had been equal to the emergency we would all have been easy in money matters."
A letter of December 23, 1857, to Theodore Johnson, of New Orleans, says: "In reference to Grant, discharge him, pay him nothing, and hope with me that he will speedily land in hell."
Much talk of Lamar's financial straits follows, and then we learn the name of the vessel. "Something ought to be done at once with the Rawlins," he says.
A letter dated three days later invites L. Viana, of 158 Pearl Street, New York, to join in the slave-smuggling business, and then we learn that "Captain William Ross Postell . . . a Gent, reliable in every way, and a thorough sailor and navigator," was secured to take command of the E. A. Rawlins. An era of prosperity came to the smugglers, it seems, for the letters show that, in addition to the Rawlins, the Richard Cobden and the notorious yacht Wanderer were put into the trade. Lamar even contemplated buying a steamer. Here is what he wrote about the steamer on May 24, 1858, to "Thomas Barrett, Esq. . Augusta," italics as in the original:
I have in contemplation, if I can raise the necessary amount of money, the fitting out of an expedition to go to the coast of Africa for a cargo of African apprentices to be bound for the term of their natural lives, and would like your co-operation. No subscription will be received for a less amount than $5,000, The amount to be raised is $300,000. I will take $20,000 of the stock and go myself. I propose to purchase the "Vigo," an iron screw steamer of 1,750 tons, now in Liverpool for sale at £30,000 cash. She cost £75,000. G. B. Lamar can give you a description of her . . . . She is as good as new, save her boilers, and they can be used for several months. If I can buy her I will put six Paixhan
