Manuel Pereira; Or, The Sovereign Rule of South CarolinaAdams, F. Colburn (Francis Colburn)
General
Manuel Pereira; Or, The Sovereign Rule of South Carolina
Adams, F. Colburn (Francis Colburn)
African Americans -- Fiction; Biographical fiction; Pereira, Manuel -- Fiction; South Carolina -- Fiction
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
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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