Whydah Galley

[Rick]

New finds; while dodging sharks.

http://www.capecodtimes.com/photogal...831009999/PH/1

[M ELEY]

Thanks for posting this, Rick! It's always good to see what's coming out of the continuing excavations of the Whydah and QAR. Interestingly, those bronze rings are associated with the slave trade and, of course, the pirates often made the 'Pirate Round'. The unusual thing about it is Sam Bellamy was one of those captains who let the slaves aboard the ships join his crew (as did Bartholomew Roberts, Blackbeard, etc). In other words, these salvaged rings might have come with the newly joining crew mates!

[Rick]

Amazing how well they held up all those centuries.
Another possibility for their being onboard could be they were left over trade stock from the previous owners of the vessel.
She was a recent capture for him being on her maiden voyage when he took her.

Kudos to the divers; the White Sharks are thick as fleas in our longshore waters these days.

[Rick]

And now that diving season is over, here are a few items found this Summer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7fjgJbkEfA

[fernando]

Ah !!!

[Andi]

I wonder what the man on the right with the red cap from 01:01 to 01:10 min. holds in his hands. It seems to be of iron, but with a restored surface and the binding around it reconstructed.

[fernando]

A ceramic grenade, i guess; the binding is part of it .

[Rick]

That makes 3 of us who are wondering about that object. The museum is about 10 miles away from where I live. Maybe when they have a senior discount day I'll go down and ask about it.
Being a museum about a pirate ship the regular admission cost is piracy too!

[fernando]

Miser dude .

[Rick]

I'm always willing to accept funding for a research project.... 'Nando.

[M ELEY]

Thanks again, Rick, for posting this. The 'man to the right' is Barry Clifford himself, discoverer of the Whydah, archaeologist, treasure hunter, author, museum founder and scalawag! He is a controversial man, with some run-ins with both state officials, other archaeologists and former employees, but I always liked the guy. Kind of a modern day pirate. BTW, after seeing this thread, I decided to purchase a couple of old bronze manilla as a tip of the hat to the African slaves who gained their freedom through piracy!

[Pukka Bundook]

Gents,

Interesting thread, but at the risk of appearing as thick as I am, How are these bracelets associated with the slave trade?
By this I mean they don't look strong enogh to have been shackles....

Please forgive my ignorance!

PS,
When I first saw these , I thought how like Bronze age torques they were !

[fernando]

Richard, i believe that, these manilhas are not directly associated with the slavery phenomenon but, only circumstancially. Indeed their basic purpose was that of exchanging currency units, as also other implements of similar kind, where their metal (bronze) contents represent their intrinsic value, in cultures where money was (is) not based in coins and notes, valued by Central bank treasures (so they say ).
I have once bought a rather nice example, which i offered to my daughter. Although they may be considered, judging by their shape, as actual bracelets, the one of mine, for one, although rather sturdy, was to narrow to fit my young daughters wrist, meaning that their purpose was (only) directed to market currency, that not for adornment.
Other members will most probably contest my assessment .

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Rick

I'm always willing to accept funding for a research project.... 'Nando.

Maybe a partnership; based on a larger share to the funds investor

[Jim McDougall]

It seems the manilla was actually a primary means of exchange in the slave trade, so the presence of these in the proximity of a slave ship wreck such as the Whydah is pretty compelling suggestion that these were probably directly connected in that trade.
Apparently the 16th century price for a slave was 8 to 10 manillas so that is a strong indicator.
While these may not have been intended as ornament, they may have been worn on the wrists as a means of holding them. In many cultures the items of jewelry or other items such as this while worn on the person, are used as currency.

Mark, I agree totally with your take on Barry Clifford. While he may not make points as man of the hour in certain groups, his efforts have given us so much in the understanding and appreciation of the times of piracy. His persona as a bit of a scalawag seems as you say, quite in kind with the figures we study.

[Rick]

Beware, beware the Bight of the Benin, for few come out though many go in.

