The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-09-25
From the Charleston Mercury.
HORRORS OF THE SLAVE TRADE-lN
TER LISTING NARRATIVE.

OF the recent contributions to your paper,
presented a picture altogether bright,
would be glad to show both sides.
Of those in health, or comparatively so,
l found about two hundred and fifty-of
whom some fifteen were females. There
were about fifty others do not pretend to
exactness in fgures) IN the sick wards, in
various stages Of disease. You have al
ready shown that the negroes are from al
most under the Equator-latitude 5 deg. 80
minutes south, longitude II deg. 20 minu-
tcs cast. In the few books to which l have
had access since saw them, | have not
found them described. Bowen's explora.
tions were in Central Africa, Liyingstone's
in the Southern part. Barth's volumes, as
far as he has gone, are descriptive of North
and Central Africa; so that am left some
what at a loss for references. The negroes
are of various ages, from thirty years to n
few moaths, or even wecks-somc, ! should
judge, having been born on the passage. 1t
is wonderful how either mother or infant
survived such m event. ~ -... ..... T.
1t has already been stated that they be-
long to various tribes. This is soon appa-
rent from the difference of shades, from
their being congregated in separate groups,
and the evident inability to converse gen
orally with each other. observed nothing
like general concert Of thought or action be-
tween them, except in the chanting and
clapping of hands. In these, all, under the
leadership of one man, the largest among
them, united.
1t has also been noticed that these Afri-
cans are far below the size common to the
same age of negroes among US. This is un-
derstood to refer to height: for, emaciated
rs 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 above referred to
may hare been i've feet eight inches high; q
few more may reach FIVE feet six; but be-
sides these, there did not seem to be any of
the men who were over FIVE feet two or three
inches. Some few, a half dozen perhaps,
of the men, and few mopc women, seemed
in good health and condition. 1t is sup
posed that these exceptions of the former
were of such as were not slowed away in the
hold, but were employed in working about
the SLAYER. The women, for some unex-
planned reason, were undoubtedly in better,
condition than the men. You have already
stated that the latter were wholly nude, and
the former nearly so. One of the most sim
gular of the exhibitions saw, was that of
woman whose hands were adorned bv a
pair of cotton gloves-almost her only COW
erng.~ There was scarcely any comeliness
among them, and the only one whose ap-
pearanee agreeably attracted attention was
the styled Princess, whose tatooing GER
tainly gave evidence Of great dexterity and
skill in the art. .5az1sS
have no pretensons to science, and must
leave the chronological questions to the learn
ed, who, trust are engaged in their Inres-
legations. 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 fat noses which We
are accustomed to see in the African. The
hair would doubtless be kinkcd, but, in ac-
cordance 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. and in part through an
interpreter. This man was one of the sla-
'er's oro", who did p, oso,s knowledge
of the negro dialect; but the principal ne
gro had Il smatterins knowledge of Portu-
.gucse, from having worked on ships, &C., on
the coast, and in this language he canyersed
with the interpreter. 1t was evident they
understood each other, for upon our party
asking the sailor to show US the Congo
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 fore
teeth cut out in semi circle; while in anoth-
er, the front teeth were sharpened to n
point. Many Of the negroes, especially with
the aid of an old flannel shirt or trowsers,
looked as familiar as household or panta-
ton slaves. In many such, the feature and
expression reminded US of familiar faces at
home.
The result of the whole visit was intense
sympathy for them and Indignation towards
their captors:. You may read of the horrors
of the "middle passage," but the half can
not be told as one view Of these unfortu-
mates will tell the tale. Dysentery, dropsy,
and opthalmia, all, believe, the produc-
tons of contact, want of ventilation, and
want of exercise, arc the prevailing -diseas-
es. But even where these were not visible,
the spectacle was narrowing. A skeleton
taken down from the nail Of doctors
closet, and presented to your view, would
scarcely be more descriptive of anatomy
than many of these living walking speci-
mems of the human frame. The effect was
very startling, when you saw them squatting
on their launches, with their knees drawn
up behind their elbows, in attitude common
to apes and balloons, but which no human
frame clothed in flesh can attain. Some,
when sitting, and told to rise, did so with
great difficulty, and moved with n step as
totterIng rs ever saw after illness. The
very head seemed but a skull encased in a
black covering. 1t is common to speak of
a man reduced to skin and bone, but one
who saw these can scarcely use the express
sion ngain. s-
But if this is to be said of those compar-
atively IN health, what language can de-
scribe the sick? saw one poor creature
swollen to the most wonderful size with
dropsy, and, As he lay on bis back, he NOV
cd his hands, signifying to one of our party
a request for his cigar, which, when given
to him, he smoked with the greatest avidity.
Another manifested similar wants, and re-
Piled to our beckonings to come to US by
pointing to his legs, which we construed in
to inability to move. Two lay near; whose
troubles here had ceased in death; while
another, the most affecting sight of ala
child of six or eight years-lay on its side
in the sun on the stone wharf, with eyes
closed, and no other evidence of life than
the slight motion Of the stomach indicating
breathing. The poor creature, alone and
unattended, had rested its head on its little
hand, as naturally us our own little ones do,
and in tins touching attitude Of suffering
childhood, was fast losing the consciousness
of n life whose experience had been only
that Of sorrow and suffering. 81" =
As turned from this spectacle, the
thought was naturally suggested-for what
was all this sincurred2 In all charity, could
only answer, ararice. fever argument was
wanted in proof of human depravity, it was
furnished here. 3r*l~. 81 ~
One thing impressed the forcbly--the
complete docility. amounting to mere me-
chanicai submssion,Sof all these creatures.
In the sick ward, the physician was apply
ing caustic to- the eyes of his patients. When
this painful remedy was applied=-and, poor
creatures, they knew not that IT was remc-
dy, or anything but part Of the system Of
cruelty to which they had been subjected
they covered their faces with their hands in
pain, and with their heids aIibowcd in meek
submission; and, though many were young
Al,