Under the scolding of the slave traders, several pairs of locked black people crawled out of the hut on their hands and knees. In this way, they could finally move around in the crowded house. When a thug walked in and checked, he found that
The child had fallen into a semi-conscious state, his whole body was burning hot, and his teeth were shaking involuntarily. They hurriedly dragged the child and the other black man locked up with him outside.
At this time, Carrington was two or three meters away from the door, and said in a deep voice: "What happened?"
"This little thing has a fever..."
Before his men could finish speaking, Carrington roared: "Damn it! It's typhoid! If everyone in this room is infected, we'll be in big trouble! Drag him away and bury him immediately!"
"etc!"
Seeing Zhao Xin's words to stop him, Carrington explained: "Sir, please stay away, this disease is contagious!"
Zhao Xin shook his head and stubbornly stopped the thug who was about to drag the child away. He first touched the child's forehead, then casually opened the child's eyelids and saw that the conjunctiva was full of bloodshot eyes, and then he found bloodshot eyes on the edge of the child's lips.
Herpes, he said urgently: "This is not typhoid, this is malaria!"
"What?! Why do you say that?"
Zhao Xin used his hands to drive away the mosquitoes flying around him, and explained: "I have seen a few in Southeast Asia before, all with symptoms like this. You are too close to the river bank, and there are too many mosquitoes."
In fact, the result was the same whether he said it or not. You must know that both typhoid and malaria were fatal to humans living in the eighteenth century. In some overcrowded prisons in Europe, more prisoners died of fever than were hanged.
"mosquito?"
"Yes, mosquitoes can spread malaria."
Carrington was dubious, but just to be on the safe side, he asked his men to soak some tobacco in rum, and then asked every black man in the room to drink a small glass.
He has experienced this kind of thing before. If it is at sea, the general method is to directly throw the dying person into the sea. As long as he can quickly cross the Atlantic, transport the black slaves to Cuba and sell them, and then get subsidies from the colonial government, and then
Whether he gets sick or not has nothing to do with him. But the problem is now on the African continent. If a large-scale infection occurs before boarding the ship, he will suffer a lot.
Historically, it has been said that the trafficking of black slaves in the Black Triangle Trade was an extremely profitable business, but do you know where the profit points are?
For example, Heine wrote in "Slave Ship": "On the Senegal River, I bought six hundred black people at a very low price. They were all like the best steel, with strong muscles and strong tendons. I used the goods to
Bartering, using soju, glass balls, and steel equipment: as long as half of it is kept alive for me, I can make an eight hundred percent profit."
Regarding the profits from the slave trade, we actually have to look at monopoly companies and privateers separately. The 800% profit rate Heine mentioned mainly occurred on privateers. Taking 1790 as an example, slaves in America
The CIF price has basically remained around 26.4 pounds.
For monopoly companies, life was actually difficult. For example, in France, when the Senegal Company was resold in 1794, it was already in debt for one million pounds; the Royal African Company eventually went bankrupt due to high debts. In addition, the Danish Company was suspended in 1787
In order to clean up, the Swedish company could not carry out the slave trade normally due to the conflict with Tsarist Russia. As for the Dutch, the collapse of Amsterdam stock prices in 1773 reduced loans to Suriname planters, making them unable to purchase slaves. In addition, the Netherlands
Entrepreneurs were also reluctant to go to the colonies because their plantations had become less profitable than those of the French.
Huge operating costs are the biggest burden of monopoly companies. They have to equip ships, pay sailors, build castles, and feed personnel stationed in Africa. Among all European companies, only the British have truly made money from the slave trade.
, Portuguese and Americans.
British companies used financial means to increase profits. Because colonists often delayed payments for long periods of time, they issued promissory notes that were due in 12 or 15 months. These promissory notes were paid to slave ships and could be used to finance the next
They prepared necessities for one shipping, which also enabled them to earn four times as much profit as France. According to later statistics, the British slave trade accounted for 41% of the total European slave trade.
As for why Portugal makes money? Because they mainly transport it to South America, and after selling it to planters, they either exchange it for tobacco soaked in syrup (Africans like it very much), or they exchange it for gold.
As for Americans, forget it, everyone on earth knows...
In this evil trade of human trafficking to the Americas, the French government, in order to stimulate the enthusiasm of privateer owners, stipulated in 1784 that for every one person transported to Martinique and Guadeloupe
For slaves, the subsidy was 60 pounds; for every slave transported to Tobago, Cayenne and the southern part of St. Domangue, the subsidy was 100 pounds. As a result, by 1785, the number of slave ships exceeded 100. Government subsidies and
The demand for tax exemption for the northern part of Saint-Domangue Island jointly pushed France's triangular trade to its peak between 1783 and 1791. It is impossible to see that the Revolution had any impact on the conscience of slave traders.
