Newton Forster

by Frederick Marryat

  Chapter XIV

  "_Aboan_.--The innocent! _Oroonoko_.--These men are so, whom you would rise against. If we are slaves, they did not make us slaves, But bought us in the honest way of trade, As we have done before 'em, bought and sold Many a wretch, and never thought it wrong. They paid our price for us, and we are now Their property, a part of their estate, To manage as they please."

  At an early hour the party, consisting of Mr Kingston, the master of thebrig, and Newton, set off upon mules for the habitation of the planter.The sun had illumined the sky, but had not yet made his appearance,although the golden fringes upon the clouds, which floated in broadbelts in the horizon, indicated his glorious yet withering approach. Thedew moistened each leaf, or hung in glittering pendant drops upon thethorn of the prickly pears which lined the roads. The web of thesilver-banded spider was extended between the bushes, and, saturatedwith moisture, reflected the beams of the rising orb, as the animalsdanced in the centre, to dazzle their expected prey. The mist stillhovered on the valleys, and concealed a part of the landscape from theirview; and the occasional sound of the fall of water was mingled with thetwittering and chirping of the birds, as they flew from spray to spray. Theair was fresh, even to keenness, and anyone suddenly wafted to the scenewould little have imagined that he was under the torrid zone.

  "How different this is from the ideas generally formed of the climate inthe West Indies!" observed Newton. "In England, we couple it withunsufferable heat and the yellow fever."

  "Your reports are from those who seldom leave the harbours or towns,where such indeed prevail," replied Kingston. "There is no island in theCaribbean Sea where the early riser may not enjoy this delightful,bracing atmosphere. At Jamaica in particular, where they collect as muchsnow as they please in the mountains; yet, at the same time, there isnot a more fatal and unhealthy spot than Port Royal harbour, in the sameisland."

  "Is the plantation we are going to situated as high above the level ofthe sea as we are now?"

  "No; most plantations are in the ravines, between the hills. Thesugar-cane requires heat. As soon as we are on the summit of this nexthill we shall descend to it."

  In half an hour they arrived at the end of their journey, when theystopped at an extensive range of low buildings, situated at the head ofthe valley, which descended to the sea,--now for the first timepresented to their view since they had quitted Bridgetown. The owner ofthe estate was at the door to receive them. He was a tall, spare man,dressed in nankeen jacket and trousers, with a large-brimmed straw hatupon his head.

  "Welcome, gentlemen, welcome. Kingston, how are you?" said he, as theystopped. "Now dismount, gentlemen; the boys will take the mules. BoyJack, where are you? Where's Baby, and where's Bulky? Come here, youlazy rascals, and take the mules. Now then, gentlemen, I'll show you theway. I ordered breakfast on the table, as I saw you coming down thehill."

  So saying, the old gentleman led the way through a portico. At the sightof strangers, the windows underneath were crowded with faces of variousdegrees of colour--eyes and mouths wide open, the latter displaying rowsof teeth, so even and so brilliantly white, that they might cause asensation of envy to many an English belle.

  The party were ushered into a spacious and cool apartment on theground-floor, where a table was covered with all the varieties of atropical breakfast, consisting of fried fish, curries, devilled poultry,salt meats, and everything which could tend to stimulate an enfeebledappetite.

  "Now, gentlemen, let me recommend you to take a white jacket; you'll bemore at your ease, and there is no ceremony here. Boy Jack, where's thesangoree? This is a fine climate, Captain Berecroft; all you have toattend to is--to be temperate, and not to check the perspiration."

  Boy Jack who, _par parenthese_, was a stout, well-looking negro, ofabout forty years of age, now made his appearance with the sangoree.This was a beverage composed of half a bottle of brandy and two bottlesof Madeira, to which were added a proportion of sugar, lime-juice, andnutmeg, with water _ad lib_. It was contained in a glass bowl, capableof holding two gallons, standing upon a single stalk, and bearing theappearance of a Brobdingnag rummer. Boy Jack brought it with both hands,and placed it before his master.

  "Now, sir, will you drink?" said the planter, addressing Mr Berecroft.

  "Thank you," replied Mr Berecroft, "I never drink so early in themorning."

  "Drink! why this is nothing but _swizzle_. Here's your health, sir, I'llshow you the way."

  The large goblet was fixed to his lips for upwards of a minute: at lastthey unwillingly separated, and the old planter recovered hisrespiration with a deep sigh. "Now then, gentlemen, do you take alittle; don't be afraid; there's nothing you mayn't do in this climate,only be temperate, and don't check the perspiration." At this momentNewton was startled, and looked under the table.

  "I thought it was a dog, but it's a little black child."

  "Oh! there's one out, is there? Why, Boy Jack, did I not tell you toshut them all in?"

