Colonel Lloyd kept from three to four hundred slaves on his home plantation, and owned a large number more on the neighboring farms belonging to him. The names of the farms nearest to the home plantation were Wye Town and New Design. "Wye Town" was under the overseership of a man named Noah Willis. New Design was under the overseership of a Mr. Townsend. The overseers of these, and all the rest of the farms, numbering over twenty, received advice and direction from the managers of the home plantation. This was the great business place. It was the seat of government for the whole twenty farms. All disputes among the overseers were settled here. If a slave was convicted of any high misdemeanor, became unmanageable, or evinced a determination to run away, he was brought immediately here, severely9 whipped, put on board the sloop, carried to Baltimore, and sold to Austin Woolfolk, or some other slave-trader, as a warning to the slaves remaining.
Here, too, the slaves of all the other farms received their monthly allowance of food, and their yearly clothing. The men and women slaves received, as their monthly allowance of food, eight pounds of pork, or its equivalent in fish, and one bushel of corn meal. Their yearly clothing consisted of two coarse linen10 shirts, one pair of linen trousers, like the shirts, one jacket, one pair of trousers for winter, made of coarse negro cloth, one pair of stockings, and one pair of shoes; the whole of which could not have cost more than seven dollars. The allowance of the slave children was given to their mothers, or the old women having the care of them. The children unable to work in the field had neither shoes, stockings, jackets, nor trousers, given to them; their clothing consisted of two coarse linen shirts per year. When these failed them, they went naked until the next allowance-day. Children from seven to ten years old, of both sexes, almost naked, might be seen at all seasons of the year.
There were no beds given the slaves, unless one coarse blanket be considered such, and none but the men and women had these. This, however, is not considered a very great privation. They find less difficulty from the want of beds, than from the want of time to sleep; for when their day's work in the field is done, the most of them having their washing, mending, and cooking to do, and having few or none of the ordinary facilities for doing either of these, very many of their sleeping hours are consumed in preparing for the field the coming day; and when this is done, old and young, male and female, married and single, drop down side by side, on one common bed,—the cold, damp floor,—each covering himself or herself with their miserable11 blankets; and here they sleep till they are summoned to the field by the driver's horn. At the sound of this, all must rise, and be off to the field. There must be no halting; every one must be at his or her post; and woe12 betides them who hear not this morning summons to the field; for if they are not awakened13 by the sense of hearing, they are by the sense of feeling: no age nor sex finds any favor. Mr. Severe, the overseer, used to stand by the door of the quarter, armed with a large hickory stick and heavy cowskin, ready to whip any one who was so unfortunate as not to hear, or, from any other cause, was prevented from being ready to start for the field at the sound of the horn.
Mr. Severe was rightly named: he was a cruel man. I have seen him whip a woman, causing the blood to run half an hour at the time; and this, too, in the midst of her crying children, pleading for their mother's release. He seemed to take pleasure in manifesting his fiendish barbarity. Added to his cruelty, he was a profane14 swearer. It was enough to chill the blood and stiffen15 the hair of an ordinary man to hear him talk. Scarce a sentence escaped him but that was commenced or concluded by some horrid16 oath. The field was the place to witness his cruelty and profanity. His presence made it both the field of blood and of blasphemy17. From the rising till the going down of the sun, he was cursing, raving18, cutting, and slashing19 among the slaves of the field, in the most frightful21 manner. His career was short. He died very soon after I went to Colonel Lloyd's; and he died as he lived, uttering, with his dying groans22, bitter curses and horrid oaths. His death was regarded by the slaves as the result of a merciful providence23.
Mr. Severe's place was filled by a Mr. Hopkins. He was a very different man. He was less cruel, less profane, and made less noise, than Mr. Severe. His course was characterized by no extraordinary demonstrations24 of cruelty. He whipped, but seemed to take no pleasure in it. He was called by the slaves a good overseer.
The home plantation of Colonel Lloyd wore the appearance of a country village. All the mechanical operations for all the farms were performed here. The shoemaking and mending, the blacksmithing, cartwrighting, coopering, weaving, and grain-grinding, were all performed by the slaves on the home plantation. The whole place wore a business-like aspect very unlike the neighboring farms. The number of houses, too, conspired25 to give it advantage over the neighboring farms. It was called by the slaves the Great House Farm. Few privileges were esteemed higher, by the slaves of the out-farms, than that of being selected to do errands at the Great House Farm. It was associated in their minds with greatness. A representative could not be prouder of his election to a seat in the American Congress, than a slave on one of the out-farms would be of his election to do errands at the Great House Farm. They regarded it as evidence of great confidence reposed26 in them by their overseers; and it was on this account, as well as a constant desire to be out of the field from under the driver's lash20, that they esteemed it a high privilege, one worth careful living for. He was called the smartest and most trusty fellow, who had this honor conferred upon him the most frequently. The competitors for this office sought as diligently27 to please their overseers, as the office-seekers in the political parties seek to please and deceive the people. The same traits of character might be seen in Colonel Lloyd's slaves, as are seen in the slaves of the political parties.
