Today, we continue the story "Benito Cereno." It was written by Herman Melville.
Last
week, we told how African slaves on a Spanish ship rebelled in
seventeen ninety-nine. They killed most of the Spanish sailors. Only the
captain, Benito Cereno, and a few others were left alive.
The
leader of the rebellion was a slave named Babo. He ordered Captain
Cereno to sail the ship back to Senegal, the slaves homeland. But food
and water were low. So the ship stopped at an island off the coast of
Chile to get the needed supplies.
When it arrived, an American
ship was in the harbor. The American captain, Amoso Delano, thought the
Spanish ship might be in trouble. He would offer help.
Babo
decided to remain close to Captain Cereno and act as if he were the
captains slave. Babo would kill him if he told Captain Delano the truth
about what happened.
Now, here is Shep ONeal to continue our story.
STORYTELLER:
As Captain Delano came up in his whale boat, he saw that the other ship
needed scraping, tarring and brushing. It looked old and decayed. He
climbed up the side and came aboard. He was quickly surrounded by a
crowd of black men. Captain Delano looked around for the man who
commanded the ship. The Spanish captain stood a little away off against
the main mast. He was young looking, richly dressed but seemed troubled
and tired with the spirit gone out of him. He looked unhappily toward
his American visitor. At the Spanishs captain side stood a small black
man with a rough face.
Captain Delano struggled forward through
the crowd, went up to the Spainard and greeted him. He offered to help
him in any way he could. Captain Benito Cereno returned the Americans
greeting politely, but without warmth. Captain Delano pushed his way
back through the crowd to the gangway. He told his men to go and bring
back as much water as they could, also bread, pumpkins, sugar and a
dozen of his private bottles of cider. The whale boat pushed off.
Left
alone, Captain Delano again observed with fresh surprise the general
disorder aboard the ship. Some of the men were fighting. There were no
deck officers to discipline or control the violent ones. And everyone
seemed to do as he pleased. Captain Delano could not fully understand
how this could have happened. What could explain such a break down of
order and responsibility? He asked Don Benito to give him the full
story of his ships misfortunes. Don Benito did not answer. He just kept
looking at his American visitor as if he heard nothing.
This
angered Captain Delano, who suddenly turned away and walked forward to
one of the Spanish seamen for his answer. But he had hardly gone five
steps when Don Benito called him back. "It is now a hundred and ninety
days," Don Benito began, "that the ship sailed from Buenos Aires for
Lima with a general cargo. Pedigree, tea, and the like, and a number of
negros, now not more than a hundred and fifty as you see, but then
numbering over three hundred souls. The ship was officered and
well-manned, with several cabin passengers. Some fifty Spaniards in all.
Off
Cape Horn we had heavy gales." Captain Cereno coughed suddenly and
almost collapsed. He fell heavily against his body servant. "His mind
wanders," said Babo. "He was thinking of the disease that followed the
gales. My poor, poor master. Be patient senor, these attacks do not last
long. Master will soon be himself."
Don Benito recovered, and in a
broken voice continued his story. "My ship was tossed about many days
in storms off Cape Horn. And then there was an outbreak of scurvy. The
disease carried off many whites and blacks. Most of my surviving seaman
had become so sick that they could not handle the sails well. For days
and nights we could not control the ship. It was blown north-westward.
The wind suddenly left us in unknown waters with oppressive hot calms.
Most of our water was gone.
And we suffered terribly, especially
after a deadly fever broke out among us. Whole families of blacks and
many Spaniards, including every officer but myself, were killed by the
disease."
Don Benito paused. He looked down at the black man at
his side. Babo seemed satisfied. The Spanish captain saw him take his
hand from the knife hidden under his shirt.
Captain Delano saw
nothing. His mind was filled with the terrible tale he had just heard.
Now he could understand why the other captain seemed so shaken. He took
Don Benitos hand and promised to give him all the help possible. He
would give him a large permanent supply of water, and some sails and
equipment for sailing the ship. And he also promised to let Don Benito
have three of his best seamen for temporary deck officers. In this way,
the San Dominick could without delay start for Concepcion. There the
ship could be fixed and prepared for its voyage to Lima.
Don
Benitos face lighted up. He seemed excited by Captain Delanos generous
offer. But, Babo appeared troubled. "This excitement is bad for master,"
Babo whispered, taking Don Benitos arm and with soothing words gently
drawing him aside. When Don Benito returned, Captain Delano observed
that his excitement was gone.
Captain Delano decided to talk of
other matters. But the Spanish captain showed no further interest. He
answered Captain Delanos questions with sharp words and suddenly with an
angry movement he walked back to Babo.
Captain Delano watched the
two men whispering together in low voices. It made an ugly picture,
which Captain Delano found so extremely unpleasant that he turned his
face to the other side of the ship. Their actions made Delano suspicious
of Captain Cereno. He began to wonder about him. His behavior. His
coughing attacks. His weakness. His empty wild looks. Was he really half
mad or a faker playing a part? One moment Captain Delano had the worst
suspicions of Don Benito. But the next he would feel guilty and ashamed
of himself for having such doubts about the man.
Presently, Don
Benito moved back toward his guest, still supported by his servant. His
pale face twitched. He seemed more nervous than usual. And there was a
strange tone in his husky whisper as he spoke. "May I ask how many men
you have on board, senor?" Captain Delano became uneasy, but answered.
"About twenty-five all total." "And at present, senor, all on board?"
"All on board," Captain Delano answered. "And will be tonight, senor?"
At
this last question, Captain Delano looked very seriously at Don Benito,
who could not return the look but dropped his eyes to the deck.
Captain Delano could think of only one reason for such a question. But
no, it was foolish to think that these weak and starving men could have
any idea of seizing his ship. But still he remained silent. "And will
they be aboard tonight?" Again the question from Don Benito. Captain
Delano decided to answer truthfully. Some of his men had talked of
going off on a fishing party about midnight. And he told Don Benito
this.
As he answered, Captain Delano again looked straight at Don
Benito. But the Spanish captain refused to meet his eyes. Then as
before, he suddenly withdrew with his servant. And again the two men
began whispering to each other in low voices. Captain Delano tried to
push the worry from his mind. But what were those two strange men
discussing? That will be our story next week.
You have
been listening to the V.O.A. Special English program, American Stories.
Your narrator was Shep ONeal. We invite you to listen again next week
for the final part of "Benito Cereno" by Herman Melville. Im Jim
Tedder.