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

common sh1p-s haFe aboard a3a re were
told ae was bound % Africa to trade with
ih- nisgers ca palas ~,
0nr snip we jusi IS pretty q clipper
built ons hs was ever turned out Of New
York dock ward most new ] guess, and
IN fr8-raie order. from Stem TO slaFn.
She were low-lying and rakish. with ous
Of them Internal, high, spear-looking bows ;
square rugged on he fore and main mast !;
fore aud aii on the mizen, bark fashion
you know. She could spank along under
ten-kuoi breeze with most any thing
afoaL Her Cspiain--well, never mind
about him he Was a Meriean and good
seaman that's ali kear to tell Just now.
Our real business soon got whispered
about before the mast, as for me ! sus-
piciohed Il from the first, from the many
water-casks on deck and the stores Of ice
and physic aboard. The mates, too. both
ol EN- was Cubaus. and one, the hardest
hearted. most piraiical-looking villain on
hung, / do believe, laughed and talked
kinder curi0us-like with some Of the hands,
them as ha.l shipped knowing what we
Was So, when the Captain had US all
forrad on the third day out, and made a
biz Of a speech, letting US into The secret
and promisin' Us dollar head on every
nigger landed safe in Cuba--much o that
as il turned out lit didn't surprise us
any. Some liked the notion of makin' q
big pile easy ; some didn't care; and all
concluded TO 20, specially as they couldn't
do anything else.
We made fiirish tun to the African
coast, twenty days in all, agreein' pretty
well among ourselves, though there was a
knife or two drawn, and the first mate
turned out devil incarnate. Ii was q
word and blow with him allus, and the
blow first often. He'd hit man for any
thing; spiteful, too As to swearin' and
abuse, well, guess | can pay out pretty
free when I'm mad, and I've sailed under
them rs could cuss some, but that teller
beat all. What with his Spanish, and his
French, and his furrin English, and the
niggsr jabber he'd picked up on the coast,
he'd swear the hair of your head right on
end in no time; it most made yonr flesh
creep to hear him. If that - had had
his way, he'd ha' made he'll aaoat Of It
for US but the Cap'n was different. and
We thought better Of him. You'll hear
what he done though before | come to the
end Of the story.
He was good seaman, | said, and
worked the ship handsome, right to the
mouth Of the Congo River the best place
10 get what we wanted, for the niggers
inland there are alus at war with one
another; they do say on purpose TO get
prisoners 10 sell TO the traders. They has
barracoons at Convenient places, and the
word is passed mighty quick up country
for EN- TO tote along the coflles, when the
right kind o vessel comes up the river.
Its big and broad and deep enough, and
most alus fair weather in that latitude;
50 one can 20 up good ways. We hadn't
ben there three days fore The Captain had
bargained for full cargo Of prime hands
4 thousand men, women, and children.
He paid for 'eln in rum and muskes and
gnnpowder.
The gettin' Of EN- aboard and stowin'
en- between decisive had two decks,
with jest sitting room between em--was
done in double-quck time arter they had
been passed as sound and likely and
branded. II didn't take an hour in all.
The Csp'n stood ready as they came over
The side, and he'd just shove EN- along
like so many sheep arter rippin of the
bits o rag some on 'em wore around their
middles and heavin en- overheard. The
night afJre there was a great feast in
which the chiefs and all consarned, 'cept
us white men, got as drunk as so many
devils. All being ready we up anchor
and away for Cuba.
Our Captain had laid his plans smart
and knew the ropes with anybody on the
coast It's the custom for ships Of the
squadron, the African squadron ! mean,
which is allus on the lookout for slavers
TO take each port and kinder. blockade
il, moving on from one TO another at reg
ular dates, accordin' TO the orders Of the
Commodore on the station. We'd slipped
in safe enough knowing our time, and had
calculated to get ont jus, the same. We
done il too, though we run tight smart
chance OF being nabbed by a blamed Yam
kee skipper as you'll hear more on in
good time. I'll tell you how that happen
ed, as larnt il arterward aboard that very
steamer
lie was the only Northern captain on
that station. and the others, all Southern
ers, had sortcr sent him to Coventry Tor a
scrub as really meant business, and would
MI make things pleasant for considera-
tion. (They have a fellow-feclng, you
know, for they owns niggsrs themselves
when they're to home. and buys and sells
EN- tso.) SO he got mad and determined
10 play possum. He had ben ordered
away from the Congo River TO = station
thirty miles TO the Ror'ard jest afore we
arrived, rs our Captain knew well enough
4 | amt going TO say who told him. There
be pcriends to damage his machinery, lies
ia for three davs. and then comes right