The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-06-10

bis voice. was quite neglected, and al
lowed to ramble about as much as pleased
amongst the other idle boys Of the neigh
borhood. I could read and write little at
the death Of my parents, which was all the
instruction received. | was now nearly
thirteen, and, as my u1cle's abuse became
quite intolerable to me, / left the house,
boy as | was, and entered on board trader
at Leith, which was on the point of sailing
for America. The captain, who was one Of
the best Of men, waited upon my uncle be-
fore we sailed and, believe, as much BY
threat Of compulsion by law as any entreaty
he used, got from him few necessaries for
me; for, besides bis other i'll usage, he kept
me miserabIy clad. The FIVE years i sailed
ia the Bounty, Of Leith, we're the happiest
| had ever spent; for my kind master had
me taught navigation and everything neces-
sary for a seaman to know. But in the
middle of this prosperity, when l was to
have been made his mate next voyage, the
American war broke out, and l was i'm
pressed as soon as our vessel cast anchor in
Leith Roads. was only grieved to be
parted from my kind captain, who was as
vexed to leave me; but in vain be applied
to have me set at liberty; and, to be short,
! served out the period Of the war and was
10 good deal of service. The seventy
four / was in being on the West India sta
tion, was not paid off for some months
after the peace.
On arriving at Portsmouth followed the
usual course of sailors; and, having gone
to amuse myself With some of my shipmates,
| got robbed of all | bad in the world, and
when / came to my senses, | found had
not even a sixpence in my pocket, a shoe
on my feet or a hat on my head. | was
thus in strange place, quite destitute !;
but | soon got loan Of some money from
one Of my comrades, who had been more
prudent or more fortunate than myself,
and set off for London, to proceed to Leith.
| learned there from Leith trader that
the Bounty had been taken by the French.
and that my old captain had left going to
sea, 50 ! gave up all thoughts of returning
to Leith. Berths were at this time not to
be obtained. The seamen we're to be seen
wandering upon the qUays of every port,
begging for employment in vain; and thus,
young and vigorous as was, | was re-
duoed to great want In this dilemma |
thought Of writing to my uncle, being ad-
vised BY one Of my acquaintance, who
knew much more Of the world than | did
to do so, and threaten to call him to account
for his intromissions with my fathers eff
fects, it be did not send me by return of
post a sew pounds for my immediate wants.
| waited most anxlously for an answer,
which | duly received; but it brought me
no supply, and | learned that be bad been
for long time bankrupt, and was at this
time, if possible, in greater want than my
self In day or two after got a berth in
Bristol trader, whose master was an old
messmate Of mine, and who havirg told me
| had better chance in Brist | than in
London, l cheerfully made the run. But
L found berths as difficult to be obtained
there as in London. and in this desperate
state Of my affairs, was persuaded to 60
voyage TO the coast of Africa in a shaving
ship-a species of employment that no sea
man will engage in if be can do better.
The men are In general not well used, and
the danger is great, as regards life, both
from fatigue and the climate. You must
not judge Of me BY this voyage, for the
slave trade was then as legitimate as any
other branch Of commerce, and much the
same for popularity or unpopularity
as it is in America at the present time"
al don't think karsbIy OF you on this &C.
couLt, replied l. only beg you to be
as circumstantial as you can regarding this
inhuman branch Of traffic, now SO happily
destroyed by the unwearied efforts Of Chris.
tian benevolence."
ITO proceed: the vessel lay at Kings
Road, waiting my arrival on board to over
haul her stores, to see what might be want.
ing Her name was the Queen Charlotte.
She mounted twenty two guns her captain
was called by the seamen the Gallipot Cap
tain, as he had formerly lcen doctor on
board the same vessel, and her captain hay-
ing died in her last voyage, be was now the
commander, In consequence Of having
brought her home. ! went on board in the
captains Toat, which was waiting for me,
and TO my great joy found an old messmate
who had sailed IN the Exeter man-ofwar
with me- He was now second mate Of the
Queen Charlotte, and | was engaged as
boatswain. We were soon ready for sea,
and unmoored about eight o'clock, the wind
chopping about to the east The captain
and pilot came on board through the nj ght,
and we set sail for the African coast on the
morning of the first of May, 1888. We
passed the island Of Madeira on the eighth
of the month; and having got beyond the
Canary and Cape de Verd islands, all be-
came hustle on board, making preparations
for the coast the carpenters fitting up
barricades to keep the male and female
slaves apart, and the cooper getting ready
all the tubs and vessels for their use.
Though in anticipation, | may say that the
males are never allowed to see the females
until they are put on shore. The children
are with the women, in general, but are at
times allowed to run at large all over the
ship; and merry little creatures they are,
and soon pick up a number Of English
words
The first land we made was Cape Pal
mas. Still steering along the coast, keeping
good offing, until we passed Cape Three
Points and Cape Coast Castle, we crossed
the Blight OF Benin and made the land again,
which Is SO low that you can scarce dlstiL'
guish it from the water, the tall palms re
sembling large fleet Of ships The weather
was SO thick and hazy that we lay at the
Bar Eve days before we could venture in,
the tides running SO strong at full moon
that it is with difficulty the boats can pull
against it. Upon our getting up We found
about thirty sail of large ships, some Of them
fitted up for one thousand saves, all-save
few completely slaved-waiting for car
goes, several with none on board, and others