Here's a little insight on those 'Manilas' and the slave trade.
https://www.ancient-origins.net/arti...t-brass-008565

[Jim McDougall]

I always thought that term 'bight' was strange, it really is just a word for a shallow bay in a kind of curve in a coastline.
The words describing the 'Bight of Benin' are part of a rhyme which seems to have many variations but the same foreboding implications.

The fact of the Portuguese presence in these regions and their key role in the slavery situation are well established and the link in the previous post is quite descritive of the influences made.

In the same regions on what was known as 'the Slave Coast' was the Kingdom of Dahomey where Sir Richard Burton in 1863 observed some of the gruesome 'ceremonies' of King Gelele.

It would seem the Portuguese interest in procuring natives was in a sense to preclude their use in such sacrificial horror, though the grim travesty of slavery was in actuality far from 'humanitarian'. Whatever the case, this commerce carried on with other European participants, and the Whydah ship was actually named for the slave port of Whidah on this coast.
Blackbeard's vessel, the Queen Annes Revenge was formerly a French slave vessel as well. Another shipwreck well known was the slave vessel 'Henrietta Marie'.

[Pukka Bundook]

Dear Fernando,

Thank you for waking me up re, these manilas. It seems in the dim and dusty past, I knew the currency connection, but it had slipped my memory!

Kind regards,
R.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Pukka Bundook

Dear Fernando,

Thank you for waking me up re, these manilas. It seems in the dim and dusty past, I knew the currency connection, but it had slipped my memory!

Kind regards,
R.

You arent the only one who was unaware of these things, I had never known of them until this thread.....I just looked it up and pretty fascinating......thats the good thing about discussions....learning. While obviously these manilla were not ONLY for slave trade, the presence of these particular examples found in waters where slave ships traveled in a location far from their origin suggests these were.

[fernando]

Your'e welcome Richard ...
I know my theory had a couple flaws, but those hopefuly not irrecuperable.
Manilhas (from the Latin manicŭla by the Castillian Manillas) were inherent to a pre-monetary system used in Sub-Saharian Africa, which included objects like spiral rings and crosses of different weights, where manilhas apparently played a greater role in trade and trafic of slaves since the XVI century in West Africa. These were made in a bronze league, and were produced in England, France and Germany. Portuguese, not exploring copper mines, had to acquire them in cities of those countries.
Similar to bracelets in shape, a most appreciated adornment among African population as a symbol of status, wealth and power, these became a widespread object of exchange in the commerce between Europe, Africa and the Americas.
Existing sources refer the amount of manilhas used in the trade (rescue) of Slaves in Africa. According to the Esmeraldo de Situ Orbis, by Duarte Pacheco Pereira, a slave provenant of Benin in the beginning of the XVI century could be traded for 10 to 12 manilhas. A few years later, as referred by the Regiment of São Jorge da Mina (currently Ghana) a slave would already cost 40 to 50 manilhas. As slavery trafic increased, traders needed to go further into the interior to find them, which spent longer time and cost, their value in Benin, Mina ou Arguim posts increasing circa 500%.
We can read in Rick's excelent link that bronze (and not only) metalwork has developed among Benin artisans long before Europeans (Portuguese) went there, with the slave trade being one of their "hobbies". And potentialy (surely) quoted metal implements were already used as a trade currency.
On the other hand, between th XIII and the XVI century, artisans had to acquire raw material in local resources in order to built their sculptures.
So the 'modern' manilha appears in the scene admitedly with a dual use. Those showing up by the thousand (vide Whydah) with a standard basic shape, with no other plausible purpose than that of slaves 'acquisition', expectedly having a further use; natives would not be supposed to hoard zillions of dull copper rings in their attics. So a part (most) of those would ended up on melting pots for the makng of the famous Benin bronzes; something we may deprehend from from Rick's linked article. The other use of manilhas would be that of resourcing the more decorated ones, more, i would say, for keeping in wealth chests, wedding gifts and so. The example i offered my daughter, despite being the basic version, shows well how these apparent bracelets are not necesarily wrist implements.
Attached examples of slavery imprisonment kept in the Portuguese Museum of Archaeolo and, imagine ... cowrie shells,the longest and most widely used currency of all times, a disputed means of currency in the period.

