When Yoosoof entered the woods, as before stated, for the purpose of
looking after his property, he followed a narrow footpath for about half
a mile, which led him to another part of the same creek, at the entrance
of which we introduced him to the reader. Here, under the deep shadow
of umbrageous trees, floated five large Arab boats, or dhows, similar to
the one which has been already referred to. They were quite empty, and
apparently unguarded, for when Yoosoof went down the bank and stood on a
projecting rock which overlooked them, no one replied to his low-toned
hail. Repeating it once, and still receiving no answer, he sat quietly
down on the rocks, lighted a small pipe, and waited patiently.
The boats, as we have said, were empty, but there were some curious
appliances in them, having the appearance of chains, and wristlets, and
bars of iron running along and fixed to their decks, or rather to the
flooring of their holds. Their long yards and sails were cleared and
ready for hoisting.
After the lapse of ten or fifteen minutes, Yoosoof raised his head--for
he had been meditating deeply, if one might judge from his attitude--and
glanced in the direction of an opening in the bushes whence issued a
silent and singular train of human beings. They were negroes, secured
by the necks or wrists--men, women, and children,--and guarded by armed
half-caste Portuguese. When a certain number of them, about a hundred
or so, had issued from the wood, and crowded the banks of the creek,
they were ordered to stand still, and the leader of the band advanced
towards his master.
These were some of Yoosoof's "goods and chattels," his "cattle," his
"black ivory."
"You have been long in coming, Moosa," said the Arab trader, as the man
approached.
"I have," replied Moosa, somewhat gruffly, "but the road was rough and
long, and the cattle were ill-conditioned, as you see."
The two men spoke in the Portuguese tongue, but as the natives and
settlers on that coast speak a variety of languages and dialects, we
have no alternative, good reader, but to render all into English.
"Make the more haste now," said Yoosoof; "get them shipped at once, for
we sail when the moon goes down. Pick out the weakest among the lot,
those most likely to die, and put them by themselves in the small dhow.
If we _must_ sacrifice some of our wares to these meddling dogs the
English, we may as well give them the refuse."
Without remark, Moosa turned on his heel and proceeded to obey orders.
Truly, to one unaccustomed to such scenes, it would have appeared that
all the negroes on the spot were "most likely to die," for a more
wretched, starved set of human beings could scarcely be imagined. They
had just terminated a journey on foot of several hundreds of miles, with
insufficient food and under severe hardships. Nearly all of them were
lean to a degree,--many so reduced that they resembled nothing but
skeletons with a covering of black leather. Some of the children were
very young, many of them mere infants, clinging to the backs of the poor
mothers, who had carried them over mountain and plain, through swamp and
jungle, in blistering sunshine and pelting rain for many weary days.
But prolonged suffering had changed the nature of these little ones.
They were as silent and almost as intelligently anxious as their
seniors. There were no old pieces of merchandise there. Most were
youthful or in the prime of life; a few were middle-aged.
Difficult though the task appeared to be, Moosa soon selected about
fifty men and women and a few children, who were so fearfully emaciated
that their chance of surviving appeared but small. These were cast
loose and placed in a sitting posture in the hold of the smallest dhow,
as close together as they could be packed.
Their removal from the bank made room for more to issue from the wood,
which they did in a continuous stream. Batch after batch was cast loose
and stowed away in the manner already described, until the holds of two
of the large boats were filled, each being capable of containing about
two hundred souls. This was so far satisfactory to Yoosoof, who had
expended a good deal of money on the venture--satisfactory, even
although he had lost a large proportion of the goods--four-fifths at
least if not more, by death and otherwise, on the way down to the coast;
but that was a matter of little consequence. The price of black ivory
was up in the market just at that time, and the worthy merchant could
stand a good deal of loss.
The embarkation was effected with wonderful celerity, and in comparative
silence. Only the stern voices of the half-caste Portuguese were heard
as they ordered the slaves to move, mingled with the occasional clank of
a chain, but no sounds proceeded from the thoroughly subdued and
worn-out slaves louder than a sigh or a half-suppressed wail, with now
and then a shriek of pain when some of the weaker among them were
quickened into activity by the lash.