  "Yes, sar, so I did," said the black man, looking under the table."Eh!--it's that d--d little nigger--two-year old Sambo--no possiblekeeping him in, sar.--Come out, Sambo."

  The child crawled out to his master, and climbed up by his knee: the oldplanter patted his woolly head, and gave him a piece of grilled turkey,with which he immediately dived again under the table.

  "The fact is, captain, they are accustomed to come in at breakfast-time;they are only shut out to-day because I have company. That door behindme leads into the nursery-yard."

  "The nursery-yard!"

  "Yes, I'll show it you by-and-bye; there's plenty of them there."

  "Oh, pray let us have them in--I wish to see them, and should be sorryto be the cause of their being disappointed."

  "Open the door, Boy Jack." As soon as it was open, about twenty blackchildren, from seven to three years old, most of them naked, with theirivory skins like a polished table, and quite pot-bellied from goodliving, tumbled into the room, to the great amusement of Newton and theparty. They were followed by seven or eight more, who were not yet oldenough to walk; but they crawled upon all-fours almost as fast as theothers who could walk erect after the image of their Maker.

  The company amused themselves with distributing to the children thecontents of the dishes on the table--the elder ones nestling alongsideof the planter and his friends with the greatest familiarity, while theyounger sat upright on the floor, laughing as they devoured theirrespective portions.

  "Of course, these are all slaves?" observed Mr Berecroft.

  "Yes, bred them all myself," replied the planter; "indeed, out of twohundred and fifteen which I have on the estate, I think that there arenot more that twelve who were not born on this property, during myfather's time or mine. Perhaps, as breakfast is over, you will like toinspect my nursery."

  The planter led the way into the yard from which the children hadentered. It was a square, of about two roods of ground, three sides ofwhich were enclosed by rows of small houses, of two rooms each; and mostof them were occupied by female slaves, either nursing children at thebreast, or expecting very soon to have that duty to perform. They receivedtheir master with a smiling face, as he addressed a question to each ofthem when he entered their abode.

  "Now these are all my _breeding_ women; they do no work, only take careof the children, who remain here until they are eight or nine years old.We have a surgeon on the estate, who attends them as well as the otherslaves when they are sick. Now, if you feel inclined, we will go roundthe works."

  The old planter, in a few minutes' walk, brought them to an extensiverow of detached cottages, each centred in a piece of garden-ground, wellstocked with yams, sweet potatoes, bananas, and other tropicalproductions. Poultry of all descriptions were scattered in profusionabout the place, and pigs appeared to be abundant.

  "Now, captain, these are the cottages of the working slaves. Thegarden-ground is allowed to them; and whatever they can make by itsproduce, or by their pigs and their p
oultry, is all their own."

  "But how are they subsisted?"

  "By rations, as regularly served out as yours are on board of yourvessel, and they have as much as they can consume."

  "Are they all single men?"

  "No, mostly married to slave girls on the estate: their wives live withthem, unless they breed, and then they are removed up to the nurseries."

  "And what work do you exact from them?"

  "Eight hours a day--except in crop-time, and then we are very busy; sothat they have plenty of leisure to look after their own interests ifthey choose."

  "Do they ever lay up much money?"

  "Very often enough to purchase their freedom, if they wished it."

  "If they wished it!" replied Mr Berecroft with surprise.

  "Yes; without explanation, that may appear strange to you, and stillmore strange, the fact, that freedom offered has often been refused. Aman who is a clever workman as a carpenter, or any other trade, willpurchase his freedom if he can, because artisans can obtain very highwages here; but a slave who, if I may use the term, is only a commonlabourer, would hardly support himself, and lay by nothing for his old age.They are aware of it. I have offered emancipation to one or two who havegrown old, and they have refused it, and now remain as heirlooms on theestate, provided with everything, and doing little or no work, if theyplease. You saw that old man sweeping under the portico? Well, he does thatevery day; and it is all he has done for these five years. Now, if youplease, we will go through the plantations, and visit the sugar-mills."

  They passed the slaves, who were at work hoeing between the canes; andcertainly, if an estimate of their condition was to be taken by thenoise and laughter with which they beguiled their labour, they were farfrom demanding pity.

  "But, I must confess, that there is something in that cart-whip which Ido not like," observed Newton.

  "I grant it; but custom is not easily broken through; nor do we know anysubstitute. It is the badge of authority, and the noise of it isrequisite to summon them to their labour. With me it is seldom used, forit is not required; and if you were captain of a man-of-war, I shouldanswer you as I did Captain C----; to wit--I question much whether mynoisy whip is half so mischievous as your silent _cat_."

  The sugar-mills, stables of mules, boilers, coolers, &c., were allexamined, and the party returned to the plantation-house.

  "Well, captain, now you have witnessed what is termed slavery, what isyour opinion? Are your philanthropists justified in their invectivesagainst us?"

  "First assure me that all other plantations are as well regulated asyour own," replied Mr Berecroft.

