em over to be tried as pirates. The poor Africans
were cast into the prison at New London. Public curiosity was at a
high pitch; and for a long time the "_Amistad captives_" occupied a
large place in public attention. The Africans proved to be natives of
the Mendi country, and quite intelligent. The romantic story of their
sufferings and meanderings was given to the country through a
competent interpreter; and many Christian hearts turned toward them in
their lonely captivity in a strange land. The trial was continued
several months. During this time the anti-slavery friends provided
instruction for the Africans. Their minds were active and receptive.
They soon learned to read, write, and do sums in arithmetic. They
cultivated a garden of some fifteen acres, and proved themselves an
intelligent and industrious people.

The final decision of the court was that the "Amistad captives" were
not slaves, but freemen, and, as such, were entitled to their liberty.
The good and liberal Lewis Tappan had taken a lively interest in these
people from the first, and now that they were released from prison,
felt that they should be sent back to their native shores and a
mission started amongst their countrymen. Accordingly he took charge
of them and appeared before the public in a number of cities of New
England. An admission fee of fifty cents was required at the door, and
the proceeds were devoted to leasing a vessel to take them home. Large
audiences greeted them everywhere, and the impression they made was of
the highest order. Mr. Tappan would state the desire of the people to
return to their native land, appeal to the philanthropic to aid them,
and then call upon the people to read the Scriptures, sing songs in
their own language, and then in the English. Cinquez would then
deliver an account of their capture, the horrors of the voyage, how he
succeeded in getting his manacles off, how he aided his brethren to
loose their fetters, how he invited them to follow him in an attempt
to gain their liberty, the attack, and their rescue, etc., etc. He was
a man of magnificent physique, commanding presence, graceful manners,
and effective oratory. His speeches were delivered in Mendi, and
translated into English by an interpreter.

"It is impossible," wrote Mr. Tappan from Boston, "to describe
the novel and deeply interesting manner in which he acquitted
himself. The subject of his speech was similar to that of his