The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-11-16
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annie SisNS h.rsEA saS vessSls F.aSned
on the west coast Of Xiies for tho saoptsssicn Of
the slave trade. In - course Of Two yearofhus
engaged we had, q usual, done very little good,
and lost great number Of men by coast fever
and sickness generally. A few vessels had been
captured, but many more had Slipped through
our fingers, by reason Of the treachery of the
informers on shore. most of whom eventually
proved to be in the pay and interests Of the slave
dealers. The slave captains, too, had become
very knowing; they were mostly old hands Mt the
business, and contrivcd to give us the slip in
many different ways.
Rorinstance, in chasing Their, on a dark night,
they would hang light over stern, and after
We had followed this for some hours would drop
cask with lighted lantern fitted to it, at the
same instant, putting out their own light. 1t
was easy for them to alter their course SO as to
double back and sail away in the darkness. leav-
ing lsintoht on watching their false light This
stratagcm generally succeeded when the nights
were very dark.
Or, when holly pursued in the day time, they
frequently practiced most inhuman trick to in
crease their distance. When we were close upon
them they used to throw a slave Overheard with
plank for,him to cling to, or very often with
out evon that. They well knew that British
man-of-war would not pass apoor wretch strug-
Cling in tho water and leave him to drown. Thus,
whilst sail WAS being shortened, the ship hove
to, boats lowered, the man picked up, and the
vessel got on her course again, they contrived to
get u fine start ahead, for these manoeuyres, even
in the tanartest ship, will take some considerable
time and in this way rs much ground was lost
as would take many hours 20 recover, for n stern
chase is Il long one.
The luck had been against us for a long time.
and after many false informatiSns and fruitless
chascs we succeeded in capturing a SLAYER in a
most singular manner.
1t happened in this way. One fine morning,
when cruising off the coast of Loango and Cong,
the'officer of the watch reported a strange sail
in sight. I went on deck, took my glass, and
there, sure enough, was very suspicious look
iny craft right ahead. 1t was dead calm and
we soon steamed up to her., r., ,,r
She was b clipper barque Of about four hum
dred tons. From her top spars great clouds OF
snowy canvass tapped heavily against the rig.
ging as her long, low hull rolled slowly from
side to side on the glossy surface OF tho heaving
ground swell. Judging from her appearance
and her being o great deal out Of her usual track
OF. homewafd or outward bound .vessels-in faSt,
being very suspicious locality-one naturally
came to the conclusion that she must be SLAYER.
hoped very soon to have the pleasure Of lifting
her matches to ascertain whether this assumption
wcre correct or not As preliminary step, the
demand to show her cOlors was made to my
great annoyance she hOisted the stars and stripes
Of America. This precluded,the right Of search.
However, I resolved to board her. and try to de.
tect some signs OF, her having black cargo
With that object in view I had the gig Manned
and in a few minutes was alongside the doubtful
craft. Il NM IN r cUI'T -
The captain, tall, gaunt Yankee, received
me at the gangway, and without waiting to be
asked, produced his papers, which seemed to he
all regular enough. The barque was the Ipde-
pendence, Of Boston, Masa, Robert Stormont,
master, from New York to the Cape Of Good
Hope and back. ON trading voyage She was
now homeward bound, and was twenty.seven
days out from the Cape, 90 the captain informed
me. Having taxed him with being out Of the
usual rout, he explained that this was new no.
ton of his-he kept we'll over to the eastward 40
a. to make a fair wind Of the northeast trades,
when he should meet them. Whilst pointing
out to him the fallacy of this idea took few
turns up and down deck with him, and succeed.
ed in drawing him into long argument. Whilst
thus engaged, ] noticed that all the matches were
indeed tightly battened down but there were no
things slowed on the top of them, as is usually
the case on merchant vessels whose matches are
never required 70 be opened during the voy-
age. This strengthened my suspicious, and from
the captains extreme eagerness in satisfying all
my inquiries, had verv little doubt as to the
ture Of all his cargo. .. ,rly
1t was certain that if he had slaves on board,
those hatchways could not remain closed for an
hour without suffocating them. If they were
opened during that time, the presence of the
slaves would be easily percepitible and in that
case tho vessel would be lawful prize.
Considering these things / sat on the taffrail,
and taking out bundle of choice Havanas,
proposed a smoke This the Yankee agreed to,
and was smoking away and got toleraby socia-
bic, although at the same time it was amusing to
see how very tidgety he was gettings ~
In the course of conversation it turned out
that he had been in China and as that was the
last station on winch had served we were en-.
abled to compare notes on that subject. He in.
terested me very much by giving an account OF
the clever way in which he suppressed mutiny
that broke out in his ship Oh her last voyage
1t appeared that he was chartered to take three
hundred Chinese coolies the very dregs of the
population, from Hong-Kong to California. II
occurred to these celestial vagabonds, some time
after the vessel had put to sea, to murder the Of
fcers and crew and run away with the ship. In
order to effect their purpose they adopted high.
ly ingenious expedient Several large bonfires
were made on the lower deck and cry "Fire,
fire." was raised the Cinnamon thinking that
the officers and Grew would all rush down below
to put the fire out and then they would be easily
able to fall upon them with knives and murder
them simultaneously. But our friend the cap
tain, far too wide awake for that. simply had the
matches battened down, and smotherod the China
men IN tholr smoke. When thoy were suficiont-
ly chokcd md.thus reduced to Subsection, he de.
,n''nded that they should deliver up their ring
leadsrs OF ihe mntiny. This they did, and with
out any trial he hung them, six in NUMBER at
tho JOrGyard arm the same Aax .s s-
We continued thus, spinning warns and smo.
klnir for lon nth IL