Books: Manuel Pereira

F >> F. C. Adams >> Manuel Pereira

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19

The dignity of the State was triumphant, and the diminutive nigger
was borne off under the arm of its representative. What a beautiful
theme for the painter's imagination! And how mutely sublime would
have been the picture if the pencil of a Hogarth could have touched
it. The majesty of South Carolina carrying a child into captivity!

After carrying John Baptiste about halfway up the wharf, they put
him down, and made him "trot it" until they reached the Dutch
grog-shop we have described in the scene with Manuel. Here they
halted to take a "stiff'ner," while Baptiste was ordered to sit down
upon a bench, Dunn taking him by the collar and giving him a hearty
shake, which made the lad bellow right lustily. "Shut up, ye whelp
of a nigger, or ye'll get a doz for yeer tricks beyant in the ship,"
said Dunn; and after remaining nearly an hour, arguing politics and
drinking toddies, Mr. Dunn got very amiably fuddled, and was for
having a good-natured quarrel with every customer that came; into
the shop. He laboured under a spirit-inspired opinion that they must
treat or fight; and accordingly would attempt to reduce his opinions
to practical demonstrations. At length the Dutchman made a courteous
remonstrance, but no sooner had he done it, than Dunn drew his
hickory stick across the Dutchman's head, and levelled him upon the
floor. The Dutchman was a double-fisted fellow, and springing up
almost instantly, returned the compliment. Dusenberry was more
sober, and stepped in to make a reconciliation; but before he had
time to exert himself, the Dutchman running behind the counter, Dunn
aimed another blow at him, which glanced from his arm and swept a
tin drench, with a number of tumblers on it, into a smash upon the
floor. This was the signal for a general mel‚e, and it began in
right earnest between the Dutch and the Irish,--for the Dutchman
called the assistance of several kinsmen who were in the front
store, and Dunn, with the assistance of Dusenberry, mustered
recruits from among a number of his cronies, who were standing at a
corner on the opposite side, of the street. Both came to the rescue,
but the O'Nales and Finnegans outnumbering the Dutch, made a
Donnybrook onset, disarming and routing their adversaries, and
capsizing barrels, boxes, kegs, decanters, and baskets of onions,
into one general chaos,--taking possession of the Dutchman's
calabash, and proclaiming their victory with triumphant shouts.

They had handcuffed the boy Baptiste as soon as they entered the
store, and in the midst of the conflict he escaped without being
observed, and ran for his vessel, handcuffed, and crying at the top
of his voice. He reached the Nouvelle Amelie, to the consummate
surprise of the officers and crew, and the alarm of pedestrians as
he passed along the street. "Mon Dieu!" said the mate, and taking
the little fellow to the windlass-bits, succeeded in severing the
handcuffs with a cold-chisel, and sent him down into the forecastle
to secrete himself.

When Dunn's wild Irish had subsided, Dusenberry began to reason with
him upon the nature of the affair, and the matter was reconciled
upon the obligations that had previously existed, and a promise to
report no violations of the ordinances during a specified time.
Looking around, Dunn exclaimed, "Bad manners till ye, Swizer, what
a' ye done with the little nager? Where did ye put him?--Be dad,
Duse, he's gone beyant!" An ineffectual search was made among
barrels and boxes, and up the old chimney. "Did ye see him?"
inquired Dunn, of a yellow man that had been watching the affray at
the door, while Dusenberry continued to poke with his stick among
the boxes and barrels.

"Why, massa, I sees him when he lef de doo, but I no watch him 'till
'e done gone," said the man.

Dunn was despatched to the vessel in search, but every thing there
was serious wonderment, and carried out with such French nav‹et‚,
that his suspicions were disarmed, and he returned with perfect
confidence that he was not there. A search was now made in all the
negro-houses in the neighborhood; but kicks, cuts, and other abuses
failed to elicit any information of his whereabouts. At length Dunn
began to feel the deadening effects of the liquor, and was so
muddled that he could not stand up; then, taking possession of a bed
in one of the houses, he stretched himself upon it in superlative
contempt of every thing official, and almost simultaneously fell
into a profound sleep. In this manner he received the attention of
the poor colored woman whose bed he occupied, and whom he had abused
in searching for the boy. In this predicament, Dusenberry continued
to search alone, and kept it up until sundown, when he was
constrained to report the case to the sheriff, who suspended Mr.
Dunn for a few days. The matter rested until the next morning, when
the case of the little saucy nigger vs. South Carolina was renewed
with fresh vigor. Then Mr. Grimshaw, accompanied by Dusenberry,
proceeded to the barque, and there saw the boy busily engaged in the
galley. Mr. Grimshaw went on board, followed by Duse, and
approaching the cabin door, met the captain ascending the stairs.
"Captain, I want that nigger boy of yourn, and you may just as well
give him up peaceably," said he.

