THE UNIVERSITY
OF ILLINOIS'
LIBRARY
ILUN01S HISTORICAL SURVEY
RARY
UMIVfc- ILLINOIS
OR
VOYAGE TO CALIFORNIA
BY
f>R. DIETRICH.
TRANSLATED
BY
LEOPOLD WRAY.
Printed by F. Fechner, Guben.
CHAP. I.
Preparations for a Voyage. Taking leave of home.
In the spring of the year 1851 there was an
unusual stir and bustle in the village of Joachims-
thal. The rage for emigration and a restless lon-
ging to try their luck and perhaps make a fortune
beyond the seas, had attained a height bordering
on frenzy amongst the good folks inhabiting that
part of the country where the village lay. The
greater portion of the villagers had sold their hou-
ses and farms, and inscribed their names as emi-
grants, according to legal enactment. Neither the
paternal remonstrances of the grey-headed minister,
nor the brotherly advice of the schoolmaster, a
man in the prime of life, could avail to shake their
resolution. The excitement was daily gaining
ground to such an extent, that the agent of an
American Emigration Company was welcomed and
honored as a special messenger sent by provi-
dence. Such a one it was who had taken up his
abode in the house of farmer Traugott Wohlge-
muth, who was more infatuated than anybody else
with everything American, and heeded neither
wife or child.
i
t
Wohlgemuth had been very well off in the
world. He was reckoned an excellent farmer and
brick-maker, and had formerly been a miner, and
would have been considered a most worthy man
by the whole parish, but for one failing, which
was the being of a litigious disposition. This
propensity had cost him a deal of money, and had
entangled him in the outbreaks during the year
1849. He did not see that he was himself in the
wrong, but grumbled, and determined to leave
his native country. His persuasions won over
his wife Marie and all his neighbours to adopt
his views. He sold his farm for less than its va-
lue, and we now find him spending the last day
in his house, which is already sold. Having talked
till she was tired, his wife was weak enough to
follow him unconditionally, while his only child,
the boy Fred, was quite delighted at the thoughts
of the voyage.
Fred was eleven years old, and a pretty, li-
vely, healthy looking child, but rather greedy and
froward. He did not get on much with his book,
at school, but he was very handy at all light
kinds of work, such as basket weaving, netting,
and so forth — and he had learnt to beat the
drum from the village watchman.
The hour for bidding farewell to their native
place had now come. The emigrants went to
church for the last time, and received the minis-
ter's blessing, many of them shedding tears all
the while.
Last of all Fred went to see his godfather,
the clergyman, who dismissed him with this piece
of advice: "Let God be ever before your eyes
and in your heart."
The coaches and horses stood in readiness
just outside the village, and the travellers now
drove to the neighbouring river leading to Bremen
on the Weser, where a steamer took them and
their luggage on board, and conveyed them to the
seaport called Bremerhaven, from whence they all
embarked in the steamer Columbia, Captain Gott-
fried.
It was a bright, beautiful spring day when
they heaved anchor, and put out to sea.
CHAP. II.
The Emigrant Ship.
During the first day of the voyage, our emi-
grants felt quite well; the fresh sea breeze agreed
with them, and the sea was very smooth. They
lost sight of the coast of their native Germany
before evening. The rocky shore of the isle of
Heligoland, lying in the. North sea, appeared
lighted up by the golden beams of the setting sun.
After supper, they now went to bed. As
our emigrants belonged to the less wealthy class
of passengers, they were obliged to sleep in a
cabin between decks. Our little Fred did not
much relish the hard bed, to which he was quite
unaccustomed. He would much rather have been
been in the state cabin. Nor were the surroun-
ding objects more pleasing, as these consisted of
chests, trunks, and bales of goods.
During the night, the wind shifted, the sea
grew rough, and the trunks and chests began
knocking each other about, while the hammocks
swung to and fro, and the first symptoms of sea-
sickness, an indescribable lassitude and heaviness
in the head, were only the prelude to downright
vomiting. One passenger was taken after another.
