Newton Forster

by Frederick Marryat

  Chapter XV

  "_Lucy_--Are all these wretches slaves? _Stanley_--All sold, they and their posterity, all slaves. _Lucy_--O! miserable fortune! _Bland_--Most of them know no better, but were Born so, and only change their masters." _Oroonoko_

  The party were up at an early hour on the ensuing morning, that theymight enjoy the delightful freshness of the air, which so soonevaporates before the scorching rays of the tropical sun. They werejoined at breakfast by the doctor who attended the estate, and who hadcalled in to announce the birth of a little negro boy in the early partof the night.

  "Who did you say, doctor?" answered the planter, "Mattee Sally? Why, Ithought Jane Ascension was in advance of her."

  "They were running it _neck and neck_, sir," replied the surgeon.

  "How is she--quite hearty?"

  "Quite, sir; but very anxious about the child's name, and requests tospeak with you as soon as you have breakfasted."

  "We will go to her. You have no idea," observed the planter to MrBerecroft and Newton, "what importance these people attach to the namingof their children. Nothing but a fine long name will satisfy them. Ireally believe, that if I refused her, or called the boy Tom, she wouldeat dirt. I believe we have all done: Boy Jack, bring the sangoree.Doctor, I daresay that your clay wants moistening, so take the firstpull."

  This important commencement and finale to the repast having been dulyadministered, they proceeded to the range of buildings before mentioned,in one of which they found the lady _in the straw_, sitting up, andshowing her white teeth at her master's approach, as if nothing veryparticular had occurred.

  "Well, Mattee, how are you?" said the planter. "Where's the piccaninny?"

  "Ab um here, sar--keep im warm," replied the woman, pointing to a rollof blanket, in which the little creature was enveloped.

  "Let us see him, Mattee."

  "No sar, too cold yet--bye bye, massa, see um; make very fine sleep now.Suppose white piccaninny, suppose black piccaninny--all same--likeplenty sleep. Um know very well, hab plenty work to do bye bye--sleepall dey can, when lilly."

  "But you'll smother him," observed Newton.

  "Smoder him?--what dat--eh?--I know now massa mean, stop um breath. No:suppose him no smoder before, no smoder now, sar. Massa," continued thewoman, turning to the planter, "no ab name for piccaninny?"

  "Well, Mattee, we must find one; these gentlemen will give him a name.Come, captain, what name do you propose?"

  "Suppose we christen him _Snub_," replied Berecroft, winking at therest.

  "Snob! What sart a name you call dat, sar?" replied the woman, tossingup her head. "Snob! no, sar, you 'front me very much. Snob not propername."

  "Well, then, Mr Forster," said the planter, "try if you can be morefortunate."

  "What do you think of Chrononhotonthologus?" said Newton to the woman.

  "Eh! what dat?--say that again, sar," replied the woman.

  "Chrononhotonthologus."

  "Eh! dat real fine name for piccaninny," cried the woman, with delightin her countenance. "Many tanky, sar. Chroton--polygarse."

  "No, no," replied Newton, laughing; "Chrononhotonthologus."

  "Es, hab um now--Hoton--tolyglass."

  "No, that's only part. Chronon--hoton--thologus."

  "I see--very fine name--Proton--choton--polyglass."

  "Yes, that's nearer to it," replied Newton.

  "Well, then, that point's settled," said the planter to the woman. "Isit all right, Mattee?"

  "Es, massa; many tanks to gentleman--very fine name, do very well, sar."

  "Doctor, put the name down opposite the register of the birth. Now,Mattee, all's right, good-bye," said the planter, leaving the room andfollowed by the others.

  "Do you really intend to call the child by that name?" inquired MrBerecroft.

  "Why not? it pleases the woman, and is as good as any other; it is of noconsequence. They almost all have names, certainly not quite so long asthe present; but as they grow longer, their names grow shorter. Thisname will first be abbreviated to Chrony; if we find that too long, itwill be reduced again to Crow; which, by-the-bye, is not a bad name fora negro," said the planter, laughing at the coincidence.

  Reader, did you ever, perchance, when in a farmyard, observe a hen orother domestic fowl, who having pounced upon half a potato, or somethingof the same description, too large to be bolted down at once, tries toescape with her prize, followed by all the rest, until she either dropsit or eludes their vigilance? If so, you form some idea of a negro womanwith a hard word in her mouth; which, although she does not know themeaning of, she considers as an equal treasure.

