African Trader; Or, The Adventures of Harry Bayford

by William Henry Giles Kingston

  CHAPTER SIX.

  A CALM COMES ON, AND WE REMAIN DURING THE NIGHT SUFFERING FROM HUNGERAND THIRST.--PAUL TELLS ME HIS HISTORY, AND I FIND THAT HE IS CHEEBO, OFWHOM I AM IN SEARCH.--HIS JOY AT HEARING OF HIS MOTHER MAKES HIMREGARDLESS OF THE SUFFERING WE ARE ENDURING--THE SCHOONER PICKS US UP.--PAUL SUSPECTS HER CHARACTER.--BEFORE LONG WE DISCOVER THAT SHE IS ASLAVER, AND SHE RUNS UP A RIVER TO RECEIVE HER CARGO ON BOARD.

  Scarcely had we caught sight of the stranger than the wind entirely felland she lay totally becalmed. The smooth sea enabled us to free theboat completely, and now we had nothing to do but to sit down and watchthe burning brigantine.

  First one of the tall masts, completely encircled by the flames, fellhissing into the water. The other, after standing awhile in solitarygrandeur, formed a fiery pinnacle to the flaming hull below.

  At length it followed its companion, and then the fire ran riot fore andaft. Sometimes wearied by the sight, I put my hands before my eyes toshut it out, but then I could not help thinking of the sad fate of thepoor captain, whose body lay on its funeral pile on board.

  "Ah, he happy now," whispered Paul. He had also been thinking of him."He say he love Jesus; he trust to Jesus, no fear for him."

  Paul's words brought consolation to my heart. Our own condition mightwell have made me depressed, yet I felt supported by the strong faith ofmy companion in a way I formerly should not have thought possible.

  We had no food, and not a drop of fresh water to quench our burningthirst.

  Some way off we could see pieces of burnt spars floating about. Ithought of trying to paddle the boat up to them with our hands, hopingto find some which might serve as oars, and enable us to reach theschooner in the distance. I quickly, however, gave up the attempt, forscarcely had I put my hand into the water than I saw a huge pair of jawsdarting towards it, and I had just time to pull it out before they madea snap close to me, which would, in a moment, have bitten it off.

  Night soon came down upon us as we thus sat utterly helpless in ourboat, while the sea around was lighted up with the flames of the burningvessel. Loaded as she was almost entirely with combustible materials,they burned with unusual fierceness. Her whole interior, as the sideswere burned away, appeared one glowing mass, surrounded by a rim offlames which fed upon her stout timbers and planking. Suddenly therecame a loud hissing noise across the water, then a dense vapour ascendedfrom her midst, and in an instant after all was darkness. The remainsof the "Chieftain" had sunk into the depths of ocean.

  "I am afraid our chance of being picked up by the schooner is gone," Iobserved to Paul. "She very probably, when the breeze comes, will standaway from us."

  "There is no such thing as chance, Massa Harry," he answered. "If it isGod's will she come, if not, He find some other way to save us. Let uspray that He do what He judge best."

  Thereon Paul, without waiting for my reply, knelt down in the bottom ofthe boat and lifted up his voice in prayer to our merciful Father inheaven, for that protection which we more than ever felt we so muchneeded. I imitating his example, heartily joined him.

  As we sat in the boat side by side talking together, for neither of uswere inclined to sleep, I asked him how it was that he, a common sailor,had become so well instructed a Christian?

  "Ah, Massa Harry, I knew about Jesus when I quite a little boy; but onlya few years ago I learned to love Him and trust to Him as I now do," heanswered. "I'll tell you how dis was. When I piccaniny I hab kindfader and moder, and we live in Yourba country, in our own village, faraway. One night the enemy come and attack the village, and carry offmany men and women and children. My fader take me up and run away intode wood, my moder follow, but she fall, and the slaver people catch herand take her with the rest. My poor fader, like to break him heart, butfor my sake he live and hide away till the slaver people gone. He triedto find my moder, but from dat day to dis he neber hear of her more.After some time it was told him dat a great many people go to a placecalled Abeokuta, and dat dere day built town, and let no slave-takerscome near them, so my fader go there, and we live there, and work andgrow rich, and many more people come, and we not fear any of ourenemies. All the people were heathens, and prayed to the fetish.

