Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, by Chase & Town, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. and upon each square was painted by Watson the head of a man or woman, some of antique character, and some of the men wearing helmets and crowns. He could not remember who or what they represented. I am glad to be able to supply the blank in Dunlap's memory, in the case of one head on those shutters, a pen and ink sketch of which I send you for publication in the RECORD if you think it worthy of a place there. It was made by my grandmother when she was a young lady of eighteen years. She was a native of Perth Amboy, and emigrated to Ohio at about the year 1802. In a letter to my mother, dated at Marietta, in December, 1806, in which she enclosed the sketch, she wrote: "I remember Watson when he was a feeble old man, and had given up painting. His nephew, Alexander, who had come from Scotland on the promise of becoming his heir, then lived with him; also a niece, a maiden lady quite in years, was his housekeeper. I often looked with wonder upon the head of a wrinkle-faced old woman painted upon one of the shutters of his house in which he had formerly worked. She had her eyes cast toward heaven, in a sort of extasy, and in her hand she held what appeared to be the top of a lighted torch. One day I made a copy of it with a pencil, and, as you say your little boy is fond of pictures, I have copied the pencil sketch, in this letter, with my pen. I think you may consider it a pretty accurate copy of Watson's picture. Who or what it represents, I THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE IN COLONIAL TIMES. The next we hear of Captain Lindsay is from the Coast of Africa, by a homeward bound vessel: "Anamaboe 28th Feby 1783. "Gentlemen, this third of mine to you and now I am to Lett you know my proceed'gs sense my last, Dated 3d Jany, & I have Gott 13 or 14 hhds of Rum yet Left a bord & God noes when I shall Gett clear of it. Ye Traid is so dull it is actuly a noof to make a man Creasey. My cheefe mate after making four or five Trips in the boat was taken sick & Remains very bad yett: then I sent Mr Taylor & he Gott not well & three more of my men has sick. James Dixon is not well now and wors than y' have wore out my small cable also oakam & have been oblige to buy one heare, for I thought the con. cequance of y' Intrust on bord this vesiel was Two great to Rusk without a Cable to trust to, therefore I begg you not Blaim me in so doeing. I should be glad I cood come Rite home with my slaves, for my vesiel will not last to proceed farr. We can see day Lite al round her bow under deck. However I hope She will carry me safe home once more, I need not inlarge. Heare Lyes Captain hamlet, James Jepson, Carpenter, Butler & Lindsay. Gardner is dun. firginson is Gon to Leward. All these is Rum Ships. butler is in a brig with 150 hhds. from Barbados, belongs to Cape Coast Castle. I've 1 The correspondent of the RECORD (who desires anonymity) is right in supposing the picture to be the head of a priestess or devotee. It was doubtless copied by Watson from Montfaucon's "Antiquity Explained" (the English translation was published in 1721), in which the whole figure is given, with a description. She is either a priestess of Bacchus or a Mænade woman consecrated to Bacchus, who, by voluntary enthusiasm, made herself mad. In the full length figure in Montfaucon's work, she is represented as fully draped from the waist, and sitting upon a round base adorned with pilasters. The object mistaken for a torch is a vase, covered with grape and ivy leaves, and emitting a flame from its mouth. Such was the form of the lamps carried by the leading Egyptian priest in the procession of Isis. Apuleius says, "It gave a strong light, but was not at all like the lamps we use in our feasts at night. It was a golden vase, which let the flame out through a hole in the socket.' The writer has a small pencil sketch of a nude athlete, drawn by Watson, which shows remarkable skill in depicting anatomical developments. Can any reader of the RECORD give any further account of Watson than is related in the first volume of Dunlap's "Arts of Design," or tell where there is one of his pictures in existence?-[EDITOR.] sent a Small boye to my wife. I conclude with my best Endeavors for Intrust. Gentlemen, your faithfull Servant at com'md. "DAVID LINDSAY.” N. B. on the whole I never had So much Trouble in all my voiges. I shall rite to barbados in a few days." The consignee was looking for him, as the two following letters will show. "Barbadoes, March 16th 1753. "Slaves are now in Lotts from £33 to £56 per head & £37. We shall be glad to have your further orders abt Capt. Lindsay, as they may be here before he arrives. Lumber, horses and all sorts of Provisions plenty & Chep. Our new Crops Rum is now 2s Moll 20d. very little here. Sugar in barrels 27-6 to 28-9 per cwt. Price of hhds. not Broke yet, nor the price of Cotton & Ginger. Bills 40 per ct." "Barbadoes, April 27th 1753. "We have not heard from the Gold Coast since our last per Capt. Nichols. Our produce now very plenty & if the vessels does not come in too fast, hope it will fall. Good slaves are now wanted. We dayley expect three vessels to our address, from the coast. We had a Snow belonging to us, & some of our friends here last