When all had been embarked, two of the five boats still remained empty,
but Yoosoof had a pretty good idea of the particular points along the
coast where more "cattle" of a similar kind could be purchased.
Therefore, after stationing some of his men, armed with muskets, to
guard the boats, he returned with the remainder of them to the hut in
which the Englishmen had been left.
There he found Azinte and her guardians. He seemed angry with the
latter at first, but after a few minutes' thought appeared to recover
his equanimity, and ordered the men to remove the ropes with which the
girl was tethered; then bidding her follow him he left the hut without
taking any notice of the Englishmen further than to say he would be back
shortly before the time of sailing.
Yoosoof's motions were usually slow and his mien somewhat dignified,
but, when occasion required, he could throw off his Oriental dignity and
step out with the activity of a monkey. It was so on this occasion,
insomuch that Azinte was obliged occasionally to run in order to keep up
with him. Proceeding about two miles in the woods along the shore
without halt, he came out at length on the margin of a bay, at the head
of which lay a small town. It was a sorry-looking place, composed of
wretchedly built houses, most of which were thatched with the leaves of
the cocoa-nut palm.
Nevertheless, such as it was, it possessed a mud fort, an army of about
thirty soldiers, composed of Portuguese convicts who had been sent there
as a punishment for many crimes, a Governor, who was understood to be
honourable, having been placed there by his Excellency the
Governor-General at Mozambique, who had been himself appointed by His
Most Faithful Majesty the King of Portugal.
It was in quest of this Governor that Yoosoof bent his rapid steps.
Besides all the advantages above enumerated, the town drove a small
trade in ivory, ebony, indigo, orchella weed, gum copal, cocoa-nut oil,
and other articles of native produce, and a very large (though secret)
trade in human bodies and--we had almost written--souls, but the worthy
people who dwelt there could not fetter souls, although they could, and
very often did, set them free.
Senhor Francisco Alfonso Toledo Bignoso Letotti, the Governor, was
seated at the open window of his parlour, just before Yoosoof made his
appearance, conversing lightly with his only daughter, the Senhorina
Maraquita, a beautiful brunette of about eighteen summers, who had been
brought up and educated in Portugal.
The Governor's wife had died a year before this time in Madrid, and the
Senhorina had gone to live with her father on the east coast of Africa,
at which place she had arrived just six weeks previous to the date of
the opening of our tale.
Among the various boats and vessels at anchor in the bay, were seen the
tapering masts of a British war-steamer. The Senhorina and her sire
were engaged in a gossiping criticism of the officers of this vessel
when Yoosoof was announced. Audience was immediately granted.
Entering the room, with Azinte close behind him, the Arab stopped
abruptly on beholding Maraquita, and bowed gravely.
"Leave us, my child," said the Governor, in Portuguese; "I have business
to transact with this man."
"And why may not I stay to assist you, father, in this wonderful
man-mystery of transacting business?" asked Maraquita, with an arch
smile.
"Whenever you men want to get rid of women you frighten them away with
_business_! If you wish not to explain something to us, you shake your
wise heads, and call it _business_! Is it not so?--Come, Arab," she
added, turning with a sprightly air to Yoosoof, "you are a trader, I
suppose; all Arabs are, I am told. Well, what sort of wares have you
got to sell?"
Yoosoof smiled slightly as he stepped aside and pointed to Azinte.
The speaking countenance of the Portuguese girl changed as if by magic.
She had seen little and thought little about slavery during the brief
period of her residence on the coast, and had scarcely realised the fact
that Sambo, with the thick lips--her father's gardener--or the black
cook and house-maids, were slaves. It was the first entrance of a new
idea with something like power into her mind when she saw a delicate,
mild-looking, and pretty negro girl actually offered for sale.
Before she could bethink herself of any remark the door opened, and in
walked, unannounced, a man on whose somewhat handsome countenance
villainy was clearly stamped.
"Ha! Marizano," exclaimed Senhor Letotti, rising, "you have thought
better of it, I presume?"
