Des Arc citizen., 1859-02-04
The Westward Bound Africans.

A correspondent oi the Marion Ala
 Commonwealth. noticing the Africans tha passed through Montgomery recently says:
 was carried through !" Browns specu. Iator- house. (so called on Perry street, ] In house in the back ol were huddled together thirty-eight native (Congo) Afri- canss Don't shudder and say, ",be moral sentiments of Chrislendom condemn the trade. etc" But it is factI have seen the Africans; and it is fact they were Africans!
 I found them jabbering, in guttural sounds, something-I could not compre- hend what. Theywere nearly all appar- enily in good health fat, sleek and greasy, In tie party were sefae Gse CT six men, two orihree women, four or five girls, and |thc rest boys. or what might be called "ycungsters." They were each clad in common Kersey pants and round.aboul, over which they wore heavy blanket. Women and all wese thus dressed. None wore shoes for the reason that they could not walk in them; in fact they could scarcely walk at all, having been confined and crowded so close on shipboard.
 Most of them were very pert and lively, laughing and talking in their native tongue and pointing at and jabbefing about everything that particularly attracted their attention. Some of them had very singularly shaped craniums they almost baflle description. One nearly square, one had a eonyex face, and another sort of q double concave convex head but most of them had good heads, large flat noses, big mouths, front teeth knocked out, rather small ears, and quite sInall hands and feet. Some of them were good looking, ,.but others shockingly ugly some were what might be vulgarily called "puf," or hog-iawed I noticed one, q man who had very high cheek bones, and several scars on his face, and who ap- .peared to be very intelligent. He was ."big chief no doubt, in his country. l was much surprised at one thing; they repeated precisely every word said to them, I asked one, Wheredid you come from, 7 and he propounded the same in,errogatory 10 me, but, of course, without knowing the meaning and in like manner many other things.
 Not being able 10 walk, they were car Tied in q wagon from the railroad depot to HBrown's. and thence by wagon to the Sl. Nicholas saw strong old farmers and sober-sded merchants gazing at the sable creatures, some of them having, no doubt, a holy horror at such a sight.
 The negroes were well skilled in pan tomme, and some of them gave unmis- takable signs that they wanted "some- thing to drnk'--putling both hands to their mouths and throwing their heads back.
 The thirty-eight Africans brought here were the share, as I learned, in the ven lure of citizen of New Orleans, and that they cost him, delivered at Savannah, fifty dollars each--only nineteen hundred dollars for thirty-eight Africans, sound and able negroes. They were in charge of Mir Brodnax, who was carry ing them to New Orleans.
 2 I have said above that the negroes were "all we'll" So they are, as well as could be expected; but, as might be coniectured, they were mostly suffering much from dis orders incident to acciiination.
 For some time the Africans could not be induced to go on board the boat. and seemed much frightened at the smoke. SSc. Doubtless they had perfect horror of travelling on water again, after having so recently endured long and crowded sea voyage. The manner in which they were finally induced to go on IS worthy of notice. The mate tried every means 10 get them on board, but to no effect Fi- nally he concerted a plan with big black Alabama negro. He tried 10 get him 10 go on board, but he resoluiely refused, when the mate laid him down on ihe gang way plank and hit him four or five substantial Iicks with his ponderous leath- CT strap, when the said Alabama negro got up, yelling awfully, and went straight on board, beckoning to the Africans to follow. And they did follow, 10 the amusement and amid the cheers of the crowd.
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