week, from Gamba. We sold the greater part of her cargo at about £33 per head. She brought 135 slaves. Sold about 100 at the above price. The rest were old & sickly, which were sold cheaper, at about £23, per head round. We shall be glad to embrace all opportuniteys to serve you & your Friends here. "We remain with Great Regard Gent". "SUS. & ELIAS MERIVIELLE." Susanna Merivielle, the senior partner of the above firm, died a few days subsequent to the date of the above letter, and the business was carried on by her son, the surviving partner. Captain Lindsay turned up at last, notwithstanding his leaky craft and numerous mishaps, for we have a letter from him, dated "Barbadoes, June 17th N. S. 1753. "Gentle'n. These are to acqt you of my arivel heare y Day before yesterday in 10 weeks from anamaboe. I met on my passage 22 days of very squally winds & continued Rains, so that it beat my sails alto piceses, soe that I was oblige Several Days to have sails on bent to mend them. The vesiel Lik wise is all open Round her bows under deck. For these Reasons am oblige to enter my vesiel heare & have valued myself on Mr Elias meriveal who is to despatch me in three or four weeks Time. My slaves is not landed as yet they are 56 in number for owners, all in helth & fatt. I lost one small gall. I've got 40 oz gould dust & eight or nine hundred weight maligabar pepper for owners. "Not to Inlarge, shall rite in a day or 2. We are all well a bord. Mr Sanford died the 3d day of March, & one John Wood who went in ye boat with him, died y° 3d of April, at sea. I left Capt. Hamblet at Cape Coast, sick. His slaves had rose & they lost the best of what they had. Heare is no slaves at market now. I conclude with my best indeavers for y'r intrust & am your faithfull ser, at com'm'd. "DAVID LINDSAY." The following is an account of sales, and as the number is short of the number given in Lindsay's letter, dated the day previous to the sale, he probably retained the remainder to bring home with him. "Sales of Forty Seven Negroes, & a parcel of Lumber & Water Casks, imported in the Brigg'a. Sanderson, & put into my hands by Captain David Lindsay, on the proper account and risque of Messrs William Johnston & Peter Brown, of Rhode Island, owners of said Brigg'a.” The following is from Merivielle, dated Feb'y 22d-the year is obliterated, but from its tenor it preceded those already quoted, for it refers to Lindsay's expected arrival. As it gives us some idea of the number of slaves at times thrown upon the market in rapid succession, it is not out of place here: "The bearer brought a very fine cargo of ab 240 slaves, 180 men & women, I am told, & the rest fine boys & girls. They turn out but little better than 22 ster'g. The first lot of 50 men and 10 women sold for £36. currency. The 22d ult. arrived the sloop Gambia. Henry Knowles Coma to my address. Bro' in on owners account 110 slaves : one since dead. There were several very low in case & very small. Only 40 men, 16 women, 42 boys & 12 girls. I sold the 28th ult. 100 at £32. 4' 0" per head. w.h is as exch'e. at 40 per ct. as it is now £23 Ster.g. & I think as Capt Knowles & the Bearer, considering their condition & so many small, they were well sold." Captain Lindsay took on board 55 hogsheads of rum, 3 hogsheads and 27 barrels of sugar, amounting in all to £911, 17', 21⁄2",and received bills on Liverpool for the balance due the owners and returned to Rhode Island in safety, notwithstanding the defects in his vessel. His good management produced so favorable an impression that a new vessel was tendered him, and he was placed in command of the Schooner Sierra Leone, about forty tons burthen, owned jointly by Newport and Boston Merchants, and June 19th, 1754, he signed the following bill of lading, comprising his outward cargo: "SHIPPI HIPPED by the Grace of GOD, in good Order and well-conditioned, by William Johnston & Co., owners of the Schooner Sierra Leone, in & upon the said Schooner, called the Sierra Leone, whereof is master under God for this present voyage, David Lindsay,& now riding at Anchor in Harbour of Newport, & by God's grace bound for the Coast of Africa: To Say, Thirty four hogsheads, Tenn Tierces, Eight barrels & six half barrels Rum. one barrel Sugar, sixty Musketts, six half barrels Powder, one box beads. Three boxes Snuff, Two barrels Tallow, Twenty-one barrels Beef, Pork & Mutton, 14 cwt. I qr. 22 lbs, bread. one barrel mackerel, six shirts, five Jacketts, one piece blue Callico, one piece Chex. one mill, shackles, hand cufts &c. Affrica (the Dangers of the Seas only excepted) unto the said David Lindsay, or to his Assigns, he or they paying Freight for the said Goods, notting, with Primage & Average accustomed. In Witness whereof, the Master or Purser of the said Schooner hath Affirmed unto three Bills of Lading: all of this Tenor & date: one of which Three Bills of Lading being accomplished the other two stand void. And so God send the good Schooner to her desired Port in Safety: Amen. "Dated in Newport in Rhode Island, June 19th 1754. "DAVID LINDSAY." The following is a copy of the owners' orders. "Capt David Lindsay. "Newport June 10th 1754 Sr. you being Master of our Schooner Sierra Leone, & ready to sail, our orders are that you Imbrace the first opportunity of wind & weather & Proceed for the Coast of Africa, where, please God