"I have, and I agree to your arrangement," replied Marizano, in an
off-hand, surly tone.
"There is nothing like necessity," returned the Governor, with a laugh.
"'Twere better to enjoy a roving life for a short time with a lightish
purse in one's pocket, than to attempt to keep a heavy purse with the
addition of several ounces of lead in one's breast! How say you?"
Marizano smiled and shrugged his broad shoulders, but made no reply, for
just then his attention had been attracted to the slave-girl.
"For sale?" he inquired of the Arab carelessly.
Yoosoof bowed his head slightly.
"How much?"
"Come, come, gentlemen," interposed the Governor, with a laugh and a
glance at his daughter, "you can settle this matter elsewhere. Yoosoof
has come here to talk with me on other matters.--Now, Maraquita dear,
you had better retire for a short time."
When the Senhorina had somewhat unwillingly obeyed, the Governor turned
to Yoosoof: "I presume you have no objection to Marizano's presence
during our interview, seeing that he is almost as well acquainted with
your affairs as yourself?"
As Yoosoof expressed no objection, the three drew their chairs together
and sat down to a prolonged private and very interesting palaver.
We do not mean to try the reader's patience by dragging him through the
whole of it; nevertheless, a small portion of what was said is essential
to the development of our tale.
"Well, then, be it as you wish, Yoosoof," said the Governor, folding up
a fresh cigarette; "you are one of the most active traders on the coast,
and never fail to keep correct accounts with your Governor. You deserve
encouragement but I fear that you run considerable risk."
"I know that; but those who make much must risk much."
"Bravo!" exclaimed Marizano, with hearty approval; "nevertheless those
who risk most do not always make most. Contrast yourself with me, now.
You risk your boats and cattle, and become rich. I risk my life, and
behold! I am fleeced. I have little or nothing left, barely enough to
buy yonder girl from you--though I _think_ I have enough for that."
He pointed as he spoke to Azinte, who still stood on the spot where she
had been left near the door.
"Tell me," resumed Senhor Letotti, "how do you propose to elude the
English cruiser? for I know that her captain has got wind of your
whereabouts, and is determined to watch the coast closely--and let me
tell you, he is a vigorous, intelligent man."
"You tell me he has a number of captured slaves already in his ship?"
said Yoosoof.
"Yes, some hundreds, I believe."
"He must go somewhere to land these, I presume?" rejoined the Arab.
Yoosoof referred here to the fact that when a British cruiser engaged in
the suppression of the slave-trade on the east coast of Africa has
captured a number of slaves, she is under the necessity of running to
the Seychelles Islands, Aden, or some other British port of discharge,
to land them there as free men, because, were she to set them free on
any part of the coast of Africa, belonging either to Portugal or the
Sultan of Zanzibar, they would certainly be recaptured and again
enslaved. When therefore the cruisers are absent--it may be two or
three weeks on this duty, the traders in human flesh of course make the
most of their opportunity to run cargoes of slaves to those ports in
Arabia and Persia where they always find a ready market.
On the present occasion Yoosoof conceived that the captain of the
`Firefly' might be obliged to take this course to get rid of the negroes
already on board, who were of course consuming his provisions, besides
being an extremely disagreeable cargo, many of them being diseased and
covered with sores, owing to their cruel treatment on board the
slave-dhows.
"He won't go, however, till he has hunted the coast north and south for
you, so he assures me," said the Governor, with a laugh.
"Well, I must start to-night, therefore I shall give him a small pill to
swallow which will take him out of the way," said Yoosoof, rising to
leave the room.
"I wish you both success," said the Governor, as Marizano also rose to
depart, "but I fear that you will find the Englishman very
troublesome.--Adieu."
The Arab and the half-caste went out talking earnestly together, and
followed by Azinte, and immediately afterwards the Senhorina Maraquita
entered hurriedly.
"Father, you must buy that slave-girl for me. I want a pretty slave all
to myself," she said, with unwonted vehemence.
"Impossible, my child," replied the Governor kindly, for he was very
fond as well as proud of his daughter.
"Why impossible? Have you not enough of money?"
