The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-03-27

much for him The lash, the stocks, the insult
of being degraded from house servant to field
hand. had at last reduced him to silent submits
sion to his fate Don MARITIME was a cruel master.
He hated every one, even his slaves and being a
petty sovereign on his own estate, and abhorred
by his neighbors of every grade, he seemed to
find pleasure in starving and tormenting his
slaves. The neighborhood rung with stories
of his cruelty and oppression. Andres, as the
African monarch had been christened-for this
ceremony is Immediately performed on the newly
imported slaves-was special object of his ven
geance.
One day, long after his subdued demeanor had
somewhat relaxed the vigilance of the watch kept
over him, and after he had learned too much wis.,
dom by experience to be even suspected of an in
tention to fee, he happened to be the last individ
ual of the gang that was returning from the field
Something diverted the attention Of the driver
for q brief moment, and, seeing himself alone and
unobserved, the agile youth, with one bound
sprang over the lime hedge into this plantation
He curled under the hedge till the rest had
passed on, and not being missed, had afterwards
time to seorsse himself among the coffee trees
When ther5h was called, after the evening meal
Andres did not answer to his name Scouts were
sent in various directions, but he was not found
After the noise of pursuit had died away in thai
quarter, no one knowing probably where to look
for him, as he had not been missed at the moment
of fight, he crept stealthily along TO some plant
ain bushes to satisfy the cravings Of hunger
After plentiful meal, he looked around him
self without rising from his creeping posture and
found he was very near an old hollow tree. He
lost no time in enlarging the hollow with his
hands and ensconcing himself within it. The
hole opened from below, but was so large within
that he could conceal his person from outward
observation. Here he had remained for about a
week, when an incident occurred, not surpassed
in romantic interest certainly in all the annals Of
fiction.
Having been somewhat accustomed to his new
abode, and feeling himself quite safe there, and
living luxuriantly upon plsntains and oranges
which be obtained in the night, after all sounds
were hushed, he began to wish TO see some of his
kind, whose voices he heard frequently as they
passed near him on their way to and from their
lsbors He found thin place in the bark of the
tree, about as high as his head and had oontrived
to work very small aperture through it, where
he could apply one eye without fear of being dis
covered. That evening, just as the short twilight
of the tropics was lighting gang home from
their work, he saw q man and a young woman
walking q little apart from the rest, and engaged
in close conversation. He knew old Anselmo
very we'll He is one of the patriarchs of the
plantation, not accustomed to working in the field
for many years, but filling posts of honor in case
Of any emergency, such as the present. The
driver was ILL and he had been put in his place
for the day by the overseer, who, knowing An
selma to be one of the main stays Of the planta-
ton, and from long residence above suspicion,
passed on with his troop, and did not interfere
with the conversation. 1t is very probable that
he thought Anselmo was usefuly employed in
reconcling Annette to her fate, for she was a new
conner, and had spent much of her time in weep.
ing, and would not be consoled.
All that had been known of Annette was this
fact of her weeping and that she could not be
comforted She had only been few months on
the plantation, having been purchased on her pas.
sage across the island, very much in the way in
which Andres had. 1t is customary for the slavers
who approach the coast, to convey intelligence to
any neghboring planters in whose discretion they
can confde, to let them know of their cargo, an d
to request the favor of being allowed to pass
through their plantations, as sentinels are sta
toned by the English Commissioner, to watch
the approach Of slavers to the coast, and these
are to be eluded, if possible II met with, they
are generally bought by bride, hut still they
are feared; for, having been treacherous TO the
English Commissioner, it is naturally supposed
that they may betray again, and give information
of the arrival before there has been time to move
from the coast again. Planters who help the
slavers in this way have the pick Of the cofiles
Annette's appearance attracted my host at once
and she had been separated from her companions
and remained with US.
Her subsequent sorrow was attributed to the
circumstance Of her separation. But there wal
no remedy they had passed on, and left her be
hind, never more to meet her in this world
II might have been father, mother brother, sister
L. Il . aha oavaG Lad he,
sorrow to NO one. She performed her tasks heavi
ly, but we'll, no complaint could be urged against
her. but that she spoke to no one, and, when un.
employed, passed her time in profound melan-
choly, or in weeping. | had seen her several
times and been moved to tears by her appear
ance. She was quite interesting in her general
mien, never raised her eyes from the ground,
sought companionship with no one, responded to
no efforts Of her companions to rouse her from
her melancholy, and seemed rather to recoil from
their touch or approach.
The overseer who preceded the wretch have
spoken of was Spaniard from the old country,
and very kind man. The slaves were quite at
tached to him and although he had them pun
ished when they violated the rules Of the planta-
ton, he very earnestly laid down those rules, and
very kindly exhorted them to obey them. often
used to 20 out and stand when he called the roll
at night, to hear him endeavor to give them some
motive Of action, and to watch their countenances.
must tell you more about this good man. can
give you no idea of his many virtues when say
that he would on these occasions tell them that IL
they did not steal, God would take care Of their
souls, aid white men would respect them. And
he would counsel them 10 perform their appointed
tasks, 80 that he need not have to punish his chill
dren And when he dismissed them, he would
tell the mothers to 20 home and take the jiggers
ont Of their toes and out Of the toes Of their chill
dren; and if they wanted candle-ends, to dress
the wounds, they might tell him when he called
the roll again, after the locking up. This cere-
mony is performed after the slaves are all housed
and each one again answers to the name called
that the overseer may be sure none have escaped
between the previous muster outside, and this
last one.
Don Ciriacos heart enlarges In capacity in
proportion to the objects that need his kindness
He is household god for twenty miles round
both in the dwellings Of his white brethren and
in the novels Of his black children for wherever
there is sickness he knows IL and is present, es-
pecially among the needy. During these two
years, that cholera has ragged here, be has proba-
bly, been the means of saving hundreds Of lives.
The negroes are so terrified by anything like a
pesilence, that they will lie down and die If they
are not reused to exert themselves
lie came to this island twenty years ago, an adj
venturer from his own isle of Msjorca, whose
praises he is never tired Of recounting. No ons
knows what drove him from home but 1t could
have been no trivial reason that banished one
with such beautiful affections from his own coun"
try. love him dearly for his goodness; and IL !
could talk Spanish sufficiently well, would ask
him, for he knows how much | respect him, and
that ] see his virtues in the midst Of the moral
corruption Of this society. II he could not tell
me, know he would thank me for asking but
am afraid to venture, for fear my imperfect know
ledge Of the language might prevent my doing II
with all the delicacy should want to use. His
history since his residence here Is enough to In
sure your interest.
lie Is an architect by profession, and, falling
INTO some pecuniary embarrassments shortly after
his arrival here he was befrieuded by a kind