  "If not, they soon will be: it is to the interest of all the plantersthat they should; and by that, like all the rest of the world, they willbe guided."

  "But still there have been great acts of cruelty committed; quite enoughto prepossess us against you as a body."

  "I grant that such has been the case, and may occasionally be so now;but do not the newspapers of England teem with acts of barbarity? Menare the same everywhere. But, sir, it is the misfortune of this world,that we never know _when to stop_. The abolition of the slave-trade wasan act of humanity, worthy of a country acting upon an extended scalelike England; but your philanthropists, not content with relieving theblacks, look forward to the extermination of their own countrymen, thewhites--who, upon the faith and promise of the nation, were induced toembark their capital in these islands."

  "Doubtless they wish to abolish slavery altogether," replied Berecroft.

  "They must be content with having abolished the horrors of it, sir,"continued the planter. "At a time when the mart was open, and you couldpurchase another slave to replace the one that had died fromill-treatment, or disease, the life of a slave was not of suchimportance to his proprietor as it is now. Moreover, the slaves importedwere adults, who had been once free; and, torn as they were from theirnatural soil and homes, where they slept in idleness throughout the day,they were naturally morose and obstinate, sulky, and unwilling to work.This occasioned severe punishment; and the hearts of their masters beingindurated by habit, it often led to acts of barbarity. But slavery,since the abolition, has assumed a milder form--it is a species of_bond_ slavery. There are few slaves in existence who have notbeen born upon the estates, and we consider that they are morelawfully ours."

  "Will you explain what you mean by _more lawfully_?"

  "I mean, captain (for instance), that the father of that boy (pointingto one of the negro lads who waited at breakfast) was my slave; that heworked for me until he was an old man, and then I supported him for manyyears until he died. I mean, that I took care of this boy's mother, who,as she bore children, never did any work after her marriage, and hassince been only an expense to me, and probably will continue to be sofor some years. I mean, that that boy was taken care of, and fed by meuntil he was ten years old, without my receiving any return for theexpense which I incurred; and I therefore consider that he is indebtedto me as a bond-slave, and that I am entitled to his services; and he,in like manner, when he grows too old to work, will become a pensioner,as his father was before him."

  "I perceive the drift of your argument; you do not defend slaverygenerally."

  "No; I consider a man born free, and made a slave, is justified inresorting to any means to deliver himself; but a slave that I havereared is lawfully a slave, and bound to remain so, unless he can repayme the expense I have incurred. But dinner is ready, captain; if youwish to argue the matter further, it must be over a bottle of claret."

  The dinner was well dressed, and the Madeira and claret (the only winesproduced) of the best quality. Their host did the honours of his tablewith true West Indian hospitality, circulating the bottle after dinnerwith a rapidity which would soon have produced an effect upon lessprudent visitors; and when Mr Berecroft refused to take any more wine,he ordered the ingredients for arrack punch.

  "Now, Mr Forster, you must take a tumbler of this, and I think thatyou'll pronounce it excellent."

  "Indeed!------" replied Newton.

  "Nay, I will take no denial; don't be afraid; you may do anything youplease in this climate, only be temperate, and don't check theperspiration."

  "Well, but," observed Newton, who placed the tumbler of punch beforehim. "You promised to renew your argument after dinner; and I shouldlike to hear what you have to urge in defence of a system which I neverhave heard defended before."

  "Well," replied his host, upon whom the wine and punch had begun to takeeffect, "just let me fill my tumbler again to keep my lips moist, andthen I'll prove to you that slavery has existed from the earliest times,and is not at variance with the religion we profess. That it has existedfrom the earliest times, you need only refer to the book of Genesis; andthat it is not at variance with our religion, I must refer to the fourthCommandment. How can that part of the commandment be construed, 'and thestranger that is within thy gates'? To whom can this possibly apply butto the slave? After directing that the labour of all the household,'man-servant and maid-servant,' should cease, it then proceeds to the oxand the ass, and the stranger that is within thy gates. Now, gentlemen,this cannot be applied to the stranger in the literal sense of the word,the hospitality of the age forbidding that labour should be required ofhim. At that time slaves were brought from foreign lands, and were asource of traffic, as may be inferred by the readiness with which theIshmaelites purchased Joseph of his brethren, and resold him in Egypt.

  "Nay, that slavery was permitted by the _Almighty_ is fully proved bythe state of the Jewish nation, until _He_ thought proper to bringthem out of the house of bondage.

  "If, then, the laws of God provided against the ill-treatment of theslave, slavery is virtually acknowledged as not being contrary to HisDivine will. We have a further proof, _subsequent to the mission of ourSaviour_, that the apostles considered slavery as lawful."

  "I remember it: you refer to Paul sending back the runaway slaveOnesimus. Well, I'll admit all this," replied Mr Berecroft, wh
o had agreat dislike to points of Scripture being canvassed after dinner; "andI wish to know what inference you would draw from it."

