Captain Canot; Or, Twenty Years of an African Slaver
anchored, her boats are packed with slaves, while the craft is quickly
dismantled to avoid detection from sea or land. The busy skiffs are
hurried to and fro incessantly till the cargo is entirely ashore, when
the secured gang, led by the captain, and escorted by armed sailors,
is rapidly marched to the nearest plantation. There it is safe from
the rapacity of local magistrates, who, if they have a chance, imitate
their superiors by exacting "_gratifications_."
In the mean time, a _courier_ has been dispatched to the owners in
Havana, Matanzas, or Santiago de Cuba, who immediately post to the
plantation with clothes for the slaves and gold for the crew.
Preparations are quickly made through brokers for the sale of the
blacks; while the vessel, if small, is disguised, to warrant her
return under the coasting flag to a port of clearance. If the craft
happens to be large, it is considered perilous to attempt a return
with a cargo, or "_in distress_," and, accordingly, she is either sunk
or burnt where she lies.
When the genuine African reaches a plantation for the first time, he
fancies himself in paradise. He is amazed by the generosity with which
he is fed with fruit and fresh provisions. His new clothes, red cap,
and roasting blanket (a civilized superfluity he never dreamed of),
strike him dumb with delight, and, in his savage joy, he not only
forgets country, relations, and friends, but skips about like a
monkey, while he dons his garments wrongside out or hind-part before!
The arrival of a carriage or cart creates no little confusion among
the Ethiopian groups, who never imagined that beasts could be made to
work. But the climax of wonder is reached when that paragon of
oddities, a Cuban _postilion_, dressed in his sky-blue coat,
silver-laced hat, white breeches, polished jack-boots, and ringing
spurs, leaps from his prancing quadruped, and bids them welcome in
their mother-tongue. Every African rushes to "snap fingers" with his
equestrian brother, who, according to orders, forthwith preaches an
edifying sermon on the happiness of being a white man's slave, taking
care to jingle his spurs and crack his whip at the end of every
sentence, by way of _amen_.
Whenever a cargo is owned by several proprietors, each one takes his
share at once to his plantation; but if it is the property of
speculators, the blacks are sold to any one who requires them before
removal from the original depot. The sale is, of course, conducted as
rapidly as possible, to forestall the interference of British
officials with the Captain-General.
Many of the Spanish Governors in Cuba have respected treaties, or, at
least, promised to enforce the laws. Squadrons of dragoons and troops
of lancers have been paraded with convenient delay, and ordered to
gallop to plantations designated by the representative of England. It
generally happens, however, that when the hunters arrive the game is
gone. Scandal declares that, while brokers are selling the blacks at
the depot, it is not unusual for their owner or his agent to be found
knocking at the door of the Captain-General's secretary. It is often
said that the Captain-General himself is sometimes present in the
sanctuary, and, after a familiar chat about the happy landing of "the
contraband,"--as the traffic is amiably called, the requisite
_rouleaux_ are insinuated into the official desk under the intense
smoke of a fragrant _cigarillo_. The metal is always considered the
property of the Captain-General, but his scribe avails himself of a
lingering farewell at the door, to hint an immediate and pressing need
for "a very small darkey!" Next day, the diminutive African does not
appear; but, as it is believed that Spanish officials prefer gold even
to mortal flesh, his algebraic equivalent is unquestionably furnished
in the shape of shining ounces!
* * * * *
The prompt dispatch I gave the schooner Fortuna, started new ideas
among the traders of the Rio Pongo, so that it was generally agreed my
method of dividing the cargo among different factors was not only most
advantageous for speed, but prevented monopoly, and gave all an equal
chance. At a "grand palaver" or assemblage of the traders on the
river, it was resolved that this should be the course of trade for the
future. All the factors, except Ormond, attended and assented; but we
learned that the Mongo's people, with difficulty prevented him from
sending an armed party to break up our deliberations.
The knowledge of this hostile feeling soon spread throughout the
settlement and adjacent towns, creating considerable excitement
against Ormond. My plan and principles were approved by the natives as
well as foreigners, so that warning was sent the Mongo, if any harm
befell Joseph and Theodore, it would be promptly resented. Our native
landlord, Ali-Ninpha, a Foulah by descent, told him boldly, in
presence of his people, that the Africans were "tired of a mulatto
Mongo;" and, from that day, his power dwindled away visibly, though a
show of respect was kept up in consequence of his age and ancient
importance.
During these troubles, the Areostatico returned to my consignment, and
in twenty-two days was dispatched with a choice cargo of
Mandingoes,--a tribe, which had become fashionable for house servants
among the Havanese. But the luckless vessel was never heard of, and it
is likely she went down in some of the dreadful gales that scourged
the coast immediately after her departure.
CHAPTER XIII.
I had now grown to such sudden importance among the natives, that the
neighboring chiefs and kings sent me daily messages of friendship,
with trifling gifts that I readily accepted. One of these bordering
lords, more generous and insinuating than the rest, hinted several
times his anxiety for a closer connection in affection as well as
trade, and, at length, insisted upon becoming my father-in-law!
