Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-02-13
PREPARING FOR A VOYAGE.

The ship having been purchased in New
York, arrived in Havana and discharged her
cargo, now proceeds to fulfil the real object
Of her owner. In the first place she takes
n new cargo which consists of articles
u5e5 in the purchase Of the slaves and their
subsisence on the homeward trip, viz: Bar
rels Of bread, tierces of rice, puncbeons Of
rum, beans, jerked beef tobacco, vinegar,
powder, &c, together with lumber for the
slave decks. fSpecie is seldom sent out J
Next the crew is shipped, consisting usually
Of men Of every nation; these men agree to
go the voyage upOn terms that are well un-
derstOod-so much advance (say so dollars, J
aRd one and half dollars per man for every
negro landed in Cuba
In addition TO the captain, mate and second
mate, there comes on board a. saliow-faoed,
gloomy Spauiardi who is generally Don Jose,
or D n somebody else, whose frequent voya-
ges to "the Coast are written in every line
Of his face. Be is the Hs0brecargo," the
great factotum and translator Of all the bu-
siness of the ship, and in case of need--as
when boarded by an American man-ofwa
be hoists the Spanish flag and is the Spanish
captain. tl
After this important character comes an
other man called the "contra maestro" OF
5oatwain. He is the "nigger-driver," the
brute who manages and beats into submission
the human cargo on its homewsrd trip;
none but Spaniard could look or be 50 crue
Is be is. The ships cargo and crew are now
complete, and having "eleared from Gus
tom-house and the American consulate, sht
sails out Of port some bright morning witt
the American asg, the beautiful emblem 0
liberty to the oppressed, Haunting in th'
breeze, and speeds on a mission the horror
and cruelties of which my pen cannot des
cribe.
The outward voyage viii occupy abOu
forty-6ve days. How this is employed b.
the captain and his incongruous crew an
anprepared to say; perhaps in mutual specu
latiOns on their probable gains, and guesse
as TO how many " damn niggers" VIII di
before they land in Cuba each one being
worth to the Eneanest and Tilest Of this crew
one dollar and half sI4
AT THE ooSeo.
But arrived in the river Congo, you per
haps imagine the dark night the thiel
Jungle and the stealthy tread Of the man
stealer as the necessary adiuncts Of this traf
nc. Quite the reverse, SIR; the ship sails M
nolested some thirty miles up the river, ant
with all the hustle Of new arrival. hauls in
70 q pier opposite the ''iactOrvp and ware
house belonging to the Havana Company '
which before mentioned
The resident agent comes on board, ant
warmly welcomes his old friend the "sobre
cargo, and after being introduced and taking
"a drink With the captain, they adjourn Oh
shore to a comfortable dinner, where, owe
their wine, they discuss the price Of rum AM
the price Of niggers.
in the n1aantime, on this wharf there as
sembles the most promiscuous crowd Of mel
that perhaps you ever saw, the result Of cap
lures By men-of-War on the coast, and lande
at convenient points, in order that they ma,
be again taken with full cargoes. and thu
over and over again put prize money in th
pockets Of her Britanic Majtstys naval Off
oers. These men are the Outeastsof ali civi
neutrality-suspicious., mnrderers, pirates,-
Chineee, Portuguese, native Africans, Eng
lish, Dutch, devils As our ship left HaYan
with small crew, 70 save appearances, s
addition is made TO iJ from these experts,
in the abominable trade.
The next day, perhaps, man-of va
steams up the riveT-for she has e coal depo
opposite this very warehouse -and our cap
ain receives q visit from her, cheerful,
.hows bis regular manlfst and clearance
certified by the American Consul at Havana
aad holsn HE American hsei aud sends bssl
to the steamer 3 box Of very good HaEan