Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 30.djvu/365

 Last of flic Mtrers. 357

dcrcr from Corrie; joined the New York Yacht Club, put on a great deal of style; spending money lavishly, and giving a series of din- ners and parties which soon rendered them extremely popular with the fashionable set of the metropolis.

Soon after this event Lamar ordered Farnum to take the Wan- derer to Charleston, S. C., telling his friends he intended to set out from that port on a pleasure cruise to China and return. The same report was industriously circulated, when, a few weeks later, they joined Farnum at the above-named port, and in the late spring of 1859, set sa ^ f r parts known only to themselves.

The voyage to the mouth of the Congo river, on the West Afri- can coast, occupied about twice the time needful, owing to the fact that Lamar had to steer clear of a great many vessels which he had no desire of meeting. They reached their destination in safety, however, entering the Congo river unnoticed by the war-ships pa- trolling the coast, which seemed at the time to be absent on other business. The anchor had barely settled in the soft alluvium of the river's bed before Lamar and his associates were negotiating with the native chiefs and half-caste Portugese slave raiders for the de- livery, at a point known nowadays as Brazziville, of 400 or more negroes.

The negotiations were barely concluded when a curious thing oc- curred, illustrating in striking manner the wonderful self-possession resourcefulness and presence of mind of Lamar. The meeting with the chiefs and traders had just adjourned and the owners of the Wanderer were stepping from the yawl to the yacht when an Eng- lish man-of-war appeared in the river, anchoring only a few hundred yards from the slaver. Did Lamar commit suicide, or surrender, or give up the venture as^ lost? Far from it. He was not that kind of man. The moment he caught sight of the vessel he ordered the crew of the yawl back to their oars, and with Farnum struck out for the representative of H. B. M. on the high seas.

Reaching the man-of-war, he mounted the ladder, and proceed- ing straight to the cabin, introduced himself in a manner so thor- oughly agreeable that the officers could not hear of his returning until late that night. To meet an educated, refined and civilized gentleman in that wilderness of naked savages and sordid slave hun- ters they declared was a treat so rarely enjoyed that they proposed to make the best of it while it lasted. Next day Lamar arranged a dinner in honor of the British officers, which was given on board the Wanderer. He had completely disarmed their su c picions by stating