Don’t think that the Europeans later abolished the slave trade because they cared about human rights, but they had their own agendas.
For example, the newly established French First Republic was afraid that the Antilles would be taken away by the British, so it simply announced the abolition of slavery starting in 1793. The purpose was to win the slaves to the side of the French and destroy the British triangular trade. Although different
The conflict of ideas also weakened the tendency to rely on slavery, but it was far from being abolished. Private shipowners were still doing it in full swing. In fact, when Napoleon came to power, under the pressure of colonial residents’ lobbying and petitions, he accepted the petition.
The slave trade resumed that day.
And the British abolition movement was not what some people call "humanitarian". By the beginning of the 19th century, because the British were opening up colonies everywhere in Africa, they no longer needed to transport slaves out of Africa, but had to stay there to replace them.
They work, so they shout for the abolition of slavery. You must know that the situation of British workers in the 18th and 19th centuries was completely comparable to that of slaves, but no one cared about it at all!
Zhao Xin and Deng Fei originally planned to do less than to do more. If they had not seen what happened to these black people, they would have gone back to the boat after shopping. However, when they saw what they saw in front of them, their sympathy was out of control.
Already.
"Buy them and let them go, right?"
When Zhao Xin heard what Deng Fei said, he shook his head slightly and said, "It's not that simple. If you let them go, it's like returning the sheep to the tiger's mouth! What if they are captured again on the way back?"
Deng Fei frowned and said, "Then what do you think we should do?"
Zhao Xin thought for a while, then walked up to Carrington and said, "Mr. Carrington, right? You can call me Zhao. How many slaves do you have on hand now?"
"127. What, you want to buy them all? Let me calculate, the male is 25 pounds, the female is 30 pounds..."
Zhao Xin raised his hand and interrupted: "This is not urgent. I would like to ask, do these slaves understand English or French?"
"Well...a few of them speak French."
"Please bring them over first and let my companions have a few words with them. You must understand that it would be a big headache if you can't communicate with them after buying them back."
While Deng Fei followed a few thugs to meet a few slaves, Zhao Xin chatted with Carrington for a few words. He took out a cigarette and handed one to each other and the shop owner, and then used a lighter to light them both.
Afterwards, they saw the two of them staring at their disposable windproof lighter, so they casually threw it to Carrington.
"Is business doing well recently?"
Carrington looked at the lighter curiously for a while, and when he saw the greedy look of the shop owner, he put it in his jacket pocket and said: "The price has increased a lot! Damn the locals, they are getting more and more naughty!"
"
The shop owner also echoed: "I heard that the Phoenix was robbed last month, and even the captain was taken away?"
Carrington said: "The captain of the Phoenix didn't want to cooperate with Radek's group and purchased goods from another group of people. As a result, Radek was angered."
From the subsequent conversation, Zhao Xin realized that the local slave traders in Africa were thieves. As the first-hand suppliers, when they realized that the supply was limited, they would control the delivery of goods.
They also knew how to deceive the Europeans, promising to provide slaves over and over again, but never seeing the shadow of these slaves, thereby luring slave traders like Carrington, and finally
So that they have to pay a high price to buy.
Deng Fei talked for about ten minutes, and when he came back, he told Zhao Xin that those people had no problem communicating in French. Among them, a man in his thirties named Mbat had the best French. According to that person, they
Many were captured as slaves during the war, and several women and children were kidnapped and sold by slave traders.
Zhao Xin immediately negotiated the price with Carrington. For Carrington, this business was almost a cost-free transaction; except for the lack of ship wear and tear, the current transportation cost across the Atlantic was 9 pounds per slave. You must know that this year
One pound per month is 7.32 grams of gold. After grinding for a long time, he finally gave Zhao Xin a price of 23 pounds per slave, a total of 2,921 pounds.
Zhao Xin didn't have that many pounds on hand, and at the same time he didn't want to give the damn slave trader cheap tea, but he had those boxes of gold given by Tipu Sultan...
In short, after a lot of trouble, by noon the next day, all 126 black slaves were sent to the Thor. The sick child was brought back by Zhao Xin and the others the day before, and the accompanying military doctor went through it
Treatment relied on artemisinin and antipyretic drugs from another time and space. After only one night, the child's condition improved a lot. He drank a glass of milk and ate something in the morning.
After the black people got on the ship, in order to prevent them from running around, Zhao Xin did not let anyone immediately remove the chains around their necks, but only removed the shackles. Then Deng Fei came forward and led a group of people to wash the black people on the deck with water hoses.
The filth on their bodies.
When the washing was almost done, a dozen soldiers from the special operations battalion took more than a hundred sets of labor protection work clothes and shoes from the ship's warehouse and placed them on several prepared tables. Then a dozen more people carried them out from the poop.
