The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-07-27
The Liberian Pilgrims.

spondent on board, Mr.. Williams. The
letter gives particulars of the strange
and sad events briefly mentioned in the
cable kilograms from Madeira, and
brings before the public with strong,
yet tender touches, the light and dark
sides. the mingled tragedy and comedy
of the Azor's terrible voyage. When
the vessel was only two days out it was
discovered that the provisions general
ly were bad and unfit for use. There
was a superabundance of meal, flour
and rice, and a good quantity of pork
and salt beef, but the flour was course
and black and the meal only fit for
"hogs to eat" There was meat
enough, but it was not meat sup
piled by the Exodus Association.
the meat belonged to the stores of
the emigrants, intended for their sup
port in Liberia until their first crop
shall be made. This is bad beginning,
as it is mentioned by Mr. Williams that
the emigrants are entirely without
money. How they will live in strange
land penniless, as almost all of them
are, and helpless, as are too many of
them, it remains to be seen. The emil
grants proved to be docile and obedient,
but it was impracticable to make them
sparing in consuming food and water,
and impossible to make them tidy and
clearly in their habits. They would
take no exercise. Some of them did
not venture on deck during the whole
voyage. Cold water they regarded with
holy horror. Between decks in the
the morning there was as much filth
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 and clothing to be aired
and dried frequently.
Still sickness might have been avoid
ed but for two facts. One is that there
were cases of measles aboard when the
Azor left Charleston, and the other is
that the individual who was represent
ed to be competent physician proved
himself an arrogant ignoramus, as
conceited as stupid. He administered
medicine of the nature and probable eff
fects of which he knew nothing To
one Door creature who had measles he
administered in the course of one morn
ing coffee with an infusion of ginger,
Dover powder and friar's balsam. She
died the same day. Calomel and jalup
were the favOrite prescriptions, and it
soon became necessary for Capt. Holmes
to prohibit any further experimenting
by the doctor. The emigrants had been
assured by the managers of the asSocia-
ton that a physician from Washington
would accompany the Azor. Upon this
they relied. Not only was there no
physician, but there was no such medi-
cal stores as sage or arrOwroot. When
stimulCntS were needed for the sick the
slender private stores of Capt. Holmes
and Mr.. Williams were resorted to.
With a short allowance of water,
with food of poor quality, and without
a physician, it is not strange that the
death rate should have been so large.
There were two births during the pass
age. For the deaths that took place
aboard the Azor the Liberian Exodus
Association are in the main RESPONSE
bic. Their deception, their bad faith,
their mismanagement, their falsehOods
and evasions led to the long delays in
Charleston, to the impecunious condi-
ton of the emigrants, and with sickness
and death of more than a score of the
ignorant and thoughtless people who
hoped to find in Africa more freedom
and ease than they knew in the South.
Nearly every night there were strange
but earnest prayer meetings between
decks. The long, low apartment, with
its crowded hunks, was dimly 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 tattered hymn books
and singing with full strength. From
the semi-darkness around came voices
of all varieties, joining in the camp
meeting refrain, 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
it all, bundled up in wonderful diver
sity of ways in bed. The ladder, and
doors, and windows Of the main hatch
house were crowded with other faces
and forms, and at the foot of the for
mer stood the preacher When the
hymn was finished all heads were gen
orally bent in prayer, the devotions
being led either by the minister OF some
prominent man. The preaching was
launched into the darkness when the
time came, most of the prechers audi
ence being invisible to him. On almost
all these occasions was fervently prayed
for, one brother revealing by "a little
extra plain language the probable in
spiration of his petition, when he said
in tones of passionate pleading: " Bless
the reporter. Oh! help him not to
write any lies to Thy glory and adj
vancement of Thy work.
Though the grammatical copstruc-
ton of this sentence rendered it some
what dubious it was easy to discern its
meaning.
The selection of officers for the Azor
really seems providential, for not one
sailor in a hundred would have taken
the unceasing pains to secure health
and cleanliness that Capt. Holmes and
his mates, Messrs. Horne and Thatch-
er, did. One of the greatest obstacles
that they had to contend against was
the wonderful indifference displayed by
the passengers themselves on the sub
ject. 1t was only by the most unremit-