Five -and- twenty slept between decks, and the
reader may therefore judge of the cries and groans
that echoed on all sides, and of the revolting na-
ture of the scene. Fred kept rolling about on
his soiled bed, but his lamentations remained un-
heeded, for his parents were more severely stricken
than himself, and he now for the first time felt a
yearning towards the home he had left. When
he felt somewhat better, he washed himself, and
arranged the bedclothes, and then went upon
deck. Though he was still weak, and his head
felt heavy, the sight of the ocean cheered him.
He could see nothing but sky and water nor hear
anything but the roaring of the billows, and the
screams of the plungeons and seamews that were
flocking round the ship. His parents were still
so unwell as to be obliged to remain below. They
now again came in sight of land — *- namely the
English and French coasts, but our Fred was not
much the wiser.
*_
Thus passed away a whole day. The sea
had become smoother, and the wind more favo-
rable, so Fred slept better that night than the
one before. But the parents showed symptoms
of an intermittent fever. Nobody now troubled
themselves about the boy, for each of the passen-
gers had his own concerns to mind, and the sai-
lors had their work to do. He had his food given
him, and that was all! There were all sorts of
different German races on board, such as Saxons,
Prussians, Hessians, Swabians, and especially a
number of natives of Holstein, who were less
badly off than the rest, from being accustomed
to a sea -faring life, and to the coarse food the
ship afforded. The latter had children with them,
amongst whom was a little Swabian, about eight
years old, a complete blockhead as he was indeed
nicknamed on board, who was at once dirty, sickly,
lickerish, and greedy. One of the passengers had
brought on board some raisins, and as they were
lying about near his berth, little tickle - tooth
made free with them, and Freddy had a great
mind to help himself likewise, when the sailor
who was on duty between decks, happened to
perceive the theft, and seizing the little Swabian
in the fact, laid him across his knee, and gave
him ten stripes with a rope's end. The little
thief bellowed aloud, but the punishment afforded
our Fred a most wholesome lesson — and he grew
wise at another's expense.
CHAP. III.
Events during the Voyage.
The dirty, greedy little blockhead was an unlucky
fellow, for he brought the seeds of sickness with
him on board, and when such exist, they gene-
rally give rise to a complication of ailments. He
caught the measles, and gave them to Freddy.
There was an infirmary on board, and thither the
two sick children were removed, and lay and suf-
fered side by side. The Swabian died on the
third day of an inflammation of the throat, beside
of Fred. The body was tied to a plank, and af-
ter a prayer had been said over it, was lowered
into the sea. Fred was not allowed to leave his
bed for a whole week, nor even to speak, as he
likewise showed symptoms of inflammation of the
throat. His parents had recovered, but even at
this stage of their voyage, they already repented
having left their native country.
Meantime the ship, being favored by a N. E. wind,
was approaching the southern zones; and as all
the sailors had done their duty, she had sailed
through the seas that skirt the western coasts of
France, Spain and Portugal, and was now on the
other side of the straits of Gibralter. The Afri-
can coast was now in sight.
The air was hot and sultry, the water grew
stale, the meat began to be uneatable, and the
encreasing heat rendered the atmosphere unbea-
rable between decks.
The first time Fred came up on deck again,
lie could breathe more freely, but he saw nothing
but sky and water. Huge dolphins (large thick-
headed fishes) were swimming about in the sea,
and the frightful shark, who devours human beings*
might likewise be seen close to the ship. The
sailors hunted down this sea-monster, which has
been aptly named the hysena of the ocean, by
flinging hooks fastened to ropes at the shark,
which they were fortunate enough to capture.
Fred was vastly astonished, when he came
to look nearer at the fish, and saw what a quan-
tity of teeth he had in his jaws, which were quite
large enough to swallow a man. The shark was
now hauled on board, and cut up; the fat was
taken out, the liver was eatable , and in his sto-
mach were found a quantity of fishes, mostly large
ones, still fit for human food, that the cook, to
whom Fred was obliged to lend a hand, drest
very savourily with a sauce piquante.
