The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-03-10
TRIPS OF A SLAYER.
THE WANDERERS TWO VOYAGES TO
THE AFRICAN COAST.

Ca, was one of the four owners Of the
slave ship wanderer. Captain Semmes, a
brother of Admiral Semnes of the Confed-
crate cruiser Alabama, was commander of
the ship.
In the eeriy summer OF 1858 a regatta
was arranged to come off in Brunswick
harbor, on tho Georgia coast, and owners
OF vessels north and south were invited TO
participate in It, Just before the big day
o strange vessel sailed into the harbor, and
the captain gave his name as Semmes and
tho name of his vessel as the Wanderer,
bailing from New Bedford. He applied for
permission TO race but was ruled out by
tho managers. The beautiful lines of his
vessel attracted much attention, and her
sailing qualities were manifest. Captain
Semmes protested that he had not been
fairly treated and appeared to be very in
dignant over the refusal, but his indigna-
tion was assumed. He had really gone
there to familiarize himself with the yari.
Gus passages between the bays and sounds
of the Georgia coast and the main without
exciting suspicion. He had sailed up the
Great Oeeechee river, which was not much
frequented by vessels at that time and
had found suitable hiding place in case
of emergency in dense swamp about 40
miles up the river
Having completed his arrangements for
the outward voyage, he took on a cargo of
trinkets, brass wire, bright colored cloths
and other gewgaws that were likely TO
tempt the African sayages and placed in
the lockers of the ship flags of all the diff
ferent maritime nations, so that the Wan
derer might show any colors she chose.
Then he placed her in charge of picked
crew and instructed his first mate to pro-
coed to the Mouth of the Kongo river and
await his appearance Captain Semmes
himself took passage on steamer and
reached point on the African coast where
he communicated with King Dahominey,
the petty ruler of one of the river prov.
inces lying along the Kongo. King
Dahominey was not a hard man to deal
with, said Captain McGhee, in speaking
Of the expedition, land as he was very fond
Of personal display and great lover of
rum IL was not long before he and Cap
tain Semmes had come to an agreement
The latter had taken along with him on
the steamer a small stock of trinkets, and,
to disarm suspicion had given out that he
was going on a combination trading and
exploring tour. A judicious exhibition of
the trinkets, and the assurance that there
were plenty more TO be had, induced the
savage chief to agree to deliver on a GER
tain date, at the mouth of the Kongo, $50
OF his subjects, between the ages of IS and
IS years. The males cost little more
than the females, and the prices ranged
from 81 to 81 a head, paid for in bright
hued cloth, trinkets and gewgaws. King
Dahominey appeared to find little difficulty
in securing the captiyes, and, at the time
appointed, they were marched down to the
mouth of tn, river, a crowd of miserable
naked young men and women and boys
and girls.
"The death rate among the poor crea
lures was terrible, so OF them dying during
the homeward passage Through the
skill of Captain 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 attempt
TO enter with that contraband cargo in |
open daylight Instead Captain Semmes |
crept into the mouth of the Great Ogeechee |
by night and assembled the river to the big !
swamp and there lay concealed while he !
with Lamar in Savannah !
Lamar thereupon announced that he !
was going 70 give grand ball in honor Of |
the officers and garrison of the fort, and |
insisted that the soldiers, as well as their /
superiors should partake of the good |
cheer When the gayety was at its height, |
the Wanderer stole into the river and pass. |
ed the guns of the fort unchallenged in |
the darkness and made her way TO La |
mars plantations, some distance up the |
river. The human cargo was soon disem |
parked and placed under the charge Of the |
old riceheld negroes, who were nearly as
savage as the new lmportatiOns Attempts |
were made 70 put clothes on the savages, |
but they looked upon the garments with /
aversion, and some time was required 10 |
induce them 10 wear even the sCant gar
ments of the slaves OF the rice plantations |
They were kept there for several months |
and then taken 20 New Orleans, " here
slaves that Lad been purchased for a few \
beads and bandanna haudkerchiefs were
sold IN the market for from 5000 20 500 |
apiece. The Wners Of the vessel paid Cap.
tain Semmes $500 for his services and /
cleared upward Of SlO,O 900 apiece on the
venture for themselves. A year had been
required to make the voyage and Captain 1
Semmus certainly earned his salary be
cause Of the hazardous nature Of the expe.
ditiOn.
"In the spring Of 1859 the wanderer
again sailed for the west coast Of Africa,
and again Captain Semmes found King I
Dahominey ready 10 trade on the most lib
cral terms. On the second occasion he
had to 90 farther up the river TO secure the
cargo but ho succeeded in delivering 600
captives at the mouth of the river. A mum
Der OF them died during the voyage, aid
the Wanderer was PIT to her best speed Gn
several occasions 70 get away from unas.
sirable acquaintance, but she was nesn
overhauled, and she arrived off the Georgia
coast In December Lamar was again
notified, and he gave another big ball aud
3 second time the Wandsrer ascended the
Savannah river under cover of dark
night and her cargo was disembarked ut
Lamar's plantations and turned over to toe
bid rioeneld negroes
The nature Of the last cargo brought
home by the vnnderer became noised about
and an investigation was made whirb
caused the arrest Of a number of the LAR.
ticipants in the affair, and the trials that
beloved caused great sensation through.
but the nation, although nobody suffered