Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-10-07
The Slave Trade Revived.

furnishes the reporter of the Mobile
Register with full narration Of the
trip. We have only room for the sub
joined extracts. This man says that he
and his friend Tommy" agreed to en-
ter the service of the Schooner with the
understanding that they were to go to
Galveston, whittier the negroes were
going to work on plantation, and that
he did not know that the Yankee Cap
tain was SLAYER, and had induced the
negroes to go aboard under false pre-.
tences, and with the intention of selling
the negroes into slavery. Here is the
story in part. twill foundinteresting
At 8 o'clock everything had been
made snug, and the watch had started
to 90 below, when the mate came for
ward to the waist and told all hands to
muster aft. The men, Tommy and l
with the rest, ranged ourselves along on
deck in line The captain and the
two mates stood on the windward side
of the deck in front of us, looking like
officers overhauling row Of soldiers.
After looking to see that all handswere
there, the Captain said-"Men sup
pose you know what you were shipped
II, this schooner for; the time has come
for us to put things in train to carry out
our design. The first thing, of course.
is to get the irons on the negroes-after
that we shall have time enough to-
here my chum, Tommy, and I both put
our oars in and asked what all this
meant; for though we had had our sus-
picions-at least, I had-this "plump-
out-with-it" speech had taken us all
aback.
"Ill tell you what it means" said
the captain ;'I should have told you
before you came on board, hut had no
opportunity, and was not going to lose
two good men by being afraid to take
them without telling; this. means that
if we land this cargo Of one. hundred
and fifty negroes on the Island of Cuba,
we shall make a good thing of it; if We
are caught at it the speculation will
probably lose US our necks; tou have
no choice; couple of men vail not be
allowed to block a game like this
with us.
And he was right. Tommy and I
would have been q couple Of bloody
fools to cry hands off at atime like
this, with the certainty Of going over
the sides with our throats cut.
;As soon as the captain was done
speaking the second mate went down
into the cabin and handed up pair Of
reyolvers. to each man, and then com
menced passing up the handouts, TAX
ing care not to let the things Jingle and
make a noise. When enough had been
handed up to- accommodate our'com-
plement of passengers, the mate sent
four Of us forward with them, and him
self went down into-the hold with a
lamp and turned out FIVE or sly Of tl!ss
negroes, telling them that he wanted
their help. about something on deck.
The darldes came up the hatchway
trembling and stumbling about the decks
with the motion of the vessel, feeling
their way forward. headed7b the mate
with the light until they were at the
gangway abreast the galley, when the
revolvers were showed under their noses,
and sudden death promised them fthey
made the least bit Of a row. The irons
were slipped on their hands and fast
ened, gags placed in their mouths, and
then they were slowed away IN the
gangwayto windartt.
!, This bringing them up by half-dozens
was kept up until all but about twenty
five had been secured, but the waking
up of the others had SO disturbed these
that they, couldn't sleep much, and l
suppose they must have heard some
thing OF other of what was going onion
deck, for when the mate went down for
another batch, the poor devils kicked
up most Internal din, and swore by all
thatwas good and bad, thatihey wouldn't
come up until they knew what it was
all about. The mate tried persuasion
at first, but move they wouldn't, and
finally the mate got in passion and
grabbed the first one, that came handy
and tried tosdrag him up on deck any
how. The negro, Of course, resisted,
and in the scutfie the light was knocked
out, and all the darkies made rush to
the hatch. The mate cleared shimselt
of the negro and sprang-on deck just in
time to save himself. Calling the second
mate, cook, and steward to come quick
with capstan bars, the blacks that were
below were kept from rushing on deck,
The capstan-bars were used pretty free:
Elyio the sconces of some that tried to
get out anyway, but none of them were
much hurt. Leaving three men to look
after. the main-hatch the mate went for,
ward, and with the helpof Tommy and
I, reused up about sixty fathoms oi
chain from the locker and ranged il
along the deck, and, getting out a ball
of marline, he and the captain took the
darkies that had been put iii irons, and
one at a time, seized them hard and fast
to the chain. This done, the captain
called all hands to come with him and
make break on the{ellows below: Tile
steward got. bull 's-eye lamp, and Will
the captain and SIX Of the crew, Jumped
into the hold among the darkies.. The
negroes in the hold were scared almost
to death by this time, and there was not
!. much Of a fight in getting them tc
!. rights. as the mate called it. Wher
t1, Ill Ill boo, o1ooroJ oo1 oil thf