New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-05-14
KEY-wEsT CORRESPONDENCE.
Special 70 the New Orleans CRESCENT

nsI'i haylng IN Tow the prize DARK WIG FIRE. seized
On the 28th ult. fifty miles E. of Neuvitas loaded
with a cargo Of slaves from the Congo river,
Africa.
| The Mohawk had been cruising for week among
the Bahama Banks, occasionally landing upon the
keys and allowing the men to run about for exer-
else, but the mosquitoes at this season being very
numerous, soon drove them on board. The princi-
pal amusement Of the men was in fishing, Of which
| they had plenty in quantity and good in quality.
The cruise of the Mohawk was continued among
the Lobos Gays with little excitement, occasionally
sailing out to sea by way of variety, and in two or
three instances having exciting chases. On the
24th ult. went into Nenyitas where abe remained
until the 18th, enjoying the Inequalities of the
| town. On the morning Of that day she came out,
| having in tow the American brig Pedro Sanchez
| DOLE, which vessel had on board a family from
| Principe, going to New York to reside. They had
| experienced SO much interest in Americans, and
were so kind in their manners, that more to please
| them than any other reason, Captain Craven took
them in tow in dead calm and carried them
| through the tortuous channels to the Bay, and
placed them clear Of the reefs. About 10 o'clock
A. NJ, the brig being still in tow of the steamer
| q sail was seen long way off, which at first
attracted little attention, and for an hour the
| steamer and brig continued ON this course. At
the end Of this time they let go the brig and ran
| towards the strange sail. As there was no wind
they soon overhauled the sail, which proved to be
bark, evidently American built, and in response
to our ensign, hoisted also the stars and stripes.
As the steamer ranged along side, men were OBJ
| served in the rigging tarring it, others were at
work about the deck, only a few in number, while
"a and fyvo off 1Ip 1aop
| upon the rail and observed the movements "A
boat was lowered, not because any suspicion was
excited but from force Of habit. AS The boat mp.
preached the bark IL was observed that no one
threw line to receive them, piece of courtesy
| common TO every ship-master, no matter how
rough. As the boarding officer passed on the side
a man stepped forward and offered his hand. No
sooner had Lieut.. Carpenter touched the rail than
he drew his sword and waved it. At the same mo-
ment shout was raised by the boats crew, and it
was then known on the Mohawk that the vessel
was prize. An involuntary shout arose from
| her. The bark proved to be the slave bark Wild
| Fire, which left New York the 10th of December,
| 1859, with an American crew, for the West Indies
She had very good run to the West Indies, arriy-
| ing at st. Thomas the eighth day. Here she re-
manned eight days, and then sailed direct for the
Congo river, where she took in cargo of six hun.
dred slaves She succeeded in getting clear Of the
| coast without passing a single vessel, and then
went under the command of Spanish CAPTAIN
and crew, who came on board as passengers. An
obscure story was told about their coming from a
brig or schooner which was captured or wrecked,
| Previous to this time they had received SIG Der
month they were now to receive $500 for their
portion of the proceeds of the sale of negroes.
| They were out thirty-six days. and would have
landed their cargo before had they not been be-
| Gained some days where they were at the time of
| capture.
As soon as the Mohawk's crew went on board,
| the wretches, to the number OF five hundred and
seventy.nine (he rest having died on the passage)
were driven on deck for fresh air. They came IN
with wonder depicted in their faces many at first
began to cry, but the majority soon found out that
| something for their interest had occurred and a
| prolonged cry of joy came from each throat.
majority are children Of from eight TO sixteen
years old. The females amount to about seventy.
They were separated from the rest by being nlaced
| in the cabin. Still further Off was little hatch.
ont Of which crawled some eight or ten skeletons
in the last stage of disease. A thew csme ont of
| the hole thew made a rush for two half hopsbeads
| Of water which thew annronr;atad mi Yono,t ~.
! with all the frenyy of a famished hono
The SIGHT was an extraordnary one cartain,v tba
deck crowded with these naked beinps their oro.
tesaue action. the constant hum Of voices the
strange and disaereeable odor. all formed a SCENE
which is not easily FORGOTTEN. The Cant ,anobef
and talked nnconeernedly. but the men anneared
morose and disappointed having cot within 40 few
miles Of their home ana fortune Ii have the nr;za
wrested SO suddingy from them. crew was
sent on hoard under the command nj officers Rar.
bot and Carpepter to take charge Of her and her
crew with tho axcent;on of two ,bo WOW. 1,iora
~ oarsaors r,to ,.o,a ,oto;.o, - -. I, :.
oroos in orda, xror. t,o,,asar.oa - ~. ~,
me, uvara l.; I'll - -,
law Nth tho f;co f,,or Nv 49, y, -
| moved and was loft n die On tho harl Tta III,
mon vera soon nI.ced ,ndor Tood;o.I tra,t
From their own account tbo Grow NJ -
! everything. Their .conntanances sbowad o,raot
deal ~ SUFFERING and disease Tbey sav Tho. Oh =
| the cowardlv Snansb cantain has co,,monda5
| them thew have been sbamefnl,v tsreated and tha
| sick had mo attention Maid u Them Ono bod a;ad
before the Captain. and anotber vas so III a. 10 ho
delirious. The CAPTAIN was at frat narticularlv
cool. laughed at the capture and ST his own mic.
| fortune, but when he saw preparations ON the
steamer for their confinement he became some.