Des Arc citizen., 1860-08-15
The :. Black Bird Line" "


 The New York Tribune gives the io'- lowing description of a vessel in the "Ba'k Bird Line" now lying in that port;
 aWhoever wishes to see a vessel which has all the points of first-class slayer should look at the bark Kate, now lylng in the stream opposite Castle Garden.- A long. low, black thing, with raklng masts and heavy spars, capable ot show ing an immense spread of canvass, she IS the sort of vessel mos, sought alter by ihe piraticaI tradesmen who make merchan- dies of the bodies of men. Built orign- ally for the South American trade, she has been in her day reputable vessel :; but. as too often the case with others ol her sex whose vivacity and good looks are their best recommendation, she attracted the attention of men ofthe baser sort, and was reduced to the shameless lie she now follows. But she carries in her looks the evidence of her shame, for, though as beautiful as ever, her bearing is insolent, and. when full dressed, there IS an extra vaoance and latitude in her costume that belonreth not to modest emae.'
 The same writer, who seems to be well posted in the matter, furnishes the follow ing general information of the " line :" We gave, not long since, list ot un- doubted slavers which cleared from this port for Africa between the first Of Janu- ary and the first of May. To this we add for May and June eight vessels more, in- eluding the Kate, viz: the brig Storm King, Lockhart master, May ?; schooner Josephine. Carter, master, May IF; bark Cora. Latham master, May l9; bark Buckeye, Booth master, May 2l; brig D. Webster, Bruisson master, May 29; bark F Demlng, Bughtman master, June IS; and schooner Maraquita, Burrett master, June l9. Of these, the Cora, Josephine and Maraquita have been stopped, and their ca:goes discharged. The evidence of their intentions was sufficient to require bonds, though not considered sufficient to authorize confscation. They have since gone to sea. Ii these bonds are ever paid the sum will be a very small per centage on the profit of a cargo of negroes.
 This slave trading IS profitable busl- ness. It is profitable at both ends; for Il pays those well who engage in 1t, and not badly those whose business it is 10 stop Ii at the outset. Precisely how much this latter class make, we have no means of knowing, but undoubtedly ther gains are considerable It is idle to suppose that these vessels get of without official connlvance. All the methods adopted, we do not know ; but sometimes, 1t is said, where no evil dence has appeared against the vessel, a bag or two of gold has disappeared from her cabin; sometimes when, Il was thought, the papers had been selzed that would cer- tainly convict her, they were found, when opened-having, in the meantime, been in possession of sworn officer ot the law-to be mass of most innocent and uninteresting correspondence: Probably, where both parties understand their busi- ness, all public scandal Is avoided, and the slayer slips out of port quietly and unmo- tested.
 Nor are the opportunities of turning a penny confined to the seizure of vessels which are known to be slavers. The des- tination and purpose of every one of them that clears from this port, bound for Africa for ''cargo of ebony" are as positively known, in certain quarters, as that the Cunard steamers take malls and passen- gers to Liverpool weekly. The ladlng provisioning and equipment of this ''back bird line" differ from all other ships they are always cleared at the Custom House by the master, or by some firm which at no other time has either local habitation ora name. No excuse ever exists for a mistake, for the moral, if not the legal evidence is always perfect. Yet the gull ty always escape, whele advantage i: sometimes taken of the law to make the innocent suffer.