The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-10-11
ONE OF THE LAST CARGO OF IMpoRT-
ED SLAVES.
A Passenger of the Wanderers Last Trip as
a Slave VesseI-His Narrative of
His Abduction in Liberia.
Augusta Chronicle.

PROBABLY the most interesting char
acter hereabouts is negro man who
was one of the cargo Of the "Wanderer, y
the last slave ship to bring to this
country load of captives from Africa.
Lucius Williams, as he was christened
by one of the young ladies of the family
into which he was sold, or ''Umwalla, ~
as he was called in Africa, lives in a.
small hut on the outskirts of Hamburg.
across the river from here. Since free
dom he has earned livelihood work
ing gardens, saving wood and white
washing. He was little surprised
when asked about his early life, but.
talks we'll once he has begun, requiring
tobe questioned frequently, however.
AS Umwalla, he was born in Guinea,
according to his story, not far from
Liberia. One day, when he was about
ten years of age, he was sent to his
aunt's to carry her some pindars to-
plant. When he was going through
the woods two strange black men seized
him and bound his hands. He cried
terribly and they soon gagged him.
They sold him to a native who took:
him to Liberia. There, for the first
time in his life, he saw white man,
and he was terribly fright" ed at him.
Among his people there were no
Sundays. Some of the men of his tribe
had two wives and some had three. It
was death to any one to show any de-
signs on the wife Of a reighbor.
Umwaila was then taken to the
Wanderer, where a large number Of
captives had already been stored away
in the hold. The passage over was
fraught with untold terrors to the
young savage. A storm was encoun
tered, and for days the hold was fas-
tened up, and numbers Of the negroes
died from sickness caused by the foul
air. There were number of ferocious
men among the cargo who had to be
kept in chains.
When the Wanderer approached the
South Carolina cost she was sighted by
government boat and given chase.
During the night she dropped anchor
off Potataligo, and the cargo of negro
men and women was debarked.
Umwalla, or, as he was soon after
wards called, Lucius, was taken to@a
Carolina plantation near Beech Island
and put to work there.
Lucius is very fond of the white
folks" as he styles the family Of his old
master and mistress, and frequently
calls to see the,n-walkipg several
miles to do so. The style of punish-
ment followed among his tribe was to-
break the culprit's neck by a sudden
wrench from forked stick.
Lucius tells, in his quaint way, of the
interesting features Of slavery. No ne-
gro woman was permitted, however
gorgeous her toilet otherwise, to wear
veil or gloves. Negro men were
neither permitted to carry walking
| cane nor smoke cigar on the streets.
They could not remain away from their:
quarters after o'clock at night With
out permit from their master.
Lucius says he is glad he was brought
to this country, as he has learned the.
way to save his soul. His ancestors
have suffered greatly from the cold. He
says many Of those who came over with
him died of consumption.
He is not lonesome here, for on a:
neighboring plantation-on, Capt. Ben
Tillman's place-are many negroes
from his old home, and they frequently,
meet and converse in African. They
do not attempt to impart the language
to their children, he says, and Of course
all vestiges of it, save what they have
engrafted on the Southern patois, must
soon die out.
He was asked about the amusements
of his folks at home, and said the dane
ing here was very much like III Africa,
only there they had war dances. which
were marches with chanting. Re says
some of the songs sung by the field
hands (the air., are very much like
those of his people, and when. he hears
several voices singing together one of
those wild, weird refrains his thoughts
are carried across the ocean to his home
among the primitive scenes of mis-
youth.
Lucius was delighted with a picture
of himself, and opened his eyes in
amazement at the crude executions of
the artist, who caught a ia:her good
likeness of him while he was talking,
showing how he wears his goatee,
plated after his African ancestors Gus
tom.
Convicts Leased at a Dollar Day.