My First Cruise | Page 9

guess that you have pretty considerably
outmanoeuvred us, gentlemen, but still I don't know, by what right you,
or any other men alive, venture on board a free and independent
merchantman of the United States of America," said a man who met us
at the gangway. "You come on board at your peril!"
"We are well aware of that, friend," answered our lieutenant; "but we
must be satisfied that you are an American before we let you go."
Saying this, he led the way on board. By the light of the lanterns we
carried, we could see a very ill-looking crew scowling at us, and
evidently wishing to heave us overboard. It was lucky that we were all
well armed. I daresay that you will fancy I could not have done much,
but I could fire off a pistol at all events, which was as likely to kill as
that of a bigger fellow--that was one comfort. The man who had hailed
us, and pretended to be the captain, had said that the vessel was
American. Mr Talbot was only a short time in the cabin when he came
out again, and telling us that he had no doubt she was a Portuguese or
Brazilian, ordered the hatches, which were closed, to be lifted off. This
took us some little time to do. Never shall I forget the horrible
stench--the shrieks and cries and groans which ascended from the hold
as the hatches were got off. We lowered our lanterns and looked down.

There, arranged in rows along the deck, and chained two and two,
squatting on their hams, were several hundreds of blacks--men, women,
and children. I cannot describe the dreadful faces of despair and horror
and suffering which met our view as the light of our lanterns fell on
them, while they looked up with their white eyes and black visages
imploringly at us. I fancy that they thought we were going to shoot
them all; for the Portuguese crew had told them so, in the hopes, should
we free them, that they might set upon us and throw us overboard. This
amiable intention was frustrated, because Mr Talbot had been on the
coast of Africa and was well up to the tricks of the slavers. He
consequently would not allow any of the poor wretches to be liberated
till all necessary precautions had been taken to prevent them from
doing any harm. Our first care was to secure the slaver's crew. They
seemed as if inclined to make some resistance; but we pointed to the
frigate, which was close to us, and intimated that if they did not behave
themselves we should call her to our assistance; so, with no very good
grace, they consented to step into one of our boats to be carried on
board the Juno. I was very glad to get rid of them, for I could not help
feeling, as I walked about the deck, that any moment they might set
upon us and knock us on the head. As soon as they had gone, Mr
Talbot sent Sommers and me round the deck with water and farinha;
that is the food the blacks are fed on. We had four men with us carrying
the provisions. I could not have supposed that human beings, with flesh
and blood like ourselves, could have existed in such a horrible
condition. In the first place, there was barely four feet between the
decks, and that was very high for a slaver; many are only three feet.
Even I had to bend down to get along. Close as they could be packed,
the poor creatures sat on the bare, hard, dirty deck, without even room
to stretch their legs. I almost fainted, and even Sommers and the men
had great difficulty in getting along. Oh! how eagerly the poor
creatures drank the water when we put it to their mouths, though they
did not seem to care much about the food. Many could not even lift up
their heads to take the water. Several were dying; and as we put the tin
cups to their mouths, even while gazing at us, and, I am sure, feeling
grateful, they fell back and died. Many were already dead when we
came to them, and there they lay, chained to the living. Sometimes we
found that a father had died, leaving two or three small children;

sometimes a mother had sunk, leaving an infant still living. Several
poor children had died, and it was hard work, and cruel it seemed, to
make the poor mothers give up the bodies to be thrown overboard. We
came to one black lad, who was sitting by the side of a woman, whom
we guessed must be his mother. Sommers said that he thought she