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"Plans to Educate the Amistad Africans in English," New York Journal
of Commerce , 9 Oct. 1839.
Extract of a letter dated
NEW HAVEN, Saturday evening, Oct. 5, 1839
The examination of the Africans, which has now embraced nearly all of them individually,
established very fully the fact that they were all, with the exception of Antonio,
shipped in the same vessel from Lanboro by Petro Blanco, the Spanish trader, whom
the interpreter from the Buzzard knew.
They arrived at Havana in about three moons, and were landed at a village in the
night, and there sold to the persons who now claim them as their property. In ten
or fifteen days after they were landed, they were taken into the city of Havana,
and marched down at night to the shore and taken on board the Amistad. While on board
of her, they were kept on short allowance both of food and water. Their expression
is that they had half enough bread and very little water. One of them declares that
half of a cow’s horn at the small end, was water for two men a day. They were cruelly
beaten, and one of them is now lame, so as hardly able to walk, as he declares from
blows received on board the Amistad.
Professor Gibbs has been unwearied in his labors to get all the information possible,
working day and night, and has been assisted by Professor Day. They have been able
to form a considerably copious vocabulary of their language. Mr. Day has engaged
to superintend their instruction , having two or three young men to assist. We think
the best course of instruction will be by visible figures of things, with perhaps
a black board and slates. We have Mr. Gallaudet’s Elementary work for Deaf and Dumb,
which seem well adapted to the first lessons.
Cinquez says he wants to learn the language, and will apply himself. He says, “if
you were in my country and could not talk with any body, you would want to learn
our language; I want to learn yours.” He also says that the others will apply themselves
to learning. Whether they will or not, remains to be seen, owing to the labor of
taking their examination, we have hardly begun their systematic instruction.
James and Charles [the interpreters from the Buzzard.] can communicate very freely
with all of them and have acquitted themselves to perfect satisfaction. They have
given their whole time to it with great cheerfulness.
We have preaching, or a palaver, tomorrow, with the Africans, on the subject of the
religion of the white men.
