The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-16
THE LATEST SLAVECARGO
A Consignment From Africa Not
Long Before the War.
Nincty-thrcc Hack Men From the
Congo Region landed In Alahn III 5,
--Fice Looking Fellows Valued mt
$1,000 apiece-SOme of Them Now
Own Their Own Homes.

The importation of African sla"es to the
| Unit d States was abolished by law early
! in the nineteenth century. as far back as
1858, hut it was not uncommon for cargoes
! If slaves TO be struggled in for many years.
I The territory of the Southwest, fertile and
undeveloped, with an extended unprotected
! coast. and rapidly being peopled with
, pioneer planters, eager 10 obtain laborers,
| Vas a temptation which induced many a
bold sailor TO dare the death penalty for
| piracy. and almost up to the opening of
the war between the States an occasional
! shipload was landed on the Southern
shores. Capt Wiley G. Toomer. President
| of the Wilson & Toomer Fertilizer Com
| pany, of this city, told a reporter recently
| the story of what he believes to have been
| the last ship that brought negro slaves to
| North America. The following is Captain
| Toomer's narrative:
Il am a native of Mobile Ala, and
was reared in that city, and / was ia
mil;ar with the history of schooner
that brought slaves 10 Mobile in 1855 or
1879. At the head of the enterprise was
a Nova Scotian shinmaE'er and ship
builder, whose name ! do not care to
disclose because he is, / think, still
alive. He was well known in Mobile,
and people there had confidence in his
courage and sagacity. He Interested with
him firm, the members of which had
GENE from Maine long years before and
who had succeeded in business In Mobile.
They owned sawmlls and a shipyard some
distance down the coast of Mobile Bay.
At their yard and under the personal
supervision of the Nova Scotian, the
schooner don't remember positively her
name but il was, to the best of my recol-
lection, Florinda or Chlotilde-was built
in the winter of 1S5s / was a boy of
sixteen or seventeen; the Nova Scotian
was friend of my father, who was in
terested in shipping, and l knew Of the
ships construction. Ny recollection is
that she had tonnage of about lbs; she
] was trim and strong craft, though un-
| pretentious in appearance, and she was
built for speed. The Nova Scotian thor
! oughly knew his business. ] was present
and saw her launched.
Completed the schooner was loaded
with commodities suitable for trading on
the Congo, and remember that whisky,
calicoes beads, and trnkets of various
| kinds were included In the cargo.
THE schooner left Mobile. and only
those who had financial interest and a
few intimate friends of the shipmaster,
among whom was included my father,
knew her destination and object. She went
I 10 the mouth OF the Congo River. in Africa.
How long she was gone it is impossible for
me to say at this late day, but in due time
she returned
'One morning before daylight the Nova
Scotian came 10 my fathers house and
a~oSe him. He said that the schooner was
waiting dovn the coast, in Mississippi
md hot ha II ai ipi ak eg
thirty miles to bring the information. My
father Immediately informed the parties
in Mobile who were partners in the pro-
iect, among whom were the owners OF the
shipyard where she was built. They were
on the lookout and made arrangements for
her reception. TIE steamer Gar. used in
the cotton freight business. Cropped down
the hay, and at or near the point where
the schooner had been built, the ninety
three slaves, worth at least 81 900 each at
that time, were transferred to her. The
Gar sailed back UP the bay, passed Mobile
without stopping, and up the Alabama
River to point thirty or forty miles in
land, where the slaves were landed. Sub
sequently they were divided among the
shipowners and sold to the neighboring
planters.
Nearly all Of the negroes were young
males. There were few women. re-
young fellows. IL anything. superior to our
American negroes. / particularly remem-
her that some, or all Of them. bore on
their faces marks tribal marks / suppose.
tattooed or cut in some way.
Il was informed at the time OF the land
ing that the schooner had pleasant and
altogether satisfactory voyage from the
Congo, without noteworthy incident of any
kind. The negroes we're, without eXcep-
ton, in fine health when they arrived, and
not one died on the trip over. They had
not been bound and they had comfortable
accommodations on the ship-at least they
were not subjected to any sort of cruelty
or hardship. / was told that they were
allowed to come on deck and take exer-
else at times. So far as ] could see. they
showed no evidence of distress. mental or
physical.
Not long after the landing the war