The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1917-07-19

the war, on my first voyage after ]
WAS appointed inidshipman. II was
in the first days after our slave trade
treaty, while the reigning house.
which was still the house of Virginia,
had still a sort of sentimentalism
about the suppression OF the horrors
Of the middle passage, and something
was sometimes done that way. We
were in the South Atlantic on that
business. From the time / Joined,
believe / thought Nolan was a sort of
lay chaplain chaplain with blue
coat. / never asked about him. Ev-
erything in the ship was strange to
me- knew it was green to ask ques-
tions. and | suppose l thought there
was "Plain-Buttons'' on every ship.
We had him TO dine in our mess once
a week. and the caution was given that
on that day nothing was TO be said
about home. But If they had told US
not to say anything about the planet
Mars or the book of Deuteronomy,
should not have asked why; there were
great many things which seemed to
me to have as little reason. I first
came TO understand anything about
'the man without q country" one day
when we overhauled dirty little
schooner which had slaves on board.
An officer was sent to take charge of
her. and after few minutes he sent
back his boat to ask that someone
might be sent him who could speak
Portuguese. We were all looking over
the rail when the message came. and
~
the captain asked who spoke Por-
tuguese. But none Of the officers did
and just as the captain was sending
forward to ask If any of the people
could. Nolan stepped out and said he
should be glad to interpret, II the cap
tain wished, as lie understood the Ian
gunge. The captain thanked him, Mt.
ted out another boat with him, and in
this boat it was rny luck TO go.
When We got there. it was such a
scene as YOU seldom see. and never
want 10. Nastiness beyond account,
and chaos run loose in the midst of the
nasiiness. There We're not a great
many Of the negroes: but by way
of making what there were understand
that they were free. Vaughan had had
their banGcuffs and anklecuffs knocked
on, and. for convenience sake, WAS
putting them upon the rascals of the
schooner's crew. The negroes were,
most of them, out of the hold. and
swarmIng all round the dirty deck.
with central throng surrounding
Vaughan and addressing him In every
dialect and patois Of a dialect, from
the Zulu click up 10 the Partisan of
Beledeljereed.
As We came on deck, Vaughan
looked down from a hosshead. on
which he had mounted in desperation.
and said:
For Gods love, is there anybody
who can make these wretches under
stand somethingT The men gave them
rum. and that did not quiet them. l
knocked that big fellow down twice
and that did not soo;he him. And then
1 talked Choctaw To all Of them to-
geiher; and III be hanged il they un-
derstood that as well as they under
stood the English"
Nolan said he could speak Por-
tu-uese. and one or two fne-lookins
kroomen were dragged out. whc. as 1t
had been found already, had worked
for the Portuguese ON the coast at
Sernundo Po.
Tell them they are free" said
Vaughan; 'and tell them that these
rascals are 10 be hanged as soon as
We can get rope enough"
Nolan explained il in such Portu-
ruese as the Kroomen could under
stand, and they in turn to such Of the
negroes as could understand them
Then there was such yell OF delight.
clinching of fists. leaping and dancing.
kissing of Nolan's feet. and a general
rush made to the hogshead by way Of
spontaneous worship of Vaughan as
the deus ex machina OF the occasion
Tell Them said Vaughan. well
pleased. ''that l VIII take them all to
Cape Palmas."
This did not answer so well. Cape
Pnlmas was practically as far from
the homes OF most of them as New Or
leans or Rio Japeiro was; that is, they
would be eternally separated from
home there. And their interpreters. as
we could understand. Instantly said,
"Ah, non Palmas.' and began TO pro-
pose infinite other expedients in most
voluble language. Vaughan was rath-
er disappointed at this result Of his
liierality, and asked Nolan eagerly
what they said. The drops stood on
poor Nolan's white forehead as he
hushed the men down, and said:
lie says, Not Palmas.' He says,
Take us home, take US to our coun-
try. take us TO our own house. take
US TO our own pickaninnies aud our
own women He says he has an old
father and mother. who will die, II
they do not see him, And this one
says he left his people all sick. and'