"Yes, monsieur,--but you no treat 'im like child wen you get 'im,"
said the captain. Retiring to the cabin, and bringing back the
broken manacles in his hand, he held them up to Mr. Grimshaw, "You
put such dem thing on child like 'im, in South Carolina, ah? What
you tink 'im be, young nigger, ox, horse, bull, ah! what? Now you
take'e him! treat him like man, den we no 'struct to laws wat South
Carolina got," continued he.

Mr. Grimshaw thanked the captain, but made no reply about the
manacles; taking them in his hand, and handing the boy over into the
charge of Dusenberry. In a few minutes he was ushered into the
sheriff's office, and the important points of his dimensions and
features noted in accordance with the law. We are not advised
whether the pert characteristics of his nature were
emblazoned,--if they were, the record would describe a singular
specimen of a frightened French darkie, more amusing than judicial.
But John Baptiste Pamerlie passed the ordeal, muttering some rotten
Creole, which none of the officials could understand, and was
marched off to the jail, where the jailer acted as his interpreter.
Being so small, he was allowed more latitude to ware and haul than
the others, while his peculiar bon point and pert chatter afforded a
fund of amusement for the prisoners, who made him a particular butt,
and kept up an incessant teasing to hear him jabber. The second day
of his imprisonment he received a loaf of bread in the morning, and
a pint of greasy water, misnamed soup. That was the allowance when
they did not take meat. He ran down-stairs with the pan in hand,
raising an amusing fuss, pointing at it, and spitting out his Creole
to the jailer. He was disputing the question of its being soup, and
his independent manner had attracted a number of the prisoners. Just
at the moment, the prison dog came fondling against his legs, and to
decide the question, quick as thought, he set the pan before him;
and as if acting upon an instinctive knowledge of the point at
issue, the dog put his nose to it, gave a significant scent, shook
his head and walked off, to the infinite delight of the prisoners,
who sent forth a shout of acclamation. Baptiste left his soup, and
got a prisoner, who could speak Creole, to send for his captain, who
came on the next morning and made arrangements to relieve his
condition from the ship's stores. The following day he whipped one
of the jailer's boys in a fair fight; and on the next he killed a
duck, and on the fourth he cut a white prisoner. Transgressing the
rules of the jail in rejecting his soup-violating the laws of South
Carolina making it a heinous offence for a negro to strike or insult
a white person--committing murder on a duck--endeavoring to get up a
fandango among the yard niggers, and trying the qualities of cold
steel, in a prisoner's hand, thus exhibiting all the versatility of
a Frenchman's genius with a youthful sang-froid, he was considered
decidedly dangerous, and locked up for formal reform. Here he
remained until the seventeenth of August, when it was announced that
the good barque Nouvelle Amelie, Captain Gilliet, was ready for sea,
and he was forthwith led to the wharf between two officers, and
ordered to be transferred beyond the limits of the State, the
Captain paying the following nice little bill, of costs. "Contrary
to Law." "French Barque Nouvelle Amelie, Captain Gilliet, from
Rouen, For John Baptiste Pamerlie, Colored Seaman. 1852. To Sheriff
of Charleston District. August 26th, To Arrest, $2; Registry, $2, $4.00"

"Recog. 1.31; Constable, $1, 2.31"

"Commitment and Discharge, 1.00"

"20 days' Jail Maintenance of John Baptiste Pamerlie, at 30 cts.
per day, $6.00

"Received payment, 13.31 J. D., S. C. D. Per Charles E. Kanapeaux,
Clerk."

Thus ended the scene. The little darkie might have said when he was
in jail, "Je meurs de faim, et l'on ne m'apport‚ rien;" and when he
left, "Il est faufite avec les chevaliers d'industrie."

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE JANSON CONDEMNED.

