Among my new neighbors I found eight runaway negro slaves who had
deserted from the Island of St. Andreas, in canoes, a distance of about
two degrees, and took refuge here. To make the reader understand the
tragic scenes that follow, I shall describe them by giving the names of
the tribes they belonged to in their native country. Two of them being
called Jim, I shall be obliged to attach to the name of each that of the
tribe to which he belonged, to distinguish the parties.
The English traders from Jamaica, who have monopolized the trade of this
country, frequently visit this place, stopping at St. Andreas and Corn
Island on their passage. They are often commissioned to apprehend
runaway slaves, return them to their masters, and receive their rewards.
These negroes were well apprised of this custom, and took great
precaution to arm and defend themselves if they were attacked. On the
arrival of any English vessel in the harbor, they retreated to the woods
and remained until the vessel left the port before they made their
appearance among us again, when they returned to the house which they
occupied when I first landed in the place, situated about fifty rods
from my store. When they went upon any excursion they were each armed
with a loaded musket and plenty of ammunition, determined never to be
taken prisoners alive. In addition to their armament, they purchased
from me five cutlasses, which they ground very sharp and carried with
them daily. Scotland and Jim belonged to the Ebo tribe in Africa, their
native country. Moody and the other Jim to the Mandingo tribe in the
same country; another negro, named Prince, was a native of Jamaica.
Scotland had a daughter with him, Moody and Mandingo Jim, both had their
wives with them. There always appeared a national antipathy existing
between the Ebo and Mandingo negroes, which caused many disputes between
them. Prince always tried to remain neutral between the parties, often
acting as umpire in the settlement of their difficulties. On the arrival
of any vessel, or any dangerous report, they compromised all their
private quarrels and united for the common defence.
The negroes soon discovered that I had no means to annoy them, and that
the English traders were very jealous of me as a trespasser on their
exclusive right to trade here, I being the first American who had
attempted to open a trade with the Indians within the last fourteen
years. These negroes soon commenced trading with me, having fifty or
sixty dollars in money, and earnestly solicited my friendly aid, by
informing them of any plot I should discover from the English traders,
or the Mosquito king's officers to apprehend them, promising on their
part to sell me all the tortoise-shell they could catch, and purchase
all their goods from me. I readily ratified the treaty for my own
safety. To use an old adage, "Those who live in glass houses must never
throw stones."
My goods were poorly protected against robbers, my store being covered
on the outside with thin slips of wood, resembling lath wove together
like a basket and admitting light through the spaces sufficient to read
or write without windows. A man could kick a hole through it in two
minutes.
Soon after I purchased a mahogany canoe, made a sail to fit her, and
took a number of excursions to the neighboring villages, purchasing
shell, gum, &c. It frequently happened that I did not see a white man in
two or three weeks. The negroes often got alarmed by hearing false
reports about their apprehension, and finding that I sometimes did not
reach home until after dark, they came to my store and requested me to
wear a white chip hat when I went on any excursion, or appeared out
after dark, that they might know me, as they had agreed to shoot any
strange white man who should approach them in the night. I complied with
their request for my own safety. I have frequently called at their house
in the night to procure a light, always calling them by name before I
approached their door, and always found them laying on their arms, ready
to repel any attack.
Some weeks after, my landlord purchased from me a quantity of goods,
and I advanced him about six hundred dollars in cash, which he agreed to
pay me in tortoise-shell, at two dollars per pound, it being worth at
that time seven dollars in New-York. He embarked in a large canoe on a
trading voyage, along the southern coast of that country, a distance of
about two degrees. Most of the able-bodied men of this and the
neighboring villages fitted themselves out for a three months' voyage to
the southward, to catch turtle. After they had all embarked I found
there was no male inhabitant left except myself, my five negroes, two or
three old infirm Indians, and a whole village of women and children. The
negroes gave me the title of governor, and agreed to submit to such laws
as I should prescribe for them. One of the laws I passed was to sell
them only one bottle of rum per day, which they agreed to, and behaved
themselves well for two or three weeks, caught some shell, and sold it
to me. Ebo Jim I found to be a good marksman with a gun, and I furnished
him often with powder and shot, with which he killed a great many wild
parrots for me to eat, from which I had a number of good meals.
