Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/327

 steamer, arrangements were made to send a combined boat expedition to make captures for both vessels." The American boats were in charge of lieutenant Blunt.

"On coming in sight, our little schooner ran up American colors to protect herself from any suspicion, when our boats, after running alongside of her, produced the stripes and stars, much to the astonishment of those on board. She proved to be the Spitfire, of New Orleans, and ran a cargo of slaves from the; t me place last year. Of only about one hundred tons; but though of s small a size, she stowed three hundred and forty-six negroes, and landed near Matanzas, Cuba, three hundred and thirty-nine.

"Between her decks, where the slaves are packed, there is not room for a man to sit, unless inclining his head forward; their food, half a pint of rice per day, with one pint of water. No one can imagine the sufferings of slaves on their passage across, unless the conveyances in which they are taken are examined. Our friend had none on board, but his cargo of three hundred were ready in a barracoon, waiting a good opportunity to start. A good hearty negro costs but twenty dollars, or thereabouts, and is purchased for rum, powder, tobacco, cloth, &c. They bring from three to four hundred dollars in Cuba. The English are doing everything in their power to prevent the slave-trade; and keep a force of thirty vessels on this coast, all actively cruising. The British boats also brought down a prize*; and the steamer is at this moment towing the Truxton, the Truxton's prize, and her own, at the rate of six miles an hour.

"It is extremely difficult to get up these rivers to the places where the slavers lie. The whole coast is intersected by innumerable rivers, with branches pouring into them from every quarter, and communicating with each other by narrow, circuitous and very numerous creeks, bordered on each side with impenetrable thickets of mangroves. In these creeks, almost concealed by the trees, the vessels lie, and often elude the strictest search. But when they have taken on board their living cargo, and are getting out to sea, the British are very apt to seize them, except, alas! when they are protected by the banner of the United States."

On the 30th of November, the Yorktown, Commander Bell, captured the American bark "Pons," off Kabenda, on the south coast, with eight hundred and ninety-six slaves on board. This vessel had been at Kabenda about twenty days before, during which she had been closely watched by the British cruiser "Cygnet." The Cygnet, leaving one morning, the master of the Pons, James Berry, immediately gave up the ship to Gallano, the Portuguese master. During the day, so expeditious had they been, that water and provisions were received on board, and nine hundred and three slaves were embarked; and at eight o'clock the same evening, the Pons was under way. Instead of standing out to sea, she kept in with the coast during the night, and in the morning discovering the British cruiser, furled sails and drifted so close to the shore that the negroes came down to the beach in hopes of her being wrecked. She thus