The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1862-04-08


seem % care was the first male hs feared
neither God or devil. lie cursed and
swore ten times worse than ever, and
knocked the niggers around jest as i i
was deir Iauli, poor devils for havin' The
fever arl dyin'.
We were seven days out, standing to
the sou'west with all sails set, = iairish
wind aud hazy weather, when We spied
vessel asiarn Of US, nearer than the Cap
tain liked. Az first we thought little Of ii,
supposin' her 10 be bound for the West
Indies, for the cruisers Of that squadron
seldom troubles you when you've got clear
Of the coast fiity or hundred miles or so !;
all you have to look out for then is inquis-
iti,c Va. kee captains you can laugh at
the Britishcrs by hosting the Merican
flag, when they hain't no right to search
You, though they does II sometimes --
their impudepcc. But presently this teller
comes higher yet, and seems TO be follow
ia It's. Soon there's no doubt about il,
and the Captain makes her out to be a
steamer with the stars aud stripes flying.
So he tries to get of by virtue Of wind
and canvas, and there's as pretty chase
as ever you'd wish to see for over two
hours. Slavers don't fight you know
they allus runs, and is afeard of nothin'
but steamers.
This one gained on US at such q rate
that we should have gin in, only the haze
ihickened a bit and We thought we might
dodge in The fog. Instead Of that il clear
cd up some and The wind began TO slack
en-; so the Captain, arter consuliin with
the first mate, resolved TO tighten the car
60. About fifty ofthe niggers was fetched
on deck, by twos and threes, each on 'em
was lashed 10 a spar or plank and sent
adrift. We done this--l can't say as /
liked the busineas--in part to get rid on
EN-, part in the hopes as the steamer
would put out boats to pick EN- up, and
so be llndered and give us time to sheer
off If we'd got free We might hs' cruised
round spell afterwards lookin for EN-.
When ! see the poor black wretches float
in off in the mist and heard the yells of
two as the sharks got, ! thought it was
about as bad as could be, but ! soon larnt
different. The steamer came right on
arter US, siayn' for nothin', so the Captain
determined to drown every Niger on
board, that they mightn't be evidence
agin him.
He had cut our heaviest chain-cable,
tied hundred and sixty Of 'em to it, and
then run it overboardl shall never for
get that, Sir. Some cried and jabbered
in their gibberish for mercy. some howled,
some was kinder stupetied and didn't know
what was goin' to be done TO EN-, and
some fought with fists and teeth, like wild
beasts. The first mate--I warn't sorry
to sec t--nearly had his thumb bitten off
by on } of EN-. When they went over the
side they set up the awfulest screeeh you
ever heard tell on in all your born days
"a sort of dreadful yell as went right
through your head and frightened you.
1t was horrd-horrid seen men turn
white as death when they heard it. The
niggers went right plump down to the bot
tom, a great streak of bubbles rising up
arter them.
The Captain would have served the
rest the same way, but the hands had had
enough of il and stood right stock-still--
almost mutinying in spite Of his orders
and the first mates cursing. ] believe
both on EN- would have come to mischief
if they'd touched anybody. We knew
that the game was pretty well played out
anyway, for the steamer was a-gaiuin' on
us fast In less than twenty minutes she
fired gun across our bows to bring US 10,
and sent boat alongside to take posses
sion of us as prize. And then--what
do you think if she didn't turn out to be
the same burned sloop as we'd given the
go-by to off the Congo River I'm -- !
Her skipper had got sartin news Of US.
and was bound to capture us if he had TO
run all the way TO Cuba for it.
WE'LL he put a prize crew aboard under
command Of lieutenant and midshipman,
took US in place of his own hands, and
sent the niggers to Monroyia TO be set
free by the Government agent there -
Until our Captain showed 'em, the officers
didn't know how to stow or TO feed the
niggers, and, do what they could, three
hundred more died Of the fever afore they
sighted land, they was so sick. Hardly n
hundred Of EN- lived TO see Africa agin
and hcarn tell as they had sores all over
EN- and could hardly stand up from weak
ness.
We was headed for New York, and
pretty we'll treated, as common sailors who
had shipped without any partic'l lar knowl-
edge Of The craft, or ben put aboard in the
way | telled you Of at the beginnin' Of
the story. Some thought we'd get a
month or two in prison, others Doti and
they was right, as luck would have it, for
| they done nothin' TO US, 'cept landn' us
without red cent Of pay. The Captain
and mates warn't afraid, bless you they
! had plenty Of friends, and we wasn't then
under - Black Republican Govern
ment. And so Il happened. They was