The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-01-15
The Margaret Brandon Again-The New
Slave Trade in the Pacific.

Slave Trade in the Pacific.
"A gentleman who arrived in San Francisco
from the South Sea Islands, furnishes the follow
ing particulars Of this strange affair
The Margaret Brandon, Daniel Blacket, Master,
sailed from AtimaonO, Tahiti, in March, last,
bound direct for Auckland, with q cargo of cotton.
Captain Blacket had received orders to the effect
that he should. on his return trip, call at some
group Of islands or island land he was to use his
cTn judgment in that matter), for the purpose of
obtaining a cargo Of kanaka immigrants, to labor
upon the AtimaOno plantation. Mr.. Stewart
was forced to this from the fact that the contract
Of the Cinnamon who now labor for him has
about expired, and they will leave him, to a man,
unless illegally held TO further labor, which is
quite an easy act for him to do in Tahiti, judging
from the past.
After having performed his voyage to New
Zealand. Captain Blacket took his departure for
the Gilbert ArchiPelago-Or better known to the
world as the kingsmill Group. His avowed
purpose was to obtain native labOrers for Mr..
Stewart. Of AtimaOnO- lie was to get them
through treachcry and deceit-he knew very well
that lie could not get them in any other way
therefore he decoyed them on board under the
pretext Of trading for cOcOanuts. He did not
want their cOcOanUt5, he only wanted their bodies
bones, sineWs, muscles-their human flesh, TO
sell and feed the hungary man OF AtImaono;
therefore, when they came on board. biscuits,
shirts and trinkets were thrown down between
decks, where they must descend to get them, and
when once down below their fate was sealed for
they could never get up again without being
assisted With a ladder.
In this mean, detestable manner, Captain
Biacket and his mate, who call themselves
Christian men, who have been reared in schools
and rocked IN the cradle of religion, in this low,
false way obtained from Byron and Hope Islands,
upwards Of one hundred and fifty human bodies
for sale. How his more than human heart must
have leaped with JOY at the thought that he could
- ii e, -. ,itV lilo N his MIR
and bind one hundred and fifty human hearts in
wears Of misery and toll for Mr.. Blacket must
have known as well as any man at AtImaono that
the natives of those ont OF tie way islands receive
ONLY the name Of two dollars per month Tor their
labor. At the end of every month they get a
ticket. which is presented 10 the clerk Of the
store. who gives them a hickory shirt or misera-
bic pair of blue cotton pants, az the case may be,
and they are paid. Bat Captain Blacket meets
the bark Annie of Melbourne, lowering like him
about the islands. and which has on board
one hundred and f~fty-nine men, human bodies,
and all for sale. Captain Blackct buys them for
MIR. Stewart, under the pretext that the ANNE
has no water for them therefore, he has the
to transfer them 10 Tahiti, instead OF
10 their own native island, which is plainly in
,ight. but a few miles distant. They have been
ong enough on board to discover the t~reachcry of
he white man, and they determine to regain
heir liberty By the death OF the p~aleiaces at the
opportunity. 1t is not long in presenting
tself. Captain Blacket, being drunk and blind
18th his success in getting natives, invites them
II. three hundred in number, TO come up on the
par deck to accept n few more presents TO deco
ate their bodies and soften their minds towards
heir white captOrs and their own sore destiny.
But it was only the signal for the white mans
leath. They were no sooner ON deck than the
laughter commenced. The Captain, MIR. Latin,
nd several others were killed, and the natives
or ~ while were masters Of the ship but the
nate retook her again by blowing up the upper
Ieck, forward of the main hatch, which operation
the natives overheard. Some perhaps
cached the shore, others were drowned, and
many were murdered in the attempt to get on
'Oard again.
The Margaret BraHdOr arriyedIsafely ar Tahiti.
Inc now lies ut Atimaono, fitting out with the
vowed intention OF returning to- those islands for
and other purposes of revenge. Her pres
MT Captain 1.-THE mattel declG red to us on board
is vessel at AtimaOno that his intentions were
o return to Hope and Byron Islands for native
and to take as prisoner, dead OF alive,
white man who resides upon one of them.
The vessel has a barricade across the deck just
BAIT the main hatch, which has an iron grating
n either of it's four sides, reaching from the
Iwer to the spar deck. The hatchway itself is
Overed with an iron grating with a strong lock
n either side. She is to be armed, and to carry
crew of forty men. all told. The present mate
nd second mate informed us that they were
DING to fight; that they knew perfectly well
here they were going. They are Englishmen.
The Captain is to take with him his old inter-
reter, who, he says, knows how to read and
English and native, and can therefore put
r sign ali the kanaka's names to a contract, and
zen he does not care a d-n for the English or
merican men-of-war.
And thus it is that the inhabitants of Southern
are to be pursued and captured by a
essel flying the French protectorate flag, and
.iling direct from Atimaoro, Tahiti. {