Ii
}. many such the feature and expression reminds Il
of familiar faces at home.
2 The result of the whole visit was intense sympa
!. thy for them and Indignation towards their cao
. tors. You may read of the horrors of the "mid
D die passage" but the half cannot be told as on
n view of these unfortunates will tell the tale. Dys
f EMERY. drupsy and ophtbalmia--all, | believe. tn,
D productions of contact, want of ventilation AM
e want of ezercise-are the prevailing diseases. Blu
4 even where these we're not visible, the spectacl
t was narrowing. A skeleton taken down from tn
d nail of a doctors closet,and presented to your view
would scarcely be more descriptive OF anatomy tina
many of these living, walking specimens Of the hr
8 man frame. The effect was very startling, whe
you saw them s~quatting on their launches, Wit
their kneas drawn up behind their elbows, in a
! attitude common t. apes and balloons, but whic
. no human frame clothed in flesh can attain. Som,
when sitting and told to rise, did so with great d!
fculty. and moved with q step as !otteIing as | e.
er saw after illness. The very head seemed but
skull encased in o black covering. /: is commo
- A.. ~~-- ln.-.r aInaa e. pGtn a-1 hA-,
4 but one who saw these can scarcely use the e.
preston again.
But if this is to be said Of those comparative vel
in health, what language can describe the sick 2
l saw one poor creature swollen TO the most VOL
derlul size with dropsy and us he lay on his baC
he moved his hands, signifying to one Of our par
a request for his segar, which, when given to hin
m he smoked with the greatest ayidity. Anoth,
manifested similar wants, and replied to our bee
n onings TO come to us, by pointing to his leg, whit
We construed into inability to move. Two lay nea
h, whose troubles here had ceased in death viii
in another, the most affecting sight of ALA child
NJ six or eight years. law on its eide in the sun
IA the stone wharf, with eyes closed and no other e
~ idence of life than the slightest motion Of the stor
ach indicating breathing. The poor creature, alol
and unattended, had rested its head on its lit
=, hand as naturally as our own little ones do, al
nd in this touching attitude Of sufering childhood W
II fast loosing the conscien tiousness Of o life who
ms experience had been only that Of sorrow and sufft
ing.
in One thing impressed me forcibly-the compile
docility, amounting to mere mechanical submissio
of all these creatures. In the sick ward the ph
sicians were applying caustic TO the eyes Of /
ga patients. When this painful remedy was appli
and poor creatures. they knew not that it was
remedy, or anything but par, Of the system of CT
-, city to which they had been suljected-they &C
cred their faces with their hands in pain and wi
of their heads all bowed in meek submission o.
though many were young children, not a sound
a murmur escaped. The scene was truly touc
ing. To one Of any sensibility. the horrors OIL
4; battlefield we're less 80. left the scene chasten
and humbled but with gratitude, too. l trust to
mighty God for a lot cast IN n Christian land.
ss These negroes, purchased on the West Coast
re from so cents to 81, and costing scarcely more tn
in $40 or SIS to be delivered ON the const of Cut
es. we're all to he sold by contract al $500 round,
he one hundred and seventy.seven thousand nine br
hi. dred and eighty dollars (Sl77 ,9S0) for the car,
m; Such gains are too tempting to be resisted by the
in who make haste to be rich.
A CuAprrsroSt.