Negroes: Palliations, _but not excuses_, for former cruelties--
A harsh planter--Crimes of slaves--The little negroes'
dinner-hour--A character--Negroes' want of thought--Bartering
their weekly provisions--Pilfering--The Rock Dungeon--A
Tortolian slave-master--The murdered slave--Branding--Slave
cargo--Remarks upon slavery--A good slave-master--A kind
attorney--Negro gratitude.
When I undertook this work, I laid down for myself one uniform
rule, the propriety of which my readers must admit, which was, to
adhere strictly to facts without fear or favour. I mourn to think
that any one, much more a Briton, should have practised those
cruel deeds which were perpetrated even in this island, in former
days. I am well aware how much patience it requires to deal with
negroes, and also how strong the force of example is. We all of
us are liable to err; those passions which it has pleased the
Giver of all to ingraft in our bosoms, although not to be
extirpated, as the disciples of Zeno would have us believe,
require to be kept under strict restraint, or else how soon we
may be led to commit acts we ourselves would be the first to
condemn. Self-control is no easy matter; the wise man says--"He
who ruleth his own spirit is greater than he who taketh a city."
Nothing will enable us to overcome ourselves but a deep feeling
of religion. In those early times of slavery there was no settled
place of worship--no sound of the "church-going" bell in Antigua;
and men who might have left England with the best of feelings,
from living in this manner, and having to deal with stubborn and
aggravating characters, in time grew callous.
The flowers which deck this beautiful world require the suns and
dews of heaven to support their fragile forms; the birds which
charm us with their melody look up to their Maker's hand for
their daily food; can it be supposed, then, that man, a weak and
sinful creature, can walk uprightly without a daily intercourse
with his God? No; let philosophers boast as they will, man's
greatest strength is in his weakness; and it is from the spread
of Christianity in these parts, and Christian pastors taking the
place of those "blind leaders of the blind," who, in former days,
presumed to preach the gospel here, that people are enabled to
bear with the negroes, and not give way to such violent acts of
resentment again them. As I remarked in the conclusion of the
former chapter, I cannot, _dare not_ offer these remarks as an
excuse for cruelty; but while I reprobate such conduct as I have
been describing, I cannot help thinking how different the time
was then to what it is now--how the bright day-spring has chased
away the clouds of night.
But my melancholy subject is not yet ended; a few more acts
remain to be exhibited before the curtain falls. There was some
years ago an Antiguan planter who was of such a tyrannical
disposition, that he was an object of dread to the whole negro
population, until at length he made himself so hated by them,
from his cruel punishment, that he fancied his life in danger,
and therefore quitted the island, and remained absent for many
years. It was customary for many persons at that time to send, or
threaten to send, negroes who were refractory or lazy, to Mr.
---- for punishment, and so dreaded was his name, that, in most
cases, it procured good behaviour and declarations of amendment;
for hard, indeed, was the fate of those who fell into his hands.
It is said that Mr. ---- has been known to order two drivers to
stretch a slave, no matter whether male or female, upon the
ground, and to flog them until he rode round his estate, (which
was one of good extent,) and upon his return, if he did not think
the gashes sufficiently open, he would make them continue their
demoniac employment for a longer period. The operation of
flogging was thus performed:--the unfortunate victims of their
barbarity were stretched upon the earth their full-length, four
men held them down, while one or more drivers, with their immense
cart-whips, lacerated the flesh at every stroke. Sometimes after
this violent discipline of the whip, more humane masters, if they
can be termed so, have ordered their bleeding backs to be washed
with pickle, in order to prevent mortification; but Mr. ----
would not allow this to be done; he would not let them have any
assistance; but chains have been put upon them, and they have
been led back to their dungeon, and maggots have been known to
breed in their flesh!
This is no tale of fiction, no "Castle of Udolpho," to horrify
the mind with its ideal fancies; no, it is the plain, unvarnished
tale of truth, of what our poor negroes once suffered in
Christian countries from those who professed themselves Christian
masters. I mean not to say that every slave-owner was a man of
blood; God forbid they should have been, for then every breeze
that blew would have been loaded with groans--every sun that rose
would have witnessed mangled bodies. No; there were many, very
many, in Antigua who treated their slaves with the utmost
kindness, even in slavery's early days; but more particularly in
this generation, when milder principles were inculcated, and
milder punishments put into effect.