you arrive there, dispose of your cargo on the best terms you can for Gold, good Slaves &c. When you have finished your trade on the Coast (w.ch we desire may be with all Convenient Dispatch) Proceed for the Island of Barbadoes, where you will find letters Lodged for you in the hands of Mr Elias Merivielle, with whom consult in regard to the sale of your Slaves, & if they will fetch Twenty-six pounds Sterling per head, round, you may dispose of them there, & Invest the Produce as per your orders you will find Lodged there: but if you cannot sell at the above price, Proceed without loss of time to St Vincent, there dispose of your slaves if they will fetch nine hundred livres round in money, & in case you sell there you may purchase as much Cocoa as you can carry under your half deck & proceed to St Eustatia, there load with molasses, & if an opportunity of freight ship the remainder of the neat proceeds in Molasses to this port or to Bos ton. Should you find it will detain you long at St Euustatia to accomplish this, send the Schooner home as soon as possible after she is loaded & come passenger after you have finished your business: but if they will not fetch the above price, Proceed directly for the Island of Jamaica: there you will find orders lodged for you, & dispose of your Slaves on the best terms you can & Invest as much of the proceeds in good Muscovado Sugar as will load venience & Proceed home with all possible Disyou, in such casks as you can stow with most Conpatch. You are to have four out of 104 for your Coast Commission & five per cent for sale of your cargo in the West Indies & five per cent for the Goods you purchase for return cargo. You are to have five slaves Priviledge, your cheaf mate 1 These privileges were in addition to the regular wages received and commissions allowed the Captain, as above. Subsequently, to insure a careful treatment of the cargo. £100 was awarded to the Captain and £50 to the Surgeon it the loss on the voyage amounted to no more 2 in the 100, and half these amounts if the loss not exceed 3 in the 100, The date of Lindsay's arrival at Barbadoes we have no means of knowing. We next hear of him after his arrival home, in a letter from one of the Boston owners to their associates in Newport, probably in reply to one giving the result of the voyage. "Boston April 28th 1755. 'Lindsay's arrival is very agreeable to us, & we wish we may never make a worse voyage. Our account of y' sugar you may ship round when it suits best, believe y sooner the better, as the price here will soon fall, except a war should open. Y⚫ bills for us you may also Inclose us, & may depend upon our observing y directions of keeping them till ye time limited. "How many Hhds of rum can the Sch. Sierra Leone carry? Are you determined to get a larger vessel for Lindsay? The reason of these questions is that we may possibly find a purchaser, if she is big enough." From the foregoing it will be seen that the schooner was about ten months in making the round voyage. The owners decided to send her again to the Coast. She was accordingly fitted out, and her bill of lading, signed August 16, 1755, comprised the usual limited number of articles, the principal items being rum and tobacco, with an ample supply of beef, pork, bread, water, &c., and the Captain's orders are almost a duplicate of those given above. The next we hear of the schooner is in a letter dated Boston, April 1756: "The Inclosed will probably be y⚫ first advice of yo Sierra Leone's arrival in y West Indies. as it seems to be wrote not only in haste, but early on his arrival. Capt. Lindsay might have as well advised how many slaves he brot in, as how many days he was on the passage: but this must now be referred to his next. The letter was brought us yesterday from piscataway." The letter referred to I have not been able to find; but a few days later another stocks, of about 90 tons, designed for a schooner, "Mr Brown, of Plymouth, has a vessel on the has a long quarter deck comes home to the main mast, and lays high enough to stow fish Hhds. She in a few days. He says she is an exceedingly well has a row of ports on each side, & may be launched built vessel & designed for his own use proach of war inclines him to sell. We know not his price. We are sensible of y cost & trouble of y expense of y hands &c. to get her to your port, sending rigging and stores there to equip her, & therefore mention it only on account of y despatch. but yap "The snow of Mr Quincey's, which we wrote you about last year, is expected from London. She is about 112 tons, a fine vessel for yo Guinea trade & possibly may go cheap: but if you think that as many rum vessels are going to y. Coast this Spring, it will be best to stay till y fall before we fit out, the Brig you mention may probably be ye best & cheapest. "As for y schooner [the Sierra Leone] we should like to dispatch her y same way again, if she is sufficient: if not, we Ćant at present think what to do with her, as she is too small for most branches of trade." The 24th of the following June the owners had returns of their venture. "Sales of Forty-four Slaves Imported in the Schooner Sierra Leone. David Lindsay master, from Anamaboe, & sold by John Willett for account of owners in Rhode Island. 1 She was named the Hanover, and was subsequently purchased by these parties. |