Hannah Erasmus

## Biography

Born among the Tswana people in Africa and given the name Lethabo, Hannah Erasmus was captured as a child in a slave raid in which her entire human family was either killed or enslaved. She was shipped to Brazil, where she worked as house slave. This probably saved her life, as field slaves did not last long. Her master's name was branded on her forehead over the tattoo given to her as a child.

Fortunately for Hannah, her owner took her and some other slaves with him when he went on business to France. The British captured their ship in the Atlantic and took it as a prize to Portsmouth, where Hannah and the other slaves were manumitted. Shortly after, she married Rev. Josiah Erasmus and bore him two children. As a result of her time in Brazil, her English was heavily accented with Portuguese.

### 1807

from *Empire of Ivory*

The Erasmus family travelled to Cape Town on the HMS Allegiance as Laurence's guests with the intention of becoming missionaries in Africa. Their presence on the ship led to a quarrel between Laurence and Captain Tom Riley, whose family owned slaves.

Hannah showed herself to be unafraid of dragons, something Laurence found passing odd. She and her husband set up in a mission, teaching black children to read and preaching the gospel. To the consternation of the Dutch settlers, their work throve.

When the British aviators went out into the jungle looking for the mushroom believed to be the cure for the Dragon Plague, Mrs. Erasmus and her husband came along to act as translators, as they knew at least a little of the local language. Thus, they were present when the aviators found a large cave of the mushrooms - which they did not recognize as intentionally cultivated - and were attacked by a group of native humans and dragons. One of the dragons, Kefentse, recognized the tattoo on Hannah's forehead. Unfortunately, this led to Rev. Erasmus' death. When he identified himself as coming from a rival group, the Lunda, Kefentse ordered him killed, probably believing that Hannah was his captive.

Kefentse told Hannah - or Lethabo, as he called her - that he was her great-grandfather. According to African custom, this would mean that he was the dragon who was believed to have taken on the spirit of Lethabo's human great-grandfather after that man's death. After the slave raid in which Lethabo's human family was destroyed, Kefentse searched for them until he came to the edge of the sea, when he knew they were gone - as he believed, forever.

When Kefentse found Lethabo again, he was anxious and jealous about losing her a second time. Since he considered himself to be her elder, he brushed aside her requests to be let go as those of a child who did not know any better. Rather, he wanted her to bring her daughters to him. He also wanted Laurence to locate and bring the other enslaved members of Lethabo's family, but Lethabo explained that they were almost certainly dead by this time.

Eventually, Lethabo agreed with Kefentse that she would return to Cape Town to find her daughters and then wait for him there. She told Laurence that she would rather see her daughters raised as proud children of the Tswana than as beggars in England.

## 1810

from *Crucible of Gold*

Lethabo, along with Kefentse, journeyed to Rio aboard French dragon transports in the hopes of recovering their kindred sold into slavery. Lethabo served as a translator for the expedition. Upon encountering her again, William Laurence noted the marked change in her demeanor. Though he was sent to protect Rio from the Tswana, Laurence, Temeraire, and Lily's formation refused to take up arms again them. Instead they attempted to convince the Portuguese government to listen to the Tswana's demands.

## References

1. ↑ Novik, Naomi. Empire of Ivory: A Novel of Temeraire . Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.