But, it may be inquired, what was the fault of negroes? Surely
they must be crimes of great magnitude to call for so severe a
use of the whip. In answer, we can only observe that these
faults, or crimes, or errors, call them what you will, were
various. For example: sometimes a mule or two strayed into a
cane-field and cropped the young canes, or part of the herd of
cattle broke away from the cattle-keepers when inattentive to
them, and devoured, or trod down, a piece of yams. Some of the
slaves ran away for a day or two, and others returned saucy
answers, (which all negroes are very competent to do;) some were
lazy, some did their work ill, and some again were behind the
time in which they were required by law to commence their daily
labour in the field; the list was called over by the overseer
before they arrived, and they were reported "absent."
Another frequent crime was theft. In times of slavery, as already
shewn, instead of giving money to the negroes as a recompence,
every necessary was found them by their owners--their dress,
their houses, their doctor, and their food. The common practice
upon estates was, to distribute to the negroes dresses twice in
the year, and their provisions once or twice in the week. This
consisted (as mentioned in a former part of this work) of so many
yards of cloth, shirting, flannel, and so many woollen caps,
handkerchiefs, &c., for their wardrobes; and for their weekly
provision so many pounds of yams, herrings, or mackerel, &c., for
each grown person; and at Christmas time, a further supply of
salt pork and wheat flour.
The little children had their own allowance, and upon those
estates where the proprietor or manager cared for their welfare,
an old woman was employed to boil it for them; and about noon
they all marched up to the "great house" with their calabashes in
their hands, which answered the purpose of plate and bason, to
partake of the "savoury messes" not "which the _neat-handed_
Phillis dresses," for these pic'ni'es cook was anything but
neat-handed or clean.
I have often been amused, upon visiting an estate belonging to
Sir Geo. Thomas, Bart., where the attorney was a kind and humane
master, at seeing these little people eat their dinners. There
was a large paved court before the door, around which the little
_blackies_ were seated, waiting in silence for their share. The
old woman having seen them well arranged, returned for the pot,
which was placed in the centre, and contained various
ingredients, as yams, potatoes, corn-flour dumplings, herrings,
with a good supply of water, &c., forming a kind of
"_olla-podrida_." How many little black sparkling eyes were fixed
upon that pot and its contents, while the old woman took the
important office of distributing it into the numerous attending
calabashes. When the information "All done, massa," meaning that
the pot was empty, was given, (for the master was present to see
that these poor little children got their proper portion,) and
Mr. ----, with an arch smile, asked, "No more herring left?" and
the negative given, they all rose, one by one, and fetched their
own share, when, without any spoon but what Dame Nature gave them
in their fingers, it quickly found its way to their mouths,
without a drop being wasted; the calabashes turned down, shewed
the important business was over, and the old woman and her charge
departed to their accustomed pursuits.
Years have passed since I witnessed those scenes, but I fancy I
can see that old woman now. Age is not famous for loveliness, and
I am sure none was there. She must have been in her youth very
tall, but when I knew her, time had bent her form and grizzled
her woolly hair. Her complexion was of a coal black, with a most
sinister expression of countenance; her dull black eyes were
never still; her face looked as if every moment added another
wrinkle, while an immense pair of elephant legs completed the
picture. She was very famous, I afterwards found out, for giving
the children the liquid portion of the mess, and reserving the
herrings for herself, which occasioned Mr. ----'s question.
But to resume the sadder part of my picture, (for the digression
I have been led into may be termed one of the "lights" of
slavery,) slaves' crimes and slaves' punishments. Upon the
"allowance days," as they were called, the negroes were very
flush of provisions; and having no thoughts of a "rainy day," or,
in other words, putting by a portion for the other days of the
week, they sold them for anything that took their fancy. The
consequence of this was, that for the rest of the week they were
in a state of starvation, and unless any friend ministered to
their wants, they very likely entered their master's provision
grounds, and stole part of the productions. This, of course, was
discovered in the morning, the culprits generally detected, and
they received their punishment, varying in degrees of severity,
according to the disposition of their masters. At one time this
system of bartering the food given them by their owners for
indifferent articles was so prevalent, that complaints were laid
before the house of assembly; and in the year 1814, an act passed
which was intended as a preventive against this practice.
Another crime of slaves was to milk the cattle upon the estates,
and sell the milk in town; and this again called for the use of
the whip. Molasses and sugar were also stolen in great
quantities, and sold to persons making ginger drink; sugar-cakes,
as they are termed, which are composed of sugar, molasses,
ginger, and cocoa-nut, boiled up together; and many other
different sweets. Even persons who ought to have known better,
encouraged slaves in stealing, by buying of them sugar for
domestic purposes. This also called for the interposition of the
law; and slaves so offending were to be whipped, and sent to work
in the street-gang. I have mentioned the street-gang in a former
chapter; but it may be well to remark, that the slaves comprising
it were worked two and two together, by having an iron collar
round their necks, and connected by a chain, not exactly the size
and thickness of that formerly shewn in "Aldermanbury;"[7] but
rather like those used upon the convicts in the different
dockyards in England.