"Oh yes, plenty of that, but I fear she is already bespoken, and I
should not like to interfere--"
"Bespoken! do you mean sold?" cried Maraquita, seizing her father's
hands, "not sold to that man Marizano?"
"I think she must be by this time, for he's a prompt man of business,
and not easily thwarted when he sets his mind to a thing."
The Senhorina clasped her hands before her eyes, and stood for a moment
motionless, then rushing wildly from the room she passed into another
apartment the windows of which commanded a view of a considerable part
of the road which led from the house along the shore. There she saw the
Arab and his friend walking leisurely along as if in earnest converse,
while Azinte followed meekly behind.
The Senhorina stood gazing at them with clenched hands, in an agony of
uncertainty as to what course she ought to pursue, and so wrapt up in
her thoughts that she failed to observe a strapping young lieutenant of
H.M.S. steamer `Firefly,' who had entered the room and stood close to
her side.
Now this same lieutenant happened to be wildly in love with Senhorina
Maraquita. He had met her frequently at her father's table, where, in
company with his captain, he was entertained with great hospitality, and
on which occasions the captain was assisted by the Governor in his
investigations into the slave-trade.
Lieutenant Lindsay had taken the romantic plunge with all the charming
enthusiasm of inexperienced youth, and entertained the firm conviction
that, if Senhorina Maraquita did not become "his," life would
thenceforth be altogether unworthy of consideration; happiness would be
a thing of the past, with which he should have nothing more to do, and
death at the cannon's mouth, or otherwise, would be the only remaining
gleam of comfort in his dingy future.
"Something distresses you, I fear," began the lieutenant, not a little
perplexed to find the young lady in such a peculiar mood.
Maraquita started, glanced at him a moment, and then, with flashing eyes
and heightened colour, pointed at the three figures on the road.
"Yes, Senhor," she said; "I am distressed--deeply so. Look! do you see
yonder two men, and the girl walking behind them?"
"I do."
"Quick! fly after them and bring them hither--the Arab and the girl I
mean--not the other man. Oh, be quick, else they will be out of sight
and then she will be lost; quick, if you--if--if you really mean what
you have so often told me."
Poor Lindsay! It was rather a sudden and severe test of fidelity to be
sent forth to lay violent hands on a man and woman and bring them
forcibly to the Governor's house, without any better reason than that a
self-willed girl ordered him so to do; at the same time, he perceived
that, if he did not act promptly, the retreating figures would soon turn
into the town, and be hopelessly beyond his power of recognition.
"But--but--" he stammered, "if they won't come--?"
"They _must_ come. Threaten my father's high displeasure.--Quick,
Senhor," cried the young lady in a commanding tone.
Lindsay flung open the casement and leapt through it as being the
shortest way out of the house, rushed with undignified speed along the
road, and overtook the Arab and his friend as they were about to turn
into one of the narrow lanes of the town.
"Pardon me," said the lieutenant laying his hand on Yoosoof's shoulder
in his anxiety to make sure of him, "will you be so good as to return
with me to the Governor's residence?"
"By whose orders?" demanded Yoosoof with a look of surprise.
"The orders of the Senhorina Maraquita."
The Arab hesitated, looked somewhat perplexed, and said something in
Portuguese to Marizano, who pointed to the slave-girl, and spoke with
considerable vehemence.
Lindsay did not understand what was said, but, conjecturing that the
half-caste was proposing that Azinte should remain with him, he
said:--"The girl must return with you--if you would not incur the
Governor's displeasure."
Marizano, on having this explained to him, looked with much ferocity at
the lieutenant and spoke to Yoosoof in wrathful tones, but the latter
shook his head, and the former, who disliked Marizano's appearance
excessively, took not the least notice of him.
"I do go," said Yoosoof, turning back. Motioning to Azinte to follow,
he retraced his steps with the lieutenant and the slave--while Marizano
strode into the town in a towering rage.
We need scarcely say that Maraquita, having got possession of Azinte,
did not find it impossible to persuade her father to purchase her, and
that Yoosoof, although sorry to disappoint Marizano, who was an
important ally and assistant in the slave-trade, did not see his way to
thwart the wishes of the Governor, whose power to interfere with his
trade was very great indeed, and to whom he was under the necessity of
paying head-money for every slave that was exported by him from that
part of the coast.