.

[fernando]

I will add to the ...
- XVI century Benin bronze of a Portuguese soldier (London -museum of Mankind),
- Some stats on the Slave trafic, now roughly translated.
- A few examples of the manilha range (and not only), with respective captions, which show us that, the use of these pre-coinage resources was not unique (or even contemporary) to the Slaves trade (Courtesy Money Museum).


.

[Jim McDougall]

Great and fascinating information.

[fernando]

Thank you Jim .

[bvieira]

Hello,

There are many shipwrecks from Portugal and Spain out there! I do scuba diving from time to time and manage to found some artifacts (if i had more spare time i have no doubt i would found a shipwreck) lately i have diving in a place that was a roman village that now is under water!

Some artifacts from lasts sessions:

Roman axe, nails, coins and ceramics.


Regards,

BV

[M ELEY]

Great shipwreck stuff, BV! That must have been exciting to find!


-Jim McDougall-
"It would seem the Portuguese interest in procuring natives was in a sense to preclude their use in such sacrificial horror, though the grim travesty of slavery was in actuality far from 'humanitarian'. Whatever the case, this commerce carried on with other European participants, and the Whydah ship was actually named for the slave port of Whidah on this coast.
Blackbeard's vessel, the Queen Annes Revenge was formerly a French slave vessel as well. Another shipwreck well known was the slave vessel 'Henrietta Marie'."

Exactly, Jim! Just as I go on about in my novel series, most folks don't know that most pirate ships had crews of African slaves turned sea dog. Many of the slave ships were taken by the pirates as they made the 'pirate round'. The exported goods from Africa (gold, ivory, textiles, etc) were taken by the pirates and it was up to the scalawags to decide what to do with the "Black Ivory". Many were just sold back into slavery by the rovers, but many were offered freedom (not a complete and equal freedom, mind you, but a better life than the one they were about to receive!) if they joined the crew.

Blackbeard, Bartholomew Roberts, Laurens DeGraff and Sam Bellamy were just some of the famous thugs from history that had African crews (many of them making up 50% or more of the total crew!!). Many of these former slaves didn't get equal treatment as the white pirates did (less of a share of treasure, no decisions in their next destination or prey, etc), but some had remarkable power.

Blackbeard's head man was a mate named Black Caesar, who was given strict orders to light the powder magazine by Teach in the event of their ship ever being taken. In 1718, off the coast of Okracoke Island,NC, Blackbeard was struck dead and his ship was taken by Lt. Maynard. Caesar dutifully rushed to the magazine, but was restrained by others in finishing his mission.

Getting back to the Whydah, which was taken by Bellamy off of West Africa, the bronze 'anklets' were to be used for trade, but never made it to the 'Coite Ivor', instead lingering in the hold until a hurricane took the ship off Wellfleet. These bronze rings represent a dark tale from history, but their presence is still an important reminder to the past.

[Jim McDougall]

Perfectly accounted Mark! just as the author you are few know this stuff like you do, and your novels are like time machines!
It is true that the numbers of pirates that were indeed Blacks are seldom realized, and it seems many formed the Gullah population of the Sea Islands and coasts of Georgia and South Carolina.

[fernando]

Mark is so correct in that, the Caribbean pirates were not all white faces. In fact we can read scholars pretending that, the first buccaneers in recorded history HAD DARK SKIN.The record in question is the journal of a French sailor who, on the coast of Hispaniola, met two men he describes as “a mulatto and a negro.”
Meanwhile i have found this interesting NIGERIAN PERSPECTIVE, which includes a chart with exemplars of manilhas from various origins; in case one whishes to compare and figure out from where the Wydah lots were provenant.


.

[Jim McDougall]

Now this is a great discussion, presenting some not commonly known things about piracy and its close proximity to the slave trade. Most interesting are these great images and detail which are of course from Wikipedia.....which it seems some members tend to discount as unreliable etc.
Actually this material is excellent and I appreciate it being posted!

