The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1867-12-19
STRANGE CAPTURE.

Sells, stationed on the slave trade. In The
course OF two years thus engaged We bad
as usua! done very little good snd lost a
great number OF men by coast fever and
sickness generally A few vessels had
been captured, hut many more had slip
ped through our fngers, by reason of the
treaehery of the aformer ON shore, nii0st
ct ~hoJHseveSsfdsfly proved -td be ifr.fhe
pay and interests Of the slave dealers
The slave captains, too, had become very
knowing ; they were mostly old hands at
the business, and contrived to give the
slip in many different wavs.
For instance in chasing them On = 9.rL
night, they would show bright light over
the stern, and after we bad followed this
for some hours, they would drop LARGE
cask with lighted lantern fitted TO II at
the same time putting ont their own Egh,
1t ~ s easy for them TO alter their course
and double back and sail away in the dark
ness, leaving us intent on watching the
faise light. This strataeem generally sue
ceeded when the nights were very dark.
Or, when holly pursued in the DAYTIME.
they frequently practiced most inhuman
trick TO increase their distance. When
we were close up~n them they used to
throw n slave overheard with a plank for
him 10 cling to, or very often without that.
They well knew that a British man>oE
war, would not pass poor wretch strug~
Cling in the water and leave him To drown.
Thus while 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 fine start
ahead, for these maneuvers, even in the
smartest ship, will take considerable time
III this way as much ground was lost as
would take many hours to recover, for
stern chase is long one .
The luck had been against US for long
time, and after many false informations
and fruitless chases, we succeeded in cap
turing SLAYER in most singular manner
without any chase at ALL
1t happened in this way One fine
morning, when cruising off the coasts of
Loango Congo, the officer of the watch re-
ported a sail in sight. I went on deck.
took my glass, and there, surely enough,
was very suspicious looking craft right
ahead. 1t was dead calm, and we soon
steamed up te her.
She was clipper barque of about four
hundred tons. From her taut spars great
clouds Of snowy canvass fiapped heavily
against the rigging as her long low hui
rolled slowly from side to side on the glas-
sy surface of the heaving ground swell.
Judging by her rakish appearance and
her being great deal out Of the usual
track of homeward or outward bound yes>
sels-in fact being in very suspicious To-
cality-one very naturally came TO the
conclusion that she must be SLAYER.
hoped very soon TO have the pleasure of
lifting her hatches TO ascertain whether
this assumption was correct or no. AS
preliminary step, the demand to shsw her
colors was made. To my great annoyance
she hoisted the stars and stripes of Amer
lea. This precluded the right Of search.
However, | resolved to board her and try
TO detect some signs of her having black
cargo. With that object in view had
the gig manned, and i'll few minutes was
alongside the doubtful craft.
The captain, tall, gaunt Yankee, re-
ceived NE at the esngWay, and without
V''tA'i'E ~ ~ GSS~NiS PtOiuNc'l his pc per y
which seemed TO be all regular enough
The barqne was the Independence, of
Boston, Massachusetts, Robert Stormunt,
master. from New York to the Cape of
Good Hope, and back on y trading voy-
age. She was nov home ~ ard bound and
wes twenty seven days out from the Cape,
20 the captain informed me-
Having taxed him with being out of the
usual route he explained that this was q
new notion of his-he Kept we'll over To
the eastward 80 IA TO msse fair wind of
the northeast trades, when iie should meet
them.
y hilst pointing out 10 him the fallscy
of this ides, took q few turns up and
down the deck with him and succeeded
in drawing him into long argument
While thus engaged, noticed that sll the
matches were eindeed fastened tightly down;
but that there WAS no things slowed on
the top of them, as is usually the case
in merchant vessels, whose hatches are
never required to be open during the voy-
age. This strengthened my suspicious,
and with the captains extreme eaSerness
in satisfying all my inquiries, had very
little doubt as TO the nature of his cargo.
1t was certain that if he had slaves on
board, those hatchways could not remain
closed for An hour without suffocating
them. II they were opened during that
time, the presence of the slaves would be-
easily perceptible, and in that case the
vessel would be a lawful. prize.
Considering these things, 1 sat on the
taffrail, and taking out bundle of choice
Havanas, proposed to smoke. This the
Yankee agreed to, and we smoked away
and got tolerably social, although at the
same time it was amusing to see how
fideety be was getting
In the course Of conversation it turned
out that he had been in China, and as
that was the last station on which l had
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