How the Angola Trade Fed Cartagena

Pero en lo que toca al rescate de esta tierra, que parece que el Padre se escusa de tratarlo. Digo, que en vna ocasion se me lamentaua vn Capitan de vna armazon de negros, que traía de Angola en vn nauio, por auer tocado en vn baxio llamado los Negrillos a vista de Cartagena, y corrido tan gran naufragio (exemplo de lo que acabamos de dezir) que solamente escapò treinta de nouecientos que en èl traía, que tambien ay venturas en las desdichas.

But as regards the rescate of this land, which it seems the Father excuses himself from treating. I say that on one occasion a captain lamented to me about an armazón of Blacks that he was bringing from Angola in a ship, because of having struck on a shoal called the Negrillos within sight of Cartagena, and run [into] such a great shipwreck (an example of what we have just said) that only thirty escaped of nine hundred that he was carrying in it, for there are also [degrees of] fortune in misfortunes.

As for the trade in captives1 in Angola itself, which the Father seems to excuse himself from discussing,2 I will say this. Once a captain came to me grieving over a whole cargo of Africans3 that he was bringing from Angola4 in his ship. It had struck a shoal called the Negrillos, within sight of Cartagena, and was so badly wrecked that only thirty of the nine hundred aboard escaped. This is an example of what we have just said, for even misfortunes come in degrees.

1. Rescate, literally “ransom,” was the usual Spanish word for buying captives in Africa. It made the purchase sound like a rescue.
2. Earlier in this chapter Sandoval quotes a letter of 1611 from Luis Brandão, rector of the Jesuit college at Luanda, who wrote that the trade from Angola was seldom questioned.
3. An armazón was a whole shipload of enslaved Africans, counted as one cargo.
4. Angola, the Portuguese colony around Luanda on the coast of West Central Africa, then the largest single source of captives shipped to Spanish America.

Lastimòme el caso, assombròme el numero que deuia de auer en Angola de negros de rescate, y de vnas en otras me vino a contar la causa de la muchedumbre presente, aun con auer libertado a muchos por respeto de lo que contra la injusticia de su cautiuerio predicaua publicamente el Padre Rector Luis Brandaon (cuya carta acabo de referir.)

The case grieved me; the number of Blacks for rescate that there must be in Angola astonished me; and from one thing to another he came to tell me the cause of the present multitude, even with [the fact of] having freed many out of regard for what the Father Rector Luis Brandaon (whose letter I have just related) preached publicly against the injustice of their captivity.

The case grieved me, and I was astonished at how many Africans for sale there must be in Angola. One thing led to another, and he came to tell me the reason there were so many now. This was true even though many had been freed because of what the Father Rector, Luis Brandaon, whose letter I have just quoted, preached publicly against the injustice of their captivity.

Mostrè admirarme de lo que me dezia, por auer sido informado muy al contrario del mismo Padre, a que dixo, que no seria en el caso presente. Roguele me lo contasse: dixo que trauado guerra dos poderosos Reyes entre si, el vno viendose afligido de su contrario embiò su Embaxador, pidiendo socorro a quien entre los nuestros se lo podia dar, con vn rico presente de gran suma de negros, que le mouieron el animo, de suerte que se lo embiò copioso de buenos soldados: no se le escondio esto al Rey contrario, que pareciendole, que si èl hazia lo mismo, y se auentajaua en don, tambien tendria auentajado socorro: juzgando, que el interes, como es tan poderoso, y como orador que tan bien persuade, podria ser que le rindiesse.

I showed [myself] to wonder at what he told me, having been informed very much to the contrary by the same Father; to which he said that it would not be [so] in the present case. I begged him to tell it to me: he said that, two powerful kings having joined war between themselves, the one, seeing himself distressed by his opponent, sent his ambassador, asking help of one who among ours could give it to him, with a rich present of a great sum of Blacks, which moved his spirit, so that he sent it [the help] to him abundant in good soldiers: this was not hidden from the opposing king, who, it seeming to him that if he did the same and outdid [him] in gift, he would also have greater help, judging that interest, as it is so powerful, and as an orator who persuades so well, might be [able] to win him over.

I showed surprise at what he told me, since the Father himself had told me something very different. He answered that it was not so in this case. I begged him to tell me the story. He said that two powerful kings had gone to war with each other. One of them, hard pressed by his enemy, sent an ambassador to ask for help from someone on our side who could give it. He sent along a rich present, a great number of slaves, and this won the man over, so that he sent the king plenty of good soldiers. This did not escape the enemy king. He thought that if he did the same, and gave a bigger gift, he too would get more help. He judged that self-interest is so powerful, and so persuasive a speaker, that it might win the man over.