Soon after Azinte had been thus happily rescued from the clutches of two
of the greatest villains on the East African coast--where villains of
the deepest dye are by no means uncommon--Lindsay met Captain Romer of
the `Firefly' on the beach, with his first lieutenant Mr Small, who, by
the way, happened to be one of the largest men in his ship. The three
officers had been invited to dine that day with the Governor, and as
there seemed no particular occasion for their putting to sea that night,
and a fresh supply of water had to be taken on board, the invitation had
been accepted, all the more readily, too, that Captain Romer thought it
afforded an opportunity for obtaining further information as to the
movements of certain notorious slavers who were said to be thereabouts
at that time. Lieutenant Lindsay had been sent ashore at an earlier
part of the day, accompanied by one of the sailors who understood
Portuguese, and who, being a remarkably intelligent man, might, it was
thought, acquire some useful information from some of the people of the
town.
"Well, Mr Lindsay, has Jackson been of any use to you?" inquired the
captain.
"Not yet," replied the lieutenant; "at least I know not what he may have
done, not having met him since we parted on landing; but I have myself
been so fortunate as to rescue a slave-girl under somewhat peculiar
circumstances."
"Truly, a most romantic and gallant affair," said the captain, laughing,
when Lindsay had related the incident, "and worthy of being mentioned in
despatches; but I suspect, considering the part that the Senhorina
Maraquita played in it and the fact that you only rescued the girl from
one slaveholder in order to hand her over to another, the less that is
said about the subject the better!--But here comes Jackson. Perhaps he
may have learned something about the scoundrels we are in search of."
The seaman referred to approached and touched his cap.
"What news?" demanded the captain, who knew by the twinkle in Jack's eye
that he had something interesting to report.
"I've diskivered all about it sir," replied the man, with an
ill-suppressed chuckle.
"Indeed! come this way. Now, let's hear what you have to tell," said
the captain, when at a sufficient distance from his boat to render the
conversation quite private.
"Well, sir," began Jackson, "w'en I got up into the town, arter leavin'
Mr Lindsay, who should I meet but a man as had bin a messmate o' mine
aboard of that there Portuguese ship w'ere I picked up a smatterin' o'
the lingo? Of course we hailed each other and hove-to for a spell, and
then we made sail for a grog-shop, where we spliced the main-brace.
After a deal o' tackin' and beatin' about, which enabled me to find out
that he'd left the sea an' taken to business on his own account, which
in them parts seems to mean loafin' about doin' little or nothin', I
went slap into the subject that was uppermost in my mind, and says I to
him, says I, they does a deal o' slavin' on this here coast, it
appears--Black Ivory is a profitable trade, ain't it? W'y, sir, you
should have seen the way he grinned and winked, and opened out on
'em.--`Black Ivory!' says he, `w'y, Jackson, there's more slaves
exported from these here parts annooally than would fill a good-sized
city. I could tell you--but,' says he, pullin' up sudden, `you won't
split on me, messmate?' `Honour bright,' says I, `if ye don't call
tellin' my captain splittin'.' `Oh no,' says he, with a laugh, `it's
little I care what _he_ knows, or does to the pirates--for that's their
true name, and murderers to boot--but don't let it come to the
Governor's ears, else I'm a ruined man.' I says I wouldn't and then he
goes on to tell me all sorts of hanecdots about their doin's--that they
does it with the full consent of the Governor, who gets head-money for
every slave exported; that nearly all the Governors on the coast are
birds of the same feather, and that the Governor-General himself, [See
Consul McLeod's _Travels in Eastern Africa_, volume one page 306.] at
Mozambique, winks at it and makes the subordinate Governors pay him
tribute. Then he goes on to tell me more about the Governor of this
here town, an' says that, though a kind-hearted man in the main, and
very good to his domestic slaves, he encourages the export trade,
because it brings him in a splendid revenue, which he has much need of,
poor man, for like most, if not all, of the Governors on the coast, he
do receive nothin' like a respectible salary from the Portuguese
Government at home, and has to make it up by slave-tradin'." [See
McLeod's _Travels_, volume one page 293.]
