SPANISH MAN-CATCHERS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 697, 7 April 1852, Page 4

SPANISH MAN-CATCHERS.

[From the Demcrara Royal Gazette.] We have, on several occasions, pointed out to the people of this colony, the extreme danger they incur by emigrating to the neighbouring state of Venezuela, especially that portion cf it styled, one would suppose in mockery rather than earnest, the “Gold diggings ” of Upata. On the 18th of January last we particularly warned the public to be on their guard against the kidnapping practices of certain smooth and plausible characters, who were then endeavouring to get some of our mechanics and labourers to embark with them, on seemingly advantageous terms, to the “ land of gold.” Being fortunately in possession of most undoubted information respecting the designs of these characters, we felt it our duty publicly to state on that day, that their only real object was to make slave* of such persons here as should be silly enough to listen to them, and emigrate to “ Oronoque,” as Venezuela is generally called in this colony. In most instances we have reason to believe our representations had the desired effect, and saved many poor people, who might have left the colony, and exposed themselves to the hardships and miseries of slavery in a foreign land. Some of our people, however, fancying themselves too wise to need any advice, were pleased to judge for themselves, and to laugh at our friendly warnings, as if they were built on old women’s tales or childish fears, or as if we had made what we stated out of our own heads. The consequence was, that a fow of these wise gentlemen with heads turned with dreams of diamonds and gold dust, were caught in the trap which the Oronoque slave dealers had set for them, and entering, full of smiles and hopes, into contracts to “ work for one-half” and “to be found,” away they started, little thinking how soon the tin e would come for them to “ laugh on the wrong side of their mouths,” in high glee, to Bolivar, taking passage in some of the cattle schooners that so often come in our river from that place with “ Oronoque cows.” It is impossible to say how many of these poor victims are now dead, perishing before their time, and j erltaps left unburied at this moment, amidst the lonely wilds and stupendous tnoun ains of Oronoque. We venture, however, to affirm, that there is not one left alive who would not give all he is worth in the world to be back once more in Demcrara.

Having said thus much, we shall now proceed to give the following narrative ol the adventures in and escape from Otonoque of four unfortunate Demerara tradesmen, who were unwise enough to quit this colony in January last for that place, and who, but for a miracle, would be there now dragging out existence as slaves on a sugar and coffee estate. We vouch for the truth of this narrative, which we have on as unquestionable authority as we had our previous statements on this subject verified, as the result shows, with too fatal truth. If, after this additional warning, persons from British Guiana will persist in emigrating to Oronoque, they must take the consequences of their own fool-hardiness and selfconceit on their own heads.

In January last these four tradesmen, whose names we suppress from obvious motives, were prevailed upon by a Spaniard, whom we shall designate after his Christian name, Don Pedro, to go with him to Bolivar, as mechanics. A contract, which was to last for one year, was entered into, and the terms of it, which seemed highly advantageous, were that these men should receive one half of the proceeds of their labour, and be clothed, fed, and lodged at the expense of Don Pedro. Too happy to get on these liberal terms to the centre of the “ gold district," and promising themselves a speedy return with rapid fortunes, our adventurers bade “ good bye” to Demerara, and took their departure with their newly found Spanish friend, Don Pedro. Doubtless, they had not been many hours sail from our port before they began to make the calculations of their future profits in golden doubloons, and to despise in heart the silver dollars and guilders of this colony as something low and mean. At last the schooner fought its way with much trouble up the Oronoque, and arriving at the town of Bolivar, which is situated far up the river among the mountains, our four gentlemen landed and were soon put to work. But, alas! as experience soon showed, it was all “ work and no pay.” However, they fancied for some time all was right. They were slow to believe that they had been made fools of. So, to get paid the sooner, they worked twice as hard as ever. At length they could stand it no longer. The conviction slowly broke upon their minds that Don Pedro had cheated them from the beginning ; and they heaved many a deep sigh when they thought of Demerara. Little did they fancy, however, what was in store for them. They expostulated with their employer, who put them off for a time with excuses. Words cost nothing; and they went to work once more as hard as ever. Whether it was that the poor people worked so hard, or that they could"scarcely get anything to eat, and were lodged little better than pigs, certain it is they soon cut so miserable a figure that their best friends scarcely would have known them. At length, their patience getting exhausted, seeing no sign of their promised “ half,” which Don Pedro was “ eating up” all the time they were starving,—seeing no doubloons, no gold dust, —no not even a poor little half-bit—to cheer them—they could submit to such treatment