WE must now return to Manuel. He was in close confinement, through
Mr. Grimshaw's orders. Tommy continued to bring him food from day to
day, but was not allowed to see him. The mate and several of the
crew were also refused admittance to him. This was carrying power to
an unnecessary limit, and inflicting a wanton punishment without
proper cause, at the same time exhibiting a flagrant disrespect for
personal feelings. Tommy did not report the affair to the Captain,
lest it should be misconstrued, and worse punishment be inflicted;
but when the men were refused, they naturally mistrusted something,
and made inquiries of the jailer, who readily gave them all the
information in his power concerning the affair, and his orders. This
they reported to the Captain, who immediately repaired to the
consul's office, where he found Mr. Mathew reading a note which he
had just received from Manuel. It stated his grievances in a clear
and distinct manner, and begged the protection of that government
under whose flag he sailed, but said nothing about his provisions.
The consul, accompanied by the Captain, proceeded to the sheriff's
office, but could get no satisfaction. "I never consider
circumstances when prisoners violate the rules of the jail,--he must
await my orders! but I shall keep him closely confined for two
weeks, at least," said Mr. Grimshaw.

This incensed the consul still more, for he saw the manner in which
a clique of officials were determined to show their arbitrary power.
It was impossible for him to remain indifferent to this matter,
affecting, as it did, the life and liberty of his fellow-countryman.
He could invoke no sympathy for the man, and the extent of
punishment to which he had been subjected was evidently excited by
vindictive feelings. He applied for a writ of habeas corpus,--but
mark the result.

The Captain proceeded to the jail, and demanded to see his steward;
the jailer hesitating at first, at length granted his permission. He
found Manuel locked up in a little, unwholesome cell, with scarcely
a glimmer of light to mark the distinction of day and night; and so
pale and emaciated, that had he met him in the street he should
scarcely have recognised him. "Gracious God! What crime could have
brought such an excess of punishment upon you?" inquired the
Captain.

Manuel told him the whole story; and, added to that, the things
which had been sent to him during the seven days he had been
confined in that manner, had seldom reached him. He had lost his
good friend Jane, and the many kind acts which she was wont to
bestow upon him, and had been compelled to live upon bread and water
nearly the whole time, suffering the most intense hunger. Upon
inquiry, it was ascertained that the few things sent to make him
comfortable had been intrusted to Daley to deliver, who appropriated
nearly the whole of them to his own use, as a sort of retaliatory
measure for the castigation he received from Manuel. He had not
failed to carry him his pan of soup at twelve o'clock every day, but
made the "choice bits" serve his own digestion. The jailer felt the
pain of the neglect, and promised to arrange a safer process of
forwarding his things by attending to it himself, which he did with
all the attention in his power, when Manuel's condition became more
tolerable. The Captain told Manuel how his affairs stood-that he
should probably have to leave him in charge of the consul, but to
keep up good spirits; that he would leave him plenty of means, and
as soon as his release was effected, to make the best of his way to
Scotland and join the old owners. And thus he left him, with a heavy
heart, for Manuel did read in his countenance what he did not speak.

The Janson had been discharged, a survey held upon the cargo,
protest extended, and the whole sold for the benefit of whom it
might concern. Necessary surveys were likewise held upon the hull,
and finding it so old and strained as to be unworthy of repair, it
was condemned and sold for the benefit of the underwriters. Thus the
register "de novo" was given up to the consul, the men discharged,
and paid off according to the act of William IV., which provides
that each man shall receive a stipend to carry him to the port in
Great Britain from which he shipped, or the consul to provide
passage for him, according to his inclination, to proceed to a point
where the voyage would be completed. The consul adopted the best
means in his power to make them all comfortable and satisfied with
their discharge. Their several register-tickets were given up to
them, and one by one left for his place of destination; Tommy and
the second mate only preferring to remain and seek some new voyage.
The old chief mate seemed to congratulate himself in the
condemnation of the unlucky Janson. He shipped on board an English
ship, laden with cotton and naval stores, and just ready for sea.
When he came on board to take a farewell of the Captain, he stood
upon deck, and looking up at the dismantled spars, said, "Skipper, a
shadow may save a body after all. I've always had a presentment that
this unlucky old thing would serve us a trick. I says to meself that
night in the Gulf, 'Well, old craft, yer goin' to turn yer old ribs
into a coffin, at last,' but I'll praise the bridge that carries me
safe over, because I've an affection for the old thing after all,
and can't part without saying God bless her, for it's an honest
death to die in debt to the underwriters. I hope her old bones will
rest in peace on terra-firma. Good-by, Captain,--remember me to
Manuel; and let us forget our troubles in Charleston by keeping away
from it."

CHAPTER XXV.

GEORGE THE SECESSIONIST, AND HIS FATHER'S SHIPS.

