The register. (Monroe, La.) 185?-1861, 1860-05-17
Horrors Of tlae French ssFree Emil
EratiOn'' Scheme.

soon discovered that the French free-labor
emigration and the Spanish and American slave
trade were carried on by the Governor Gene
raj, and nearly all the officials in the Portu
guese settlements on the east coast of Africa
and that the residents at those places (with the
exception of the most influential who could
assist the traffic) were not allowed to interfere
in it; and if found doing SO, were punished
Some of the French vessels engaged in this
traffic proceed to Nossibe, the French settle
ment on the northwest end of Madagascar, and
put themselves in communication with the Arab
merchants or Antealoats, on Majunga Bay. An
Arab belonging to Zanzibar, named Kallifan,
is generally employed. The vessel remains
anchored at Nossibe, whilst the Arabs send
their dhows to the coast of Africa 10 obtain the
slaves, who are landed at given point on the
coast Of Madagascar. These dhows are from
twenty to fifty tuns burthen, generally without
decks, and as the Arabs know we'll that they
are liable to be seized, even when empty, by
the British ships ofwar engaged in the suppress
sion Of the slave trade, if they have masts, pro-
visions or any extra cooking apparatus on
board, they take nothing more than what is alb
solutely necessary for their own crews. No
prQvision Is made for the comfort Of the OK
pected living cargo. The slaves forming the
cargoes of these dhows are obtained by pur-
chase or by theft; TO the Arab it is a matter Of
indifference how he obtains thcm--by purchase,
by fraud or by force.
When the cargo is complete, the slaves arc
tied hand and foot, and then placed on board
the dhow. During the voyage to the rendez-
vous they receive just sufficient uncooked rice
or BEANS with little water, to keep them alive
and are left day and night, without any cover
eing whatever, bound hand and foot, not even
being released to attend to the calls of nature
The interior of the dhow, therefore, becomes a
putrid mass Of living corruption; numbers OF
the slaves dying from fever, dyscntery and
smallpox, engendered by the pestilcntal at
mosphere within the hold of the slave-dhow.-
Their destination is generally some port moi
likely to be visited by Her Majesty's cruisers
and, arrived there, the only Improvement in
their condition is full allowance of water
Should it happen that by stress of weather, OF
any other cause, the French ship that is to take
them is retarded in her arrival, their sufferings
are much increased and when these poor crea
lures do at last get on board the French ship
the sudden change to an ample diet produces
sickness and sometimes death. The captain o
a French trading vessel stated that, on one oc
casion, when he landed at Europa Island, a
the Southern end of the Mozambique channel
to obtain some turtle, he found upwards of
hundred negroes lying on the beach, withou
any protection against the sun, wind or rain
They were guarded by some armed Arabs, AM
were waiting for vessel to take them to Re
union. Their provisions were nearly exhauE
ted; and, ifby any accident the vessel who's
cargo they were intended to form should be re
tarded 10 her arrival at Europa Island, it
easy to conceive what their fate would be-
McLeod' 7ra4.