  "That I was just coming to: I assert that my property in slaves istherefore as legally mine as my property in land or money; and that anyattempt to deprive me of either is equally a _robbery_, whether it bemade by the nation or by an individual. But now, sir, allow me to askyou a question, show me where liberty is?--Run over all the classes ofsociety, and point out one man who is free?"

  Mr Berecroft, who perceived the effect of the arrack punch, could notrefrain from laughing, as he replied, "Well, your friend Mr Kingston, ishe not free?"

  "Free! Not half so free as that slave boy who stands behind your chair.Why, he is a merchant; and whether he lives upon a scale of princelyexpenditure, whether wholesale or retail, banker, or proprietor of achandler's shop, he is a speculator. Anxious days and sleepless nightsawait upon speculation. A man with his capital embarked, who may be abeggar on the ensuing day, cannot lie down upon roses: he is the_slave_ of Mammon. Who are greater _slaves_ than sailors? So aresoldiers, and all who hold employ under government. So are politicians:they are _slaves_ to their tongues; for opinions once expressed, andparties once joined, at an age when reason is borne down by enthusiasm,and they are fixed for life against their conscience, and are unable tofollow its dictates without blasting their characters. Courtiers are_slaves_, you must acknowledge."

  "I beg your pardon," interrupted Kingston, "but I perceive that you makeno distinction between those enthralled by their own consent, and_against_ it."

  "It is a distinction without a difference," replied the planter, "evenif it were so, which it is not, but in particular cases. The fact is,society enthrals us all. We are forced to obey laws, to regard customs,to follow the fashion of the day, to support the worthless bypoor-rates, to pay taxes, and the interest of a debt which others havecontracted, or we must go to prison."

  "And the princes and rulers of the land--do you include them?" inquiredNewton.

  "They are the greatest of all; for the meanest peasant has an advantageover the prince in the point on which we most desire to be free--that ofthe choice in his partner in life. He _has none_, but must submit to thewishes of his people, and trammelled by custom, must take to his bed onewhom he cannot take to his heart."

  "Well, by your account, there is nobody free, unless it be _Liberty_herself."

  "Why, sir," rejoined the planter, "to prove to you that I was correctwhen I asserted that there was no such thing in this world as liberty,paradoxical as it may appear, Liberty is but Liberty when in _bondage_.Release her, and she ceases to exist; she has changed her nature andcharacter; for Liberty _unrestrained_ becomes _Licentiousness_."

  "Well," said Mr Kingston, laughing with the rest at this curious remark,"as you have now arrived at your climax, with your leave we will go tobed."

  "Have I convinced you?" demanded the planter, taking the tumbler fromhis lips.

  "At least you have silenced us. Now, if you please, we will put on ourcoats and retire to our apartments."

  "Yes--do," replied the other, who was not very steady; "do--or you maycheck the perspiration. Boy Jack, where are the lights? Good-night,gentlemen."

  The negro led the way to a large room with two beds in it, for Newtonand the master of the brig. Having first pointed out to them that therewas a jug of sangoree, "suppose gentlemen thirsty," he wished themgood-night, and left the room.

  "Well, Newton," said Mr Berecroft, as soon as they were alone, "what doyou think of the planter?"

  "I think that, considering his constant advice to be temperate, heswallowed a very large quantity of arrack punch."

  "He did indeed; but what think you of his arguments?"

  "I hardly can say, except that none of them were sufficiently convincingto induce me to be a slave proprietor. We may perhaps, as he asserts,have contented ourselves with the shadow instead of the substance; buteven the shadow of liberty is to be venerated by an Englishman."

  "I agree with you, my boy. His discourse did, however, bring one ideainto my head; which is, that there is a remarkable connection betweenreligion and slavery. It was in a state of bondage that the Jews wereprepared to receive the promised land; and whenever they fell off fromthe true worship, they were punished by captivity. It was through themeans of slavery that the light of the true faith was first brought toour island, where it has burnt with a purer flame than elsewhere; for,if you recollect, the beauty of some English children exposed for saleat Rome, assisted by a Latin pun, caused the introduction ofChristianity into Great Britain; and who knows but that this traffic, sooffensive to humanity, has been permitted by an Allwise Power, with theintent that some day it shall be the means of introducing Christianityinto the vast regions of African idolatry?"

  "True," observed Newton; "and the time may not be far distant."

  "That it is impossible to calculate upon. _He_ worketh by His ownmeans, which are inscrutable. It was not the cause of virtue, but adesire that vice might be less trammelled, which introduced theReformation in England. The more we attempt to interfere with thearrangements of the Almighty, the more we shall make evident our ownfolly and blindness, and His unsearchable and immutablewisdom.--Good-night, my boy."