The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-03-27
SLAVE TRADING.
Ship. Loads of Africans for the
New Orleans Market.

II was a stoekholder in the last cargo OF
Africans brought to New Orleans" said a
well-known creole business man in New
Orleans to a CORRESPONDENT of the New
York Times. in q conversation over the
good old times" The gentleman, who was
a " slavebroker," continued: 1t was
just at the beginning of the war that our
vessel arrived from Africa with about ZOO
savage African negroes, poorly clothed, half
starved and many of them bearing the
marks OF brutal treatment from the officers
of the vessel. Being savages captured in
the wilds of Africa, it was difficult TO con
troll them, especially as they were more deS-
perate in the belief that their captivity
meant death.
We'll, the slave trade was managed by
stock company. We bought vessel, manned
and equipped her, and, of course, a portion
Of the capital stock was used in the puT-
chase of these .captiyes. Those savage
African tribes were generally warning
against each other, and generally put 10
death all captlyeS whom they could not util-
ize among themselves as slaves or cOncu-
bines. But they became more civilized
when we opened up a trade with them,
said this Christian gentleman in the most
mattrr-of-fact way.
1--WE paid from SIS to S25 for each captive
and we sold them at from $50 TO $3.50 each.
You must remember that these Africans
were wild and savage. They could not
speak any known language-only the dia-
lect of their tribe-and were very danger
Gus. First we had to tame them
make them believe by signs and eX-
ira good treatment that we intended
no harm to them. Being only accu,-
toned to roam in their native jungles, they
knew not how to work, and after being
tanned Of their sayagery we had to teach
them to work on the plantations 1t was
more difficult than teaching n child to talk
or to walk. 1t was tanning savage and
teaching where there was little or no intelli-
gence.
They were worked in gangs under guard,
as are fel0nS in the State Prisons. At night
they were chained in their cabins. Grad
ually they learned enough of what to this
day is called lingo to make themselves
understood, and that is as far as the native
African ever progressed in this section.
The stockholders in these enterprises were
mainly planters. We would bring over
in vessel. l recollect at one
time we lost about half of our
cargo of disease. Those who died before
reaching port were buried at sea-there were
about 800 of them. Whenever the market
became overstocked, or rather when the
planters needed no more hands on their
plantations, we sold the savaEes at auction.
The rotunda of the old St. Louis Hotel, ~
the French quarter, was the theater of these
sales, which now seem so strange and bar
barous.
1.-The African savages were brought into
the rOtunda of this human chattel mart In
chains as if they were animals, and the
cries, or rather means, for mercy and roaTS
of agony of these frightened savages were
pitilul and Notwithstanding. They did rot
understand that they were to be trans
ferred from one master to another.
but believed that they were to be BE-
headed on the auction block. L do
not see how L ever could have
been engaged in such a traffic; but
then we did not see as we do now. ana then
it was the custom of the country" said the
creole, dismissng the unpleasant subject.
The first cargo of slaves landed on L0ulsl-
ana soil was brought from Africa by an
English vessel. There were about 2O00
white persons here and only few hundred
trifing soldiers, and the landing of 500 saw
negroes sold at 500 and $3.50 each; cask
of brandy was sOlu at 5O0f.-aboul S125.
These negroes" continued the speaker,
were governed by a special set of laws
known as the Black Code some of which
were in force until the close of the late
Civil War The slave who struck his master
or any of his masters family, causing blood
to flow from the wound, was hanged. Slaves
who carried large sticks were subject 10
beating from the first person who met them
on the highway. For stealing horse or a COW
the offender was punished by the brand OF
the heur de lis on the shoulder; for second
offense the offender was branded on both
shoulders, and for the third offense he was
hanged. A negro invariably filled the Ollie
of public neutrality-suspicious. to adj aud
tional disgrace to the punishment. For tn
smallest acts of disobedeuee the master
could place upon the slave the iron collar.
which lie was compelled to. wear at the
mercy of the angered master.