The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-05-21
HORRORS OF THE MIDDLE PASSAGE.

Thousands OF emigrants are leaving Ireland
weekly for America, and to increase this eff.
fluX OF population the land bill now before par.
lament adds special encouragement "A
government that can afford Its people nothing
better than emigration is not fit to govern"
says Beccher most truly. But the causes
which compel this emigration are no less afro
clous than its manner Miss Charlotte o Brien,
daughter of Smith O'Brien, of Young Ire.
land fame, has recently been on board Of
one of those fine steamers that take their loads
OF thousand emigrants at n time, and IN a
letter to the PAT MAJ Gazette thus describes
wha, she saw on board the vessel at Queens.
town.
| 1t is unnecessary to say that wherever the
sacred foot of wealth trod on the ship all was
gold and silver shining brass, cleanliness, com
fort and dccency. But my business was with
the wUmen's quarters and we went there. Be
tween two decks better lighted than the mems
quarters was larger space open from one side
of the ship to The other.
| From either side of a long central walk TO
the outer walks OF the ship were slung two
enormous hummelshine, suspended about
three feet from the floor What was going on
in two other hammOcks above these could
not see, but presume they were the same Us
those below | suppose each of these ham
mocks carry about one hundred persons. They
were made of salcloth and being suspended
all around from hooks were perfectly flat. Mar
row strips of sailcloth divide this great bed
into berths These strips Of cloth, when the
mattresses were out formed divisions about
eight inches high. When the mattresses are
in il must he almost on level
Now, IN these beds lie hundreds of men and
women. Any man who comes with woman
who is or calls herself his wife sleeps, as
matter of right, IN the midst of hundreds of
yoGpg women who are compelled to live IN
his presence day and night. If they remove
'heI clothes they must do so under his eyes.
II they he down TO rest II must be beside him.
II Is shame even to speak of these things,
hut to destroy such an evil it is necessary to
look at these abodes OF misery. In daylight
and when open for inspection they are empty
swept and garnished
But think of the scene in the darkness of
the light the ship pitching IN midocean,
when glimmerng lamp or two makes vlsi-
bic to You this mass ct moaning humanity.
Look ut that young mother with two or three
helpless babies in the agonles of sea sickness,
unable to move but over the PROSTATE bodies |
of her fellow sufferers. Look at this innocent
girl child lying among dssolute men ana
abandoned women, half stupetied with sutfo-
cation and seasickDess, amid curses and groans
of hundreds. If she arises and fees to save
her soul, whittier shall she COY Again she
must tread on the writing bodies of men and
women.
But the picture is too horrible to be looked
at, the sounds too dreadful to listen to. This
Is NO brutal or impure dream; it Is truth. Ill
Is Lying horror, menacing the lives, honor
and souls of hundreds and thousands of our
fellow country-wonen, the ship on which saw
these things being supposed to carry IN this
manner 1000 Storage passengers.
The letter was read In parliament on the 9th
and created such sensation that it Will proba.
bly, lead 10 an inquiry into this "slave ship "
style of conveying emigrants.