When it was found out that Fred was handy,
and that he could make nets, some work was
given him, in return for which he obtained better
board and better treatment, being thenceforth fed
from the captain's kitchen.
You may believe me, children, industry and
skill are sure to meet with their reward.
His mother likewise made herself useful as
under-cook and charwoman, but his father who
had always preferred his pot of beer to his work,
would not turn his hand to anything, and had
8
therefore to put up with the coarse ship fare. In
a few days more, they beheld the Peak of Tene-
rifFe looming from an island in the sea.
The ship anchored at this island, and took
in water, fresh meat, and some very fine wine, a
glass of which Fred had the honor of receiving
from the Captain, who had grown to like the li-
vely boy. When the vessel once more heaved
anchor, and put out to sea, they saw a whole
shoal of flying gold fishes, which delighted Fred
amazingly. Soon after, having heard that Fred
could read, the Captain gave him a book on na-
tural history, adorned with prints, which proved
a source of great delight to our little emigrant,
who was very eager to acquire knowledge — and
what knowledge is more fascinating to children
than natural history? I am sure all my young
readers will be of the same opinion.
Hitherto the voyage had been a most prospe-
rous one, the crew had not suffered from scurvy
or other diseases, they had not been distressed
by tempests nor foul weather, nor been detained
by a calm, all of which rejoiced the Captain so
much, that he ordered divine service to be per-
formed on board, to testify his gratitude to the
Almighty. Amongst the passengers, was a school-
master from Schleswig, who had been dismissed
from his office, and to whom the Captain had
granted a free passage, on condition of his dis-
charging the functions of purser to the ship. He
was now called upon to deliver a discourse, after
which, as the greater number of the passengers
were lutherans and protestants, who had brought
their bibles and psalters with them, a christian
hymn was sung, out of the Hamburg psalter.
The verses selected on this occasion, ran as
follows:
How happy he who puts his trust
With childlike faith, in God alone: —
All earthly cares then weigh as dust,
Beneath the shadow of His throne.
And though in life I've oft been tried
By all the ills that flesh attend —
Yet God His help has ne'er denied,
But shown Himself man's truest friend.
Everybody was edified, little Fred amongst
the rest, and his clear, treble voice had joined
most fervently in the hymn. Just as the blessing
was about to be given, the sailor, who was keep-
ing a look out on the topmast, gave a signal of
distress, and they all looked into the sea — and
oh! what a sight they beheld!
CHAP. IV.
The burnt Sclaver Queen Maria da Gloria.
No sooner had they perceived the burnt and
still smoking hulk of a vessel, without either sails
IP
or rudder, drifted about on the sea, than the Cap-
tain dispatched the life -boats, which were quickly
manned and put out to sea — our curious little
Fred having jumped into one of them.
Good heavens! what a sight lay before them!
The burnt or lacerated bodies of black slaves
bound together with cords, were floating on the
waters, not far from the corpses of the sailors
belonging to the vessel.
The Captain now ordered the boats to put
back, fearing that the powder stores on board
the luckless vessel should blow up — nor was he
mistaken in his anticipations.
Scarcely had the boats returned towards the
ship, when a fearful explosion that seemed to
shake the very ocean, blew up the remains of
the slaver.
Rafters, boards, planks, sail -yards and ship
fittings of all kinds were now scattered over the
roaring, bloodstained waters. An enormous black-
ish grey cloud, emitting a strong smell of gun-
powder, was hovering over the spot where the vessel
sunk, and imparted a dreamy tinge to all sur-
rounding objects. More lacerated corpses were
drifted along, and from under them emerged a
black slave, who seemed to have been saved by
miracle, and now swam towards the life-boat.