  Newton had turned round to the courtyard, in the centre of which severalwomen were sitting down at various employments; when one who had beenbusied in some little offices for the woman whom they had just visited,and had in consequence been present at the choice of the name, took herseat with the party in question. To several queries put to her shereplied with extreme hauteur, as if she considered them as impertinent,and frowned upon her companions most majestically.

  After a short time she rose, and turning round, with the look of anempress, said, "Now, I shall go look after my Hoton-poton-pollybass."

  "Eh?" cried one, opening her eyes with wonder.

  "What dat?" screamed another.

  "How you call dat long ting?" demanded a third.

  "Eh! you tupid black tings," replied the proud possessor of the newword, with a look of ineffable scorn, "you no know what um callPoton-hoton-poll-fass. Me _no_ tell you," continued she, as she walkedaway, leaving the others almost _white_ with envy and astonishment.

  Shortly after this Mr Kingston with his party took their leave of thehospitable old planter, and commenced their return to Bridgetown. Theyhad not proceeded further than a quarter of a mile, when, ascending alittle hill, Newton discovered that a negro was assisting his own ascentby hanging on to the tail of his mule.

  "How do you do this morning, sar?" said the man, grinning, as Newtonlooked round.

  "I'm very well, sir, I thank you; but I'm afraid I shall not be able tokeep up with the rest, if my mule has to pull you up hill, as well ascarry me."

  "Es, sar, mule go faster. Massa not understand; mule very obstinate,sar. Suppose you want go one way, he go anoder--suppose you pull himback by tail, he go on more."

  "Well, if that's the case, you may hold on. Do you belong to theplantation?"

  "No, sar, me free man. Me work there; carpenter, sar."

  "A carpenter! How did you learn your trade, and obtain your freedom?"

  "Larn trade board man-of-war, sar--man-of-war make me free."

  Mr Berecroft, who had been listening to the colloquy, took up thediscourse.

  "Were you born in this country?"

  "No, sar! me Ashantee man."

  "Then how did you come here?"

  "Why, sar, ab very fine battle in Ashantee country. Take me and send medown to coast; sell me for slave. Go on board French schooner--Englishfrigate take schooner, send me to Sarra Leon."

  "Well, what did you do there?"

  "Bind 'prentice, sar, to Massa Cawly, for farteen years--all de same asslave; work very hard; yam bad; plenty fever in dat country--much betterhere."

  "Then how did you get away from Sierra Leone?"

  "Go to sleep one day in de bush--tieves come steal me, take me down tocoast, sell me again."

  "Well, where did you go then?"

  "Bard schooner again, sar. Another man-of-war take schooner in WestIndies: send her in prize. Keep me and some on board becase want hands;keep me, becase speak little English."

  "How did you like a man-of-war?" inquired Newton.

  "Man-of-war very fine place; but all slaves there--captain steal menevery ship he come to. But sailor no tink so; ebery night we all sing,Britong nebber, nebber, nebber, will be slave. Make me laugh, sar,"continued the man, showing his teeth with a broad grin.

  "What was the frigate's name?"

  "Very fine name,
sar, call her _Daddy Wise_."[1]

  [Footnote 1: _Dedaigneuse_, we suppose.]

  "How long were you on board of her?"

  "Far year, sar; larn carpenter trade--go to England--pay off--get plentymoney--come out here in marchant vessel; England very fine place, buttoo much cold," said the negro, shuddering at the bare recollection.

  "Now, tell me," said Kingston, "of course you recollect being in yourown country? Which do you like best--that or this?"

  "Ashantee very good country--Barbadoes very good country. Ashanteenebber work, hab no money--here plenty work, plenty money."

  "Well, but where would you rather be--here or there?"

  "Don't know, sar. Like to find country where no work, plenty money."

  "Not singular in his opinion," observed Newton.

  "Men do all work here, sar: women only talk," continued the negro. "Mycountry, men nebber work at all--women do all work, and feed men."

  "Then what does the man do?" inquired Berecroft.

  "Man, sar," replied the negro, proudly, "man go fight--go kill."

  "Is that all?"

  "Yes, sar, that all."

  "So, you then mean to say, that if you could go back to Ashantee now youwould remain there?"

  "Yes, sar, stay there--do no work--sleep all day--make women feed me."

  "How inveterate is early habit!" observed Mr Berecroft. "This man,although free in a civilised country, would return to his idleness, andresume his former ignorance."

