Saturday June 21 marks the 195th anniversary of one of the most dastardly of murderous acts committed against Africans. As recorded, on June 21, 1819, at least 36 Africans brought to the Caribbean on the French slave ship, Le Rodeur, were thrown overboard to drown when the ship arrived in Guadeloupe. The slave ship Rodeur set sail for Guadeloupe from the Bight of Biafra with a crew of 22 men and 162 slaves. After 15 days, a disease of the eyes appeared among the slaves in the hold. The heartless captain threw 36 slaves overboard, but the illness soon spread to the crew, and eventually everyone on board except for a single man was blind. Journalist John Randolph Spears wrote: “And then came one of the most remarkable incidents in the history of sea commerce. As the Rodeur was crawling along with this one man at the helm, another ship, with all sails set, was seen. That was a glad moment on the Rodeur, and she was quickly headed for the stranger, hoping to get men who could navigate the ship. Drawing near, the Rodeur’s lone helmsman observed that the stranger was steering wildly, and that no one could be seen on board. But the moment the Rodeur had arrived within hailing distance men came to the stranger’s rail, and in frantic tones said that every one on board had become blind, and begged for the help that the Rodeur had come to secure. The stranger was the Spanish slaver (ship) Leon.” Unable to help one another, the two ships parted. On June 21 the Rodeur reached Guadaloupe, where the last man went blind. The Leon passed into the Atlantic and was never seen again. The dead cannot cry out for justice. It is a duty of the living to do so for them. Lois McMaster Bujold.
Posted on: Fri, 20 Jun 2014 17:56:44 +0000
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