Travels in India (Tavernier) 159: BOOK III
Travels in India (Ball) 159
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- English
BOOK III
159.1
arrived soon afterwards. There arrived, moreover, two Portuguese vessels laden with slaves of both sexes, which came from the Guinea coast, and was taking them to the mines of Peru. There were some Dutchmen in our fleet who had dwelt at Castel de Mine, and knew the language of these poor people. They went on board, both to see them, and also to see some Dutch sailors who were in the Portuguese service ; and on the following night about 250 of these poor blacks threw themselves into the sea. It was believed that the Dutch, who knew their language, had told them that they would be miserably treated when they reached the mines, and that it was that which had driven them to this action in despair. It is true that it is a very hard and miserable slavery ; for frequently, after having mined for some days, there are parts of the ground more movable or softer than others, and this ground collapsing it suddenly buries 400 or 500 of these poor people. As soon as they are put to mine, their faces, eyes, and skin entirely change in colour ; this is caused by the vapours of these hollows, and the slaves only exist in these places by the quantity of spirits which both the men and women are given to drink.
159.2
Some of these people are no longer slaves, their masters having given them liberty, but they do not cease to work in the mines and earn large wages. But as they leave the mines on Saturday evening to return on Monday morning, during the interval they drink so much spirit, which is very dear, that they spend all they earn during the week, and thus they are always in a miserable condition of poverty.
159.3
While the two fleets were in the roads at St. Helena the English and the Dutch entertained each other in turns, and there was continual festivity. The day our Vice-Admiral entertained our Admiral and some of the chiefs of the English fleet, it was not on board our vessel, for as soon as he told me of his intention, I advised him to give his feast on land ; this he did with greater credit and more freedom than the others had done. I offered him for the purpose my tent, and the carpet and cushions which I had still with me, and had used in my journeys by land ; and I further promised to open, on his account, my cask of Rhine wine, which Madame la Générale had presented me with, and even to contribute to the collation half a dozen bottles of Mantua wine, and a similar quantity of that of Shiraz. He was delighted with the offer I made him, and immediately we went on shore to pitch the tent ; this gave us some trouble, because we could not find any level spot even of the size of the tent ; but our sailors made one near the river, from whence, while eating, we might contemplate the high mountains and the pointed rocks, where we saw the male and female goats leaping from one side to the other. On the following day, between 9 and 10 a.m., he had the pleasure of seeing all the guests in their boats, some with trumpets and drums, others with violins and other musical instruments ;
159.4
this could not have been if the Vice-Admiral had given his entertainment in the vessel, where all these different classes of people could not have come. As the feast, then, was on land, the majority of the ladies, both English and Dutch, who were in the fleet also came, without being invited ; and so instead of one table three were required, and those who expected to eat in the tent, under shade, were obliged to yield their places out of politeness to the ladies. During the repast there was a great noise of trumpets and other musical instruments, and at each health all the guns of the vessels fired a discharge. The first health which was drunk was that of the King of England, after which followed those of the States General, of the Prince of Orange, and of the Companies, and then came the healths of the chief officers of the fleet and of some private persons. At the close of the repast, when we were ready to return on board, a disaster happened which somewhat marred the enjoyment of the company. The Admiral’s trumpeter having drunk a little more than he ought to have done, mounted on a high rock in order to blow his trumpet, and from time to time he rolled down large stones. Although ordered to stop, because it was seen that some injury might happen, he did not cease, however, finding some amusement in it ;
159.5
and at length he let go a very large one, which, jumping from rock to rock, went through the tent, where it broke a case of wine and killed a small boy born at Batavia of Dutch parentage. He was being sent to Holland to learn the language properly, and to be taught to read and write. For these children, though born of parents who have come from Holland, never learn Dutch properly while they remain at Batavia, being brought up among servants and slaves, who addict themselves more to the Portuguese language than to Dutch. These children also learn from them a thousand wickednesses, and at the age of nine years they know more lechery than do youths of twenty years in Europe. After having buried the child the company returned on board sooner than they would otherwise have done, and they were distressed that a day which had been so joyful had so sad a termination. On the two following days we had numerous visits, and there was not a lady who did not come to our vessel ; I believe it was less on our own account than to ascertain if we had still any Rhine wine, which they had found to be excellent at our Vice-Admiral’s feast.
159.6
After our vessel had been twenty days at anchor (for the others which arrived later had less time to refresh themselves) the Admiral fired three cannon shots, and hoisted a large flag on the poop of his vessel, as a signal to all the captains and pilots to come on board, where, having arrived, they held council in order to settle what route should be taken for Holland. The majority maintained that they should go to the west rather than to the south, because the season for navigation was much advanced, and by sailing towards the West Indies we should find the proper winds for Holland. But it happened altogether otherwise ; for as soon as we had passed the line we found the winds contrary to what our pilots had expected ; this was the reason why we were afterwards obliged to go to the 64th degree in the latitude of Iceland, and return to Holland from the north.