The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-05-09
Scenes On q slaYe-smp.

Scenes On q slaYe-smp.
ven Hundred Naked Wretches
Packed Away
The last slaver captare~ by the
United States Government was the
American brig Cora, which, fell a prize
to the q. S. S. Constellation. This
Vas 10 1850, and a young lad. only
twenty-oDe years old at the time.
Wilburn Hall, vas put in charge With
aprise-crew. As soon as Lieutenant
Hall landed the Cora in New York,
after ! momentons and dangerous
voyage in which an abortive mutiny
played q part, be resigned from the
service aud cast his iot With the Con-
federacy. He has written for the May
number Of The Centurya striking
.ecoant Of the chase and capture Of the
SLAYER. Is exciting as chapter from
CLARK Russell.
s.When I had divided my small
crew into watches. and had put q man
at the helm, I had q moments time
to look into the cabin which was to be
my home," writes Leuteuant Hall.
s.There we're two cabins adjoining each
other. with four state-rooma in the
forward one, and two in the after.
Here. in each Of these rooms. | found
one or two negro maideus. while
several lowered in the corners. and
crouebed upon the sofa and on The floor.
Like the rest Of the slaves they we're
as nude as when they we're born.
They looked terribly frightened. and
evidently considered me 3 SORT of
lord High Execusioner.n When
daylight appeared they we're taken
to the quarters Of the other negresses.
The next morning found as rolling
In : dead calm. aud as the day grew on.
the intense hest and glare made the
sl.ve-ship ! den Of Undesirable
horror. The Slaves, Of course we're
brought on deck or would have suffo-
Gated and died course which vas
followed every day from early light
till suseet. as long as ] had them with
me. They. filled the waist and gang
ways in a fearful, jam. for there were
over seven HUNDRED men, vomer, boys
and young girls. Not even a waies
cloth can be permitted among slaves on
board ship. since clothing even.so light
would breed disease. To ward off
death, which is eyer at work on . slave
ship, I ordered that al daybreak the
negroes. should be taken 10 squads Of
twenty or more. and given a salt water
bath By the hose-pipe Of the pumps
This xrought renewed life after their
fearful nights on the slave deck. After
their frst bath a0der my charge, Mr..
Fairfax eame aboard bringing carpen-
tiers, beatsusin's mates, and sail
makers for the ships rigging, sails and
spars had been badly injured aloft by our
ere. The broiling day and next, these
gangs uere at work repairing damages,
While the Constitution remained rolling
near n hsnd.
In the meantime I had been busiiy
engaged in having an open lattice bulk.
head pa. %. % the: slsse deck. close
enough to prevent passage, and yet
Sufficiently open to give what ventila-
ton could be obtained. The object
vas a complete separation of the sexes.
which were about, equal in numbers.
Windsails were provided for ventila-
ton, but with all this, no o who has
never seen a slave deck can form an
idea of its horrors. Imagine a deck
about 20 feet vide, and perhaps 12O
feet long and 5 feet high. Imagine
this to be the place Of abode and sleep.
during long. hot, b~reathless nights Of
$50 human beiogs! At shutdown,
when they we're carried below. trained
slaves received the poor vretches. one
BY one, and laying each poor creature
on ooe side 10 the wings, packed the
mex. against him, aud the next, aud
the next, aud SO on. till like so many
spoons packed away, they fitted into
each other, a living mass. Just as
they we're packed, so must they remain.
for the pressure prevented any move
ment or the turning of hand or foot,
until the next morning when from their
terrible night of horror they were
brought on deck once more, weak, and
worn. and sick. Then, after all had
come up aud received the bath men-
toned, there was an invariable horror
Of bringing mp the bodies of those who
had died during the night. One by
one they we're cast overboard-a splash
the only ceremony. For thirty odd
fearful nights aud days this routine was
endured before I faally landed these
creatures. At the time | write of,
was q slave owner, but | had only
known happy, well-fed, and carefully
attended people. who were as a part o
s. large family Since that service on