AHN – Chapter 6 Africans Cross the Sea (Part 2)

Due to mistake, Chapter 6 was posted in chapter 5. I have updated the chapter 5.

Three hours had passed, and the storm had subsided.

While black clouds still lingered in the sky, the sea had calmed as if nothing had happened.

As the clouds began to thin, dusk approached.

Through the clouds, the red light of the setting sun could be seen leaning beyond the bow.

—Are we heading towards where the sun sets?

Carrying coiled ropes over his shoulder, Demba thought vaguely.

“You’re moving too damn slow!”

A blond man struck Demba’s waist with a stick. He stifled a groan. Demba didn’t look at the man; he knew he’d be struck again if he did.

Behind Demba, a slave stumbled and dropped the rope he carried.

He fell to his knees on the deck, clutching his side in pain, his face contorted.

“Don’t just stand there gawking!”

The man kicked him, and the slave fell to the floor, gasping for breath.

“Move, you bastard!” The man raised the stick.

“Stop.”

Demba’s mouth opened.

“What?” The man turned around, approaching Demba.

“You… understood what I said?” The man’s eyes widened.

Demba nodded.

The blond man turned and grabbed the sleeve of a young man beside him.

“Hey, where’s the captain?”

“Just by listening, you understood?” The well-built red-haired man in a black jacket grunted.

Demba nodded.

“Unbelievable… Is there someone who taught you?” He grimaced and glanced at the first mate.

“Well, sir, no,” the chestnut-haired man interjected.

“In this understaffed ship, there’s no time for such things. Besides, in Africa, there are only a handful who speak Dutch, even among the locals,” the first mate added.

The captain, with his hand on his chin, fell silent, gazing towards the sea from the deck.

The capture of locals in Africa wasn’t directly conducted by the Europeans.

Most slave raids were conducted by African groups aiming for financial gain.

While often funded by European trading nations, they didn’t directly capture Africans; rather, they bought them from locally established “companies” using money.

“Can you speak too?” The captain turned to Kanga.

The first mate had asked if there were others like Demba who could do the same.

“Little bit,” Kanga replied.

The captain rested his hand on his chin, again falling silent.

“Third hold is vacant,” the captain murmured after a moment.

“Yes, well, it’s a spare warehouse for cargo from the ‘continent,'” the first mate replied.

“They’ll stay there from today. — Meals will be the same as the rest of the crew.”

The first mate furrowed his brow.

“Is that alright? Won’t it cause trouble?” the captain waved his hand.

“It doesn’t matter. If anyone objects, say it’s my order. — They won’t be offloaded in the ‘continent.’ They’ll be taken to the country. Got it?”

“Huh?” The first mate’s expression turned complex. But the captain’s order was absolute.

“Understood, sir, Captain Bevestadt.”

Demba and Kanga, thus, did not end up being traded in the New World but were transported to Europe.

The form of slave trade in this era was known as the “triangular trade.” Ships departing from Western Europe sailed south to Africa to purchase slaves, as well as goods such as fur, ivory, and gold. They then sailed west to North and South America, the so-called “New World,” to sell the slaves. The slaves were then sold to wholesalers, further auctioned, and became individuals’ property, working in activities like mining or on sugar cane plantations. Meanwhile, the ships purchased resources like minerals and agricultural products in the New World and returned to Europe to sell them.

Demba and Kanga, having a means of communication, ended up in Europe without being bought and sold in the New World.

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And thus, Demba and Kanga were not bought and sold in the New World but made their way to Europe.