Thank you Fernando.

[fernando]

Information may be gathered everywhere. We may find unreliable data in whatever sources ... including books. Naturaly (authors) published conclusions are more subject to doubt than period photos or testimonies; conclusions being left to oneself. As in what concerns this topic subject(s) we are hardly acquainted to those who have witnessed such saga episodes, the available resources being based on chronicles and other written material. On the other hand we have the language barrier. It is obvious that the Portuguese played a lead role in the slavery trade and consequently we find plenty written mterial in the Portuguese Web; actually more than one would expect. However posting it here would not be a feasible option, so one tends to spot useful info in english ... Wikepedia being a contingency.
What i have gathered and posted here was (also) picked from Academia, Museums, Blogs and other sources like Listverse (author Mark Oliver) as some parts extracted from Portuguese material. I have also cared, from among tons of info detected, not to post details which would slip to an area that might be susceptible to excessively widen the scope of the theme in discussion ... so to say.
In the slavery 'branch' of our conversation, personaly i don't mind accepting that, some part of my DNA mitocondrial lineage (fine terms) might be associated to North African Berbere slaves. At a certain stage, the number of slaves in Southern Portugal represented 10% of the population; in 1550, from the 100 000 Lisbon inhabitants, 10 000 were slaves; and in 1620 they still held a 6% score (acc. to Scientific researchers Luisa Pereira and Filipa M.Ribeiro, a fascinating work in my mini library on the Portuguese Genetic Patrimony.
As this discussion continues, i regret having offered my daughter the manilha that i bought at Rainer Daehnhardt's (now closed) shop; i have to see if she accepts to give it back to me ... not excluding a good tip .
The guy in the bronze plate is an European, seeking slaves to trade; not the (African) Pumbeiro (or Pombeiro, from the Kimbundo dialect "kipombo") the one that conducts slaves from the interior to the coast, to trade with European dealers, as we can see in this illustration that is surely close from reality.
.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by fernando

Information may be gathered everywhere. We may find unreliable data in whatever sources ... including books. Naturaly (authors) published conclusions are more subject to doubt than period photos or testimonies; conclusions being left to oneself. As in what concerns this topic subject(s) we are hardly acquainted to those who have witnessed such saga episodes, the available resources being based on chronicles and other written material. On the other hand we have the language barrier. It is obvious that the Portuguese played a lead role in the slavery trade and consequently we find plenty written mterial in the Portuguese Web; actually more than one would expect. However posting it here would not be a feasible option, so one tends to spot useful info in english ... Wikepedia being a contingency.
What i have gathered and posted here was (also) picked from Academia, Museums, Blogs and other sources like Listverse (author Mark Oliver) as some parts extracted from Portuguese material. I have also cared, from among tons of info detected, not to post details which would slip to an area that might be susceptible to excessively widen the scope of the theme in discussion ... so to say.
In the slavery 'branch' of our conversation, personaly i don't mind accepting that, some part of my DNA mitocondrial lineage (fine terms) might be associated to North African Berbere slaves. At a certain stage, the number of slaves in Southern Portugal represented 10% of the population; in 1550, from the 100 000 Lisbon inhabitants, 10 000 were slaves; and in 1620 they still held a 6% score (acc. to Scientific researchers Luisa Pereira and Filipa M.Ribeiro, a fascinating work in my mini library on the Portuguese Genetic Patrimony.
As this discussion continues, i regret having offered my daughter the manilha that i bought at Rainer Daehnhardt's (now closed) shop; i have to see if she accepts to give it back to me ... not excluding a good tip .
The guy in the bronze plate is an European, seeking slaves to trade; not the (African) Pumbeiro (or Pombeiro, from the Kimbundo dialect "kipombo") the one that conducts slaves from the interior to the coast, to trade with European dealers, as we can see in this illustration that is surely close from reality.
.

Very well noted and key perspective to the kind of approach all students of arms should take in research, investigation and discussion. The knowledge which can be shared and developed in such contexts is phenomenal as can be seen in many threads over the years here.