1st Diary Entry - The Capture
1856
1st Entry
I have worked at the plantation for 5 years now. I have learnt the language of the white men, and I have learnt to do as I’m told or they will whip me, shackle me, and torture me. I have worked hard to get to where I am. I have grown to be happy with the life I have. I have to watch the other slaves, my brothers and sisters, get hurt for not doing as told. I never thought my life would be like this. I can actually still remember, my life back in Africa, and I can still remember the day I got caught.
I remember that I was out hunting, for the day’s dinner, when a friend of mine, Tuhey, came running out of the forest. He had a scared look on his face, and I was very confused. As Tuhey reached me, four other black men, came running towards us, but they were nothing like us. They wore clothes I had never seen before. They were holding ropes and nets. That was when I figured it out. They were working for the white men. I turned around and set for the other side of the field, always making sure Tuhey was close by me. Tuhey was about to head into the forest, when I thought about our families, and our village. I told Tuhey we could not run home. That would only lead the four hunters to our families, and friends. Tuhey looked scared, but we set off, along the edge of the forest.
We ran for minutes, not daring to stop for the fear of the men being right behind us. That is why we didn’t see the two men that jumped out of the forest in front of us. They threw the nets over us, and we were captured. The four other men, caught up with us, and they picked up the nets, and started walking back, away from the inland, and out towards the shore. I was scared out of my mind. What was to become of me? I thought about the horrible tales, about the white men, and ship, and the whip, and the land on the other side of the big river (What I now know is an ocean). Tuhey was carried next to me. He was still a young boy.
After minutes of walking, we arrived at the shore. I could see a big boat out in the water. White, and black, men where bustling around working. Some were leading other blacks (like me, and Tuhey), towards a wooden cage. There were already a few other men, and women, who looked distressed, and hysterical. I never thought this would happen to me. The six men that had caught me, and Tuhey, walked over to the cage, and dumped us inside.
I tried talking to the black men outside the cage, but they never even turned their head in my direction. They must either be from another tribe, or they had orders to not communicate with us. As I looked around the cage, I was met by angry eyes, and tear-stained faces.
It took me a while to realise that most of the white men had started surrounding the cage. I heard an anger cry, and then many of the men started trying to attack the white men close to the cage. I decided to stand there, and not attack, for the fear of getting hurt by the white men. I had heard many horrible tales of the land on the other side. I had been warned at a young age, to watch out for the white men. I had been warned about the awful way they would treat me, if I was caught.
Somehow the white men managed to get all of us on the ship, without too much of a struggle. I will tell you about that tomorrow.
1st Entry
I have worked at the plantation for 5 years now. I have learnt the language of the white men, and I have learnt to do as I’m told or they will whip me, shackle me, and torture me. I have worked hard to get to where I am. I have grown to be happy with the life I have. I have to watch the other slaves, my brothers and sisters, get hurt for not doing as told. I never thought my life would be like this. I can actually still remember, my life back in Africa, and I can still remember the day I got caught.
I remember that I was out hunting, for the day’s dinner, when a friend of mine, Tuhey, came running out of the forest. He had a scared look on his face, and I was very confused. As Tuhey reached me, four other black men, came running towards us, but they were nothing like us. They wore clothes I had never seen before. They were holding ropes and nets. That was when I figured it out. They were working for the white men. I turned around and set for the other side of the field, always making sure Tuhey was close by me. Tuhey was about to head into the forest, when I thought about our families, and our village. I told Tuhey we could not run home. That would only lead the four hunters to our families, and friends. Tuhey looked scared, but we set off, along the edge of the forest.
We ran for minutes, not daring to stop for the fear of the men being right behind us. That is why we didn’t see the two men that jumped out of the forest in front of us. They threw the nets over us, and we were captured. The four other men, caught up with us, and they picked up the nets, and started walking back, away from the inland, and out towards the shore. I was scared out of my mind. What was to become of me? I thought about the horrible tales, about the white men, and ship, and the whip, and the land on the other side of the big river (What I now know is an ocean). Tuhey was carried next to me. He was still a young boy.
After minutes of walking, we arrived at the shore. I could see a big boat out in the water. White, and black, men where bustling around working. Some were leading other blacks (like me, and Tuhey), towards a wooden cage. There were already a few other men, and women, who looked distressed, and hysterical. I never thought this would happen to me. The six men that had caught me, and Tuhey, walked over to the cage, and dumped us inside.
I tried talking to the black men outside the cage, but they never even turned their head in my direction. They must either be from another tribe, or they had orders to not communicate with us. As I looked around the cage, I was met by angry eyes, and tear-stained faces.
It took me a while to realise that most of the white men had started surrounding the cage. I heard an anger cry, and then many of the men started trying to attack the white men close to the cage. I decided to stand there, and not attack, for the fear of getting hurt by the white men. I had heard many horrible tales of the land on the other side. I had been warned at a young age, to watch out for the white men. I had been warned about the awful way they would treat me, if I was caught.
Somehow the white men managed to get all of us on the ship, without too much of a struggle. I will tell you about that tomorrow.