Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-11-26

49,
London Times, announces the arriya
there of the Niagara, having on boarC
the Africans rescued by the Dolphin from
the slave brig Echo. The writer wa,
permitted to see Il private letter from
DR.. Rainey, the special agent of the Gov
eminent Of the United States, to frienC
in England, in which he says:
We have had difficult and some
what unusual service TO perform witt
our fine frigate in restoring few unfor,
tunate Africans to their own land. The
Niagara proceeded TO Charleston, when
Joined her on the 2lst of September
The yellow fever raging with great vio-
lence in that city at the time the negroes
had been landed at Fort Sumter, few
miles below the city, where they were
necessarily greatly exposed and badly
fed. They ate freely the shellfsh which
collected around the fort and died rapid
ly. Their condition on leaving the brig
Echo was painful and disgusting in the
extreme. They had been huddled to-
gether closer than cattle, and slept at
night in as close contact as spoons when
packed together. Privation of every
kind, coupled with disease, had reduced
all of them TO the merest skeletons. and
to such state of disquietude aud debility
that on entering the fort they could not
so much as step over a small beam, one
foot high, in the doorway, but were COM
PEELED to sit on it and balance themselves
over. 1t is impossible for you 10 mag
inc their sad and distressed condition.
Even now, on board our ship. after one
month OF kind treatment, good food. aud
pure air, they appear CHASTITY in the ex-
treme.
The Echo took on board 455 at IA
benda. One hundred and forty-one died
on the passage, eight died after the cap
ture, 80 died in Charleston. and 81 have
died on board our frigate. We received
on board 27l: Of these 226 were men
and boys. 43 girls and women. and two
infants. Consequently, 214 only remain.
and many Of these, doubtless. will die be-
tore We reach the coast. But one wo-
man has died of the whole lot-a fact H.
Illustrative of the greater fortitude of the
female sex. Yet, their number being
smaller, and our nation being gallant in
all cases, their treatment has been some
what better than tina, of the men. Thus
2+l, or considerably more than half of.
these poor creatures have died-a sad
commentary on the traffic, and paralleled
perhaps only in the Internal trade of cool
les.
They are extremely filthy. and much
prefer nudity to dress. We have adopt-
ed the plan of having a large hose turn
ed on them twice per week. with stronu
men at the engine. They appear well
enough satisfied with the bath but cannot, I
even by the lash, which we are compeu- I
ed TO employ freely, be made to observe
any other sanitary or decent habit. Tt
requires a good large crew of men to
keep the spar deck, where they are 10
Gated clean. When clothing was put on
them in Charleston, of which the negro
slaves in the city contributed several
iray loads, they Immediately tore it off
and rolled in the sand and basked in the
sun.
l know but few cases in which thew
manifest any sympathy for one another.
except to help scratch each others backs.
They give no sympathy or attention
whatsoever to the sick and dying. When
one IS dead, the body may lie for hours
among them in immediate contact. vet
1nnoticed, But as soon as the soul has
He'd they steal the blanket of the deceas-
3D. and most unceremoniouSly proceed
10 appropriate his bread-spoon and bag
During the process of burial, they never
manifest the slightest concern. A more
'tolid. brutalized, pitiable set of beings I
never beheId.
All Of them take medicine without =
word Of objection, yet whenever one
'ickens ne is almost certain to die. We
ound them with scurvy, diarrhoea. and
'phthalmia, and relieved very much Of
ne former and latter. They now have
'lsO eatarrh, influenza, scurty and chron-
c diarrhoea- 1t is wholly impossible to
ntelligently diagnose their SYMPTOMS
IT to provide for them as one would wish /
We have given them all the aid tbs,
money literally expended and directed
~ intelligent Christian sympathies could
i'ctate- Bot they are a set Of poor. MS
,rable beings, who will probably soon
elaPse INTO their old state am salts