After a few weeks the negroes imagining there was a plot laid to entrap
them, agreed to retire to a house they had found in the woods, where
they thought themselves secure, and live in peace together. Scotland,
Moody and the two Jims, took their leave of me and departed. Prince, the
neutral negro, remained in the village. He was a coarse carpenter, and
made some tables and sundry little articles for the Indians, and had
many friends among them. Scotland and his party visited me two or three
times after they had gone to their new habitation, and were supplied
with their one bottle of rum per day, according to agreement, when they
would depart peaceably to their new home. The fourth time they visited
me they asked me for their bottle of rum, as usual, which was furnished
them. They then left for a short time and returned with a request that I
would fill the bottle again for them, which I refused to do, by telling
them it was a breach of our agreement; but on their promising me
faithfully if I would let them have another bottle they would not broach
it until they got home, I filled it; they left, and as I supposed, had
gone home. About one hour after, a number of women and children appeared
at my door, where I had laid myself down in my hammock, reading, and
making a most hideous noise, called on me to come out, as Scotland was
killing Moody. I ran as fast as I could until I came near to the
combatants, when I saw Scotland thrust his cutlass into the thick part
of Moody's thigh, near the bone, the point running at least one foot
through. Moody being vanquished, Mandingo Jim, his comrade, then rushed
forward with cutlass in hand and struck at Scotland's head, who dodged
the blow, at the same time returning a blow with his cutlass which
struck Jim near the wrist, severing his hand from his arm, leaving it
hanging by a small string of skin and flesh. Ebo Jim then ran into the
battle with his gun cocked to shoot down his conquered adversaries, when
I interfered, and by threats and persuasion prevented any further
effusion of blood. The battle being ended, I proposed to cut off the
wounded hand, but my opinion was overruled by the company, who decided,
to use their own language, that "The hand could be mended up again." My
landlord's oldest wife, whose name was Sally, and who was considered a
great doctress among the inhabitants of this region of country, procured
some splinters of wood, dressed the wound with wild honey and bound it
up, Sally acting as head surgeon among the company. I furnished them
with candles, which they made great use of as salve to dress the wounds.
On the third morning after, Sally came to my store and told me that
Jim's hand was all spoiled, that she had ground up her butcher knife to
cut it off. She repaired to the room and requested Jim's wife to open
the wound that she might dress it, which she complied with. Sally
instantly drew her knife, which was concealed behind her, and cut the
hand off, to the great surprise of all the spectators. She continued the
application of honey and tallow for three or four weeks, when Jim so far
recovered as to be able to shoot parrots for me again. After the battle,
Scotland and Ebo Jim retired to their habitation in the woods, and in
the course of three or four weeks Moody and Mandingo Jim removed to
Bigman's Bank, about two miles from this place.
[Illustration: Triangular fight between three Colored Men.]
A few weeks after, Moody and his partner Jim came to my store on some
errant. My provisions getting short, I agreed to accompany them home to
Bigman's Bank and procure a fresh supply of such articles as I stood in
need of. I got on board of their canoe, which had but two seats, and
placed myself by the side of Moody, who commenced a long negro story
which absorbed our attention. On the way I discovered a pelican sitting
in a tree near by, and called on Jim to shoot it; he drew up his gun and
cocked it: at that instant the pelican flew from the tree before he had
time to fire: the old negro laid his gun down on the seat along side of
us, and proceeded on with his long story, carelessly holding his hand
over the muzzle. By some accidental movement, unobserved by me, the gun
was discharged, and having a lead slug in it, cut a large piece of flesh
from the thick part of his hand, and took off three of his fingers,
leaving them hanging by small pieces of skin. We made the best way we
could to the village, where I procured a pair of scissors and severed
the fingers from the hand.
Some time after, another report was circulated that some of the king's
officers had received orders to arrest these negroes, which gave them
great alarm. Ebo Jim implored me to write to Mr. Ellis, my old friend,
begging his protection until he could procure a passage back to his
former owner, which Mr. Ellis readily granted, and making me a visit
soon after, he took Jim home with him and afterwards sent him back to
his former mistress. I was much pleased to see Mr. Ellis, he being the
first white man I had seen within the last three weeks.
Moody, Mandingo Jim and Scotland, had a meeting soon after, and agreed
to forgive and forget all their former difficulties and return to their
old retreat for safety, and there unite for the defence of each other.
All their former contests being settled, I advised them to retire and
live peaceably together, and not annoy me or the Indians any more with
their private quarrels, which they faithfully promised to adhere to.
I now employed myself cheerfully in reading and other amusements for a
few days, when suddenly an Indian called at my door and told me that
Scotland wanted me to come down to the landing place, that he was lying
in his canoe badly wounded. I repaired to the place, where I found his
sail spread over his canoe, and he lying on the bottom. I perceived that
the blood had covered the whole bottom of the canoe, apparently one inch
or more deep. On examination of his body I found he had received a large
charge of shot in his right breast, which had cut out about one pound of
flesh; and another in his thigh, which had severed the bones, and cut
the flesh to pieces in the most shocking manner. I asked him how this
misfortune happened to him. He answered me by saying, "Captain, Jim and
Moody do me too bad. This morning Jim and me go a hunting together, we
come home about eleven o'clock, I feel tired and lay down on my crawl
and go to sleep; first I know, I hear a gun go pow, I look at the door
and see Jim stand there, I say, 'Jim, see what these Indians do me;' Jim
say, Moody give it to him, Moody fire his gun and break my thigh, and
then both run away and left me. By and by one Indian come, and I give my
gun to paddle me here to see you. Now I want you to get Sally and the
other woman to mend me up again."
