The History of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the African Slave-Trade, by the British Parliament (1839)Clarkson, Thomas
History
The History of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the African Slave-Trade, by the British Parliament (1839)
Clarkson, Thomas
Slave trade -- Africa
Among others who were useful to me in my pursuit, was Mr. Henry Sulgar,
an amiable minister of the gospel, belonging to the religious society of
the Moravians in the same city. From him I first procured authentic
documents relative to the treacherous massacre at Calabar. This cruel
transaction had been frequently mentioned to me; but as it had taken
place twenty years before, I could not find one person who had been
engaged in it, nor could I come, in a satisfactory manner, at the
various particulars belonging to it. My friend, however, put me in
possession of copies of the real depositions which had been taken in the
case of the king against Lippincott and others relative to this event;
namely, of Captain Floyd, of the city of Bristol, who had been a witness
to the scene, and of Ephraim Robin John, and of Ancona Robin Robin John,
two African chiefs, who had been sufferers by it. These depositions had
been taken before Jacob Kirby and Thomas Symons, esquires, commissioners
at Bristol for taking affidavits in the Court of King's Bench. The
tragedy, of which they gave a circumstantial account, I shall present to
the reader in as concise a manner as I can.
In the year, 1767, the ships Indian Queen, Duke of York, Nancy, and
Concord, of Bristol; the Edgar, of Liverpool; and the Canterbury, of
London; lay in Old Calabar river.
It happened, at this time, that a quarrel subsisted between the
principal inhabitants of Old Town and those of New Town, Old Calabar,
which had originated in a jealousy respecting slaves. The captains of
the vessels now mentioned, joined in sending several letters to the
inhabitants of Old Town, but particularly to Ephraim Robin John, who was
at that time a grandee, or principal inhabitant of the place. The tenor
of these letters was, that they were sorry that any jealousy or quarrel
should subsist between the two parties; that if the inhabitants of Old
Town would come on board, they would afford them security and
protection; adding, at the same time, that their intention in inviting
them was, that they might become mediators, and thus heal their
disputes.
The inhabitants of Old Town, happy to find that their differences were
likely to be accommodated, joyfully accepted the invitation. The three
brothers of the grandee just mentioned, the eldest of whom was Amboe
Robin John, first entered their canoe, attended by twenty-seven others,
and, being followed by nine canoes, directed their course to the Indian
Queen. They were despatched from thence the next morning to the Edgar,
and afterwards to the Duke of York, on board of which they went, leaving
their canoe and attendants by the side of the same vessel. In the mean
time, the people on board the other canoes were either distributed on
board, or lying close to, the other ships.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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