Following are some long-winded references to
caboceering:
From the Indiana Daily Student, an unlinkable
article refers to our textbook:
You see, the blame for slavery also lies heavily
on Africa. Two black scholars, John Hope Franklin and Alfred A. Ross Jr.,
researched the history of slavery and racism in the United States, and wrote a
book called "From Slavery to Freedom." They found the history of slavery is not
divided into white and black.
When European slave traders went to
Africa, they didn't just park their boats and begin grabbing people. They had
to deal with the leaders of African tribes. The traders went to the local
chiefs, asked for permission to trade in that area and then bribed the chiefs
with gifts until they gave the traders members of his tribe to be used at the
trader's disposal to kidnap other Africans, according to Franklin and Ross. The
head kidnapper was an African, called a caboceer, and his job was to be
the main liaison between the chief and the traders. He was in charge of the
kidnapping. The greed of slavery cut Africa into many warring factions.
Africans kidnapped one another and sold them to the traders, and were among
those who became greatly wealthy from the slave trade. |
Preliminaries of a General Treaty, to be made
and entered into by THOMAS EDWARD BOWDICH, Esquire, for the Governor and
Council of Cape Coast Castle, and on the part of the British Government, with
SAI TOOTOO QUAMINA, King of Ashantee and its Dependencies.
From
http://cla.libart.calpoly.edu/~nclark/hist382/Traveller.htm
(formatted
here for much easier reading)
"Well you will do, go kill all the peo-ple,~ all the
Aquapims, and Akims, and all;" and so he killed all, and after he killed all he
came and told him. When he sent against Akim, the people in Akiin sent word
that they told their head men not to vex the King, but they would not mind
them, so he killed the head people, and the others begged his pardon.
When the King went to fight with the Fantees they sent this saucy word,
"We will kill you and your people, and stand on you;" then they did not kill
one Ashantee captain, but the King killed all the Fantee captains and people.
They do not stand on him. That time, after the King fought, all the Fantees
sent word, "Well we will serve you, but you must not send more harm to hurt us,
we don't want to fight more, but to make good friends with you."
Then
the King said, "What caboceer lives at Cape Coast
and Annamaboe, what books they get from the forts, let them send all, and then
we can be friends." And the King sent word too," If my messengers go to Cape
Coast fort, and if they bring pots of gold, and casks of goods, then I can't
take that, but I must have the books."
After that the King sent word to
the Governor of Cape Coast and the Governor of Annamaboe, " Well! you know. I
have killed all the Fantees, and I -must have Adocoo's and Amooney's books, and
I can make friends with you, good brother and good heart;" but now they send
four ackies, that is what, makes the King's heart break out when he looks on
the book and thinks of four ackies, and his captains swear that the Fautees are
rogues and want to cheat him.
When the, white men see the Fantees do
this, and the English officers bring -him this four, ackies, it 'makes him get
up very angry, but he has no palaver with. white men. All Fantee is his, all
the black man's country is his; he hears that white men bring all the things
that come here; he wonders they do not fight with the Fantees, for he knows
they cheat them. Now he sees white men, and he thanks God and his fetish for
it.
When the English made Apollonia fort he fought with the Aowins, the
masters of that country, and killed them; then he said to the caboceer,"
I have killed all your people, your book is mine," the caboceer said, "
True I so long as you take my town, the book belongs -to you." He went to
Dankara and fought, and killed the people; then he said, "Give me the book you
get from Elmina," so they did, and now Elmina belongs to him.
The
English fort at Accra gave a book to an Akim. caboceer, called Aboigin
Adjumawcon. The King killed him and took the book. The Dutch fort gave a book
to another Akim caboceer, Curry Curry Apam. The Danish fort gave a book
to another Akim caboceer, Arrawa Akim.
The King killed all and
took their books. This King, Sai, is young on the stool, but he keeps always in
his head what old men say, for it is good, and his great men and linguists tell
it him every morning. The King of England makes three great men, and sends one
to Cape Coast, one to Annamaboe, and one to Accra; Cape Coast is the same as
England.
The King gets two ounces from Accra every,moon, and the English
wish to give him only four ackies for the.big fort at Cape Coast, and the same
for Annamaboe; do white men think this proper? When the King killed the
Dankara' caboceer and got two ounces from Elmina, the Dutch Governor
said, "This is a proper King, we shall not play with him," and made the book
four ounces.
The King has killed all the people, and all the forts are
his; he sent his captains to see white men; now he sees them, and thanks God
and his fetish. If the path was good when the captains went, the King would
have gone under the forts and seen all the white men. The Ashantees take good
gold to Cape Coast, but the Fantees mix it; he sent some of his captains like
slaves to see, and they saw it; ten handkerchiefs are cut to eight, water is
put to rum, and charcoal to powder, even for the King; they cheat him, but he
thinks the white men give all those things proper to the Fantees.
The
King knows the King of England is his good friend, for he has sent him handsome
dashes; be knows his officers are his good friends, for they come to see him.
The King wishes the Governor to send to Elmina to see what is paid him there,
and to write the King of England how much, as, the English say their nation
passes the Dutch; he will see by the books given him by both forts.
If
the King of England does not like. that, he may send him himself what he
pleases, and then Sai can take it. He thanks the King and Governor for sending
four White men to see him. The old King wished to see some of them, but the
Fantees stop it. He is but a young man and sees them, and so again he thanks
God and his fetish.
Dictated in the presence of, T. EDWARD BOWDICH.
WILLIAM HUTCHISON HENRY TEDLIE
Preliminaries of a General Treaty, to
be made and entered into by THOMAS EDWARD BOWDICH, Esquire, for the Governor
and Council of Cape Coast Castle, and on the part of the British Government,
with SAI TOOTOO QUAMINA, King of Ashantee and its Dependencies.
1st. The King accepts the offer of the people of Commenda, through
the Governor-in- Chief; namely, one hundred and twenty ounces of gold for
himself, and the customary fees to his ambassadors, as a settlement in full of
all demands.
2nd. The people of Commenda shall acknowledge their fealty
to the King, and be entitled to all the benefits of his protection.
3rd. The King shall authorize some responsible captain to receive the
gold from the hands of the deputies of the people of Commenda, at Cape Coast
Castle.
4th. It is hereby agreed, that every palaver is now settled
preparatory to the General Treaty, which shall be executed forthwith.
Signed and sealed this twenty-ninth day of August, in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventeen. The mark of SAI TOOTOO QUAMINA.
T. E. BOWDICH. In the presence of WILLIAM HUTCISON. HENRY TEDLIE. ADOOCEE,
Chief Linguist. APOKOO, Keeper of the Treasury. QUAMINA QUATCHIE,
Linguist
to the Mission QUASHEE APAINTREE, |
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