He was taken on board the moment he reached
it — but what a pitiable state he was in! His
body bore the marks of burns that were still
; KARY
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
11
bleeding; he was emaciated and half starved, and
covered with loathsome vermin. The compassio-
nate Captain took pity on the unfortunate crea-
tine, and after having ordered him 1o be cleaned
with sea water, and his wounds to be drest, he
took him on board. As both the black slave and
the captain could speak English, the latter bid
him relate the particulars of his sad fate, which
he afterwards repeated to his passengers in Ger-
man.
Fred's mother had the care of the negro
slave, and it became Fred's duty to watch over
him when his mother was away — but we cannot
say he had much relish for performing the part
of nurse.
And now I dare say my young readers are
eager to hear the story of the freed slave, and
of the slave-ship. — So here it is. —
Only, first of all, mind and have by you a
map on which Africa, America, and the Atlantic
ocean are all laid down, to enable you to follow
my narrative, which I hope will prove instructive;
and no doubt it will be all the more interesting
to you, as affording a glimpse of slave life, which
has recently been the object of so much attention,
owing to that world-famous novel "Uncle Tom's
Cabin."
Slave life presents so unique a phase of so-
cial existence, that it becomes a necessary branch
of information to young people, especially as none
IS
of them know but what, sooner or later, they
may emigrate with their parents or relations to
those countries where negro slavery is tolerated
by law.
CHAP. V.
History of a Slaver , and of the sufferings of a
Negro Slave.
The Queen Maria da Gloria was a Portuguese
vessel, belonging to a company of merchants who
carried on a trade in slaves. They purchased
their slaves in the interior of Africa, and sold
them in America or in any other places where
slavery was tolerated. The negroes on board
this unlucky vessel, belonged to one of the finest
negro races, and were taken prisoners while
fighting against a neighbouring tribe.
In that country, the conqueror has the right
either to kill and eat his prisoners of war, or to
sell them as slaves. A hundred negroes had been
token prisoners, according to the account given
by the freed negro, who bore the odd sounding
name ofQuaquatalexera, which means rolling thunder,
in his language. Ten of these were slaughtered
at the sacrifice offered to appease the wrath of
their idols; the best pieces of flesh were burnt
as sacrificial offerings, and the rest was roasted
and eaten. Our black friend , who was a chief in
13
his own tribe, would have been sacrificed like-
wise, had they not perceived that he was one-
eyed, which made him ineligible, as every victim
must be without a blemish, in order to please
their sanguinary idols.
He was consequently sold. His purchaser
w r as a Portuguese slave trader, who bought him
for fifty ducats — for even negroes are well ac-
quainted now with the value of gold. The slave
dealer bought others, for whom he paid respecti-
vely twenty or forty ducats, as the case might
be.
The slave -dealer having soon recognized the
superiority of our negro, promoted him to be
overseer over all the others, allowing him to walk
about the ship without fetters, and to eat the
remains of the captain's table, on deck.
The other slaves lay chained to one another,
and with heavy iron rings fastened to their feet,
in the hold of the vessel, where they were packed
like so many herrings in a cask; here they were
stiffed with foul air and filth, while their fare con-
sisted of black biscuit^ and Indian corn, cooked
in salt water.
There were, besides, a quantity of rats, that
would gnaw and bite the slaves when asleep.
The vermin, too, kept daily encreasing, as is al-
ways the case, when cleanliness is not attended
to. If the slaves complained, they were merci-
lessly flogged. Many died, and indeed they were
all destined soon to come to an end of their suf-
ferings.
The ship's cook of the Gloria was a wicked
drunkard, who fulfilled the office of slave-driver
and was a relentless tyrant over the poor slaves.
One day, when he was so drunk as scarcely to
be aware of what he was about, on the captain's
ordering him to tap a cask of rum, he staggered
up to it with a light in his hand, and drew out
the bung, when lo ! the flame set fire to the stream
of rum that kept pouring forth, the drunkard's
clothes caught fire, and thus he became the first
victim to the raging element that spread throughout
the vessel.
