The African Trader | Page 4

Mammy, I was to fall in
with your little piccaniny, shall I bring him back to you?" I asked, with
the thoughtlessness of a boy--certainly not intending to hurt her

feelings. She dropped her work, gazing at me with a tearful eye.
"He fine little black boy, big as you when four year old," she said, and
stopped as if in thought, and then added, "Ah, Massa Harry, he no little
boy now though, him great big man like him fader, you no know him, I
no know him."
"But what is his name, Mammy? That would be of use," I said.
"Him called Cheebo," she answered, heaving a deep sigh. "But Africa
great big country--tousands and tousands of people; you no find
Cheebo among dem; God only find him. His eye everywhere. He hears
Mammy's prayers, dat great comfort."
"That it is, indeed," said Jane, fearing that my careless remarks had
needlessly grieved poor Mammy, by raising long dormant feelings in
her heart. "And oh, my dear Harry, if you are brought into danger, and
inclined to despair--and I fear you will have many dangers to go
through--recollect that those who love you at home are earnestly
praying for you; and at the same time never forget to pray for yourself,
and to feel assured that God will hear our united prayers, and preserve
you in the way He thinks best."
"I will try to remember," I said, "but do not fancy, Jane, that I am going
to run my head into all sorts of dangers. I daresay we shall have a very
pleasant voyage out, and be back again in a few months with a full
cargo of palm oil, ivory, gold-dust, and all sorts of precious things,
such as I understand Captain Willis is going to trade for."
"You will not forget Cheebo though, Massa Harry," said Mammy, in a
low voice. The idea that I might meet her son was evidently taking
strong possession of her mind.
"That I will not," I answered. "I'll ask his name of every black fellow I
meet, and if I find him I'll tell him that I know his mother Mammy, and
ask him to come with me to see you."
"Oh, but he not know dat name," exclaimed Mammy. "Me called

Ambah in Africa; him fader called Quamino. You no forget dat."
"I hope not; but I'll put them in my pocketbook," I said, writing down
the names, though I confess that I did so without any serious thoughts
about the matter, but merely for the sake of pleasing old Mammy.
When I told Captain Willis afterwards, he was highly amused with the
notion, and said that I might just as well try to find a needle in a bundle
of hay as to look for the old woman's son on the coast of Africa.
The day of parting from my poor sisters and our noble-hearted nurse
arrived. I did not expect to feel it so much as I did, and I could then
understand how much grief it caused them.
"Cheer up, Harry," said Captain Willis, as the "Chieftain," under all sail,
was standing down the Mersey. "You must not let thoughts of home get
the better of you. We shall soon be in blue water, and you must turn to
and learn to be a sailor. By the time you have made another voyage or
so I expect to have you as one of my mates, and, perhaps, before you
are many years older, you will become the commander of a fine craft
like this."
I followed the captain's advice, and by the time we had crossed the line
I could take my trick at the helm, and was as active aloft as many of the
elder seamen on board.
CHAPTER TWO.
THE "CHIEFTAIN" ARRIVES OFF THE COAST OF AFRICA, AND
WE CARRY ON A BRISK TRADE WITH THE NATIVES, WHO
COME OFF TO US THROUGH THE SURF.--AT LENGTH
CAPTAIN WILLIS PROPOSES TO RUN UP THE RIVER BONNY
TO COMPLETE OUR CARGO. NOT FORGETFUL OF MY
PROMISE TO MAMMY, I MAKE INQUIRIES FOR HER SON
CHEEBO.
It was my morning watch. I was indulging in the pleasure particularly
enjoyable after sweltering in the close hot atmosphere of the cabin, of
paddling about with bare feet on the wet deck, over which I and some

of the men were heaving buckets of water, while others were lustily
using holy-stones and scrubbing brushes, under the superintendence of
Mr Wesbey, the first mate. The black cook was lighting his fire in the
caboose, from whence a wreath of smoke ascended almost
perpendicularly in the clear atmosphere. The sea was smooth as glass,
but every now and then a slowly heaving swell lifted the vessel, and
caused her sails, which hung down against the