New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-04-14
The Horrors of the French Free EmIsra
tIon,' Scheme.

The Horrors OF the French IS Free Emfgra-
tIon'' Scheme.
soon discovered that the French free-labor
emigration and the Spanish and American slave
trade were carried on by the Governor. General
and nearly all the officials in the Portuguese settle
ments the east coast of Africa, and that the resi-
dents at those places with the exception of the
most influential, who could assist the trafic) 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 settlement on the northwest end of NADIA
gascar, and put themselves in communication with
the Arab merchants or Antealoats, on Majunga
Bay. An Arab belonging to Zanzibar, named
Kallilan, is generally employed The vessel re-
mains anchored at Nossibe, whilst the Arabs send
their dhows to the coast of Africa to obtain the
slaves, who are landed at given point on the
coast of Madagascar. These dh0ws are from twenty
to fifty tuns BURDEN generally without decks, and
as the Arabs know well that they are liable to be
seized, even when empty, by the British ships.of-
war engaged IN the suppression OF the slave trade,
II they have masts, provisions any extra cooking
apparatus on board, they take nothing more than
what is absolutely necessary for their own crews.
No provision is made for the comfort of the eX.
pected living cargo. The slaves forming the car
goes of these dhOws are obtained by purchase or
by theft: to the Arab it is matter of Indifference
how he obtains them-by purchase, by fraud or by
force.
When the cargo is complete, the slaves are tied
hand and foot. and then placed on board the dhow
just sufficient uncooked rice or beans, with little
water, to keep them alive, and are left day and
night, without any covering whatever, bound hand
and foot not even being released to attend to the
calls of nature. The interior of the dhow, there
fore, becomes pntrid mass of living corruption !:
numbers of the slaves dying from fever, dysenterv
and smallpox, engendered by the presidential at
mosphere within the hold Of the slave dhow.
Their destination is generally some port not likely
to be visited by Her Majesty's cruisers and, ar.
rived there, the only improvement in their Con.
dition is full allowance 1T water. Should it hap
pen that by stress of weather, or any other cause
the French ship that is to take them is retarded
her arrival, their suiferings much increased
and when these poor creatures do at last get Oh
board the French ship, the sudden change to al
ample diet produces sickness and sometime
death. The captain Of French trading vesse
stated that, on one occasion. when he landed a
Europa Island, at the Southern end of the Mozam
bique channel, to obtain some turtle, he found al
| wards of hundred negroes lying on the beaei
without any protection against the sun, wind q
| rain. They were guarded by some armed Arab
and were waiting for vessel to take them to r.
union. Their provisions were nearly exhausted
and if by any accident the vessel whose cafg
| they Were intended 10 form should be retarded II
her arrival AZ Europa Island, il i easy to eoneeif
| what their tate would be- Iacbeod's Travels