I called on my hospitable Sally, who hastily declared she would not try
to mend Scotland up, or have him left in the village, and I must send
him back to his house in the bush: if she should mend him up again he
would kill Moody and Jim, and that she would have no farther trouble
with these negroes. There being no white person to advise with, I called
Prince, the neutral negro, and told him he must take Scotland back to
his house, help him on his crawl or bed, set a calabash of water within
reach, and leave him. Prince hesitated some about obeying my orders, but
by persuasion and some reward, he embarked in the canoe and paddled him
back to his house, helped him into it, placed him on his crawl, and at
his request built a fire, set water within his reach, loaded his gun,
and placed ammunition near him, for he was determined to defend himself
as long as he had breath.
After they had departed, I sat down on the beach and reflected on the
forlorn situation of this unfortunate desperado. He well knew he must
die from his wounds, or be murdered by Moody and Jim, or destroyed by
tigers, his hut having no doors to protect him from wild beasts. When
Prince returned I asked him if he had any conversation with Scotland on
the passage. He replied, "Yes, I told Scotland that Moody and Jim would
kill him this night. He replied, then they will say, there is a _man_
dead."
At night I retreated to my lodgings in my store, where I slept for the
protection of my property. At this time I had learned that the English
traders on the coast had held a meeting and entered into an agreement,
pledging themselves never to carry me, nor take any letters to Jamaica
or elsewhere, to help me to get away from this coast. Having no white
friends to console me, and being more than two thousand miles from my
family and friends, I retired to bed with solitary feelings. Not having
much inclination for sleep, I remained awake until about twelve o'clock,
when I heard the report of a gun, which I imagined had ended the
tragedy.
At daylight I arose and called on an old negro who had resided here with
his family many years, the Indians called him _darmer_, equivalent to
grandfather in the English language, who conducted me to Scotland's hut.
I found the old negro laying dead on his crawl, or bed, a musket ball
having passed through his body. Having met Moody and Jim, before our
arrival at Scotland's house, I compelled them to go back with me. I
accused them with having committed the murder, and endeavored to impress
upon their minds the enormity of the crime. They denied the firing of
the last fatal shot, by saying, Scotland had tied the trigger of his gun
to the side of his house, placed the muzzle against his side, and by
pulling the gun discharged the contents, becoming his own executioner. I
selected a place to bury the remains of the old negro, but having no
shovels to dig with, we were obliged to use wooden paddles, my only help
being Moody and Jim, and they both cripples, we made but slow progress.
Soon after Prince arrived, when I sent him to an Indian house some
distance from the place, to borrow a hoe, to assist in digging the
grave. The woman of the house refused to lend it, saying, "Her daughter
was sick, and if she lent the hoe to dig a grave the doctor or
_sookerman_, who attended her, would forsake the house if he knew the
hoe had been used for that purpose." We finally succeeded in digging two
or three feet deep, when I sent home and got a saw and cut Scotland's
canoe in two pieces, then placing the corpse between them, put him,
together with all his clothes in the grave, according to the custom of
the country. Previous to interring the corpse, I offered to give away
his clothes, but no person would accept of them, because the owner was
dead. The funeral ceremonies being ended, I returned home, hoping to
enjoy some repose after the long annoyance from these negroes.
Fresh reports were soon circulated that the king had commissioned one of
his officers, called Sambo Tom to arrest Moody and Jim. They hearing of
this report, determined to leave this part of the country, and pass
through a border settlement inhabited by a tribe of Indians called the
Woolwas, adjoining the Spanish settlements, and seek protection from the
Spaniards. Sambo Tom pursued, but not daring to arrest them himself, he
employed the Woolwas to do so. The negroes having arrived among the
Woolwas, hired some of them to transport them in their canoes to the
Spanish settlements; but being well armed, and having plenty of
ammunition, the Indians were afraid to attack them, and therefore
professed great friendship, agreeing to convey them where they wished to
go. Two canoes joined in this expedition, and while passing a fall in
the river the Indians upset the one containing the negroes, which wet
their guns and ammunition, when the Indians in the other canoe threw
their lances and killed them in the water. Their wives were given up to
their former owners at St. Andreas.
Little did I think when I landed in this country among a mixed race of
Indians, that I should find some _blood_ relations, so called by the
natives, among them. An Indian woman, calling her name Sally Bryant, the
wife of Scipio, one of the king's quarter-masters, called on me and told
me she was a blood-relation of mine, and claimed some present as an
acknowledgment of it on my part. I asked her what evidence she had of
our relationship. She replied, "That her father was an American." The
argument was so conclusive that I did not think it necessary to
contradict it, but gave her some small presents, which were well repaid.
Sally often volunteered to assist me in selling my goods, and brought me
many customers by saying to the Indians, "My countryman's goods are
better and cheaper than them Englishman's, and he no rogue, like them
English traders."
Soon after, a Curracoa man arrived from Bluefields, one of the
wealthiest men of that place, who brought a message from his wife, known
by the name of Mrs. Peggy, requesting me to furnish her with some goods
to sell on commission, and she would deal honestly by me, having heard
of my misfortune in losing my vessel, &c. that she wanted to see me very
much, and pitied me more because I was a relative of hers, her father
being an American. I forwarded Mrs. Peggy two or three hundred dollars'
worth of goods to sell on commission, the greatest part of which she
sold, made good returns, and I found her more honest than white
relations generally are in their trade with each other.