  "After some time many people come from Sierra Leone, who had beencarried off in slavers, and taken by the English cruisers, and landedthere. They find relations and friends in Abeokuta, and so they stop tolive with us. Some of them had learned in Sierra Leone about God andHis Son Jesus Christ, and they tell us, and many of the people ofAbeokuta say they will no longer pray to the fetish, but will only prayto God, and love Him and serve Him. My fader was among these, and nowthe only thing he cared for in life was to listen to the missionariesand hear about Jesus Christ. Only one thing made him unhappy, that wasthat my poor moder should not learn the truth of the gospel. He knewthat she was carried away by bad people, and he afraid that she becomebad like them; but he pray day and night that God in His mercy wouldmake known to her His great love, as He had made it known to him.

  "Oh, if I could but hear that she had become a Christian how happy Ishould be!" he used to say to me over and over again. "Paul," that wasthe name I had got when I was christened, "you must pray for your moderwid me, and I am sure that God will hear our prayers."

  "At last my fader grew sick, and he made me promise, if he died, that Iwould go to Sierra Leone and try to find if my moder was dere. My fadergrew worse and worse, but still him very happy, and taking my hand, hesay, `Paul, you must meet me in heaven, and you must bring your moderthere, and then we all live together for ever and ever, where there areno more slave-dealers, and no more war, and no more cruelty,' and denhim die.

  "After dat I set off to go to Sierra Leone, but slave-dealer catch me onthe way and take me on board slaver, with nearly four hundred otherblack fellows, and we were all put down in ship's hold, and carried awayto the coast of Brazil. But English man-of-war catch the slaver. TheEnglish captain find out that I was a Christian, and so he ask me if Ilike to serve on board de man-of-war, and I say yes. The captain, goodChristian man himself, so I learn to speak English, and he taught me toread Bible, and I learn still more about Jesus than I did in Abeokuta.At last we got back to Sierra Leone, and then I remember my promise tomy father, and while I on shore trying to learn about my moder, the shipsail away, and no more come back. I no hear about my moder, and have nomoney, so I ship on board merchant vessel, and after sailing in heralong the coast for some time I go on board another, and then I again goon board man-of-war. At last I get back to Sierra Leone, and fall verysick, and sent to hospital, then a good missionary come to me and I tellhim what my fader had said, and he ask me if I think I going to heaven,and then he tell me more about the right way, and pray with me. And nowI find Jesus as my own Saviour and Friend, and love Him, and wish toserve Him, and obey Him. Then the wish came into my heart to preach thegospel to my countrymen, but I, still poor and very ignorant, and Ithought if I could make two or three voyages and save money, I would goto England and study there, and be better able to declare the gladtidings of salvation, and that the people would more willingly listen tome.

  "It was on the second trip I made that the vessel I was in was wreckednot far from the mouth of the Bonny, and I was making my way with someof those who had escaped with me to Sierra Leone when Captain Willisengaged me to serve on board the `Chieftain.'"

  While Paul was giving me this sketch of his history an idea had forciblytaken possession of my mind. "Tell me," I exclaimed suddenly, "what wasyour name before you were christened?"

  "Cheebo," he answered.

  "And your father's name," I inquired eagerly.

  "My father, him called Quamino," he said, in a surprised tone.

  "Oh Paul!" I cried out, seizing his hand, "I have indeed then good newsfor you. Your father's and your prayers have been answered, for I canassure you that your mother is a true and faithful Christian. I haveknown her all my life, her name she has told me was Ambah, and that shewas
torn away from her husband and child as your mother was from you."

  "Yes, yes, Ambah was my mother's name, and did she tell you that herhusband's name was Quamino, and their piccaniny was called Cheebo?" heasked, almost gasping for breath.

  "Those were the very names she gave me, and I wrote them in my pocketbook so that I might not forget them." I answered.

  "Oh, Massa Harry, that is indeed joyful news," he cried out. "Then Iand my mother and father will all meet in heaven, Praise God! I now notfear what man can do unto me."

  It would be difficult to do justice to the feeling displayed by Paul,even were I to repeat all he said, his piety, his gratitude, and hisjoy. He could talk of nothing else during the night. He seemed to beinsensible to hunger and thirst, and to forget altogether the dangerousposition in which we were placed. Now he kneeled down in prayer, now hegave vent to his feelings in a hymn of praise. I could not helpsympathising with him, and rejoicing that I had been the means of givinghim the information which made him so happy. Still I must confess thatI myself suffered not a little from the pangs of hunger, and would havegiven much for a glass of cold water.

