|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 17
pestilential. The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate,
added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had
scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us. This produced
copious perspirations, so that the air soon became unfit for
respiration, from a variety of loathsome smells, and brought on a
sickness among the slaves, of which many died, thus falling victims to
the improvident avarice, as I may call it, of their purchasers. This
wretched situation was again aggravated by the galling of the chains,
now become insupportable; and the filth of the necessary tubs, into
which the children often fell, and were almost suffocated. The shrieks
of the women, and the groans of the dying, rendered the whole a scene
of horror almost inconceivable. Happily perhaps for myself I was soon
reduced so low here that it was thought necessary to keep me almost
always on deck; and from my extreme youth I was not put in fetters. In
this situation I expected every hour to share the fate of my
companions, some of whom were almost daily brought upon deck at the
point of death, which I began to hope would soon put an end to my
miseries. Often did I think many of the inhabitants of the deep much
more happy than myself. I envied them the freedom they enjoyed, and as
often wished I could change my condition for theirs. Every
circumstance I met with served only to render my state more painful,
and heighten my apprehensions, and my opinion of the cruelty of the
whites. One day they had taken a number of fishes; and when they had
killed and satisfied themselves with as many as they thought fit, to
our astonishment who were on the deck, rather than give any of them to
us to eat as we expected, they tossed the remaining fish into the sea
again, although we begged and prayed for some as well as we could, but
in vain; and some of my countrymen, being pressed by hunger, took an
opportunity, when they thought no one saw them, of trying to get a
little privately; but they were discovered, and the attempt procured
them some very severe floggings. One day, when we had a smooth sea and
moderate wind, two of my wearied countrymen who were chained together
(I was near them at the time), preferring death to such a life of
misery, somehow made through the nettings and jumped into the sea:
immediately another quite dejected fellow, who, on account of his
illness, was suffered to be out of irons, also followed their example;
and I believe many more would very soon have done the same if they had
not been prevented by the ship's crew, who were instantly alarmed.
Those of us that were the most active were in a moment put down under
the deck, and there was such a noise and confusion amongst the people
of the ship as I never heard before, to stop her, and get the boat out
to go after the slaves. However two of the wretches were drowned, but
they got the other, and afterwards flogged him unmercifully for thus
attempting to prefer death to slavery. In this manner we continued to
undergo more hardships than I can now relate, hardships which are
inseparable from this accursed trade. Many a time we were near
suffocation from the want of fresh air, which we were often without
for whole days together. This, and the stench of the necessary tubs,
carried off many. During our passage I first saw flying fishes, which
surprised me very much: they used frequently to fly across the ship,
and many of them fell on the deck. I also now first saw the use of the
quadrant; I had often with astonishment seen the mariners make
observations with it, and I could not think what it meant. They at
last took notice of my surprise; and one of them, willing to increase
it, as well as to gratify my curiosity, made me one day look through
it. The clouds appeared to me to be land, which disappeared as they
passed along. This heightened my wonder; and I was now more persuaded
than ever that I was in another world, and that every thing about me
was magic. At last we came in sight of the island of Barbadoes, at
which the whites on board gave a great shout, and made many signs of
joy to us. We did not know what to think of this; but as the vessel
drew nearer we plainly saw the harbour, and other ships of different
kinds and sizes; and we soon anchored amongst them off Bridge Town.
Many merchants and planters now came on board, though it was in the
evening. They put us in separate parcels, and examined us attentively.
They also made us jump, and pointed to the land, signifying we were to
go there. We thought by this we should be eaten by these ugly men, as
they appeared to us; and, when soon after we were all put down under
the deck again, there was much dread and trembling among us, and
nothing but bitter cries to be heard all the night from these
apprehensions, insomuch that at last the white people got some old
slaves from the land to pacify us. They told us we were not to be
eaten, but to work, and were soon to go on land, where we should see
many of our country people. This report eased us much; and sure
enough, soon after we were landed, there came to us Africans of all
languages. We were conducted immediately to the merchant's yard, where
we were all pent up together like so many sheep in a fold, without
regard to sex or age. As every object was new to me every thing I saw
filled me with surprise. What struck me first was that the houses were
built with stories, and in every other respect different from those in
Africa: but I was still more astonished on seeing people on horseback.
I did not know what this could mean; and indeed I thought these people
were full of nothing but magical arts. While I was in this
astonishment one of my fellow prisoners spoke to a countryman of his
about the horses, who said they were the same kind they had in their
country. I understood them, though they were from a distant part of
Africa, and I thought it odd I had not seen any horses there; but
afterwards, when I came to converse with different Africans, I found
they had many horses amongst them, and much larger than those I then
saw. We were not many days in the merchant's custody before we were
sold after their usual manner, which is this:--On a signal given,(as
the beat of a drum) the buyers rush at once into the yard where the
slaves are confined, and make choice of that parcel they like best.
The noise and clamour with which this is attended, and the eagerness
visible in the countenances of the buyers, serve not a little to
increase the apprehensions of the terrified Africans, who may well be
supposed to consider them as the ministers of that destruction to
which they think themselves devoted. In this manner, without scruple,
are relations and friends separated, most of them never to see each
other again. I remember in the vessel in which I was brought over, in
the men's apartment, there were several brothers, who, in the sale,
were sold in different lots; and it was very moving on this occasion
to see and hear their cries at parting. O, ye nominal Christians!
might not an African ask you, learned you this from your God, who says
unto you, Do unto all men as you would men should do unto you? Is it
not enough that we are torn from our country and friends to toil for
your luxury and lust of gain? Must every tender feeling be likewise
sacrificed to your avarice? Are the dearest friends and relations, now
rendered more dear by their separation from their kindred, still to be
parted from each other, and thus prevented from cheering the gloom of
slavery with the small comfort of being together and mingling their
sufferings and sorrows? Why are parents to lose their children,
brothers their sisters, or husbands their wives? Surely this is a new
refinement in cruelty, which, while it has no advantage to atone for
it, thus aggravates distress, and adds fresh horrors even to the
wretchedness of slavery.
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|