It must be explained here that British cruisers were, and still are,
kept on the east coast of Africa, for the purpose of crushing only the
_export_ slave-trade. They claim no right to interfere with "domestic
slavery," an institution which is still legal in the dominions of the
Sultan of Zanzibar and in the so-called colonies of Portugal on that
coast.
"But that is not the best of it, sir," continued Jackson, with a
respectful smile, "after we'd had our jaw out I goes off along the road
by the beach to think a bit what I'd best do, an' have a smoke--for
that's wot usually sets my brain to work full-swing. Bein' hot I lay
down in the lee of a bush to excogitate. You see, sir, my old messmate
told me that there are two men here, the worst characters he ever
know'd--ashore or afloat. One they calls Yoosoof--an Arab he is; the
other Marizano--he's a slave-catcher, and an outlaw just now, havin'
taken up arms and rebelled against the Portuguese authorities.
Nevertheless these two men are secretly hand and glove with the Governor
here, and at this moment there are said to be a lot o' slaves ready for
shipment and only waitin' till the `Firefly' is out of the way. More
than this my friend could not tell, so that's w'y I went to
excogitate.--I beg parding, sir, for being so long wi' my yarn, but I
ain't got the knack o' cuttin' it short, sir, that's w'ere it is."
"Never mind, lad; go on to the end of it," replied the captain. "Did
you excogitate anything more?"
"I can't say as I did, sir, but it was cooriously enough excogitated
_for_ me. W'en I was lying there looking through the bush at the bay, I
sees two men comin' along, arm in arm. One of 'em was an Arab. W'en
they was near I saw the Arab start; I thought he'd seen me, and didn't
like me. No more did I like him or his comrade. However, I was wrong,
for after whisperin' somethin' very earnest-like to his friend, who
laughed very much; but said nothin', they came and sat down not far from
the bush where I lay. Now, thinks I, it ain't pleasant to be an
eavesdropper, but as I'm here to find out the secrets of villains, and
as these two look uncommon like villains, I'll wait a bit; if they
broach business as don't consarn me or her Majesty the Queen, I'll
sneeze an' let 'em know I'm here, before they're properly under weigh;
but if they speaks of wot I wants to know, I'll keep quiet. Well, sir,
to my surprise, the Arab--he speaks in bad English, whereby I came to
suppose the other was an Englishman, but, if he is, the climate must
have spoiled him badly, for I never did see such a ruffian to look at.
But he only laughed, and didn't speak, so I couldn't be sure. Well, to
come to the pint, sir, the Arab said he'd got hold of two shipwrecked
Englishmen, whom he meant to put on board of his dhow, at that time
lyin' up a river not three miles off, and full of slaves, take 'em off
the coast, seize 'em when asleep, and heave 'em overboard; the reason
bein' that he was afraid, if they was left ashore here, they'd discover
the town, which they are ignorant of at present, and give the alarm to
our ship, sir, an' so prevent him gettin' clear off, which he means to
attempt about midnight just after the moon goes down."
This unexpected information was very gratifying to Captain Romer, who
immediately gave orders to get steam up and have everything in readiness
to start the moment he should make his appearance on board, at the same
time enjoining absolute silence on his lieutenants and Jackson, who all
returned to the `Firefly,' chuckling inwardly.
If they had known that the Arab's information, though partly true, was a
_ruse_; that Jackson had indeed been observed by the keen-eyed Oriental,
who had thereupon sat down purposely within earshot, and after a
whispered hint to his companion, gave forth such information as would be
likely to lead the British cruiser into his snares--speaking in bad
English, under the natural impression that the sailor did not understand
Portuguese, to the immense amusement of Marizano, who understood the
_ruse_, though he did not understand a single word of what his companion
said--had they known all this, we say, it is probable that they would
have chuckled less, and--but why indulge in probabilities when facts are
before us? The sequel will show that the best-laid plans may fail.