AS we have said, the second mate and little Tommy remained to seek
new voyages. Such was the fact with the second mate; but Tommy had
contracted a violent cold on the night he was locked up in the
guard-house, and had been a subject for the medicine-chest for some
time; and this, with his ardent attachment for Manuel, and hopes to
join him again as a sailing companion, was the chief inducement for
his remaining. The Captain gave them accommodations in the cabin so
long as he had possession of the ship, which afforded the means of
saving their money, of which Tommy had much need; for
notwithstanding he received a nice present from the consul, and
another from the Captain, which, added to the few dollars that were
coming to him for wages, made him feel purse-proud, though it was
far from being adequate to sustain him any length of time, or to
protect him against any sudden adversity.

The Captain had not seen little George, the secessionist, since his
assurance that he would make every thing right with Mr. Grimshaw,
and have Manuel out in less than twenty-four hours. It was now the
fourteenth of April, and the signs of his getting out were not so
good as they were on the first day he was committed, for the vessel
being condemned, if the law was carried to the strictest literal
construction, Manuel would be tied up among the human things that
are articles of merchandise in South Carolina. He was passing from
the wharf to the consul's office about ten o'clock in the morning,
when he was suddenly surprised in the street by little George, who
shook his hand as if he had been an old friend just returned after a
long absence. He made all the apologies in the world for being
called away suddenly, and consequently, unable to render that
attention to his business which his feelings had prompted. Like all
secessionists, George was very fiery and transitory in his feelings.
He expressed unmeasurable surprise when the Captain told him the
condition of his man in the old jail. "You don't say that men are
restricted like that in Charleston? Well, now, I never was in that
jail, but it's unsuited to the hospitality of our society," said he.

"Your prison groans with abuses, and yet your people never hear
them," replied the Captain.

George seemed anxious to change the subject, and commenced giving
the Captain a description of his journey to the plantation, his
hunting and fishing, his enjoyments, and the fat, saucy, slick
niggers, the fine corn and bacon they had, and what they said about
massa, ending with an endless encomium of the "old man's" old
whiskey, and how he ripened it to give it smoothness and flavor. His
description of the plantation and the niggers was truly wonderful,
tantalizing the Captain's imagination with the beauties of a growing
principality in itself. "We have just got a new vessel added to our
ships, and she sails for the Pedee this afternoon. We got the right
stripe of a captain, but we have made him adopt conditions to be
true to the secession party. As soon as I get another man, we'll
despatch her in grand style, and no mistake."

The Captain thought of his second mate, and suggested him at once.
"Just the chap. My old man would like him, I know," said George, and
they returned directly to the Janson, where they found the second
mate lashing his dunnage. The proposition was made and readily
accepted. Again the Captain parted with little George, leaving him
to take the mate to his father's office, while he pursued his
business at the consul's.

George led the mate into the office. "Here, father, here's a man to
go in our vessel," said he. The old man looked upon him with a
serene importance, as if he was fettered with his own greatness.

"My shipping interests are becoming very extensive, my man; I own
the whole of four schooners, and a share in the greatest steamship
afloat-I mean screw-ship, the South Carolina--you've heard of her, I
suppose?" said the old man.

Jack stood up with his hat in his hand, thinking over what he meant
by big interests, and "reckoning he hadn't seen the establishment of
them ship-owners about Prince's Dock, what owned more ships apiece
than there were days in the month."

"Now, my man," continued the old man, "I'm mighty strict about my
discipline, for I want every man to do his duty for the interests of
the owners. But how many dollars do you want a month, my man?"

"Nothing less than four pounds starling; that's twenty dollars your
currency, if I reckon right," said Jack, giving his hat a twirl upon
the floor.

"Wh-e-w! you belong to the independent sailors. You'll come down
from that afore you get a ship in this port. Why, I can get a good,
prime nigger feller sailor for eight dollars a month and his feed."

Jack concluded not to sail in any of the old man's big ships, and
said, "Yes, I joined them a long time ago, and I ha'n't regretted
it, neither; wouldn't pull a bow-line a penny less. I don't like
drogging, no-how. Good morning, sir," said he, putting on his hat.
and backing out of the door.

"I wish you'd a' taken a chance with my father, old fellow; he'd a'
made you captain afore a year," said George, as he was leaving the
door.

"The like o' that don't signify. I've been skipper in the West Ingie
trade years ago. There isn't much difference between a nigger and a
schooner's captain," said Jack, as he walked off to the Janson,
preparatory to taking lodgings ashore.

That afternoon about five o'clock, a loud noise was heard on board a
little schooner, of about sixty tons' register, that lay in a bend
of the wharf a few lengths ahead of the Janson. Captain Thompson and
his second mate were seated on a locker in the cabin, conversing
upon the prospects ahead, when the noise became so loud that they
ran upon deck to witness the scene.

