The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-15
TRIPS OF A SLAVE SHIP.
Voyages to the African Coas

Her Commander Was Admiral Semms's
Brother-Landed Two Cargoes Success
| fully.
Capt A. G. McGhee, one of the four
owners of the slave ship Wanderer, has
| just celebrated his SEVENTEEN birthday
at his home in Columbus, Ca, where he
has lived for half century. His assoei
ates were Richard Dickerson of Rich
lnond, Va; Benjamin Davis of Charles
ton, S. c., and Charles Lamar of Savan-
nah, Ga. and their venture was under
| taken in 1853 Capt. Semmes, a brother
of Admiral Semmes of the Confederate
cruiser Alata was employed to take
command of the ship, says an Atlanta
| letter to the New York Sun. He was
man of long experience in trading with
the natives of the west coast of Africa,
cool headed and daring.
| In the early summer of 1858 regatta
was arranged to come off in Brunswick
harbor, on the Georgia coast, and owners
of vessels North and South, were invited
to participants in 1t. just before the big
day strange vessel sailed into the har
Dor, and the captain gave his name as
Semmes, and the name of the vessel as
the Wanderer, hailing from New Bedford.
He applied for permission to race. but
was ruled out by the managers The
beautiful lines of his vessel attracted
much attention, and her sailing qualities
were manifest. Capt.. Semmes protested
that he had not been fairly treated, and
appeared to be very indignant over the
refusal, but his indignation was assumed.
He had really gone there to familiairze
himself with the various passages be-
tween the bays and sounds of the Georgia
coast and the main without exciting sus-
picion. He had sailed up the great
Ogeechee river, which was not much fire.
ouented by vessels at that time. and had
found suitable hiding place In case OF
emergency in dense swamp about forty
mile up the river.
| Having completed his arrangements for
the outward voyage, he took on cargo
of trinkets, brass wire, bright-colored
cloths, and other gewgaws that were like
| ly to tempt the African savages. and
placed in the lockers of the ship flags OF
all the maritime nations, so that the
Wanderer might show any colors she
chose. Then he placed her in charge OF
picked crew and instructed his nrst
mate to proceed to the mouth OF the
| Congo river and await his appearance
| Capt. Semmes himself took passage on
steamer and reached a point on the
African coast where he communicated
with King Dshominey, the petty ruler OF
one of the river provinces lying along the
| Congo.
"King Dahominey was not hard man
to deal WITH said Capt. McGhee, In
speaking of the expedition, land as he
was very fond of personal display and
great lover of rum it was not long before
he and Capt. Semmes had come to AN
agreement. The latter had taken along
| with him on the steamer small stock OF
| trinkets, and, to disarm suspicion. had
given out that he was going on oombi-
nation trading and exploring tour. A
| iudicious exhibition of the trinkets, and
| the assurance that there were plenty
more to lie had, induced the savage chief
| to agree to deliver on certain date, at
the mouth of the Congo, $50 Of his sub
jects, between the ages OF thirteen ana
eighteen years. The males cost little
more than the females, and the prices
ranged from 81 to So head, paid for in
bright-hued CLOTH trinkets and gewgaws.
King Dahominey appeared to lind little
difficulty in securing the captives, and
at the time appointed, they were marched
down to the mouth OF the river, a crowd
| cd "a
women and boys and girls. The vessel
answered the signal and the poor captives
were hustled on board and confined in
the hold The Wanderer then set sail for
the Southern shores of the United States
1.-THE death rate among the poor Great
ures was terrible. fifty of them dying
during this homeward passage. Through
the skill of Capt. Semmes the voyage was
made without any serious mishap. The
most difficult part of the voyage was to
get into port. The only way to enter the
mouth of the Savannah river was under
the black muzzles of the guns of the fort
and it would have been madness to at
| tempt to enter with that contraband car
| go in open daylight. Instead Capt.
| Semmes crept into the mouth of til Great
| Ogeechee by night and assembled the river
| to the big swamp and there lay concealed
while he communicated with Lamar in
| Savannah.
Lamar tnereupon announced that he
| was going to give grand ball in honor
of the officers and garrison of the fort
and insisted that the soldiers, as well as
the superiors should partake of the good
cheer. When the gayety was at its height
the Wanderer stole into the river and
passed the guns of the fort unchallenged
in the darkness and made her way 10
Lamars plantations, some distance up
the river. The human cargo was coon dis
embarked and placed under the charge of
the old rice field negroes, who were near
ly as savage as the new importations.
Attempts were made to put clothes on the
savages, but they looked upon the gar
ments with aversion, and some time was
| required to induce them to wear even the
scant garments OF the slaves of the rice
plantations. They were kept there for
several months and then taken to- New
Orleans, where slaves that had been pur-
chased for few Deeds and banda1na
handkerchiefs were sold in the market for
| from 5000 to 500 apiece. The owners
of the vessel paid Opt SeInmes So, 500 for
his services and cleared upward OF Sl0, QUO
apiece on the venture for themselves.
A year had been required TO make tue
voyage, and Capt. Semmes certainly