  When morning dawned the schooner was still in sight. I looked anxiouslyround for the sign of a breeze, hoping that if it did come the strangerwould stand towards us. At all events it seemed probable that havingseen the burning vessel those on board, in common humanity, would sailover the spot where she had been, on the chance of picking up any of hercrew who might have escaped. Paul, however, did not seem to wish thisas much as I did. I saw him narrowly watching the vessel, then he shookhis head as if he did not like her looks.

  The sun rose high in the sky, and beat down on our heads. My thirstbecame intolerable, and whatever might be the character of the stranger,I could not help longing that she would pick us up. The breeze came atlast, her sails filled. How eagerly I watched her.

  "She is standing towards us," I cried out, "we must soon be seen." Istood up on a thwart and waved a handkerchief.

  "Better not Massa Harry," said Paul, but I did not heed him.

  The schooner came on rapidly. Again I waved my handkerchief, and heldit between my two hands, so that it might flutter in the breeze. Thestranger approached. She was a fine large square topsail schooner, witha black hull and taunt raking masts. She rounded to close to us, sothat she could drop down to where our boat lay.

  A rope was hove to us, and I clambered up her side, Paul following me.We were both so weak when we reached her deck that we could scarcelystand. I pointed to my mouth, just able to murmur, "water! water!"

  "Si, si, aqua aqua," said a man, who appeared to be an officer; when oneof the men dipped a mug into a cask on deck, and brought it to us. Itook part of the contents then handed it to Paul; but the seaman signedto me to drain it myself, casting, I thought, a contemptuous glance atmy negro companion. However, he brought another cup full, and eventhough I emptied it to the bottom, still my thirst was scarcelyquenched.

  An officer now appeared from below, and addressing me in English, askedme how I came to be in the boat. I told him exactly what had occurred.

  "It is fortunate for you that we picked you up, for another vessel mightnot pass this way for days to come," he observed. "But what a pity sorich a cargo should have been lost."

  The unhappy fate of the poor captain did not seem to concern him much.

  I could not make out the character of the vessel.

  She was Spanish, I guessed, and her officers and crew appeared smartactive fellows; and though she looked in some respects like aman-of-war, she certainly was not one. Her hatches were off, and as faras I could judge there was nothing to show that she was a slaver.

  The officer who had spoken to me finding that I was a young gentleman,politely invited me down into the cabin, telling Paul that he might goforward among the men. Paul thanked him, and took advantage of thepermission granted him. The officers were going to breakfast, and I wasvery thankful when they invited me to join them. Altogether theytreated me very civilly.

  I found an opportunity of speaking to Paul during the day.

  "Bad vessel this," he whispered. "Dey put you on shore soon MassaHarry, and so no harm come to you, but I fear they make me slave, and Ino get back to see my moder. Still I pray God that He find a way forescape."

  I had too much reason soon afterwards to know that Paul was right in hisconjectures.

  The next day we came in sight of a large vessel. Signals wereexchanged, and we hove-to near each other. The boats were then activelyengaged in bringing numerous articles on board the schooner--arms andammunition, and cutlery, and Manchester goods, and farinha (the meal onwhich slaves on board ship are fed), and cases which I found containedslave shackles. There was no secret indeed made about the matter.

  The schooner having taken her cargo on board, the other vessel sailedaway while we stood towards the coast. The carpenters were busilyemployed in fitting an additional deck in the hold, and Paul told methat it was called the slave deck, and that the slaves we were to takeon board would be seated along it, packed close together side by side,and that they would thus be kept during the whole run to the Brazils, orwherever the schooner was bound with her hapless freight.

  "You see what this vessel is," said the officer who had spoken to me inEnglish. "We have saved your life, and must exact a promise from younot to appear as a witness against any one on board should you at anyfuture period be called on to do so. Let me advise you indeed not totake notice of anything that occurs on board and it will be the betterfor you. We do not wish to harm you, but there are those among us whohold human life very cheap, and they are not likely to stand on ceremonyshould you interfere with their proceedings."

  I replied that I was very grateful to him and the other officers fortreating me kindly, and that I only desired to be put on board anEnglish trader, in which I could work a passage home, "and I hope," Iadded, "that my black companion will be allowed to accompany me."

  "As to that I can make no promise," he answered. "The captain willdecide the matter; but, I have no doubt, that if we fall in with anEnglish trader you will be allowed to go on board her."

  A bright look-out was kept from the mast-head, and twice the schooneraltered her course to avoid a sail seen in the distance. At length wecame off the mouth of a river. A signal was made from the shore. Witha fair breeze we ran in, and proceeding up some distance, dropped anchorin a creek, where the schooner lay concealed by the tall trees whichgrew on its banks.