George stood upon the capsill of the wharf, with mortification
pictured in his countenance. "Well, captain, you needn't make so
much noise about it; your conduct is decidedly ungentlemanly. If you
don't wish to sail in father's employ, leave like a gentleman," said
George, pulling up the corners of his shirt-collar.

It was the great craft that George had distended upon, and the
veritable captain of the right stripe, who promised to toe the mark
according to secession principles, but made no stipulations for the
nigger feed that was the cause of the excitement. The captain, a
Baltimore coaster, and accustomed to good feed in his vessels at
home, had been induced by a large representations to take charge of
the craft and run her in the Pedee trade, bringing rice to
Charleston. On being told the craft was all ready for sea, he
repaired on board, and, to his chagrin, found two black men for a
crew, and a most ungainly old wench, seven shades blacker than
Egyptian darkness, for a cook. This was imposition enough to arouse
his feelings, for but one of the men knew any thing about a vessel;
but on examining the stores, the reader may judge of his feelings,
if he have any idea of supplying a vessel in a Northern port, when
we tell him that all and singular the stores consisted of a shoulder
of rusty Western bacon, a half-bushel of rice, and a jug of
molasses; and this was to proceed the distance of a hundred miles,
But to add to the ridiculous farce of that South Carolina notion,
when he remonstrated with them, he was very indifferently told that
it was what they always provided for their work-people.

"Take your' little jebacca-boat and go to thunder with her," said
the captain, commencing to pick up his duds.

"Why, captain, I lent you my gun, and we always expect our captains
to make fresh provision of game as you run up the river," said
George.

"Fresh provisions, the devil!" said the captain. "I've enough to do
to mind my duty, without hunting my living as I pursue my voyage,
like a hungry dog. We don't do business on your nigger-allowance
system in Maryland." And here we leave him, getting one of the
negroes to carry his things back to his boarding-house.

A few days after the occurrence we have narrated above little Tommy,
somewhat recovered from his cold, shipped on board a little
centre-board schooner, called the Three Sisters, bound to the Edisto
River for a cargo of rice. The captain, a little, stubby man, rather
good looking, and well dressed, was making his maiden voyage as
captain of a South Carolina craft. He was "South Carolina born,"
but, like many others of his kind, had been forced to seek his
advancement in a distant State, through the influence of those
formidable opinions which exiles the genius of the poor in South
Carolina. For ten years he had sailed out of the port of Boston, had
held the position of mate on two Indian voyages under the well-known
Captain Nott, and had sailed with Captain Albert Brown, and received
his recommendation, yet this was not enough to qualify him for the
nautical ideas of a pompous South Carolinian.

Tommy got his baggage on board, and before leaving, made another
attempt at the jail to see his friend Manuel. He presented himself
to the jailer, and told him how much he wanted to see his old friend
before he left. The jailer's orders were imperative. He was told if
he came next week he would see him; that he would then be released,
and allowed to occupy the cell on the second floor with the other
stewards. Recognising one of the stewards that had joined with them
when they enjoyed their social feelings around the festive barrel,
he walked into the piazza to meet him and bid him good-by. While he
stood shaking hands with him, the poor negro

The name of this poor fellow was George Fairchild. After being sent
to the workhouse to receive twenty blows with the paddle when he was
scarcely able to stand, he was taken down from the frame and
supported to the jail, where he remained several weeks, fed at a
cost of eighteen cents a day. His crime was "going for whiskey at
night," and the third offence; but there were a variety of pleadings
in his favor. His master worked his negroes to the very last tension
of their strength, and exposed their appetites to all sorts of
temptation, especially those who worked in the night-gang. His
master flogged him once, while he was in the jail, himself, giving
him about forty stripes with a raw hide on the bare back: not
satisfying his feelings with this, he concluded to send him to New
Orleans. He had an affectionate wife and child, who were forbidden
to see him. His master ordered that he should be sent to the
workhouse and receive thirty-nine paddles before leaving, and on the
morning he was to be shipped, his distressed wife, hearing the sad
news, came to the jail; but notwithstanding the entreaties of
several debtors, the jailer could not allow her to come in, but
granted, as a favor, that she should speak with him through the
grated door. The cries and lamentations of that poor woman, as she
stood upon the outside, holding her bond-offspring in her arms,
taking a last sorrowing farewell of him who was so dearly cherished
and beloved, would have melted a heart of stone. She could not
embrace him, but waited until he was led out to torture, when she
threw her arms around him, and was dragged away by a ruffian's hand.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19