The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-06-20

Correspondence of the New Orleans Delta.l

| u. >. >. CRUSADER, May ~, lSO0
As the United States steamer Crusader wa
cruising in the old Bahama Channel, not far from
Neuvitas, on the 23d of May, square-rigget
vessel of moderate size was reported from aloft
We Immediately stood for her, as no sail is al
| lowed to pass us in these aayer-hunted waters
or even to come in sight without having hel
character asccrtained. As soon as she fount
herself an object of pursuit. the strange sail be
gan to behave in such manner as strongly ex
cited our suspicious, and at length put her helm
up and ran in for the shore. Unfortunately fol
her, the wind was so light that she was preven
ted from eifeeting her purpose, and we rapidly
oycrhaulcd her, notwithstanding that She was
carrying all her canvass.
The Crusader now hoisted English colors and
fired gun 70 windward when, after some dc
lay, the barque for such she proved to be- final
ly displayed the French flag at the peak. BY
this time, however, we were so near that we were
enabled to see that her matches were all closely
covered over, and as we continued to approach
we could even distinguish at intervals the pecu-
liar loathsomc Odor Of a crowded slavc-ship.-
Under these circumstances it was determined to
board her, and accordingly boat and the En-
glish ensign were lowered at the same time, and
the American eolors were hoisted. No sooner
did the Crusaders boat leave her side than the
barque hauled down the French colors, and, as
we subsequently learned, threw them and their
Portuguese papers overheard together; so that
when she loardnd she had neither papers
nor cclors and was conGesscdly without name
or nationality.
For little while there was dead silence on
board both ships, though the increasing strong
ammonacal African ordor placed beyond all
doubt the fact that the barque had under her
matches cargo Of negroes. And now we be-
gan to hear sort of suppressed moaning, which
soon swellcd into the unmistakabe murmur Of
human voices. AS our boat reached the side Of
the barquc and the officer in charge sprang on
the deck, with tremendous shout the matches
were forced open from below, and out burst
hundrcds-the selflberated slaves As they
caught sight Of the stars and stripes floating So
near-whieh no doubt seemed to these poor
wretches like bright rainbow Of promise-they
became perfectly frantic with joy. They climb
dup ali along the rail; they hung on the shrouds;
they clustered like swaming bees in the rigging,
while rose from sea to sky the widest acclama-
tons of delight They danced and lcaped and
waved their arms in the air, and screamed and
yelled in a discordant but pathetic concert
There was one thing, however, even moro touch
ing than all this outcry OF barbaric rejoicing
My attention was attracted to group consisting
Of somewhat more than hundred women, with
drawn apart from the shouting and noisy men.
Their behavior was in strong contrast with that
of the others, and was characteristic Of their SEX
Entirely nude, but innocently unabashcd, they
;at or knelt in fearful and silent thankfulness.
Several Of them held infants in their arms, and
through their tears, like sunshine from behind
icloud, beamedan expression ofthe deepest graf
tude. The men looked as though they had just
Ieen raised from despair to the most exlhtant
.ladness.
The scene of confusion on board the barque
when the negroes found themselves released from
he accustomed restraint battles all description
they had, of course all been kept on a very
mall allowance of food and water during the |
,assage The firstusc they made of their liber-
Y was to satisfy their hunger and thirst which |
hey did by breaking into the bread barrels and /
and then running about eating, |
thinking, dancing and screaming all at once.-
t mattered but little to them what sort ofycssels |
hey drank from; buckets, boxes, and troughs |
Tere all brought into requisitiOn. 1 even saw
everal fellows, happy and delighted, with |
,iece Of bread in one hand and wooden spittoon |
ull of muddy water in the other. As soon as
heir appetites were satisfied the African fondness
or finery began to show ITSELF and all the loose 4
rticles in the ship were employed as personal or
aments. Some fastened Delaying pins to their
1rists, and some strutted proudly about with
opper ladies hung round their necks. By this
ime however, a detachment of marines arrived
rom the Crusader, and order was at once restor-
d, and an organization established
The negroes were clothed with pieces Of can
ass, and the captain, supercargo and crew sent
n board the Crusader as prisoners They made
10 claims or remonstrances whatever, but sur
endered themselves as slavers without national
~. They stated that the barque had no name,
nd that all their papers had been thrown over
,oard with the colors. They seemed TO bear
heir loss with philosophic equanimity. Such a
ontingcncy had evidently been regarded by
hem as a part Of their risk, and they were
ot unprepared for It The captain Is French
nan. as is also the supercargo, and the crew are
Mostly Spaniar,is, with few Frenchmcn. The
czrecz wc1c seledgl from among z. ea' Pgi ION