The flames made such rapid havoc, that be-
fore any measures could be adopted for quenching
them, the whole ship was on fire, and every soul
on board perished, except the negro who endea-
voured to save the captain. Accordingly they
both clung to a plank, which bore them, as the
sea grew calmer, towards the emigrant ship, which
they had seen from afar.
The captain carried his pocket-book in the
breast-pocket of his coat, which so encreased the
difficulty of clinging to the plank, that he sunk;
a lucky chance now drifted the plank towards the
emigrant ship, where it stopped , and as the crew
saw the pocket-book fastened to the board, they
fished it up, and on opening it, found it contained
bank-notes to a large amount.
The rescued negro recovered in a few days,
%,
w
u/
%
'*tk
v$
15
and was found very serviceable on board the
emigrant ship, for he was a second Uncle Tom,
who could adapt himself to any situation, and
was always ready to lend the sailors a helping
hand. He had grown very fond of our little Fred,
and in the evening he would help him at his
netting, and teach hirn how to make fishing lines.
Thus the days flew past, and now the fertile
isle of Cuba lay before them, and they came into
the port of Havanna, where the captain had
some business to dispatch. Fred marvelled at the
beauty of this opulent port — and how delighted
was he to walk on terra firma once more! — he
was now quite cured of all longings for home !
Still his parents and himself were to go through
a great many more trials, as well as to see and
enjoy a good deal more, before they reached the
end of their voyage. But more of this anon.
CHAP. VI.
In which we find Fred amongst the negro slaves
of Havanna.
The ship came safely into the port of Ha-
vanna, which gives its name to the town* The
anchor was cast under the direction of the pilot
(viz. he who steers the ship) and officers of pu-
blic safety, as well as custom-house officers came
on board to examine the goods and the passports.
16
And it was only after all these formalities had
been gone through, that the passengers were al-
lowed to take a boat and go ashore, a permission
of which Fred's parents availed themselves, as
the invalided father was desirous of consulting a
German doctor. Fred was quite amazed on en-
tering the town, which together with the whole
isle of Cuba is under Spanish rule. The catholic
religion is prevalent throughout Spain and her
colonial possessions, which were formerly far more
extensive, and the churches are truly magnificent
in Havanna.
Fred entered one of these during service time.
The lighted tapers, the golden altars, the perfume
of the incense, the chanting in the choir, the pro-
cession that moved solemnly through the church,
and ended in kneeling, all combined to fill the
boy's heart with child-like feelings of devotion,
and he too fell on his knees, and said the Lord's
prayer in a pious, humble spirit.
They now left the church.
"What a beautiful place this is!" cried Fred,
on reaching the market place.
Laurels and palm-trees stood before each
house, the air was scented with tea and coffee-
trees in full blossom, while the market exhibited
a collection of the most exquisite fruits, that are
not even known in Europe.
Feeling hungry, the family entered a tavern,
but how surprized were they when, instead of
the beer and the broth they called for, they were
n
presented with a bottle of exquisite sweet wine,
and a cup of dainty chocolate.
The bread here was like a kind of rice cake, and
every thing was so splendid that the parents were
overawed, and began to be afraid of calling for
the reckoning.
"You are Germans," now exclaimed a gentle-
man, who had observed their admiring looks,
"and therefore as a countryman, 1 bid you wel-
come; you must be my guests to-day, and you
must allow me to pay for whatever you eat and
drink, and to buy some sweetmeats for the little
boy. But you look ill, father," continued he, ad-
dressing Fred's papa, "and I would have you
beware of the air hereabouts, which carries the
poisonous seeds of yellow fever to the slimy sea-
shores."
Fred's father replied: "I am a German, and
come from Thuringia, where I lived in a poor vil-
lage. The taxes kept encreasing, and as we
read in books that we could live in luxury in
America, we determined to emigrate, and God
grant that we may not repent so doing."
"I wish indeed that it may turn out so," re-
plied the German, "but what is the name of your
village?"
