The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-06-26
TIE ARAB SLAVERS.

and run up the Red sea, while it is no secret
that hundreds of slaves are marched across
the Soudan country and openly sold ON the
north coast. When every other nationality
had been forced TO quit the nefarious traffic
in human flesh, the Arabs took hold and for
ten years they detled the power of the alli-
anco When was first sent out to the east
coast as a midshipman on H. NJ. S. Rover,
every Christian nation was assisting to pre-
vent tho traffic, but it goes without dispute
that England was the only nation enter
ing heartily into the work. Sho has done
more on sea and land to break up ownership
in human flesh than all the rest of the world
combined. In only one or two instances on
our station did the Rover receive anything
like hearty support from the vessels of other
nations, and in half a score of cases the crews
of merchant vessels gave us information cal
culated to assist our enemies.
The Arab craft were not always com.
manded by Arabs Renegade Americans,
Frenchmen, Spaniards, and men of other ma
tionalities were interested, and it was these
men who gave us the most trouble They
were old hands in the business, up to all the
tricks and lodges. and they gave us many a
useless chase and played us many sharp
game Tho favorite slave craft was the
dhow, OF light draught, great spread of can
vas, easily managed, and fast sailer in any
sort of ii breeze, but various syndicates had
purchased brigs, schooners and small ships
and they were flying all sorts OF colors and
protesting all sorts of occupations. They
came down the east coast from Juba to So
fala, a distance of thousand miles, measured
by the trend of the coast For two years
England had only two slave catchers on this
long line, and it did not require much sharp
ness to get out contraband cargo
Tho mouth of every river on that coast has
from two to five outlets, and many of tnem
spray out into long inets and false channels,
travcrsing miles of swamp or low land, and
twenty cruisers could not have kept the coast
under strict guard Tho Rover was fast
sailing brig, but she should have been a
steamer to carry out the programme laid
down for her.
One day Just as we were ready to sail from
Masimba, after making some needed repairs,
an American merchantmen came In with
three blacks aboard. They had been picked
up off raft at sea hundred miles down the
coast. The Yankee captain brought them
aboard and turned them over with the obser
walton,
I'm n-standing neutral ON this blackbird
question, captain. Il seems wrong to drag
these niggers of and make slaves Of 'enl, but
our constitution permits slavery | never
owned one and never shall, but we've got 10
have slaves or wo can't have cotton and
sugar. These poor devils have no doubt got
Il story TO tell. Maybe 1t will furnish a
pointer for you aud maybe 1t won't. I'm
a-standing neutral, as said before. IL you
can get anything out OF them go ahead"
We had two or three Interpreters aboard,
and it wasn't long before we learned that q
brig called the Lion had put in at the mouth
of the Zinga, seventy miles down the coast,
and was loading cargo. The three men
had escaped from bGrracoon three miles
from the coast reached tho water and built
a raft, and, although realizing that there
was not one chance in hundred for their
lives IL they drifted out to sea, they took 1t,
and had been afioat two days and two nights
when picked up The brig had not begun to
load cargo when they escaped. Indeed, the
barracoon held only about eighty captives,
while she wanted two hundred or over, and
1t would be four or five days before her com
plement was ready.
The brig referred to professed to be mer-
chantman We had oyerhauled and boarded
her twice without finding anything suspi.
cious, but yet we Ind been told several times
that she was one of the luckiest crafts In the
slave trade. Hero was golden opportunity,
and the story Of the blacks was hardly com.
plcted before the Rover had made sail. We
were IN luck IN carrying fine breeze with
us for fifty miles down the coast then we got
cats paws and Gains, a squall or two, and 1t
was evening OF the second day before we
rounded the point and looked into the blight,
at the west side OF which was the mouth OF
the zingn. This blight was seven or eight
miles long by varying width, being shaped
like pear with the large end toward the
sea- we sun mad light breeze TO work un-
der, and boat was sent ahead 70 take sound
ings, ana We moved up the bignt about TWO
miles. linen we anchored 70 wait tor nnother
day
About II O'Clock at nignt Inc tlae began 70
run out, and with IL came land breeze but
the latter blew ITSELF out IN mar an hour, ana