These were the most frequent offences of slaves. Those of a
higher degree, such as murders, and running away for more than
three months, were, as we have already seen, punished in a
severer manner. Although the slave-owner had redress by the laws
of the island, for all faults committed by his slaves, revolting
as it is to think of, there were some masters who thought
thirty-nine lashes[8] too mild a punishment for such crimes: they
would rather take the law into their own hands, and flog their
slaves by the hour. They liked to see mangled bodies,--to hear
heart-rending groans, and have the supreme felicity of ordering
them back to their dungeons, garnished, perhaps, with chains, as
in the case of Mr. ----. I have laid before my readers, or at
least endeavoured to do so, slaves' crimes and slaves'
punishments; and it is for them to say whether they deserved such
severe discipline. In another part I shall have to enlarge upon
the vices of negroes, and their perverseness of disposition; but
it now remains for me to give one or two more instances of
cruelty; and I will then banish from these pages the melancholy
subject.
A gentleman of this island, as I have been made to understand,
had a female _mustee_[9] slave belonging to him. This slave
committed some misdemeanor, whether great or small I am unable to
say; but at all events, her master had her locked up for the
night in a place of horrors, called the "Rock Dungeon." The woman
was in the last stage of pregnancy; in that place, removed from
all assistance, she was confined during the night; and when the
morning came, and that den of misery was opened, her poor baby
was found to be devoured by the rats! This deed was done by one
of our great men, an honourable too. It may be said, he could not
foresee the catastrophe, and the woman might have given him great
provocation, which no doubt she did; but still, would any humane
master have shut up a female in such a condition in such a place?
By the advice of the magistrates, this woman and her remaining
children were afterwards sold, as her master and herself could
never agree. This is not the only instance in which his name has
been brought before the public. Some strange reports were abroad
of his shooting one of his negro boys; and of his killing
another, and burying him in a pond. These circumstances were
brought before the slavery committee of the House of Lords in
1832; and in an examination of a divine, the rector of the parish
in which the gentleman resided, he was asked if he knew anything
about them? The Rev. Mr. ---- returned for answer--"Yes, I heard
a report about them, but do not know if they were correct." And
again--"I never heard of his killing a negro; but I heard of his
burying a white matross in the sand; but that was only hearsay. I
only heard of it from persons, perhaps, that were not his
friends. With regard to shooting a negro, he went and gave
himself up for that; and I believe he was acquitted, or the
coroner's inquest brought in a verdict of 'accidental death.'
There was some sort of a trial; but I believe there was a great
deal said about it, that probably he did not deserve,--I think
so." This was the rector's opinion: whether the gentleman alluded
to was guilty, is more than I can say; we can but hope he was
not. The matter rests between himself and his God; but if he did
act in this manner, if he was guilty of these deaths, conscience
must at times give him some sharp twinges.[10]
I have in a former page referred to the trial of a planter for
the murder of his slave. It did not occur in Antigua, I am happy
to say; but as Antiguan barristers pleaded for and against the
culprit, it may not be amiss to give a short account of it. The
offender against justice was a member of the council at Tortola;
and upon his estate in that island these horrible cruelties were
perpetrated. I cannot go into the details of the case, which were
most revolting in their circumstances; but will just give the
heads. This man--this vampire he might be called--was found
guilty, and executed upon the common gallows, for the murder of
_one_ of his slaves, a poor African; but there were eight other
indictments for murder ready made out against the same
individual, whose cruelty of disposition was proverbial.
"Prosper," the name of the murdered man, was, as before remarked,
a poor African, one who, to use the words of the counsel for the
crown, "was murdered by the man, to promote whose interests the
strength of his youth was exhausted;" and his crime was, eating
one mango, which fell off a tree he was watching. For this one
fault, the poor fellow was whipped, until not one piece of black
skin was left upon him, from his hip to his hand; afterwards
ironed, and thrown into a loathsome dungeon. The next day he was
brought out and whipped again, because he had not six shillings
to pay his master, (the sum demanded for the eaten mango, that
would cost about three farthings sterling,) until nature was
exhausted, and he fainted. But he awoke to consciousness and
agony; the dungeon was again his refuge, and chained to two other
objects of misery, he passed that wretched night. Here he
remained five days, suffering unspeakable tortures; but at the
end of that time, these three miserable creatures contrived to
make their escape. Poor "Prosper," however, was too near death to
go far; he crawled into his own hut, which was near, and after
lingering for a few days, expired,--a prey to the worms before
the last sigh had left his lips. When discovered, his remains
were so offensive, that a hole was dug at his hut door, he was
shovelled in, a little dirt thrown over, and he was left to
repose in his irons, until that great day, when master and slave
must appear before one bar.[11] Who can read this account without
a deep feeling of horror? What will my readers say when I further
mention, that when this monster was brought up under a writ of
habeas corpus, his lawyer, a barrister of Antigua, asserted, that
"it was no greater offence, in law, for an owner to kill his
slave, than it would be to kill his dog!"