On the father's telling him, the stranger ex-
claimed: "Then we are indeed not only country-
men but near neighbours. I am the son of the
doctor who lived in the nearest town to your
village, and I am here assistant surgeon to the
„ 2
18
head physician of the great hospital, who is like-
wise a German, being a native of Leipzig, and
does a deal of good amongst his countrymen.
He will give you both advice and assistance."
"You come like an angel sent from Heaven,"
answered the father, for this was the very man I
was wishing to find."
"Then follow me, and he will give you phy-
sic and what restoratives you may require; but
first of all, eat your till, and drink a glass of
Cape wine."
They now followed their kind conductor.
After walking through several streets, they
came upon that which was a new sight to them,
and anything but an agreeable one — namely
the slave market. Here stood hundreds of negroes,
leashed in couples like so many heads of cattle,
either naked, or merely covered with a shirt or
an apron.. Old men, men in the prime of life,
youths and boys, old women, and mothers with
infants at the breast — all were on sale; and
parents were arbitrarily separated from their chil-
dren, as well as husbands from their wives, and
when such separations took place, they would
howl and gnash their teeth, and the slave driver's
whip would belabour their bleeding backs. The
slaves already purchased, were at work in a
neighbouring yard. They had to carry heavy chests
turn handmills or transport stones; and every
blunder they committed was visited by the same
sanguinary punishment.
<*
^
B9
Fred's heart bled, and he turned quite pale
when the slave-driver ran past them with upraised
whip, after a poor negro boy, who had slipt out
of the ranks, and beat him cruelly.
They now left the slave yard, and reached a
street where thev observed a house, where a num-
ber of black, brown, olive colored and white
children were going in and coming out.
"Let us go in," said the young German doc-
tor, 41 I want to speak to the master, as it is I
who attend the sick children of this school, which
is for the children of freed slaves, and of mongrels
born of black and white parents It is under the
direction of a missionary."
So they went in, and the schoolmaster greeted
them. About a hundred children of all sorts of
mixed races, were squatting on the floor; and
on a huge black board were traced, in gigantic
characters, the letters of the English alphabet,
which the master spoke out aloud.
The children repeated them, and a bamboo
cane was flourished over the shoulders of all the
idle ones.
The schoolmaster now dismissed his class,
and talked to the doctor. Fred was soon on very
good terms with the negro, mulatto, and mongrel
children. As soon as negroes and men of colour
enjoy the rights of liberty, they generally become
better and more kindly. And this improvement
is observable in the children of such as have ob-
tained their freedom.
-2
v
go
On leaving the school, Fred accompanied his
parents to the physician's , where the father re-
ceived buth physic and advice, and was comforted
with the prospect of amendment.
In the evening, they returned on board.
CHAP. VIZ.
Fred visits the coffee and tobacco plantations.
The ship remained a good while in port, for
the captain did some profitable business in Ha-
vanna, and during the whole time of this pro-
tracted stay, he boarded his passengers at his
own expense, and in the handsomest manner; and
they were allowed to go ashore.
Our Fred, having got rid of many of his bad
habits, since he was on board, had grown so
great a favorite with the captain, who was fond of
children, that he had a little sailor's suit made for
him, and promoted him to be his jockey, which
was tantamount to his errand boy.
Fred fulfilled his new office vastly well, but
we will now accompany him and the captain
(mentally at least) to a plantation where coffee
was raised, and then to another where tobacco
was cultivated.
The coffee plantations are very beautiful to
look at; they are situated in a more healthy neigh-
ai
bourhood than other plantations, and are chiefly
managed by negroes.
Wise and humane planters take care of
their slaves, for only healthy slaves have the
strength and the will to work. The planter in
question was the captain's intimate friend.
Fred was quite astonished when he entered
whole groves of blooming coffee trees, and inha-
led the refreshing fragrance of their blossoms. In
one sheltered valley the fruit was already ripe.
The trees bear a fruit resembling a scarlet cherry,
which contains the coffee-berry in its kernel.
