London, Published Decr. 1st, 1791, by J. Johnson, St. Paul’s Church Yard.
It is said this article was first introduced by one Destrades, who called himself a French officer, and must have brought it from the island of St. Domingo very lately, since I myself was well acquainted with this poor fellow, who since shot himself through the head with a pistol at Demerary.—As the circumstances of his [[305]]death were somewhat remarkable, I cannot resist the temptation of relating them. Having involved himself in debt, he turned to ready money his remaining effects, and fled from Surinam: next setting up in the Spanish contraband trade, his all was taken. Deprived of every thing, he now applied for protection to a friend at Demerary, who humanely gave him shelter: at this time an abscess gathering in his shoulder, every assistance was offered, but in vain, Mr. Destrades refusing to let it be even examined; his shoulder therefore grew worse, and even dangerous, but he persisted in not permitting it to be uncovered; till one day, having dressed himself in his best apparel, the family was alarmed by the report of fire-arms, when they found him weltering in his blood, with a pistol by his side; and then, to their surprize, having stripped him, the mark of V. for voleur, or thief, was discovered on the very shoulder he had attempted to conceal.—Thus ended the life of this poor wretch, who had for years at Paramaribo supported the character of a polite and well-bred gentleman, where he had indeed been universally respected.
Dinner being over at the Governor’s indigo-plantation, I now departed in his excellency’s coach to the waterside, where a tent-barge and eight oars lay in waiting to row me down to the estate Catwyk, in the River Comewina, whither I was invited by Mr. Goetzee, a Dutch naval officer, who was the proprietor of this beautiful country-seat. In this charming situation, no amusements [[306]]were wanting. There were carriages, saddle-horses, sail-boats, billiard-tables, &c. all ready for immediate use. But what embittered the pleasure was, the inhuman disposition of Mr. Goetzee’s lady, who flogged her negro slaves for every little trifle. For instance, one of the foot-boys, called Jacky, not having rinsed the glasses according to her mind, she ordered him to be whipped the next morning; but the unfortunate youth soon put himself beyond the reach of her resentment: for, having taken farewell of the other negroes on the estate, he went up stairs, laid himself down upon his master’s own bed, where, placing the muzzle of a loaded fowling-piece in his mouth, by the help of his toe he drew the trigger, and put an end to his existence. A couple of stout negroes were now sent up to see what was the matter; who, finding the bed all over bespattered with blood and brains, got orders to throw the body out of the window to the dogs, while the master and mistress were so very much alarmed, that they never got the better of it[2]; nor would any person consent to lie in the same apartment, till I chose it in preference to any other, being assuredly the most pleasant room, and the very best bed, in the house. What added much to the alarm of the family, was the circumstance of a favourite child lying fast asleep in the same apartment where this shocking catastrophe happened. They were, however, relieved from [[307]]their alarms on this score, by being informed that it had not received the smallest injury.
I had not been fourteen days on this plantation, when a female mulatto slave, called Yettee, for having jocosely said “her mistress had some debt as well as herself,” was stripped stark naked, and in a very indecent as well as inhuman manner flogged by two stout negroes before the dwelling-house door (while both her feet were locked to a heavy iron bolt) until hardly any skin was left on her thighs or sides. Five days after this I had the good fortune, however, to get her relieved from the iron-bolt, which was locked across her shins: but a Mrs. Van Eys, alledging she had affronted her also by her saucy looks, prevailed on Mrs. Goetzee to renew the punishment the same week; when she was actually so cruelly beaten, that I expected she could not have survived it.
Disgusted with this barbarity, I left the estate Catwyk, determined never more to return to it: but I still accompanying Mr. Goetzee to visit some of his other plantations from curiosity, in Cottica and Pirica Rivers, at one of these, called the Alia, a new-born female infant was presented me by way of compliment, to give it a name, which I called Charlotte. But the next morning, during breakfast, seven negroes were here again tied up and flogged, some with a cow-skin, which is very terrible.—Hence I made my retreat to the estate Sgraven-Hague, and there, meeting a mulatto youth in chains, whose name was Douglas, I with horror recollected his unhappy father, who had [[308]]been obliged to leave him a slave, and was now dead. Heartily tired of my excursion, I was now glad to make haste back to Paramaribo; where, as soon as I arrived, the first news I heard was that Colonel Fourgeoud’s French valet-de-chambre, poor Monsieur Laurant, had actually been buried before he was quite dead;—and that, for having been found drunk in an ale-house, no less than thirteen of our men had most severely run the gauntlet, and as many been terribly bastinadoed, the greatest number of which no more saw Europe;—also, that a Quaderoon youth and a Dutch sailor were found murdered on the beach.—I was now proceeding to take a walk on the plain or esplanade, but here I was called in by Mr. St—k—r, who conducting me three stories high: “From this window” (said he) “a few days since, leaped one of my black boys, to escape a gentle flogging; however, having only fainted in consequence of his fall, we soon brought him to life again by a hearty scouring on the ribs, so he did not escape; after which, for having risked himself, that is to say his master’s property, and frightened my wife, she ordered him to be sent to Fort Zelandia, where he received the interest, that is a most confounded spanso-bocko.”
The punishment called spanso-bocko is extremely severe indeed, and is executed in the following manner:—The prisoner’s hands being lashed together, he is laid down on the ground on one side, with his knees thrust between his arms, and these confined by a strong stake, [[309]]which separates them from his wrists, and is driven perpendicularly into the ground, insomuch that he can no more stir than if he was dead. In this locked position, trussed like a fowl, he is beaten on one side of his breech by a strong negro, with a handful of knotty tamarind branches, till the very flesh is cut away; he is then turned over on the other side, where the same dreadful flagellation is inflicted, till not a bit of skin is left, and the place of execution is dyed with blood: after which the raw lacerated wound is immediately washed with lemon-juice and gun-powder to prevent mortification, and then he is sent home to recover as well as he can.
The above cruel and indecent punishment is sometimes repeated at every street in the town of Paramaribo, to men and women indiscriminately, which is a severity absolutely beyond conception; however, it is never thus inflicted without a condemnation from the court. But a single spanso-bocko, without regard to age or sex, as I have just mentioned, may be ordered by any proprietor, either at home, or by sending the victim to the fortress, with a note to the public executioner, to whom some trifle in money is paid as a fee of office.
I next was addressed by a Monsieur Rochetaux, whose Coromantyn cook, having spoiled his ragout, had just cut his own throat to prevent a whipping; and Mr. Charles Reynsdorp’s lately did the same.
After these facts, can it be a matter of surprize, that [[310]]the negro slaves rise up in rebellion against masters who treat them with so very much severity?
As I do not recollect that I have described in what manner these insurgents generally attack the estates, I cannot introduce it on a more proper occasion.