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"Africans." New York Morning Herald, 5 Oct., 1839.
THE AFRICANS
[Correspondence of the Herald.]
New Haven, Oct. 1
Dear Sir:--The interest in the Africans continues unabated. Since they have returned
to the prison here, the curiosity of our citizens seems to have received a fresh
impulse, and crowds throng to see them daily. Comfortable and airy apartments have
been fitted up for them in the hotel to which the jail is attached, and they eat
and drink, and smoke the livelong day, and are as happy as clams at high water. Col.
Pendleton, the keeper of the prison, turns them out on our beautiful green daily,
for exercise and exhibition, and their feats of agility attract great admiration.
Jinqua and Garrah tumble about with the activity of monkeys, and the spectators shell
out the sixpences freely.
A native African of the Susos tribe came up from New York yesterday or the day before,
and the Abolitionists have been examining the blacks through him; but they have learned
nothing satisfactory. The Africans have begun to distrust the intentions of Lewis
Tappan, and those of whom he is the tool, and their replies to the interrogatories
of these mischievous and disorganizing fellows, are getting to be evasive, and sometimes
crusty. The substantial kindness which the Africans have received from the Marshal
and the keepers of the prison, is intelligible to them, and they place a higher estimate
upon it than on the speculative benevolence of these of these unprincipled schemers,
whose humane regard for the negroes, prompted them to frighten the children nearly
into fits, in order to produce an effect on the audience, when they were brought
into the Court at Hartford, on the Habeas Corpus. The Africans abound in that instinctive
sagacity, which enables all animals to distinguish their benefactors, and they manifest
their regard to those who have bestowed presents of any kind upon them, with a warmth
and earnestness that soon becomes troublesome. I distributed a handful of segars[sic]
among the occupants of one of the rooms a few days ago, and have been tormented by
their importunities for segars[sic] and tobacco ever since.
Some doubts have been suggested whether these Africans are all negroes. The
natives of Africa comprise several distinct races of men; but the true negro,
or Ethiopian, is characterized by the same peculiarities which distinguish the blacks
that are domesticated among us, whether he is found under a vertical sun on the gulf
of Guinea, or on the Orange river down towards Cape Town.
With four or five exceptions, these Africans are genuine negroes, presenting
all the repulsive features of the race; but some question exists respecting the exceptions.
To the natural cunning of the savage, some of the blacks have added the deceptive
arts practiced by the abolitionists. Mr. Budlow came into the prison yesterday with
the Susos interpreter, and called for a man that could speak Foulah. Half
a dozen blacks immediately presented themselves as candidates for the post of linguist,
and Mr. L. selected the worst looking rascal of the number, and took him out. After
a momentary show of disappointment, those who remained grimmaced[sic] and jabbered,
apparently highly delighted at the trick played on the black coat. "Foulah,"
said Shuma, grinning, "sas, hella, moni, fabau, Manding, Bullom,
Gallina." That is, "we will all talk any thing you want, Foulah,
Manding, Bullom, and Gallina, only give us enough to eat and drink."
Jinqua acknowledged to the interpreter that he had been engaged in the slave trade,
and had been sharked by Sharka because he was unable to fulfil[sic] a contract
that he had made to deliver a large number at a given time.
