The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-29

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There are several classes of slave-dhows to
be met with, but differing merely in size
and wretohedness-fro the small open boat,
whose owner, in addition to a cargo of rice
or roots, ventures on specializing with three
or four slaves, to the large-decked two
masted southern dhow, with two or three
hundred in her hold below; or the still
larger fghting-dhow of the north, rooted
over with bamboo and grass, and defended
by ninety or hundred brave and determined
Arabs OF the first class was the first dhow L
ever saw chased. / remember how bright the
day was, for there was not a cloud as big as
a mans hand in the sky, so the sun had
it all his own way and right fercely blazed
he down on the waveless ocean, for, saving
cat's-paw here and there, the wind had died
away entirely. All morning we had been
steaming steadily northward, and we're nearly
on the Line; our hopes of o chase were faint
indeed, for the ocean all around was silent
and deserted, and destitute of life or sign of
life, with the exception of one very lazy dol
phin summing himself on the surface of the
water The captain was lolling over the bull
warks, and gazing istlessly at the strange
shore along which we were coasting-round
sandy hills and ''braes," treeless, bare, and
barren-when he was startled into life by the
Kroomans voice from the masthead:-"A
sail, sir, right in below that point of land"
10 aneau at 1ull speed. heep uer away.
Clear away the port, Armstrong"
Two men were placed in the bow-chains, to
prevent unpleasant consequences from run
ming on shore. We would have soon been
within hail of the dhow, had not fortune
seemed to favor her, for just then light
breeze sprang up, carrying her in towards
land. By-and-by we were near enough to
fire; and first one then another shot tore up
the water ahead of her. But the dhow kept
on unheeding. This looked SO suspicious
that the next order was:-"Fire at her"
This was done, and repeated thrice, but either
the dhow had charm, or our gunner asquint,
for one ball fell to the right, the second was
too high, and the third beautiful specimen
of ricochet. A well-aimed shell, however,
burst right over her, and dropped down the
dhow's sail, and by-and-by we were alongside.
shall never forget the appearance of the
gallant captain of the wretched little craft.
He was perfect Yahoo of niggers; he stood
bolt upright, astern, with the tiller in his
hand, with the sun shining on his we'll
oiled body, enough to have broiled his brains
If he had any. He was blubber-lipped, pig
eyed, and pock- -pitted A young half
Arab-his wife-crouched at his feet, timidly
clasping his knees; while his crew consisted
of one baboon and one perfectly naked boy.
From the captain to the baboon, all these
seemed paralyzed with terror. We learned,
through our interpreter, that it was fear alone
that caused them to flee from us, being con-
WINGED we would hang them for-they didn't
know what.
Most of even the moderately well-armed
dhows will rather flee than fight; but whether
they fight or flee, they do SO to the very last.
We once got word of a dhow that intended to
creep out from the north of Zanzibar under
cover of the night. We had two boats wait
ing conveniently and gave her chase; and a
long chase it was, too, for the dhow was lite
rally riddled with our bullets and her sail
blown to ribbons before we got up with and
boarded her. There could not be living
thing on deck, we thought; and we were
right, although no one was killed, for they
had put the dhow before the wind, lashed the
helm amidships, then gone below, and lain
there safely enough all the while. There
were sixty slaves on board.
The prize-money is paid according to the
tonnage-fve pounds to ton; or according
to the number of slaves-five pounds a slave.
The measurement of the vessel is often in
trusted to a petty ofhcer and if he does err
and I don't say he doesnt-he takes good care
it is on the safe side for himself and the
ships company.
1t is not often nowadays that large ves-
SELL Spanish or Portuguese, falls to our lot
but it is indeed a delicious sensation to be
bounding away over the blue Indian Ocean
after a suspected three master. The excite
ment rises with every knot that is gained,
and eliminates with the first shot that is
fired.
Of course great deal Of emulation exists
between the different vessels engaged in
slavery-hunting, and the chagrin is great
among the crew of one vessel if some rival
gets prize that ought to have been theirs.
Such, at least, was ours, after following a
large three-masted vessel for the space of
three months. During this time we boarded
her thrice and at last gave her up in despair.
One week afterwards she was taken as a law.
full prize by the saucy wee Ariel. They had
found what we failed to find-slave irons,
slowed away in bags of flour and peas.
Chambers Journal.