Como si adiuinara sucedio: que es la poca possibilidad cruel verdugo de los que nacieron con honra. Viendose pues ambos socorridos vinieron a las manos, trauaron cruel guerra, vencio el vno. Desta rota tomaron ocasion muchos ladrones, y gente ociosa, y de mala vida para hazer en el Reino muchos insultos, robos, y latrocinios, que semejantes desgracias son ferias francas en que los tales grangean, y se aprouechan, viendo que la justicia està ocupada, y diuertida en las desgracias; y que la confusion no dà lugar a recatos. Con lo qual huuo abundante rescate, y auia aquel gran numero de esclauos, que al presente corria, y de donde salian los innumerables negros que a Cartagena llegauan en aquel tiempo.

As if he had guessed, it happened: for little means is a cruel executioner of those who were born with honor. Both, then, seeing themselves helped, came to blows, joined cruel war; the one won. From this rout many thieves and idle people of evil life took occasion to commit in the kingdom many assaults, robberies and thefts, for such misfortunes are free fairs in which such people profit and take advantage, seeing that justice is occupied and distracted in the misfortunes, and that the confusion gives no room for caution. With which there was abundant rescate, and there was that great number of slaves which was current at present, and from where came the innumerable Blacks who were arriving at Cartagena at that time.

It happened just as if he had foreseen it, for poverty is a cruel executioner of those born to honor. With both sides reinforced, they came to blows and fought a cruel war, and one of them won. Many thieves and idle, lawless people seized on this defeat to commit assaults, robberies, and thefts across the kingdom. Disasters like these are open fairs where such people do business and profit, since the law is busy and distracted by the disaster, and in the confusion no one is on guard. So captives were plentiful, and that was why there were so many slaves on the market now. From there came the countless Africans who were reaching Cartagena at that time.

Pero el ordinario modo, y trato desta tierra, en orden a rescatar las piezas de que hazen sus armaçones para sacarlas a otras partes, es bien que le aduirtamos, y es, que los vezinos, y moradores de Loanda tienen algunos negros, que llaman Pumberos, que vale cada vno mil pesos: estos se parten en compañia de otros, que llaman cargadores, lleuando a cuestas la hazienda para el rescate, la tierra adentro trecho de ochenta leguas, donde hallan vnas grandes ferias, y juntas, para rescatar en ellas muchos negros, a quienes llaman Genses, que quiere dezir mercaderes, que han venido de mas de docientas y trecientas leguas, con muchos negros de diferentes Reinos, para rescatarlos por varias mercaderias a los Pumberos,

But the ordinary manner and trade of this land, in order to rescatar the pieces of which they make their armazones to take them out to other parts, it is well that we note it, and it is that the citizens and inhabitants of Loanda have some Blacks whom they call Pumberos, each of whom is worth a thousand pesos: these set out in company of others whom they call carriers, carrying on their backs the goods for the rescate, inland a distance of eighty leagues, where they find some great fairs and gatherings, to rescatar in them many Blacks, whom they call Genses, which means merchants, who have come from more than two hundred and three hundred leagues, with many Blacks of different kingdoms, to rescatar them for various merchandise to the Pumberos,

But we should note the ordinary way the trade works in that land, how they buy the “pieces”5 that make up their cargoes to ship them elsewhere. The citizens and settlers of Luanda6 own certain Africans whom they call Pumberos,7 each of them worth a thousand pesos. These men set out with others, called carriers, who carry the trade goods on their backs eighty leagues8 inland. There they find great fairs and gatherings where they can buy many Africans. The sellers are Africans called Genses, which means merchants, who have come from more than two or three hundred leagues away with many captives from different kingdoms. They trade them to the Pumberos for all kinds of goods.

5. Spaniards at the time often called a captive a pieza, a “piece,” as if counting goods.
6. Luanda, the Portuguese port and capital of Angola.
7. Pumbeiros (from the Kimbundu word for a slave market inland) were African and Afro-Portuguese agents who went inland to buy captives for the merchants of Luanda.
8. A Spanish league was roughly 3 to 4 miles (5 to 6 km). Eighty leagues is well over two hundred miles.

los quales en auiendo comprado, se bueluen a dar cuenta a sus amos, trayendo para prueua, y testimonio de los que se le han muerto en el camino, algunas manos, que causa verlas, y sentir su mal olor, horror, y assombro.

who, having bought, go back to give account to their masters, bringing as proof and testimony of those who have died on them on the road some hands, which to see them and smell their bad odor causes horror and dread.

Once the Pumberos have bought, they go back to report to their masters. As proof of the captives who died on them along the road, they bring back some of their hands. To see them, and to smell their stench, fills one with horror and dread.