There were several pots of cooked rice porridge, steamed buns, pickles and bowls and chopsticks.
Deng Fei personally brought a bowl of porridge and a big steamed bun and walked up to the black people. Under the surprised eyes of all the black people, he took a sip first, then broke off a piece of steamed bun and stuffed it into his mouth, with a satisfied expression on his face.
. Then he handed the food to Mbat, who spoke the best French, and said in a kind tone: "Tell everyone, eat something first, and wait until you are full to talk about anything. I have eaten everything, don't worry, it is not poisonous."
Mbate hesitated for a moment, raised his hand to take it, smelled it first, and then imitated Deng Fei and took two bites. Although he was a little confused and didn't know what these people from the East would do with them, did the food taste good?
I still knew it, and since I hadn’t eaten enough in these days, I shouted a few words in Yoruba to the others. With Mbate taking the lead, the other black people took the food from the soldiers and squatted down.
Eat and drink on the ground.
Deng Fei waited for Mbate to eat a steamed bun, then took another half from the basin and handed it to him, and then said softly: "After you finish eating, someone will help you untie the chains around your neck, and those other clothes."
The clothes and shoes are also for you."
Mbate was stunned immediately, holding the steamed bun in his mouth and forgetting to chew it. He stared into Deng Fei's eyes in disbelief, trying to confirm whether the other party had lied to him.
"But I want you to talk to your people first and stop running around after the chains are untied. I have something else to tell you. Can you do it?"
Mbute nodded blankly like a fool. When Deng Fei patted him on the shoulder, he finally woke up, and then loudly said it to other black people. Unexpectedly, as soon as he said this, everyone stopped eating and put it down.
Food, pulled the chain around his neck with his hand, and screamed.
When Deng Fei saw it, he knew he couldn't wait any longer, so he asked the soldiers to get tools and began to remove the iron rings from the black people's necks. Every time a person's chain was removed, the other black people cheered, and at the same time they looked at Deng Fei and his friends.
His expression also became gentle and grateful.
Taking advantage of this time, Zhao Xin, with Deng Fei's translation, started chatting with Mbate. Only then did he learn that these black people were not actually the indigenous tribes who chased their prey with spears, but were from the Oyo Kingdom.
(today's southwestern Nigeria). Their village was attacked by people from the Kingdom of Dahomey, and then they were escorted to St. Louis by the Dahomeans and sold to Carrington.
When Deng Fei learned from Mbathe that the largest slave trader in West Africa was the Kingdom of Dahomey, he couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly. Black people selling black people, this is really a big joke!
According to Mbate, the Kingdom of Dahomey often sends people to raid border villages of the Kingdom of Oyo and plunder a large number of people. In addition to being used for religious sacrifices and slaves for the royal family and the army, the most important thing is to exchange weapons and ammunition with European merchants.
Luxury goods and shells used as currency.
Yes, the popular currency in northern Africa in these years was shells, called "garriu". Since there were not enough shells along the coast, the early Portuguese shipped them over in ships from the Americas for trade.
The same is true for other countries such as the Kingdom of Oyo, the Kingdom of Benin, Asante, and Western Sudan. The slave trade has become the main component of their political and economic life. Whenever wars are launched against each other, thousands of people will be killed.
As captives, a large portion were sold to slave traders.
However, Zhao Xin and Deng Fei did not know at this time that these African local governments did not only sell black people, they also sold white people! Many white captives were sold to the Arabian Peninsula.
After hearing so much, Zhao Xin felt more and more that Mbate was not an ordinary person. Not only did this guy speak fluent French, but he also knew the situation in the entire northwest Africa. Thinking of this, he tentatively asked: "Mbate, you are captured
What did you do before?"
"Sir, I used to be the cavalry captain under King Alaafin Atiba of Oyo..."
According to Mbate, the reason why the Oyo Kingdom once dominated West Africa was its large number of light cavalry. The vast grasslands in northern West Africa provided them with a large number of native African horses and skilled riders. Oyo's light cavalry usually used spears
Or with bows and arrows, they specifically attack the southern farming tribes before they finish harvesting. In addition to robbing mature crops, they also take captives for the slave trade.
After hearing this, Zhao Xin couldn't help but sigh, God's way is so good at reincarnation, no one will be spared by God!
Mbate was silent for a while, and finally couldn't help but ask the doubts in his heart: "Sir, you gave us food, gave us clothes, and removed the chains... What I want to ask is, what are your plans in the future?
How to arrange for us people? Are we going to be your servants?"
Deng Fei and Zhao Xin looked at each other, smiled and said, "Mbat, do you want to go home?"
Mbate was stunned again. Ever since he boarded this huge white boat today, he was so shocked. He never imagined that these two Orientals, whose skin colors were completely different from those of the white people, could actually