Another cruel act of proprietors in those days was to brand the
negroes with their owner's initials. This was done with a red-hot
iron, upon young and old, male and female. Indeed, altogether,
the negroes were treated more like cattle than human beings.
Before the abolition of the slave-trade, cargoes of from 100 to
200, and upwards, used frequently to be brought to this island.
When landed, they were generally in a state of nudity, with the
exception of strings of beads tied round them; and in this state
they remained until purchased. Upon the arrival of these cargoes
of "livestock," the merchants sometimes made an offer for the
whole, and then retailed them out, should their offer be
accepted. At other times, the master or supercargo of the vessel
had them sold at public auction, or disposed of a part, and
carried the remainder to another market. Those merchants who
dealt principally in this commodity used to provide themselves
with a long room, for the reception of these poor creatures,
where they were placed all together, like so many horses or mules
--the floor being littered down with trash.[12] They were fed
twice a-day with rice, horse-beans, or cornflour; and every
morning and evening, they were placed in a rank, two and two
together, and driven to a pond to water. When persons wanted
negroes, they went to the slave-store, and had several brought
out to look at--made them skip, jump, run, and dance, to see if
they were strong, and their limbs in perfect order; and then, if
approved of, their price was paid in "paltry gold," and they
became the property of a new master, a being like themselves,
only differing, perhaps, in the colour of their skin.
Montesquieu, an eminent French writer, speaking of the
unlawfulness of thus entrapping and selling these poor Africans,
says--"The strongest reason which can be given for using negroes
like beasts of burden is their having black skins and flat
noses." Our own immortal Cowper, when writing upon this subject,
expresses himself in a similar manner:--
"He finds the fellow guilty of a skin
Not colour'd like his own; and, having power
T' enforce the wrong, for such a worthy cause
Dooms and devotes him as his lawful prey."
That men, fashioned by the hands of the same Creator, descended
from the same common parent, could thus buy and sell their
fellow-creatures just as they would a horse or a cow, seems
almost incredible. Future generations will, no doubt, be inclined
to discredit such a report, as the wild tale of some imaginary
mind. Even in this day, in this island, it causes surprise to
many to think they acted so; and the different paragraphs in an
old Antigua newspaper, which now lies before me, would appear
almost as strange to them as they do to me. Among the list of
imports for the week, in this old paper, are "_seven negroes_,
five casks of coffee, one bag of cotton, and an old copper
kettle!" Thinking of slavery as I do, I could almost say, with
the poet--
"No! dear as freedom is, and in my heart's
Just estimation prized above all price,
I had much rather be myself the slave,
And wear the bonds, than fasten them on him."
I am aware that many people, speaking of the propriety of
slavery, argue in this manner--"Has it not existed since the days
of Noah? And did not the Almighty appear to sanction it then? Can
it be more unlawful now?" I grant, that it has existed since
those early days:--"A servant of servants shall he be unto his
brethren" was, I know, the curse of Canaan; but reasoners like
these should study the laws which the All-wise made for the
prevention of cruelty to the Hebrew slaves or servants. Let them
compare what slavery is, or rather what it was, with the slavery
of biblical history. "Rule not over him (the servant or slave)
with _rigour_ but fear thy God;" and again--"Harden not thine
heart, nor shut thine hand, for remember, he is thy _brother_."
These were the words of One who cannot err. In all ages of the
world, man's pride has made him love to domineer over his
fellows; and where it is allowed by law, there are many who would
rather have slaves to do their orders, than be at the trouble of
persuading their inferiors.
I am happy to say, I have never met with any ocular demonstration
of the successive cruelties I have been describing. It has been
my good fate to reside in Antigua when a milder spirit in general
seemed to actuate men; or if, in some of their bosoms, the demon
of persecution still kept his abode, shame prevented its making
its appearance. I have, it is true, heard the sound of the
driver's whip, when the gang have been working; but it seemed to
be used as a kind of stimulant, like the crack of the carter's
whip, when he drives his team, to urge on his horses.
