1840 Amistad Biographical Sketch of Slaves

This page is from A History of the Amistad Captives: being a Circumstantial Account of the Capture of the Spanish Schooner Amistad, by the Africans on board, Their Voyage, and Capture near Long Island, New York; with Biographical Sketches of each of the surviving Africans. Also an Account of the Trials had on their case, before the District Courts of the United States,for the District of Connecticut. Written by John Warner Barber, compiler, New Haven, Ct. 1840. Transcribed below.

(i.)Sooeo-osr.,[Cin-gne,](generally spelt Cinquez) was born in Ma-ni, in Dzho-poa, i.e. in the open lend, in the Men-di country. The distance from Maui to Lomboko, he says, is ten suns, or days. His mother is dead, and he lived with his father. He has a wife and three children, one son and two daughters. His son’s name is Ge-waw, (God.) His king, Ka-lum-bo, lived at Kawmen-di, a large town in the Mendi country. He is a planter of rice, and never owned or sold slaves. He was seized by four men, when traveling in the road, and his right hand tied to his neck. Ma-ya-gi-la-lo sold him to Ba-ma-dyha, son of Shaka, king of Gen-du-ma, in the Vai country. Bamadzha carried him to Lomboko and sold him to a Spaniard. He was with Mayagilalo three nights; with Bamsdzha one month, and at Lomboko two months. He had heard of Pedro Blanco, who lived at Te-i-Iu, near Lomboko.*


(‘2.) Gi-LA-Bo-eu, [Grab—call,] (have mercy on me,) was born at Pu-lu, in the Mendi country, two moons’ journey into the interior. His name in the public prints is generally spelt GRABEAU. He was the next after Cingue in command the Amistad. His parents are dead, one brother and one sister living. He is married, but no children he is a planter of rice. His king Baw-baw, lived at Pu-lu. He saw Cingue at Fulu and Fadzhinna, in Bombali. He was caught on the road when going to Taurang, in the Bandi country, to buy clothes. His uncle had bought two slaves in Bandi, and gave them in payment for a debt; one of them ran away, and he (Grabeau) was taken for him. He was sold to a Vai-man, who sold him to Laigo, a Spaniard, at Lomboko. Slaves in this place are put into a prison, two...