After all these adventures, I was very near losing the schooner before
I got to land, by one of the perils of the sea, for which I blame
myself that I was not better prepared.
It was the afternoon of a fine day. For some time, I had noticed on
the horizon a low bank of white cloud, which rapidly spread itself
over the sky and water, surrounding us with an impenetrable fog. I
apprehended danger; yet, before I could make the schooner snug to meet
the squall, a blast--as sudden and loud as a thunderbolt--prostrated
her nearly on her beam. The shock was so violent and unforeseen, that
the unrestrained slaves, who were enjoying the fine weather on deck,
rolled to leeward till they floundered in the sea that inundated the
scuppers. There was no power in the tiller to "keep her away" before
the blast, for the rudder was almost out of water; but, fortunately,
our mainsail burst in shreds from the bolt-ropes, and, relieving us
from its pressure, allowed the schooner to right under control of the
helm. The West Indian squall abandoned us as rapidly as it assailed,
and I was happy to find that our entire loss did not exceed two
slave-children, who had been carelessly suffered to sit on the rail.
* * * * *
The reader knows that my voyage was an _impromptu_ speculation,
without papers, manifest, register, consignees, or destination. It
became necessary, therefore, that I should exercise a very unusual
degree of circumspection, not only in landing my human cargo, but in
selecting a spot from which I might communicate with proper persons. I
had never been in Cuba, save on the occasion already described, nor
were my business transactions extended beyond the Regla association,
by which I was originally sent to Africa.
The day after the "white squall" I found our schooner drifting with a
leading breeze along the southern coast of Cuba, and as the time
seemed favorable, I thought I might as well cut the Gordian knot of
dilemma by landing my cargo in a secluded cove that indented the beach
about nine miles east of Sant' Iago. If I had been consigned to the
spot, I could not have been more fortunate in my reception. Some sixty
yards from the landing I found the comfortable home of a _ranchero_
who proffered the hospitality usual in such cases, and devoted a
spacious barn to the reception of my slaves while his family prepared
an abundant meal.
As soon as the cargo was safe from the grasp of cruisers, I resolved
to disregard the flagless and paperless craft that bore it safely from
Africa, and being unacquainted in Sant' Iago, to cross the island
towards the capital, in search of a consignee. Accordingly I mounted a
spirited little horse, and with a _montero_ guide, turned my face once
more towards the "ever faithful city of Havana."
My companion had a thousand questions for "the captain," all of which
I answered with so much _bonhommie_, that we soon became the best
friends imaginable, and chatted over all the scandal of Cuba. I
learned from this man that a cargo had recently been "run" in the
neighborhood of Matanzas, and that its disposal was most successfully
managed by a Senor * * *, from Catalonia.
I slapped my thigh and shouted _eureka_! It flashed through my mind to
trust this man without further inquiry, and I confess that my decision
was based exclusively upon his _sectional_ nationality. I am partial
to the Catalans.
Accordingly, I presented myself at the counting-room of my future
consignee in due time, and "made a clean breast" of the whole
transaction, disclosing the destitute state of my vessel. In a very
short period, his Excellency the Captain-General was made aware of my
arrival and furnished a list of "the Africans,"--by which name the
Bosal slaves are commonly known in Cuba. Nor was the captain of the
port neglected. A convenient blank page of his register was inscribed
with the name of my vessel as having sailed from the port six months
before, and this was backed by a register and muster-roll, in order to
secure my unquestionable entry into a harbor.
Before nightfall every thing was in order with Spanish despatch when
stimulated either by doubloons or the smell of African blood;--and
twenty-four hours afterwards, I was again at the landing with a suit
of clothes and blanket for each of my "domestics." The schooner was
immediately put in charge of a clever pilot, who undertook the formal
duty and _name_ of her commander, in order to elude the vigilance of
all the minor officials whose conscience had not been lulled by the
golden anodyne.
In the meanwhile every attention had been given to the slaves by my
hospitable _ranchero_. The "head-money" once paid, no body,--civil,
military, foreign, or Spanish--dared interfere with them. Forty-eight
hours of rest, ablution, exercise and feeding, served to recruit the
gang and steady their gait. Nor had the sailors in charge of the party
omitted the performance of their duty as "_valets_" to the gentlemen
and "_ladies' maids_" to the females; so that when the march towards
Sant' Iago began, the procession might have been considered as
"respectable as it was numerous."
The brokers of the southern emporium made very little delay in finding
purchasers at retail for the entire venture. The returns were, of
course, in cash; and so well did the enterprise turn out, that I
forgot the rebellion of our mutineers, and allowed them to share my
bounty with the rest of the crew. In fact, so pleased was I with the
result on inspecting the balance-sheet, that I resolved to divert
myself with the _dolce far niente_ of Cuban country life for a month
at least.
But while I was making ready for this delightful repose, a slight
breeze passed over the calmness of my mirror. I had given, perhaps
imprudently, but certainly with generous motives, a double pay to my
men in recompense of their perilous service on the Rio Nunez. With the
usual recklessness of their craft, they lounged about Havana, boasting
of their success, while a Frenchman of the party,--who had been
swindled of his wages at cards,--appealed to his Consul for relief. By
dint of cross questions the Gallic official extracted the tale of our
voyage from his countryman, and took advantage of the fellow's
destitution to make him a witness against a certain Don Teodore Canot,
who _was alleged to be a native of France_! Besides this, the
punishment of my mate was exaggerated by the recreant Frenchman into a
most unjustifiable as well as cruel act.
Of course the story was promptly detailed to the Captain-General, who
issued an order for my arrest. But I was too wary and flush to be
caught so easily by the guardian of France's lilies. No person bearing
my name could be found in the island; and as the schooner had entered
port with Spanish papers, Spanish crew, and was regularly sold, it
became manifest to the stupefied Consul that the sailor's "yarn" was
an entire fabrication. That night a convenient press-gang, in want of
recruits for the royal marine, seized the braggadocio crew, and as
there were no witnesses to corroborate the Consul's complaint, it was
forthwith dismissed.
Things are managed very cleverly in Havana--_when you know how_!