Trust not Dreams, they are but fleeting phantoms "Even tho' sages would affirm the same." T. N. DESCRIPTION OF TOMBUCTOO. (Concluded from Page 70.) Among the slaves at Wed-noon was a woman who came from a place called Kanno, a long way to the southward of the desert: this woman said that she had seen in her own country some white men, as white as bather (meaning the wall); they were in a large boat, with two high sticks in it having cloth upen them, and they rowed the boat differently from the custom of the negroes, who use paddles; and she made the motion of rowing with oars, so as to leave no doubt that she had seen a vessel fitted in the European fashion, and manned by white people. At this place Adams was employed in agricultural labours, which were very severe. The Moorish sabbath being also market-day, was a day of rest to the Christian slaves: it was the only day in which they could meet and converse together; and Adams had the melancholy consolation of finding that the lot of his companions had been even more severe than his own. One sabbath day Hameda Belcassam, his master's son, ordered Adams to take the horse and go to plough, but he refused on the plea of its being the slaves' holliday; upon which Hameda struck him on the forehead with a cutlass, and in return Adams knocked him down with his fist: he was instantly surrounded by Moors, who beat him with sticks till the blood gushed out of his mouth; two of his double teeth were knocked out, and he was almost killed, which would probably have been the case, but for the interference of Boadick, the sheik's son, who said they had no right to compel him to work on a market-day. The father and mother of Hameda then told Adams, that unless he would kiss their son's feet and hands, he should be put in irons; but he replied that, happen what would, he could never consent to it, as it was 'contrary to his religion.' His feet and hands were therefore fastened together with iron chains. He remained for some weeks in this state, during which the most dreadful threats were used to induce him to submit, but to no purpose. His sufferings having reduced him almost to a skeleton, his master determined on selling him, to prevent, by his death, a total loss; and he was therefore released. Soon after this, Dolbie, the mate, grew sick and unable to work, upon which Brahim, a son of the sheik, beat him with a stick; and, in consequence of his remonstrances at this cruelty, stabbed him in the side with a dagger, and he died in a few minutes: he was then thrown into a hole without ceremony. About this time the fortitude of Williams and Davison gave way to the brutal treatment of the Moors, and they unhappily consented to renounce their religion, and thus obtained their liberty by submitting to the rites of the Mahomedan faith; after which they were presented with a horse, a musket, and a blanket, and permitted to take Moorish wives. Adams, being now the only Christian at Wed-noon, had become, in a more especial manner, an object of derision and persecution; and his life was beginning to be intolerable, when, only three days after Williams and Davison had renounced their religion, a letter was received from Mr. Joseph Dupuis, British consul at Mogadore, addressed, under cover to the governor, to the Christian prisoners at Wed-noon, exhorting them to withstand all attempts to make them give up their religion, and assuring them that within a month he should be able to procure their liberty. Davison heard the letter apparently without emotion; but Williams became so agitated, that he let it drop out of his hands, and burst into a flood of tears In about a month, the man who brought the letter, a servant of the British Consul under the disguise of a trader, told Adams that he had succeeded in procuring his release; and the next day they set out together for Mogadore. They travelled together for fourteen or fifteen days, over a country more thickly inhabited and better cultivated than any which Adams had yet seen. At Agadeer they entered the Emperor of Morocco's dominions, where the governor told him that he had been among savages, and not subjects of the Emperor; but that he was now perfectly safe, and would experience nothing but good treatment. On the fifth day after this they discovered from a hill the town of Mogadore beneath them, and square-rigged vessels lying in the harbour, the sight of which,' says Adams, I can no otherwise describe than by saying, I felt as if a new life had been given to me.' They first went to the governor, who sent them to Mr. Dupuis. Never,' says Adams, shall I forget the kindness of this good gentleman, who seemed to study how to make me comfortable and happy. He remained with Mr. Dupuis eight months, who frequently interrogated him as to the places where he had been, and advised him to go to England to give an account of his travels; but England and America being at war, he declined going on board an English vessel. Mr. Dupuis therefore sent him, under the protection of two Moorish soldiers, to Tangier, where Mr. Simpson, the American consul, procured him a passage to Cadiz, where he arrived on the 17th May, 1814; three years and seven months after he had been wrecked in the Charles; during which, notwithstanding the severity of his treatment, confinement in irons, and all the hardships he underwent, he never was sick a single day. He remained at Cadiz about fourteen months in the service of Mr. Hall, an English merchant; but the moment that peace was restored between England and America, he went in a cartel to Gibraltar, and from thence in a Welsh brig to Bristol; in the passage from thence to Liverpool, they were obliged to put into Holyhead, where Adams fell sick, and was put on shore. From this place he begged his way to London, where he arrived about the middle of October last, completely destitute; slept two or three nights in the open streets, when a gentleman accidentally met him as already related, who recognized him as the late servant of Mr. Hall, and sent him to the African Committee. THE MAID OF ST. MARINO. (Continued from Page 72.) To add to the Count's distress, he was informed that his beloved wife and family were involved in the extended ruin. Banished from their peaceful Villa, at Riombino, no one could tell what was become of them; and as Vanzenza had been merely a soldier