Year: 1868

| it stubborn and sullen-hke, not seeming
to care much whether it was HI, OF
| Texas, or anywhereielse. - ~


The officers tried to quiet the ones
that were cutting up so rowdy, and al
last coaxed themsto hush their clattel
by telling them that they would be hove
overheard if it wasn't stopped. The
steward and cook hustled around and
made lot of mush for the blacks, and
! Ethe mate and second mate unshackled
one hand for each of the darkies, so as
they could take their breakfast. Poor
devils; they did nothandle their spoons
as though theirappetite was very strong


After they had made, a show of eat
ing, the port chain was got on deck
from the locker and taken below; the
blight for it was middle on. deck. was
led forward and spiked on tosome tim;
bers up in the eyes Of her, the two ends
taken aft and made fast in the stern, and
then the dnkies were cast off, one by
one, from the chain on deck, and made
fast to the chain below. About one-hali
of them had been slowed, when one fel-
low, a regular bull for strength, made
fight as soon as his hands were cut adrift
from the chain. The mates grabbed at
him, but the darbies were still hung to
his right wrist, and he made full play
with them, like. slung-shot, rightinto
their faces, and, for a second or two,
made the blood fly like water. The
captain and steward jumped in, too, but
I believe on my soul the black would
have Drained them ALL only the cook
ran up and cracked his skull with an
axe that was used to cut meat. The
poor fellow fell like a bullock when he
was struck, and before you could say
Jack Robinson with your mouth open,
overheard he went and ia five minutes
the sharks had the body torn into mince-
meat.


Time dragged heavily with us on
board the schooner after the cloven-foot
was shown. The means, groans, and
curses, OF the poor negroes in the hold
would have driven sleep from q brute's
ewes, let alone human s. l don't be-
lieve that in the three daysthat elapsed
before we got ashore, that soul III that
vessel slept awink, and all hands looked
like men three days dead when we
separated. :a ,.- ys..


The morning of. the third day, after
putting the darkies below, the lookout
sung out Gland ho!" from the foremast
head The captain went aloft and took
look, and made it ont to be point
about twenty miles to the BASTARD of
Cape San Antonio, and when he came
on deck putsthe vessel about and stood
on and off all day, until, when the sun
was nearly down, he hauled up for, the
land and fetched little bay, the na9e.
of which never heard. about Ssoefeels:'1


Of course, all hands were deck
now, each man keeping~a weather-eye
open for himself, for there was no telling
what trick might be played by the old.
man and the mates; AS the schoone,s
neared the mouth Of the bay, she was
hove to, the small boat lowered, and the
mate and steward jumped into her and
pulled in shore. The boat came back
in short time, bringing on board two
men, one of whom took the wheel, the
other going into the cabin with the
captain.


The mate, took the orders, from our
pilot and squared away for the beach


[ was ordered in the forechains with the
lead and remained there until heard
the mate sing gout "let the mainsail and
lib run down and then, a few minutes
.,,tcr, let gothic anchor T. when step.
ped over the rail on deck. A ledge Of
rock lay on our port quarter, and in a
few minutes the stern of the vessel was
warped alongside and the work of get
ting the darkies ashore was begun and
put through in hurry. The poor fell
iows,cried and sobbed as though their
hearts would break as they were brought
up, and one Of them that I was leading
ashore prayed and begged that l would
write to his mother, somewhere in Mis-.
sissippi. l forget now where, about him,
and 1 promised would, only l can't t
write no more than u monkey; but it
seemed to do him good, and l Icouldn't t
refuse the promise. One by one, in tow
Of one of the officers or crew, came the
darkies, like funeral procession. only
O good deal quicker, and as they went
out on the rock, they were taken in
charge by men and led back into the
bush. When the vessel was clear Of
them, the man who had come en- board
with 4he pilot came ashore arm-in-arm
with.our captain, and walked UP into
the bush where the negroes had been
assembled. The mate told the cook and
second mate to stay on board and "keep
ship" and all the rest followed the cap
tain and the stranger up the beach


When the open space had been reached
where the negroes were, assembled, tile
captain and the stranger commenced
counting the darkies, and haggins in
Spanish about the price. They titled
at last upon so much for each, but not
speaking nor understanding their lingo
didn't know how much it was. In q
fow minutes the amount was paid down
in gold, and the mate and steward took
up the canvas bags that the money had
been putan and we are started back tc
the vessel AS we, faced the beach, the
darkies were trofted off the other. way
by their purchasers and assistants.
sometimes think 1 can hear the wailine
of them poor devils in my ears yet; yor
see it wasn't like catching a lot of ,Gui-
nea niggers;.that were just SO many