there  are  any  yet  remaining  in  our  own  country  who  would
clandestinely  engage  in  the  African  slave-trade,  and  that  it  is
possible  for  vessels  to  sail  from  our  shores  to  be  so  em
ployed.'

'It  is  lamentably  true,  as  it  is  surprising.  By  recent  in
formation  from  Africa,  it  appears  that  American  built  vessels
are  regularly  engaged  in  this  accursed  trade.  The  way  of
procuring  them  is  said  to  be  as  follows: — -"Mercantile
houses  in  the  Havana,  and  other  ports  in  Cuba  and  Porto
Rico,  send  orders  for  fast  sailing  vessels  to  their  correspond
ents  here,  of  course  saying  nothing  about  their  being  design
ed  for  slavers.  When  launched,  they  are  frequently  equip
ped  at  Baltimore  and  New-York.  Even  the  shackles  for
securing  the  slaves,  and  the  gratings  to  cover  the  hatches,
not  unfrequently  go  from  this  country  ;  though  a  part  of  the
latter  are  sometimes  prepared  on  board.  The  shackles  are
put  up  in  barrels,  and  shipped  as  merchandise.  The  crews
are  principally  Spanish  and  Portuguese,  French  and  Dutch
Creoles,  and  a  sort  of  Lingua  Franca-men,  of  no  nation,
or  rather  of  all  nations,  belonging  nowhere,  or  everywhere,
and  speaking  all  the  Atlantic  languages.  Some  of  them
picked  up  in  New-York  or  Baltimore  for  the  voyage,  and
others  after  she  arrives  in  the  Havana.  These  are  all  des
peradoes.  Some  of  the  crew,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  are  said
to  be,  in  some  instances,  Americans,  who  sometimes  do  not
know  the  nature  of  the  voyage  until  they  arrive  on  the  coast
of  Africa.  The  slaver  sails  from  our  port  as  an  American
vessel  under  the  American  flag,  with  American  papers,  and
appears  like  a  regular  trader.  She  goes  to  the  Havana,  is
denationalized,  receives  a  new  name,  and  takes  Spanish  co
lours  and  Spanish  papers.  Sometimes,  but  rarely,  this  is
done  at  the  Cape  de  Verd  Islands.  These  vessels  frequently


260  CONVERSATIONS  ON  SLAVERY.