I had always heard in Italy that it was something to receive the hand
of a princess, even after long and tedious wooing; but now that I was
surrounded by a mob of kings, who absolutely thrust their daughters on
me, I confess I had the bad taste not to leap with joy at the royal
offering. Still, I was in a difficult position, as no graver offence
can be given a chief than to reject his child. It is so serious an
insult to refuse a wife, that, high born natives, in order to avoid
quarrels or war, accept the tender boon, and as soon as etiquette
permits, pass it over to a friend or relation. As the offer was made
to me personally by the king, I found the utmost difficulty in
escaping. Indeed, he would receive no excuse. When I declined on
account of the damsel's youth, he laughed incredulously. If I urged
the feebleness of my health and tardy convalescence, he insisted that
a regular life of matrimony was the best cordial for an impaired
constitution. In fact, the paternal solicitude of his majesty for my
doubloons was so urgent that I was on the point of yielding myself a
patient sacrifice, when Joseph came to my relief with the offer of his
hand as a substitute.
The Gordian knot was cut. Prince Yungee in reality did not care so
much who should be his son-in-law as that he obtained one with a white
skin and plentiful purse. Joseph or Theodore, Saxon or Italian, made
no difference to the chief; and, as is the case in all Oriental lands,
the opinion of the lady was of no importance whatever.
I cannot say that my partner viewed this matrimonial project with the
disgust that I did. Perhaps he was a man of more liberal philosophy
and wider views of human brotherhood; at any rate, his residence in
Africa gave him a taste not only for its people, habits, and
superstitions, but he upheld practical amalgamation with more fervor
and honesty than a regular abolitionist. Joseph was possessed by
Africo-mania. He admired the women, the men, the language, the
cookery, the music. He would fall into philharmonic ecstasies over the
discord of a bamboo _tom-tom_. I have reason to believe that even
African barbarities had charms for the odd Englishman; but he was
chiefly won by the _dolce far niente_ of the natives, and the Oriental
license of polygamy. In a word, Joseph had the same taste for a
full-blooded _cuffee_, that an epicure has for the _haut gout_ of a
stale partridge, and was in ecstasies at my extrication. He neglected
his _siestas_ and his accounts; he wandered from house to house with
the rapture of an impatient bridegroom; and, till every thing was
ready for the nuptial rites, no one at the factory had a moment's
rest.
As the bride's relations were eminent folks on the upper part of the
river, they insisted that the marriage ceremony should be performed
with all the honorable formalities due to the lady's rank. Esther, who
acted as my mentor in every "country-question," suggested that it
would be contrary to the Englishman's interest to ally himself with a
family whose only motive was sordid. She strongly urged that if he
persisted in taking the girl, he should do so without a "_colungee_"
or ceremonial feast. But Joseph was obstinate as a bull; and as he
doubted whether he would ever commit matrimony again, he insisted
that the nuptials should be celebrated with all the fashionable
splendor of high life in Africa.
When this was decided, it became necessary, by a fiction of etiquette,
to ignore the previous offer of the bride, and to begin anew, as if
the damsel were to be sought in the most delicate way by a desponding
lover. She must be demanded formally, by the bridegroom from her
reluctant mother; and accordingly, the most respectable matron in our
colony was chosen by Joseph from his colored acquaintances to be the
bearer of his valentine. In the present instance, the selected Cupid
was the principal wife of our native landlord, Ali-Ninpha; and, as
Africans as well as Turks love by the pound, the dame happened to be
one of the fattest, as well as most respectable, in our parish.
Several female _attaches_ were added to the suite of the ambassadress,
who forthwith departed to make a proper "_dantica_." The gifts
selected were of four kinds. First of all, two demijohns of
_trade_-rum were filled to gladden the community of Mongo-Yungee's
town. Next, a piece of blue cotton cloth, a musket, a keg of powder,
and a demijohn of _pure_ rum, were packed for papa. Thirdly, a
youthful virgin dressed in a white "tontongee,"[2] a piece of white
cotton cloth, a white basin, a white sheep, and a basket of white
rice, were put up for mamma, in token of her daughter's purity. And,
lastly, a German looking-glass, several bunches of beads, a coral
necklace, a dozen of turkey-red handkerchiefs, and a spotless white
country-cloth, were presented to the bride; together with a decanter
of white palm-oil for the anointment of her ebony limbs after the
bath, which is never neglected by African _belles_.
While the missionary of love was absent, our sighing swain devoted his
energies to the erection of a bridal palace; and the task required
just as many days as were employed in the creation of the world. The
building was finished by the aid of bamboos, straw, and a modicum of
mud; and, as Joseph imagined that love and coolness were secured in
such a climate by utter darkness, he provided an abundance of that
commodity by omitting windows entirely. The furnishing of the domicil
was completed with all the luxury of native taste. An elastic
four-poster was constructed of bamboos; some dashing crockery was set
about the apartment for display; a cotton quilt was cast over the
matted couch; an old trunk served for bureau and wardrobe; and, as
negresses adore looking-glasses, the largest in our warehouse was
nailed against the door, as the only illuminated part of the edifice.