The Mountaineer. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1859-1861, 1861-03-30
GREAT" SALT LAKE CITY. SATURDAY. MARCH 60 1861 4


below, my partner ordered tarpanlins /,
be thrown over the gratings, and ever,
creyice snothered with wet canvass. /;
keep down the fire. Meantime he him
self worked with terrible activity. while
seconded lbs exertion 20 the best Of n,
ability. The men toiIed for their lives
and IN what seemed a Iniraculously brio
| space. q strongly secured aud tolcrabl,
cupacious raft was launched and cut away
with the rigging which composed portioi
OF L. Meanwhile, our boats were out
and a couple Of casks Of water, fortnn
ately on deck-thc bulk Of our supply
being under the slave decks were made
fast, with all the provisions that could Dc
rot 81, 10 the middle IL our life raft
Then came the vital question Of saving
such portions Of orr living cargo as could
safely be transferred TO The raft.
Fortunately the sea was calm, and
q bright moonlight enabled all orr opera.
tons TO 60 on without the confusion that
darkness must have occasioned. A ma.
jority OF the crew manned our two boats,
to which my own and Diego,s yalaables
were transferred; and Diego Ramos, my.
sell, and the rest Of the men, took onr
Stations on the raft, and pushed Of, hav-
ing FIRST shifted the IatclEgfatiags, and
flung down the shackle-keys to the slave.
gangs, TO allow Of their escape from the
hold. is I. '-l I. 3.
4 shall never forget the shrek that
.rung In our ears, rs the panic-strieken
blacks scrambled from their dreadful
confinement, pursued by smoke and fame,
Hardly had the FIRST gangs gained the
briggs decks, than tile Gre began TO run
all over her loose rigging, from wheel 10
howsprit, and enyeloped the wretched
blacks who had rushed 10 Iccward. There
was but little air stirring, yet that little
was sufficient to fan the flames into fury
The shonts Of men aud screams OF wo.
men rose In horrible discord, and, one by
one, the negroes, catching sight Of our
boats and raft in the increasing light, be.
gan TO leap oyerbonrd, and swim towards
US Then came the most frightfnI Of all
the horrors Of that night; for il was ne.
cessary to prevent a sudden swamping 0i
the raft i.,,d mus, ,,s., lx1,.., ,..l;.l n \
n,ad M, - 4, - ,s.a.,,a ~ - 49,
ahe "a aud tow ne =, ,.;',a,,.,,.J ~ ~ ,s ~
swimming blacks 4vhils, tbe N;rs,,1a ri. .Il
nj sloW IL m. onr ia n 81. 80. n
Thesea was illunlined for miles by the
fla,nes which wran,,c,I Ira ilon,,,,a Ni;ra,,
tla AZ Tie raft. Esteo,liIy: srresJ,J f,a,,,
them tie blacks who .stIil ,isnss M,
yesseps side SGT ~, ,Iss,,oi,,;,,sr 80 IA
those Who were swinla,ing ,,aSh. y;n,,
solie hundreds snlaag ,s.,i II f,, 49,
with their hands cllsned oyer, their I,eads
most Of these were encountered viii,
.s6aCkles on the feet: for they had beef
released on board by unlocking and
drawing out the padlocked rods, The
drag OF these letters inpeded their pro.
Egress. so that We were enabled 10 kep,,
the raft at d distance md only allow IN
fupitiyes TO board us singly or by twos or
threes. SeaInen we're stationed on. every
side TO keen, OH the swimmers viii, hand.
spikes: and thus VIC were able 10 rcsrne
what the raft could accommodate will, safe
" to ourselves. Ii was piteous sirlt how.
ever. TO witness the terror and despair Of
the doomed ones. who sank constantly be.
fore our eyes, or we're knocked buck IRON
their hold, when they became too heavy
for the RATS buoyancy. And here. alas,
| was called upon TO feel d personal inter.
lest in two al least, OF that miserable Inul
titusle, which my ayarice had assisted ii
consirning 10 an untinely fate, .:...
Ii was when the flames had reached
their height, and the Miranda, from stem
to stern, presented sheet OF lurid fire
that piercing shrek was suddenly heard
rising above all sounds, aud then, to mi
horror and establishment, the name 81
'.Philir' was distinctly pealed across The
| water. Diego Ramos started. and looked
at me, aud beth turned our gaze 10 iii,
vessels deck, where stood the erect fjpurt
! of u woman, her naked black form re-
Iieved in clear outline by the background
of fire. She held q naked child OF abonl
seven years IN her outstretched arms, and
sent her piereing voice over the space
tina: interYened between her and the raft,
with another and louder cry Of Phillip
In an instant my heart was thrilled
with the recollection of an African forest
scene, where a young girl had kueIt over
my PROSTATE body, aud sucked the venom
| of d serpent from my wounded breast. /
| recognized the face, the form of SOluh,
| the daughter Of Manmee. saw before
| me my devoted Yallaba wife, and doubt.
less, il was my own child that / bclield
embraced by the poor loving mother.