I have seen a dungeon, but its only occupants were rats; I have
met with stocks and shackles, but they were thrown about as
useless lumber. Still, I have no doubt there have been cruelties
perpetrated here since my residence; but, thank God, I never
witnessed them. I have often heard the voice of childhood
supplicating mercy; it has been in the town, among the lower
classes, who have been chastising their little servant. I have
felt for the little creatures, as they begged for pardon; but
pity was all I could give them. But now, the case is altered:
slavery is no more--the whip is banished; and even the little
children will scarcely take a blow. I was amused the other day,
with a scene which took place before our dwelling: the actors, a
mother and her child. The mother had a small cane in her hand, as
if about to chastise her daughter, a child of about six years
old, who begged very hard for forgiveness. "Do, mammy, don't lick
me; me beg your pardon, ma'am. Oh! don't lick me, mammy; me no do
so no more." The mother relented, and let go the child's hands,
who, turning round immediately the fear of coercion was removed,
stamped her little foot upon the ground, and, raising her tiny
fist, exclaimed--"War you lick me for? Me free--me no b'longs to
you!"
I visited some few estates in this island during the latter years
of slavery, and I was happy to find that they were conducted
under a mild system, and the slaves appeared happy and contented.
At one of these, the proprietor seemed to be very much beloved by
his people; but he had an ear always open to their complaint; a
hand ever ready to minister to their wants; and under the free
system, his kindness as a slave-owner is not forgotten. This
gentleman is a magistrate; and at the time I am speaking of, he
had frequent complaints brought before him from the negroes of
the adjoining estates, for all negroes are very litigious. I am
sure he deserved credit for the patience with which he heard
their tiresome stories; and so the negroes appeared to think too,
for I have often heard them say to one another, when departing
from the house, "Wen me free, me come lib with dis massa; for if
eber dere one good massa in Antigua, he one."
An instance deserves to be recorded of another planter, with whom
I have the honour to be acquainted; which proves there were
slave-masters whose hearts were not of adamant; who could be kind
to the poor creatures so entirely under their control; and that
some marks of gratitude and affection could be shewn by a
_slave_. In 1831, the island was in a very unsettled state, from
abolishing the Sunday markets, and not appointing another day for
the negroes to bring their provisions into town to sell. Constant
fires occurred on different estates; no sooner was one
extinguished, than another was discovered. The militia was on
duty night and day; and serious alarm was abroad for the safety
of the island.
The gentleman alluded to was attorney for several estates; the
one he resided upon was a very large property, belonging to Sir
George Thomas, and possessed a gang of about 250 negroes. His
militia duty called him to a distance, and he was obliged to
leave his wife and children, surrounded by all the slaves: how
far the spirit of mutiny and disaffection had crept in among
them, he was unable to say.
Whilst these thoughts were passing in his mind, and of course
rendering him very uneasy, a few of the head slaves upon the
plantation waited upon him. I cannot give the precise words they
made use of, but they were to this effect: "Master, you have
always been very kind to us, to our wives, and to our children;
you have never given us harsh language, or cruel beatings; and
while we did our work orderly and quietly, you have been most
indulgent to us. Master, we thank you for it, we feel grateful,
very grateful; and we here solemnly pledge ourselves to guard
with our lives your wife, your children, and your property, as
you have guarded us and ours." The attorney trusted the negroes;
he left the estate; and he found them act as they had promised.
Oh, if anything can gild the dark picture of slavery, such
instances as these will; and in these days of freedom, such men
can lay their heads upon their pillows with ease, and bless God,
that in the day of power, they were kept from exercising undue
severity upon their defenceless slaves.
------
[7] The office of the Anti-slavery Society.
[8] By the Mosaic law, criminals were not to receive more than
forty stripes at one time, and for one offence; but that there
might be no fear of breaking the commandment, the Jews were in
the habit of giving one _less_ than the allowed number. Their
whips were made with three thongs, or tails, and with this
instrument the criminals received thirteen stripes, making the
number of blows thirty-nine. Now the implement used for whipping
negroes was a _cat_, with _nine_ tails; and as thirty-nine lashes
were given with it, the poor slaves received altogether 351
stripes at one time--a humane punishment, it must be allowed!
[9] See Chapter XLIII.
[10] From Anti-slavery Reports.
[11] It was customary in those days to bury negroes upon the
estate to which they belonged, the burying-ground being generally
near their houses.
[12] Dry leaves of the sugar-cane.