Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-10-07
FATE OF THE SLAYER.


England and the United States slave
trading was an important industry,
and at times whole fleets of slave
ships were upon the ocean, carrying
their cargoes of human beings to
various ports. The institution of
slavery was not then condemned by
all civilized nations, and, while few
looked upon it as brutaliZing and
demoralizing work, the majority
sanctioned it by their practice, or at
least by their silence. The slave
traders confined their operations
chiefly to the coast Of Africa, and
very few excursions into the interior
were attempted.
The wild, untutOred savages Of the
coast districts soon learned to diStrust
and hate the white men who came to
their shores in the white winged
ships. Homes and villages had been
deSoiated so many times by the bru-
tai slavers that the surviving men,
f5ers of the tribes entertained nothing
but revenge for their natural enc
mics.
Every ship that landed upon the
coast was surveyed with suspicion by
the blacks. Sailors cast upon the
shore from some shipwreck were con-
sidered the natural prey of the saw
ages. and they tortured the unfortu-
mate ones until death relieved them.
No one could blame the blacks for
such cruel work, for they had been
taught lessons Of Savagery from the
white visitors to their shores which
seclipsed anything Of their invention.
They had been enticed upon the
foreign ships, and carried away into
slavery; others had been promised
great rewards il they would Aring
ivory to the whites, and then, their
ivory and their own lives had been
treacherously taken.
The plastic natives soon learned to
adopt the tricks and deceit OF the
white slavers. If they could induce
the slavers into the interior they
would fall upon them with malignant
ferociCy, and scatter the swamps and
1ablelands with their bones.
During the war Of 1872, an Ameri-
can priVateer, the Stranger, was
cruising along the African coast, in
tent upon destroying British COM
merce and ships in those foreign
waters. There had been long days
of intense heat and nights Of restless
sleep as the privaIeer plowed
through the warm, tropical seas, and
the Seamen were feeling the depreSS-
ing influence Of the sun more than
ever before.
The coast was low and level, COW
cred with a rich, luxuriant verdue,
but there seemed to be no good an
+. choring- place. The ships supply of
water was running low. and the burn
ing lips Of the sailors had not touched
the fresh, cool spring water for weeks.
1t was decided to stop at the first
cove, or river mouth, that should
meet, to send a party ashore to I'LL
the water casks. All through the
hot. sultry morning the Stranger
moved along slowly, keeping as close
to the shore as possible without rum
ming any danger. The seamen watched
the monotonouS stretch Of lowlYing
sand bars and bar ks, eagerly waiting
to discover a good landing place.
Late in the afternoon the cry of
@sail ahead" awakened every one 1t
was a change TO meet another ship,
and it did not matter much If it
were an enemy. The sail was inshore,
partly concealed from view by the
overhanging trees and vines The
sails were torn and tattered, as if q
heavy storm had forced her to seek a
harbor after fierce conflict on the
open sea-
As the privateer approached nearer,
the British flag conld be seen float.
ing from the masthead, and every
thing indicated that she was an Eng.
lish SLAYER or priyateer. The guns Of
the Stranger were put in readiness
for immediate action, and then she
Z boldly approached the enemy.
But there was no life on the strange
vessel She was anchored ma small
cove, where the muddy waters were
not very deep Her black hulk and
tattered sails and streaming flae
made strange and mysterious pic