  "And so would every slave not born in the country. It requires one ortwo generations to destroy this savage nature," replied Kingston. "Ibelieve, idleness, like gout, to be a hereditary disease, either inblack or white; I have often observed it in the latter. Now, until manlabours there is no chance of civilisation: and, improved as the race ofAfrica have been in these islands, I still think that if manumitted,they would all starve. In their own country nature is so bountiful thatlittle or no labour is required for the support of life; but in theseislands the soil, although luxuriant, must be nurtured."

  "You do then look forward to their ultimate freedom?" inquired Newton.

  "Most assuredly. Already much has been done, and if not persecuted, weshould be able and willing to do much more."

  "The public mind in England is certainly much inflamed against you,"said Berecroft.

  "It is; or rather, I should say, the more numerous public composed ofthose persons unable to think for themselves, and in consequence, led byothers styling themselves philanthropists, but appearing to have veryjesuitical ideas with regard to truth. This I have no hesitation inasserting, that if philanthropy had not been found to have been so very_profitable_, it never would have had so many votaries: truephilanthropy, like charity, begins at home. Observe how the papers teemwith the misery of the lower classes in England, yet this affects notthe West India philanthropist. You perceive not their voices raised inbehalf of their suffering countrymen. They pass the beggar in thestreet; they heed not the cry of starvation at home; but everywhereraise petitions for emancipation; or, in fact, for the destruction ofthe property of others. That it is an invidious property, I grant, and Iwish I could dispose of mine; but that is not so easy. My ancestorsembarked their capital in these islands upon the faith and promises ofthe country, when opinions were very different from what they are now,and I cannot help myself. However, the time will come when England willbitterly rue the having listened to the suggestions and outcries ofthese interested people."

  "I do not understand you. How do you mean?"

  "I said before, that it was on the faith of the country that we embarkedour property in these islands. You are not perhaps aware, that when, inthe reign of Queen Anne, the Assiento treaty was made, by which weobtained the privilege of supplying all the islands with slaves, it wasconsidered as one of the most important acquisitions that could beobtained. Public opinion has now changed; but if a nation changes heropinion, she must at the same time be just. Let the country take ourestates and negroes at a fair valuation, and we shall be most happy tosurrender them. If she frees the slaves without so doing, she is guiltyof robbery and injustice, and infringes on the constitution of thecountry, which protects all property, and will of course allow us todecide upon our own measures."

  "May I inquire what those would be?"

  "Throwing off the yoke, declaring ourselves independent, and puttingourselves under the protection of America, who will gladly receive us,aware that we shall be a source not only of wealth but of security."

  "Would America risk a war to obtain these islands?"

  "She would be foolish not to do so; and England would be more thanfoolish to engage in one. It is true, that if not immediately supportedby America, England might create a scene of confusion and bloodshed inthe colonies; but the world has too often had the severe lesson, thatcolonies once detaching themselves are never to be regained. Englandwould therefore be only entailing a useless expense, however gratifyingit might be to her feelings of revenge."

  "But do you think that this is likely to occur?"

  "I do, most certainly, if those who govern continue to listen to theinsidious advice of the party denominated 'Saints'; and I am afraid thatit will not be until these islands are separated from themother-country, that she will appreciate their value. Our resolutiononce formed, we white slaves (for slaves we are) will not flinch; andthe islands of the Caribbean Sea will be enrolled as another star, andadd another stripe to the independent flag, which is their naturalprotector."

  "I trust that will never come to pass."

  "And so do I, Mr Berecroft; for I am an Englishman, and love mycountry, and the loss of these colonies would be a blow from whichEngland would never recover."

  "You forget her extensive colonies in the East."

  "I do not; but the West Indies add to her wealth and her commercialprosperity, to her nursery of seamen and her exhausted revenue. They, onthe contrary, add only to her grandeur, for they cost the country threemillions a year; and I doubt whether at that expense it is worth whileto retain any colony, however vast and extensive it may be. I consider,that if the East India ports were open to all the world, and theterritory governed by its former princes, England, with all thecompetition which would take place, would yet be a gainer; and, on theother hand, I know that by the loss of these islands, she would find adecrease of millions in her revenue."

  "Then the philanthropists must pay the national debt?" observed Newton,laughing.

  "They be d----d!" replied Kingston, who was warm with his argument; "theywould not pay a farthing."