Robinson Crusoe

I become a Slave-trader

A secret plan

I was now  a wealthy sugar planter in Brazil. I ahd not only learned the language but made many friends among the other sugar planters. I often describe for them my two other voyages to Guinea, and the process of trading the negroes there, and how you can trade gold dust inexchange for all sorts of goods.

My fellow sugar planters always listened very carefully when i was speaking about the trade of the negroes, at that time the trade of negroes was only allowed with the kings of spain and portuguese permissions, and only few negroes were obtained for agreat amount of money.

One day i was talking to some of the fellow sugar planters and they told me of a secret plan that they made. The plan was highly secret and i promised not to speak to anyone about it. They told me that they have prepared a ship to go to the Guinea coast. Same as me all the other sugar planters had a wide sugar plantation, so they needed negroes to work for them. They told me that it was only one voyage that all, they would transport the negroes from Guinea to Brazil, then they would divivde the negroes serperatly among themselves. The question was whether or not i would go to Guinea coast and be responsible for the trading part of the plan, if i agreed i will have my share of the negroes without having to pay any of the expeneses of the voyage.

I must admit that it was a fair deal, so i was foolish and accepted. The ship was prepared and on the first of september 1659 we set a sail to Guinea coast.

Our ship was one hundred and twenty tons in weight. It carried six guns and fourteen men, besides the captain, his son and myself. The ship was loaded with all the goods that were going to be used as a part of the trade.

Stromy weather

We set asail on that day, and went along the coast all the way along the brazilian coast, until we reached to Cape St. Augustino where form this point we had to sail further out to the sea, after tweleve days we crossed the equator, and then a fierce storm was blown upon us.

For twelve days the strom carried us to the unknown, during those twelve days i expected each day to be my last.

On the twelfth day the strom calmed, and the captain was able to located our location on the map, we were off the coast of Guiana, north of the river of Amazon. The ship was leaking, the captain suggested that it was better to return to the coast of Brazil, but i insisted on continuing the journey. It was quite impossible to reach the coast of Africa without help, so we changed our course in order to reach the Englishs Islands, where it was hoped that we might be able to get some help, but then yet another storm blow which carried the ship to the ocean.

Early in the morning, while the wind was blowing hard one of the crew members cried, "Land!!" we rushed to the deck , where suddenly we got hit to a sandbank. Seawater started to rush to the deck. We went quickly back to the cabin to escape from the huge waves that were breaking over us.