Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1861-03-09


him, and he loses no time. (it is this pluck and
energy in oil climates which makes the Yankee
ehipmaster so valuable in this trsde.)
lie begins at 6hos TO discharge his cargo into
the warehouse, and to receive from there empty
casks, which were puncheons Of rum brought By
the preceding vessel Of the company. These he
places in the hold, to be filled with water from the
river, and beside them he slows his barrels OF pro-
visions, and over oil he lays his "slave deck" upon
temporary beams-the lumber for which be
brought from Havana with him.
His water full, his provisions are slowed and
his extra cooking-stove on board from the ware
house, he reports himself ready for sea and the
"sobrecargo" informs him that he has hdd a
chance to select fine lot OF seven hundred and
! ffty cut of thousand waiting for shipment, at a
cost, in bad rum, Of fifty dollars head Ob this
boasted Christian, civilized nineteenth century,
which permits such dOuble-edged iniquity, the
exchange Of bad rum to ignorant barbarians for
the blood and sweat Of their own kith and kin!
SHIPPING THE NEGROES.
The agent now sends out his spies to report the
mouth of the river all clear from cruisers, and
with the first fair wind and ever-favoring current,
the slaves are driven on board, naked as the day
they were born, Id one promiscuous huddle Of
men, women and children. The lines are cast off,
and without word of farewell these sons and
daughters of Africa are carried away from their
native soil, never under any circumstances, to SEQ
! it again-never to reunite the ties that day so
rudely severed-to suffer the horrors OF the enid
die passage" during which at least ore-thrd of
tba Of dia nd tha cna lIu ,od
to bondage compared to which death is bles-
sirg.
All this is done uhder the American flag which,
in the touching pathos of national poetry, only
waves Ger the free"
A DAY ON BOARD A SLAYER.
We will now imagine Our chip clear Of the
coast, and with fair wind. A description of life
on board for one day will answer for the voyage
usually about th'rty-fve days n length.
Our ship is one hundred feet long and thirty
wide, and on ber deck aud under her deck, and or
her cabin ard in her cabin, are slowed seven hun
dred ind fifty human beings, so cEamped ant
crowded that they can scarcely sit down wher
i standing or ssaud WHOM oisting.
Early in the morcing the crew lead hose from
| NN
give each one thorough bath, and then proceed
to wash from the decks the accumulated filth and
excrement Of the previous day and night. Each
negro then is compelled to wash out his mouth
with vinegar-th. is done TO prevent scurvy.-
Now comes the morning meal, which consists Of q
pint of water and quantity of boiled rice and
beans. After breakfast the doctor makes bis
rounds, pitches overheard the dead and dying, and
administers medicine to such as are not beyond
the hope of recovery. The principle diseases with
which they have to contend are dysentery and
ophthalmia both of WHICH are generally fatal and
both owing to confined space and foul atmosphere.
During the day the contra maestro" goes about
among them with his whip; COWS down the bold
est, and siences the noisiest with his merciless
lash, and sometimes selects the weakest, takes
them to the least crowded space and makes them
dance to the tune of his cowbide-to restore circu
lation
Dinner consists of the same, with the occasional
addition of scraps Of jerked beef. There is nc
change from this food during the voyage; at times
when the negroes appear Respondent or weak
they are given little Ium. AT night they sre
compelled to lie down, "spoon fashion" as @
housekeeper places her spoons in basket); can
vas covering is hauled over them, and it is impos
sble for them to change their position until tht
following morning.
But we will pass over oil of the sckening deail
Of q heightened voyage. the excitement Of chas'
(when the negroes are frequently suffoeated unde
the hatches) the frequent scantiness of water anC
provisions, with the consequent frightfu mortality
among the cargo aud orew-often the wages o
sin is 6eath"-and the thousand and one barbar
Gus incidents which merely to read of must ava
ken the liveiest feelings of nature, but TO wit
ness and participate in must eventually harder
and degrade man until he becomes more bruta
than beast
ARRIVAL AT CUBA.
We will now suppose our ship safely arrived a
the key ST. Philip"-this is one of many Of III
secluded rendezvous abounding on the coast o
Cuba. The Captain drops his anchor hosts hi
private signal, and the launches. which have beeI
waiting since a certain fixed day, come of, an
With them om-house officer, probably sen
by the governor of the district The negroes ar
landed and sent off at once to some place wher
: they are exercised, washed and fattened for ,h
market The company's agent pays off the crew
giving to each man his pro rata.
y The ships anchor is raised-sail lie made, hole
= are bored in .he bo,tom-and the old craft fo
with crime and full Of all unceanliness, is startt
- forth upon the to surely sink, and thus oblit
" rate from the record, all evidence Of the guilt
which she has been an innocent participa
a PROFITS OF THE VOYAGE,
$ The captain goes to Havana with one-half Of b
e ships register and false bill Of sale, which
forwards to the New York Custom house accoT
p ing to law, and in the meanwhile presents hims'
s to his principle with the following balAnOelshee
/ DR.
t To fret cost Of ship $1,000
I Advance wages 1000
8 Captains wages and venture 10000
! Supercsfgo and boatswain 5000
n e Ar - WnAA