Year: 1859

on the African coast large clipper
brig called Brilliante, commanded by.
desperate named Homans Homans
was an Englishman by birth, and was
known along the whole coast and in
Cuba as the most successful SLAYER of
his day. The brig was owned by two
men residing in Havana, one an Eng
lishman, and the othera Spaniard. She
was built to carry six hundred negroes,
and in her Homans had made ten sue
cessful voyages, actually landing in
Cuba five thousand negroes. The brig
had ten guns, and thirty sweeps, and
crew of sixty Spaniards, the most of
them old pirates, and as desperate as
their commander. An English brig Of
war which had attacked her was so cut
up in the hull and rigging that she was
abandoned and soon sunk an English
sloop-of-war attempted to carry the
Brilliante with boats, which were beat
off with great slaughter. Now it was
known that Homans was again on the
coast and it was resolved to make an
other attempt to take him with the evi
dence of his guilt on board. The ar
rangements for this purpose were made.
He was allowed to take in his cargo of
negroes and set sail.


The Brilliante had not lost sight of
the coast when the quickened eye of
the commander discovered that he was
entrapped. -Four cruisers three of
them English and one American, had
been living in wait for him, and escape
was hopeless In running away from
one he would get within reach of an
other. Night was coming on, and Ho-
mans was silently regarding his pursu-
ers, when suddenly the huge sails of
the brig tapped idly-the wind died
away, and the SLAYER was motionless on
the water.


"This will not do" Homans mutter-
ed, knocking away the ashes from mis-
cigar-"their boats will be down upon
me before I am ready for the visit"
and as he said this his stern face lit up
with smile, the expression of which
was diabolical. 1t was evident enough
that he meditated some desperate plan.


A dozen sweeps were got out, and
the vessel moved slowly through the
water. Meantime, the darkness hav-
ing deepened, Homans proceeded to
carry out his designs.


The cable attached to the heaviest
anchor was taken outside the haws'
hole, and carried around the rail of
the brig, extended from the buoy aft,
round the stern and then forward on
the other side. The matches were
then taken off and the negroes passed
up, each securely ironed by the wrists.
AS the miserable wretches came up
from the hot hole into the fresh air,
the expression of gratitude would have
softened the heart of any but the fiend
in whose power they were. Without
a word they were led to the side, and
made to bend over the rail, outside
of which the chain ran. The iron
which clasped their wrists was fastened
bv smaller chains to the links in the
cable. 1t was slow work, but at the
end of four hours six hundred Africans.
male and female were bending over
the rail of the brig in a painful posi-
ton, holding by their chain the huge
cable, which was attached to a heavy
anchor, suspended by single sling
from the bow.


Romans himself examined the fas-
Jennings, to see that every negro was
strongly bound to the chain. This
done he ordered the pen work of the
hold to be broken up, bound up with
mating well loaded with shot, and
thrown overheard. The work was fin
ished an hour before day break and
now the only witnesses of Homan's
guilt were attached to that fatal chain.
Homans turned to the mate and with a
smile full of meaning, said in Spanish


Harro, take the axe and go for
ward. The wind will come Oft to us
soon. Listen to the word, and when
you hear it, cut the sling" The man
went forward and Homans turned and
in vain tried to penetrate the darkness.
81 don't want to loose the niggers,"
he said, speaking aloud, and yet I
dare not wait till daylight. wish /
knew where the hounds were."


At that instant the report of gun
reached his ear, and another, and an