New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-10-15
:. rhe Revs aas.ons of y slave smuwaler.,

narrative of the life of Capt. Phillips Drake,
said to have been an African trader for fifty
years." describes as follows the fate of the Pom
cheeta, with 700 slaves on board just purchased at
Badagry. The vessel was commanded by Antonio
Menaez, and old slave smugglers
Our schooner was loaded beyond capacity; and
the deck had been fitted with temporary platforms,
| or shelves, as high as the tafrail. Above these,
4 st8ff netting was drawn to prevent the shacklea
couples from leaping overheard to commit suicide
4 In walking the deck, we sometimes trod on hsad
or foot thrust out from the lewer tier. Such was
4 the condition OF the Poncheeta's cargo, when we
left the Blight. Z
On onr last night ont there was frightfal battle
4 among the slaves for room and air, although our
| matches were off. The crew and oEerseets res
| tored order by the use of whips and han6spkes,
but not till seventeen negroes had been ekcked to
daath or 50 badly gnawed in their throats by their
| neighbars, that we were obliged to drown them.
SO tightly were the wretches wedged below, that
the sailors had to draw the dead ones out by main
| pulling of their legs.
About week out we encountered O severe gale,
which drove us furiously before it, all canvas
being taken in had, up to this time, kept to my
resolution OF abstaning from drink while on ship
| board; but the close. sultry weather, and the
| stencil Of the negroes sickened me, so that in
| duiged that night pretty freely OF potations of
Jamaica spirits until dropped of to sleep. was
awakened by crash as if the skies were falling,
and a yell like a thousand tigers Springing from
my bunk, near the after gangway, heard Captain
| Mendez calling to his mates whilst the men were
running to and fro like mad. Nothing was to be
seen; no light apeak or abeam: and the night
rainy, and as dark as VOLTS mouth. ran toward
the binnacle lamp, and found the helm swinging
| loose, and at that moment vivid flash Of light
ming. by which saw Captain Mendez, witk face
like his shirt, Save yourself, doctor cried he,
the brig is sinking =
/ / rushed to midshps, and heard the negroes
4 screeching on both sides; then back to the stern
| davits, where our men were lowering the boats.
| How got In with the rest never knew, but ten
| minutes after this l found myself with Capt Men
dez and half the crew, in of our boats the rain
| dashing on us; we rowed about for an hour before
| day appeared. The gale had lulled, but the heavy
rain vas like waterspout. All this time we could
hear the slaves screeehing board the Poncheeta.
When morning broke we saw her alec, her decks
almost level with the waters edge. We did not
dare to pull nearer but lay by till she went down,
little two hours after the collision that caused
4 her to founder.
| She had been struck on the beam by a large ves-
sci, which tore away her starboard rail and netting
the whole length, crushing our chained blacks on
/ their shelves, which eccasioned the dismal shrieks
| we had heard. The Poncheeta sprung a leak, and
filled gradually till she sank with nearly four hun
dred living human beings manacled on he slave
4 decks. One of our boats must have fouudered,
/ with several of our crew. We were picked up by
4 the vessel that had run US down, and which had
4 lain to during the fog. 1t was an armed East In
| dianman, the Mersey, bound for Zanzibar, and by
her we were landed at Cahenda, on the Guinea
i 4 o.