St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-02-04

~ = ~ CO8St y
3/ kGO honey BY
WXMkF~ French naval
forces and the
INVASION and
oeesxuction Of interior Dahomeyan
owns BY French naval brigades had
q interested reader in Capt Frank c.
'noonesu. of Charleston, the famous
confederate blockade-runner of the last
Wef, who in 1858, on the Dahomeyan
coest escaped capture by the mercst
accident.
IN 1858 Bonneau, having completed .
cruise in the United States navy rs Sec
retary to Commodore lngraham. and
oeing desirous of some active work, OBJ
talned the command of handsome
orig. the Jehosse of Charleston, S. c.,
and under instructions from the briggs
owners made . run for the African
coast Trade was brisk on the African
coast In those days-so brisk. in fact.
that all the principal powers kept war
ships on the station looking out for
just such craft as Bonneau comm and
ed. Bonneau's account of his expert
ence on the Dahomeyan coast is best
given as told BY him to the Times cor
respondent
1t was in 1883" said Ronneau.
while lying with the Jehosse at Cape
Coast Castle, that l formed the idea Of
runreng down for look at the south
west coast, rs that part of Africa
known IS Dshomey is styled. I was
worried about approaching Porto Novo.
the place the French have just bonn
barded, because of the warlikc tribes
that infested the whole country in and
around that port ! was told that re-
poa1ed efforts had been made to estab-
Itsh . palm oil station at Porto Novo,
but that Iuaco Qua, the head tribesman
of the country, had prohibited all ma
lions from even making landing. This
1uaco Qua, was informed, was the
most bloodthirsty savage on the coast
It-had long been his practice annually
TO celebrate his Yam Feast" by an
Inauguration of the most horrible and
bloody tragedies in honor of the occa-
sion. His throne was built upon the
skulls of hundreds of prisoners, all mur-
dered in his presence and dispatched in
. cruel and fiendish manner known SO
well to the brute.
.Despite the stories I heard of the
Dehomeyans determined to run down
their coast. and SO one hot morning
about ten o'clock I was standing in on
the starboard tack with Porto Novo
close aboard. The coast in the vicinity
was rough and high, broken here and
there by deep ravines and marked
along its entire stretch by high crags.
id the interior high mountain ranges
could be seen stretching far away to
the southwark and eastward. The
wind at the time was standing in was
extremely light I made a grave mis-
take in approaching = suspicious coast
under such conditions. 1t would have
been wiser had I waited for a strong
sea breeze which regularly sprang up
later in the day, coming always from
the sout Invest.
''As I continued to head in on the
starboard tack ! shortly made out
ahead three canoes putting out from
the land, each canoe containing twelve
Or thirteen men. Fearing nothing
from these few craft, allowed them
% approach the briggs side and began
20 question them about the country.
had an interpreter aboard whom I Sc
cured before making the present cruise.
'While engaged in questioning the
canoes alongside my attention was
called by my people to several larger
canoes seen to be approaching from
the shore. each one containing no less
than twenty-five men, and in one boat
in particular appeared to be some OH,
Ger of, rank.
The first beats that had approached
made no signs of desire to board the
brig, the fellows in the canoes appar-
emily contented to keep close up to me
for . look only. But now on the ap-
proach of the larger canoes Just OBJ
served the boats near by pulled right
alongside, and without any further ado
every man that could climb oSer my
rail jumped on deck. The manner in
which these fellows landed themselves
looked suspicious did not fancy il at
MI. No sooner had they planted their
feet upon deck than they began asking
= 70 what We had to sell and what we
wished to buy. and then soon followed
NJ their inquiries by demands for rum.
md this they did without any attempt
Il asking for it
The sudden, suspicious actions of
(heee black fellows caused me quietly
10 passIa word among my crew, and 1t
he same time ! saw to it that each
nan bad his pistol and cutlass ready at
aand. ut once ordered the briggs
vheel put down. and passed the word
Ia take stations for tacking ship. To
nv Rreat relief the former light breeze
"a now freshening. No sooner.
had given the order to tack
han there was . peculiar movement
on the part of those who
"a boarded me. and at the same time
Ivery canoe abou: the brig commenced
pullin9 in alongside. their inmates
hold of every available rope
over the side and swinging
up and on board.
s.The brig at this time was under top
,,llaut sails Il gave the order to loose
"A set the royals and to hoist the
- staysail. for found had now
"a les than sixty blacks or my decks,
"a nearly every one of the brutes had
-anaRed to get Oh board while the
MIG was in stays.
sAs I glanced forward st this IS
,.nblaee my eye suddenly espi I'd our
..Ildo0. one of the most fe; ocious
,r.ees Of his species. chained under the |
crecastlc deck and now tugging with all
81 might st the chain which held him (.
4 fhere wss any one thing thcs bull. |!
- hated u wss . blssk. The eight OF
Il 1rovs him sste , sass little sacrt