Boys' Column.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2023, 28 January 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

Boys' Column.

!!v IhufaiT Dams.

On Hoard ;i Slaver.

I have reasons to believe that 1 was ouo of the crow of the last American vessel which loaded a cargo of slaves on the African eoasf. Whilu the slave traders wore energetically pursued by the British (iovernment, anil little mercy was shown any one engaged in it, Uncle Sam winked at the try flic. Ho made a great show of racing after suspicious vessels and of prosecuting such slavers as he accidently captured, but it was generally understood by the ‘"Black-birds” that they bad little to fear from his ships if there was half a show to get away. Cuba was the dumping ground for African slaves, and any one, at all posted knew that groat numbers of them wore run into the United States from that point, law or no law. It was in the early spring of IHiil, just as war was breaking out in the United States, that i shipped on board a brig out of a southern port for Cuba, I being then but Id years old. Before we were ready to return, the excitement ran so high, and there were such grave fears of a speedy blockade that wo could get. no return cargo. To add to the mieertaintics the owner of the brig was killed by accident, and those placed in charge of his atl'airs had no orders to give ns. After wc had been lying at Havana for nearly two months the captain arranged with some speculators in the slave trade to go on a voyage after a cargo of blacks. Whilu ho know it was against the laws, he did not seem to look upon the traffic as anything so very monstrous. The, arguments used those days were that the blacks were living like beasts at home, at war with each other, and dying otf by thousands, and that slavery would improve their condition. Our brig was fitted up with a spare deck, extra water-butts, shackles and tho other necessaries, and of the crow shipped tor the voyage hardly any two were of the same color or nationality, and there was only one American before tho mast. While the captain and myself were Southern-born, the mate hailed from Boston, and 1 may add that he entered into the enterprise with all his heart. The supercargo was a Spaniard named Don Kodoro, and the brig was fitted to bring bath ToO blacks. After a tedious voyage we made the mouth of the Congo and ascended the stream about twenty miles to some trader’s barracouus. While the beginning of the war in America had called moat of (he British cruisers oil tho African coast, the tribes on the west coast, bad been at peace with each other fur a few months past, and the supply of captives was therefore short. U was five weeks before wc had a black aboard, and over six before wo wore ready to drop down the river. The evening before we were to sail a largo Spanish bark came up the river after slat es and reported a British cruiser oil the mouth ot tho river. Tho bark had in fact, been chased in, and her captain had no doubt that tho cruiser, which was a steam amt sail craft, would make a trip up the river before she was satisfied to leave. Everybody at once, turned to and landed the blacks, who wore run into tho forest to a safe place. They were a surly ugly lot of people, as they had a right to be under the circumstances, and it was long after daylight before wo had them of!'. Strangely enough, scores ot them refused to have the ship and had to ho carried ashore bodily. We then had to dispose of our extra food and water and the various other articles which might give rise to suspicion, and wo were hard at

work when the cruiser came in sight, having a boat out in advance to foci tho way. V\ o had no weapons whatever, but the bark was armed and her captain determined to resist interference. Ho Jay liclow us about a ship’s length, and lie swung his bow out until his port aide cannon would bear and opened fire as soon as called upon to surrender.

The crow of tho Englishman must have ch lidded over the state of atlairs. They now had an excuse for using their guns, and tho way they sent the allot into and through both ol ua drove us ashore inside of ten minutes. They then took possession of tho vessels, killed some of our men ashore and scattered tho rest, and bark and brig went off down the river with prize crews aboard, and wore taken to tho nearest British port to bo declared lawful prizes. It was a matter of eight months before wo had an opportunity to leave the coast, and after wo were once more afloat there was not money enough in Cuba to have tempted us to go into the business again.

Boys’ Blunders.

A schoolmaster contributes to the CornhUl for .1 uno a number of instances of boys’ blunders which have conic under Ilia notice in the course of icn years’ experience in bin profession. The errors recorded are, of course, the outcome of ignorance, butof ignorance exorcising itself in many ways. Sometimes flic mental eondilion of the boy is pure, unmitigated muddle ; as whore we arc told that “ I miller introduced Christianity a thousand years a"o : his birthday was in November, JASd. Hu was once a Hope ; he lived in the. time of the Rebellion of AVornis.” On other occasion,!, the emu lies perhaps in a too simple adhormco to the dictionary : as w hen “ cock et*»r ” is transformed into “ cornu: gall i.’ .ol *he pul to death ” into “ uiortposuit. ’ b, again, 11111-!! be ascribed to ultra-tfigi unity of speculation,-a« m the translation of “ trepidabal popnius ' by “’he people was three-footed.” The suggestion, too, that radical comes from radius, a. ray, ami that, “a radical is when the suu sends its rays upon you,” is profound, but unacceptable, unless as (he chronicler suggests, the boy is slyly accounting tor insanity in the Radical parly. Apparently, however, most, boys’ blunders proceed in mi too ready dependence on tho simila nty of sound and form in words. Only in this way ran we account for such rendering's as “don’t mention it ” fur “ nc inontiaris,” “ the priestesses came to him in surplices ” for “saccrdotos iverunt supplices,” and “ho helps me to go under his umbrella ” “ mo juvat ire sub umbras.” It must have been the same sort of feeling which induced boys to describe Esau as tempted by a “mess of potash,” “franchise” as “ anything belonging to tho French," and “ Nonconformist ” in “a man who cannot form anything. ’