The slaves selected to go to the Great House Farm, for the monthly allowance for themselves and their fellow-slaves, were peculiarly enthusiastic. While on their way, they would make the dense28 old woods, for miles around, reverberate29 with their wild songs, revealing at once the highest joy and the deepest sadness. They would compose and sing as they went along, consulting neither time nor tune30. The thought that came up, came out—if not in the word, in the sound;—and as frequently in the one as in the other. They would sometimes sing the most pathetic sentiment in the most rapturous tone, and the most rapturous sentiment in the most pathetic tone. Into all of their songs they would manage to weave something of the Great House Farm. Especially would they do this, when leaving home. They would then sing most exultingly31 the following words:—
"I am going away to the Great House Farm!
O, yea! O, yea! O!"
This they would sing, as a chorus, to words which to many would seem unmeaning jargon32, but which, nevertheless, were full of meaning to themselves. I have sometimes thought that the mere33 hearing of those songs would do more to impress some minds with the horrible character of slavery, than the reading of whole volumes of philosophy on the subject could do.
I did not, when a slave, understand the deep meaning of those rude and apparently34 incoherent songs. I was myself within the circle; so that I neither saw nor heard as those without might see and hear. They told a tale of woe which was then altogether beyond my feeble comprehension; they were tones loud, long, and deep; they breathed the prayer and complaint of souls boiling over with the bitterest anguish35. Every tone was a testimony36 against slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains. The hearing of those wild notes always depressed37 my spirit, and filled me with ineffable38 sadness. I have frequently found myself in tears while hearing them. The mere recurrence39 to those songs, even now, afflicts40 me; and while I am writing these lines, an expression of feeling has already found its way down my cheek. To those songs I trace my first glimmering41 conception of the dehumanizing character of slavery. I can never get rid of that conception. Those songs still follow me, to deepen my hatred42 of slavery, and quicken my sympathies for my brethren in bonds. If any one wishes to be impressed with the soul-killing effects of slavery, let him go to Colonel Lloyd's plantation, and, on allowance-day, place himself in the deep pine woods, and there let him, in silence, analyze43 the sounds that shall pass through the chambers44 of his soul,—and if he is not thus impressed, it will only be because "there is no flesh in his obdurate45 heart."
I have often been utterly46 astonished, since I came to the north, to find persons who could speak of the singing, among slaves, as evidence of their contentment and happiness. It is impossible to conceive of a greater mistake. Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears. At least, such is my experience. I have often sung to drown my sorrow, but seldom to express my happiness. Crying for joy, and singing for joy, were alike uncommon47 to me while in the jaws48 of slavery. The singing of a man cast away upon a desolate49 island might be as appropriately considered as evidence of contentment and happiness, as the singing of a slave; the songs of the one and of the other are prompted by the same emotion.
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1
auld
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| adj.老的，旧的 | |
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plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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3
superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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4
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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6
sloop
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| n.单桅帆船 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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8
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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10
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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11
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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13
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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14
profane
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| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
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15
stiffen
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| v.(使)硬，(使)变挺，(使)变僵硬 | |
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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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blasphemy
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| n.亵渎，渎神 | |
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18
raving
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| adj.说胡话的；疯狂的，怒吼的；非常漂亮的；令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话；疯话adv.胡言乱语地；疯狂地 | |
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19
slashing
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| adj.尖锐的；苛刻的；鲜明的；乱砍的v.挥砍( slash的现在分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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20
lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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21
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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23
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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24
demonstrations
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| 证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威 | |
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25
conspired
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| 密谋( conspire的过去式和过去分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致 | |
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reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
diligently
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| ad.industriously;carefully | |
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28
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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29
reverberate
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| v.使回响，使反响 | |
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30
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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31
exultingly
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| 兴高采烈地，得意地 | |
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32
jargon
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| n.术语，行话 | |
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33
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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34
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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35
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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36
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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37
depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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38
ineffable
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| adj.无法表达的，不可言喻的 | |
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39
recurrence
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| n.复发，反复，重现 | |
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40
afflicts
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的名词复数 ) | |
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41
glimmering
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| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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42
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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43
analyze
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| vt.分析，解析 (=analyse) | |
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44
chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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45
obdurate
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| adj.固执的，顽固的 | |
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46
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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47
uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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48
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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49
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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