The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-11
THE LIBERIAN EXODUS.
ruE suFFERlNG or THE EHIGRANTs
ON TIE AZOH.
wr,e Causes Of the Large DsHth"Rate "t
ahe NORTHUMBERLAND OF Proper sup"
niles and mn incompetent Phystcian'
New York Herald

NEW 1Di IA AAtlh lu'l
CHARLESTON, y. G.. July s, 1878.
A full and interesting account Of the voyage
eff the negro emigrant bark Azor, hence to
Monruvia, was received to-day from MI
Williams, the special correspondent OF the
Nfars and Courier on board, ana Will he pun
Iished Tomorrow. The letter gives paft,lean-
lars Of the strange and sad events Dflehy
mentioned In the cable telegram from Madel-
ia, and brings before the public with strong,
yet tender touches, the light and dark sides,
the mingled tragedy and comedy OF the Azor
terrible voyage, When the vessel was only
two days out II was discovered that the pro-
visions generally were bad and unit Tor use.
There was slperabundance OF meal, Hour
and rice, and good quantity OF pork
ana sf hlso PEEL and gu' tRe ''I maa, 9 only If
TOR hogs To eat" There was meat
enough, but IL was not meat supplied ny the
Exodus Association. With the exception OF
five barrels the meat belonged to the stores
OF the emiprants, intended for their support
ia Liberia until their first crop should be
made This Is n bad beginning as 1t is men
toned by Mr.. Williams that the emlgrants
are entirely without money; How they VIII
live In a strange land penniless as almost all
uf them are, aud helpless, rs are too many OF
them, II remains to be seen The emigrants
proved to be doCle and obedient, but 1T was
tmpractcable to make them spating IN con
stunning food and water, and impossible to
make them tidy and cleanly In their habits.
They would take no exercise. Some Of them
aid not venture on deck during the whole
voyage Cold water they regarded with holy
horror. Between decks In the morning there
was as much dirt and confusion as can be
found IN any crowded negro hovel on the
Carolina coast Capt Holmes and his officers
caused the whole ship to be regularly swept
and scraped, and required the bedding and
clothing TO be aired and dried frequently.
AN INCOMPETENT PHYSICIAN.
Still sickness might have been avoided but
for two facts One is that there were cases
of measles aboard when the Azor left Charles
ton, and the other is that the individual who
was represented to be competent physician
proved himself an arrant ignOramus as CON
cplted as stupid He administered medicines
of the nature and probable effects Of which he
knew nothing. To one poor creature who
had measles he administered In the course OF
enc morning coffee with mn infusion OF gin
ger, q Dover powder and friars balsam. She
died the same day. Calomel and ialap were
the favorlte prescriptions, and 1t soon became
necessary for Capt. Holmes to prevent any
further experimenting by the doctor. The
emigrants had been assured by the managers
of the association that n physician from
Washington would accompany the AzOr.
Upon this they relied. Not only was there no
physician, but there was no such medical
stores as good spirits and wines, sage and ar
1owroot. When stimulants were needed for
the sick the slender private stores Of Capt,
Holmes and Mr.. Williams were resorted to.
THE LARGE DEATH RATE.
with a short allowance of water. with food
Of poor quality and without physician, 1t Is
not strange that the death rate should have
been SO large. There were two births during
the passage. For the deaths that took place
aboard Of the Azor the Liberian Exodus As
ISOLATION are In the main responsible. Their
deception, their bad faith, their mismanage-
menf, their falseho0ds and evasions led to the
long delays in Charleston, to the impeCtlni-
Gus condition OF the emigrants and the sick
ness and death Of more than score of igno.
Tant and thoughtless people, whohoped to find
IN Africa more freedom and ease than they
knew In the South.
PICTURESQUE SCENES ABROAD.
Nearly every night there were strange but
earnest prayer meetings between decks. The
long, low apartment with It's crowded hunks,
was dim1y lighted. About each of the three
lamps, placed against the two matches and
the foot Of the foremost was clustered a
group Of men bending over t8ttered hymn
books and singing with full strength. From
The semi-darknesS around came voices of all
varieties, joining In the camp meeting re-
frain, while the half dressed forms of men
and women were dimly to be seen leaning
forward, listening and participating. The
benches were crowded with others similarly
engaged, and the children slept sOundly
through il all bundled up In q wonderful diver
sity OF waysin bed. The ladder and doors and
windows of the main hatch-house were
crowded with other faces and forms, and at
Che foot of the former stood the preacher
when the hymn was finished all heads were
generally bent in prayer, the devotiOns either
being led by the minister or some prominent
man. The preaching was launched into the
darkness when the time came, most of the
preachers audience being invisible TO him.
On almost all of these occasions / was fer
Eently prayed for, one brother revealing by u
little extra plain language the probable in
SEPARATION of his petition, when hesaid in tones
of passionate pleading: BLESS the reporter.
Obi help him not to write any lies to Thy
glory and advancement of Thy work.
Though the grammatical construction of
this sentence rendered 1t somewhat dubious.
it was easy to discern its meaning.
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