of fortune, he was well assured, if living, poverty at best must be their portion. Thus oppressed, deserted, afflicted with cruel pains, and an incurable lameness, the consequence of the torturing rack, he sought some sequestered abode, where he might breathe out an existence embittered by such various calamities; and after wandering about for three years, enduring all the vicissitudes incident to his sad situation, it occurred to him to try his fate at St. Marino. How he succeeded, has been seen; for although pennyless he was not rejected; although friendless on his arrival, he soon procured by that letter of recommendation, an open candid manner, every convenience necessary to his comfort. We shall conclude this abbreviation with the finishing lines of his memoir, and which ran as follows. "Hail to this peaceful, this long-sought retirement. Hail to that Being, who, for wise and gracious purposes, has conducted my steps far from the haunts of cruelty and blood; where su perstition has no power, where infernal treachery can no longer tear the heart strings of unoffending innocence. Here I can coolly revise the incidents of a life oppressed by dark and unknown assassins. Dear, murdered Francis, repose in silence. The truth will appear; thy injured heir will be reinstated; if not in his own person, yet in his offspring. But, ah! Leonora, dost thou not taste the bitter cup of which thy Roderigo has so deeply drunk? Hast thou not sunk beneath-But-be still, impatient spirit, nor slight the blessings still left in thy possession; again thou seest in every countenance a friendly regard. Yonder sweet maid, that ministers with so much delighted atention to the wants of suffering humanity, adds to thy comfort, and gives thee inexpressible pleasure. Her soft eyes, beaming with pity, reminds me, that gentleness and mercy have taken up their abode at Marino. She is the child of Humility! and Hope itself cannot look that way Beangana, too, thou best of mistresses,alas! could'st thou have interfered Richard, noble, unfortunate king of England-hard was thy fate; and dare Roderigo murmur!" From this last hint, it appeared that the misfortunes of that noble pair precluded the Count's attempts to solicit their assistance; so that his enemies triumphed. How they effected his second seizure he gathered from Alonzo, who informed him that Signor Taverini had lately brought forward two of the Lazeroni at Naples, who, though in general an inoffensive body of people, occasionally produced corrupted members; and these had positively sworn to the murder of Count Francis as committed by three of their brethren-themselves; and although strongly tempted by Taverini to join the infernal compact, decidedly refused to take an active part. He also said, they were engaged to appear against his prisoner on his arrival at Naples. Alonzo then spoke of the infinite trouble himself and companions had met with in their search after the Count. To the latter part of this information that unhappy nobleman was deaf. Taverini, the relative of Lady Juliana, and the usurper of his rights at the Castle, now confessedly his prosecutor, took up all his thoughts. His former suspicions gained strength; there was a coalition, he now fancied, between the two; and he felt eager to face them: but he had no council, no protector. His royal friends, Richard and Beangana, were no more. The judges were already prejudiced-had already evinced their sense of his imputed guilt, by inflicting the torture. What, then, could he again expectbut similar treatment? Thus mentally arguing upon the possible, and the probable, Vanzenza reached Naples, and again took possession of the wretched dungeon in which he had formerly experienced so much suffering and sorrow. Lucia, too, whose tenderness and spirited defence he could not forget, now pressed upon his memory with pungent recollection. The ring he had seen reminded him of one formerly in the possession of Count Francis, and presented to him as a token of friendship by the mother of his Countess. But here his hope of elucidation dropt. There were more rings of the same description; and he sighed at the idea of that happiness he enjoyed when first taught to look upon the revered Princess Beangana as his patroness. Several weeks had tediously, elapsed in an hourly expectation of being again called to defend a cause so horrible to the feelings of Vanzenza. Confined in a dark, damp, and dreary dungeon, he almost wished for the period of his enlargement, although clearly of opinion his death must speedily follow. At length the awful day arrived which was oppointed for his final examination.-A circumstance of this nature could not be concealed, and the court was crowded with a most splendid assembly of both sexes. Accompanied by the Lazeroni, who were decently attired, appeared Signor Taverini, who, placed near the judges, cast looks of contempt, mixed with an expression of fear, upon the humble yet composed victim he had so long attempted to crush, whose squalid appearance and dejected figure could not overcome a dignity which attended his calm and steady examination of his enemies. The testimony of the Lazeroni was to this effect-That they had been tampered with by Roderigo Vanzenza to assassinate the late Count Francis; and upon urging their reluctance to undertake such a deed, he engaged three more to assist them, when, overcome by the splendor of the proposed reward, they partly agreed to join in the villanous attempt.-At this time the supposed criminal was with his family upon a visit at Riombino; but as soon as he had made this arrangement returned to his post under the Princess. Upon comparing the consequences attending the execution of their promise, these two men refused to ratify it, and the business was done by the other confederates, who were since executed for a similar transaction. They then asserted, that, stung by the reflection of being involved in such a compact, they determined to disclose the whole matter to Signor Taverini, which happened some time after Roderigo had been liberated, and swore pointblank to the truth of these assertions. As this evidence was deemed absolutely decisive, the court proceeded to sentence Roderigo Vanzenza to be broke upon the wheel and this doom was pronounced amidst the tears and exclamations of that noble audience. [To be continued.] |