no longer, and spoke their minds sp Don Pedro in such a manner that he became alarmed, and determined to carry them to another place, and get rid of them as soon as he could. He had a good reason for this. There was a British consul, appointed by the Queen, living at Bolivar, who, if he had heard of the shameful way in which this Spaniard was treating four British subjects, would probably have interfered and had justice done them. So to avoid this Dun Pedro resolved to get his victims away to Some place where possibly the consul would never hear anything of them. One day, accordingly, he told bis men that business required him to remove to Las Tablas, a place at some distance from Bolivar, and that it would be necessary for his good friends to go along with him. Hoping theis prospects would be improved they were not sorry at the change ; but every change with them seemed to be from bad to worse ; for, if possible, they were worse treated at Las Tablas than at Bolivar. But this removal was only one step towards the great object which this Spaniard bad in view of disposing of them as slaves. Accordingly they had not been long at Las Tablas before be informed them that they must go with him to Upata-—the place where the “gold” is said to be. Now, that was the very place of all others in all Venezuela to which they most wished to go, and for the purpose'of going to which they had left this colony. So far, therefore, they bad no reason to complain—nor would we have heard of any com-, plaints had they,’ when they reached Upata, seen and handled any of that gold, the falsehoods respecting which had filled their bruins in Demerara with all sorts of foolish hopes. No.no; were not the stories about the “gold mine ” of Upata a parcel of fabrications from beginning to end, got up by.designing knaves to ,entrap unwary people, and to convert them into slaves, far from blaming Don Pedro, our four mechanics should have gone on their knees and blessed him for biinging them to Upata. Though, however, there are no gold mines, there are Spanish plantations and sugar and coffee estates in the canton of Upata, and so our gentlemen found out to their cost before they had been there long. What will our readers say when we te® them that this kidnapper, whom we have designated as Don Pedro, on some pretence or another, conveyed his unfortunate victims to a sugar and coffee' estate in that canton,, and having these delivered them into the hands of the owner, to- pay off % pretended debt of five hundred dollars, which he owed him, decamped, and was never seen or heard of by them again 1 Yet such was the fact; and when the men came to conaplain to the master of the estate, and to demand their wages, that personage coolly informed them that they were mistaken if they supposed they were on his property to work for wages ; they were there, he said, to work out a debt of five hundred dollars which the man Pedro owed him B This is no better than African slavery. So this man, Pedro, instead of working to pay his own debts, goes to a British colony, talks over simple innocent men, and mortgages them to a Spanish in an out-of-the-way place in a foreign state, to discharge by their unrequited toil that unpleasant duty for him! And how are we to' know the origin of this debt? May it not be as fabulous as the “ gold mines ” themselves ? How are we to know that this proprietor of an estate did not buy these people with hard cash from the man Pedro, “ the debt of five hundred dollars ’’ being only a pretence to give a colour to the transaction ?

The subsequent history of these men may be narrated in a few words. Through tlie agency of a kind-hearted doctor in the neighbouthood, to whom they found means to make theirs grievances known, they succeeded in effecting their escape from the plantation by night, with the view of proceeding to Bolivar, where tiiey hoped to find a passage by one of the schooners that ply with cattle between that port and Demerara. They had not proceeded far on the route, however, before they were apprised that police, or rather,, soldiers, armed with swords and fire-arms, were scouring the country to apprehend them. They, were forced, in consequence from a regard to their safety, to stop short, and seeek refuge in. Port Atalpa, whence they got a statement of their grievances and an application for assistance addressed to Mr. Kenneth Mathison, the British vice-consul at Bolivar; but before they could obtain any reply to this communication they were arrested by three armed soldiers, and dragged before a court of justice. The presiding judge, having heard the case, informed them tn an authoritative manner, that they must immediately go back to the estate, and complete the engagement which the man Pedro had made for them. This the men sturdily refused to do, whereupon the judge told them that they would very soon see which was the strongest party, andl that if they would not return to their usual occupations by fair means, he would order them to be tied to a horse’s tail and dragged back ; and so they might choose which they liked best. Possibly this inhuman threat would have been carried into execution, had it nqt been.brought to the knowledge of this magnate of the law that the matter bad already come to the notice of the British viceconsul, who would probably take it up, Greatly to bis credit, the vice-consul, Mr. Mathison,- did take it up, and with so much energy and determination, that he succeeded in getting the contract annulled, and the men released. Nor did he stop here ; for be obtained passages for them on board a schooner proceeding from the Oronoque to Demerara, where, luckily foe themselves, they arrived two or three weeks ago, and nor are.

It has sometimes been said that our consular and dipii/m sl! c establishments are maintained for the benefit of the higher orders of bur countrymen; but here is a striking example to show of what inestimable value they may be to the bumbler. No rich or influential Biitish subject has anything to dread from the oppression of any mere private person in Venezuela or elsewhere; but there can be no doubt that had it not been for the prompt and energetic interference of our viceconsul at Bolivar, these poor men would have suffered from the knavery of unprincipled individuals a deeper wrong -and injustice than all the gold of Upata could have compensated, and lost that which is dearer to British subjects than either gold or blood—liberty.