The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-28

The Fate or . Slave ship In the osir or
Guinea.

0pvri1h. 1892. by Chu,t., n. L.ti..
II was In the nfties. before steamers had
superseded the great Australian liners and
tho big ships plying between England and
India. I was Il midshipman Oh board an India
packet called tho Sea King. The difference
between n midshipman. SO called. and an ap-
prentice lay in the fact that the former were
rctty officers and learned navigation and sea-
manship from the quarter deck. while the
latter we're ~fo'castlo hands and helped to per-
form tho actual work. Our ship carried three
midshipmen. and our respective fathers had
to pay n smart sum to place us thorc.
At that time tho running OF slave cargoes
from the coast Of Africa was confined solely to
the Arabs and tho Cubans, with now and thon
n cargo for some South American port. We
loft Calcutta with about 10 passengers. and
Of this number there were about 80 army
officers. some had resigned ON account Of
wounds or i'll health. others were on furlourh,
and others still had been exchanged into home
regiments. There was also n party Of i've
sportsmen. who had been doing the Jun
Rles OF India for two or three years. At Cape
Town we took on board thirty moro passen-
gers. and among them was another party OF
sportsmen. who had been UP in the lion coun.
try. We must have had n full hundred men
among the passengers when we left the capo.
Nothing out of the routine occurred until we
were we'll above st. Paul de Loanda and half
way across tho Gulf Of Guinea. Thon we
raised n sail dead ahead. which was standing
to the west, having evidently come out from
the coast. We were within four miles OF her
when the breeze. which had been light all the
morning. died fiat out and left both craft
hcaving on q CLASSY sea. Our officers had
given the stranger II sharp looking over. and
1t was the unanimous opinion that she was q
suspicious character. She was o topsail
schooner. painted a erayish white. and having
q great spread OF canvas. and when Mr.. Gray
son. the chief officer. came down from aloit,
after q long inspection through the glass. he
said to Capt Hobson:
"Tve seen twenty Of the Cuban 'blackbirds'
In my time. and II she's not loaded with slaves.
then I'm q blind man"
The Captain agreed that she was O SLAYER.
England. as you perhaps know. did more to
suppress the slave trade than oil other nations
combined. She had five cruisers to one of the
African coast. and she overhauled i've times
as many craft as any other nation. But for her
efforts very little would have been accom-
plished at sea. As soon as the strange craft was
pronounced a SLAYER there was great in
dignation among, our passengers. u major
ity Of the men being anxious to 20 of in the
small boats and CAPTURE her. This project did
While he would like to have Seen her q prize
to a cruiser. he had no notion Of interfering
~ lol j ntdTlI lIu Say 10 u IHlOE
Shaw: who was anxious to lead an expedition.
that the schooner, was doubtless armed with
f nIsrisrS Snd e aith Ssr w larged crew re s and that
Nobody dreamed Of the calm which was to
follow. although our position was close to the
tudes. but not oppressiveiy hot. not IN
slightest movement OF air was felt for the rest
the night. Next morning it was seen that the
two oS m crafts T Tese n @srs t S.; t w by half ,aa mile nile
Movement Of becaimed " Vessels magn eats sn Il
Is simply their DRIFT. The larger one drifts the
fastest, and had we been to the north Of the
creased by half a mile. as both ofus were drift
ing to the n,prth IN an ocean, current. After
unknown on some sort Of GRAND and thus set
te her identity. but Capt. Hobson was firm in
h his Refusal sn,I sdn .n nndse a. as sI he Is surveyed arG the h9ri;
the calm was to continue. he grew uneasy.
81, Al day the Sea King rose and fell on the
SRitSin a eou a%s Of T miies 1 " ths ss5con ws T TSs
s eouid b n notea', Eser sS hsas a .Ssa f hsr sh asseii
that she was built and fitted out for speed.
Only nine or ten men could be counted for her
she had a Long Tom, gun amids6ips .
haa nG actual SSHp0: sight fasnG Tssere J. v wss G sise soo u
reasons to believe, that she carried other
sesn On nf he %e dsc ssa aid sna not th hai fu repssss M men hen
Cau;.in On nn the 9 essai nsxlS 81 = th len seeSnd day the
and endt as a r result R PASSENGER enia ai iHne ps Ssss%,taei %as
invited into the Captains room. and he said to
each srS one In turn; l., ,,.u. 80. 49,
Groes as possible; they figure close on fresh
shall have a visit from him. l can spare him
q couple Of casks. but not more. Those may
do h hR to II not We 20 E wtIl n na ..D, to t SGt "a 2 sup,
propose to fight him on"
had "e sho a4srIsi' t Snme d ihs nc,,' AGAIN. .; ine shT! hs
SLAYER did not look to be over half a mile away.
figure; The sentineis had heard queer noises
from, her direction after midnight. and our
people hgufed that they had had gangs Of
water over those in tho hold to save them as
much as possible. i there had been any
Many could not detect it. But there
t breath s Of air was s" Stirling. my The o ods Of fi a earso
Of blacks is something horrible. On ono occn-
British cruiser. | was on Q ship which crossed
their wake Ave miles astern. and yet, we got
After breakfast tho Captain. requested all
passengers to promenade the decks. showing
eiass sms ana shade drs Tin !1 to PRESENT. a hold sh di front ITO to
him: 1t was to be another day without a pun
o Of air f nha Ia nu id o 9SttsE t Rfan t Me p es% tSs%s
lower a small boat from the stern. Of the
schooner and four men enter, her. She came
pulling at n smart pace and stopped o few
yards away, Off our starboard quarter.
Hello! the shipl' called the mar in the
stern sheets as he stood up.
We are short Of water in the rschoonor and
hope you can spare us q few casks"
What's your cargo?"
Gold dust. palm oil. ivory. and fIrs. We
have been up tho Niger for several months on
a trading voyage. We are bound for tho
United States
Tho speaker was certainly an American. but
the three men with him We're Spaniaris, and
as villninons a trio as you ever set eyes on.
They brought the odor with them 50 strong
that every nose could now detect it. CAPT.
Hobson was a blunt spoken man. After a bit of
thinking he replied:
e! am satisfied that, your schooner Is q
Cuban SLAYER: and that slo has a cargo aboard
Of her now. It's n viilainous trade you are en-
gagged in. and I'd like to see every mothers
ever; out of pity f2rthc poor blacks. m STARE
your craft aud I'll hoist them out and tow
them half way
And about the payf"
Your money is accursed and | won't handle
Tho man forced "a laugh, waved his hat as a