The cherries must be gathered, and the ker-
nels divested of their husks, all of which, as well
as the carrying away the sacks of coffee-berries,
and the making these sacks of bass (which is the
bark of the linden tree) is performed by the sla-
ves.
The owner of the plantation, at whose house
the captain put up, gave them some coffee made
of fresh berries, for breakfast.
This was a most delicious drink, which our
Fred relished exceedingly. After breakfast they
went to see first the plantations of tea-trees, and
then the tobacco-fields. Tracts of land, more than
a mile in circumference, were planted with tobacco,
and being in full blossom looked like flowery
meadows.
Hundreds of slaves were busied here in
plucking the leaves and hanging them up to dry;
S3
and in a large shed, near at hand, the dried leaves
were made into cigars.
But this was not a very dainty process, as
the negroes roll out the tobacco on their bare
thighs, which are often scored with wounds and
sores inflicted by the whip. The negro boys made
up the rolls of tobacco.
After sunset, the planter gave them all a ho-
liday, in honor of bis guests, and the slaves ate
and drank and danced. Ail was life, animation
and joy, and their sufferings appeared to be quite
forgotten.
And now the guests were summoned to sup-
per at the master's table, which stood under a
palm-tree, and was spread with the most dainty
fare.
The night was lovely. The beautiful sky pe-
culiar to a southern latitude was arching over
their heads, and all was gaiety around them.
But their joy was to be disturbed by an
alarming piece of news. And what may that be?
will our young readers exclaim. This they shall
learn in the next chapter.
CHAP. VIII.
An attach, Fred appears in the character
of a drummer.
A mulatto messenger panting with fatigue
and dripping with perspiration, now brought the
as
news that a corps of American volunteers had
suddenly come into a neighbouring creek on board
of pirate vessels, and that their outpost was al-
ready approaching the seaport. Their object was
to incite the slaves to rebellion, and to free
Cuba from the Spanish yoke with their assistance.
The planter answered : "My slaves will be
faithful to me, and I shall arm them and all my
friends. Let those who have courage follow me!"
They now rose from table, the alarm drum
was beaten, and the slaves armed themselves.
The captain was quite ready to take part in
the affray, for in the case of an irruption, it would
have been useless to attempt to escape, as the
enemy surrounded them on all sides, and there
was nothing for it but to expose one's life and
try to make the best of the scrape they were in.
"But what shall I do with you?" said he to
Fred , who young as he was, seemed quite willing
to fight.
"Give me a drum," answered Fred, "the old
watchman of our village, who was once a drum-
mer in the army, taught me how to beat the
drum, and I know how to play a march."
"Well! you shall have your way," said the
captain.
So Fred had a drum given him, and he be-
gan beating a march. The people were soon ar-
med, and rushed forward to meet the enemy;
the slaves remained faithful to their master, and
he was able to trust them all with weapons.
»4
This was his reward for having treated them
with more humanity and justice than most of the
other planters.
They now reached the creek. The enemy
had landed, but had not been able to disembark all
at once. They had expected no opposition, and
thought to win over all the slaves to their side.
In this, however, they were deceived, and met
with resistance.
The fight now began.
Fred went on beating his drum fearlessly,
and did not tremble even when the wounded and
the dying were falling around him. When the fight
was over, and the enemy were beaten, and their
leader taken prisoner, and Fred had to beat the
homeward march, he heard some one groaning
behind a bramble bush, and on turning round,
he saw the planter lying wounded, and bathed in
his blood.
Fred instantly beat a roll-call, which brought
together some of the dispersed riflemen, as well
as a surgeon, who stopped the flowing of the
wounded man's blood, and thus saved his life.
Without Fred he would certainly have been lost,
for nobody would have gone to look for him just
there.
The victory was complete. The commander-
in-chief of the troop of volunteers, having been
taken prisoner, was condemned and executed.
The same fate befell all the officers, and the sol-
diers became prisoners of war.
to
Uh,v
