|
Algarve |
![]() |
|
|
Villain of the slave trade - Letter from the Algarve by Frances Ruddick
• 26 Apr 2007 •
 WILLIAM WILBERFORCE was a humanitarian hero and the English can be justly proud of his efforts to bring the slave trade to an end.
In contrast it was a half English/half Portuguese prince who was the first to introduce slavery to Europe. A recently erected statue stands on the Via do Infante, (A 22) motorway in the Algarve, close to the Lisbon junction. In my view, it ought to be pulled down.
Prince Henry the Navigator, sometimes called the Sage of Sagres, is undeserving of accolade or praise.
The third son of Philippa of Lancaster and King João I of Portugal, was born in Oporto, and educated to speak fluent English as well as Portuguese.
His cousin, King Henry IV of England, made him a Knight of the Garter.
As a young man, he made two trips to Morocco looting Ceuta and Tangier. More significantly he learned that further south there was a flourishing trade in black African people. He realised that if they could be captured or bought cheaply, then re-sold in Europe, there was considerable profit to be made. It was to this end that he funded several voyages.
The first slaves to be brought to Portugal came from Senegal in West Africa. They landed at Lagos in the Algarve. Prince Henry lived nearby in Raposeira, close to Sagres.
Soon after their arrival Prince Henry contacted the Pope seeking his agreement that he should be granted a monopoly in the trade. The Holy Father gave his consent.
Being a calculating businessman, Prince Henry franchised this out to the Chief of Customs in Lagos, and several merchants who financed further voyages.
The Prince’s share was 20 percent – in human terms, one in every five slaves.
A first hand report, written by a Portuguese observer in 1444, relates to the arrival of six caravels returning from the Cape Verde Islands, off the coast of Mauritania.
On board were 235 slaves and Prince Henry – along with others who had a vested interest – met the ships in Lagos.
The report goes on to explain the disposition of the people on board: “They had heads downcast, and faces covered in tears. There was a wailing chant, and although we could not understand their words, they spoke their grief to us clearly.
“Their anguish reached new heights when the moment of distribution came. For to be fair, it proved necessary for children to be separated from their parents, wives from husbands, and brothers from brothers.
“Fathers and sons, ranged on opposite sides, would break ranks to rush towards each other with all their might. Mothers clasped their infants in their arms, and threw themselves on the ground to cover them with their bodies, to try to prevent their children being separated from them.”
Prince Henry’s share was 47 slaves.
Through regular voyages to the African coast, Portuguese captains struck up working relations with several chiefs who would capture black people from other tribes living further inland. The supply was plentiful, one horse being equal to the price of 17 slaves.
Herded aboard ships, as trade increased, captains would take more people than they had supplies for. When food and water became scarce, the weakest would be thrown overboard before reaching Lagos.
The slave market, built specifically for the purpose of transactions, still stands close to the quayside and has a plaque outside. Before Prince Henry died in 1460, around 1,000 slaves per year were being landed in Lagos. Many remained in the Algarve working on the land, others were put to service in Lisbon and gradually they began to be exported to other European nations.
The trade at this time was an ice cube compared to the iceberg that was to follow, but Prince Henry was the first to wield the ice pick.
It is incorrect to represent him as a maritime hero. His yearning to conquer the southern ocean was a matter of personal gain.
Some, still claim he was a great man who desired to bring Christianity to heathens. That is not the reason, nor is it an excuse, and erecting a statue to a slave trader is distasteful in the extreme. |  Return to Top
Home Page
Send by Email |
|
Share on Facebook
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
![]()
| Birthdays |
| |
Wendy Phillips - 56 - American actress,
Diane Keaton - 62 - American actress,
Grace Bumbry - 71 - American Opera singer, |
|
| |
more... |
|
 |
|
