Pero en lo que toca al rescate de esta tierra, que parece que el Padre se escusa de tratarlo. Digo, que en vna ocasion se me lamentaua vn Capitan de vna armazon de negros, que traía de Angola en vn nauio, por auer tocado en vn baxio llamado los Negrillos a vista de Cartagena, y corrido tan gran naufragio (exemplo de lo que acabamos de dezir) que solamente escapò treinta de nouecientos que en èl traía, que tambien ay venturas en las desdichas. Lastimòme el caso, assombròme el numero que deuia de auer en Angola de negros de rescate, y de vnas en otras me vino a contar la causa de la muchedumbre presente, aun con auer libertado a muchos por respeto de lo que contra la injusticia de su cautiuerio predicaua publicamente el Padre Rector Luis Brandaon (cuya carta acabo de referir.) Mostrè admirarme de lo que me dezia, por auer sido informado muy al contrario del mismo Padre, a que dixo, que no seria en el caso presente. Roguele me lo contasse: dixo que trauado guerra dos poderosos Reyes entre si, el vno viendose afligido de su contrario embiò su Embaxador, pidiendo socorro a quien entre los nuestros se lo podia dar, con vn rico presente de gran suma de negros, que le mouieron el animo, de suerte que se lo embiò copioso de buenos soldados: no se le escondio esto al Rey contrario, que pareciendole, que si èl hazia lo mismo, y se auentajaua en don, tambien tendria auentajado socorro: juzgando, que el interes, como es tan poderoso, y como orador que tan bien persuade, podria ser que le rindiesse. Como si adiuinara sucedio: que es la poca possibilidad cruel verdugo de los que nacieron con honra. Viendose pues ambos socorridos vinieron a las manos, trauaron cruel guerra, vencio el vno. Desta rota tomaron ocasion muchos ladrones, y gente ociosa, y de mala vida para hazer en el Reino muchos insultos, robos, y latrocinios, que semejantes desgracias son ferias francas en que los tales grangean, y se aprouechan, viendo que la justicia està ocupada, y diuertida en las desgracias; y que la confusion no dà lugar a recatos. Con lo qual huuo abundante rescate, y auia aquel gran numero de esclauos, que al presente corria, y de donde salian los innumerables negros que a Cartagena llegauan en aquel tiempo. Pero el ordinario modo, y trato desta tierra, en orden a rescatar las piezas de que hazen sus armaçones para sacarlas a otras partes, es bien que le aduirtamos, y es, que los vezinos, y moradores de Loanda tienen algunos negros, que llaman Pumberos, que vale cada vno mil pesos: estos se parten en compañia de otros, que llaman cargadores, lleuando a cuestas la hazienda para el rescate, la tierra adentro trecho de ochenta leguas, donde hallan vnas grandes ferias, y juntas, para rescatar en ellas muchos negros, a quienes llaman Genses, que quiere dezir mercaderes, que han venido de mas de docientas y trecientas leguas, con muchos negros de diferentes Reinos, para rescatarlos por varias mercaderias a los Pumberos, los quales en auiendo comprado, se bueluen a dar cuenta a sus amos, trayendo para prueua, y testimonio de los que se le han muerto en el camino, algunas manos, que causa verlas, y sentir su mal olor, horror, y assombro.

As for the trade in captives in Angola itself, which the Father seems to excuse himself from discussing, I will say this. Once a captain came to me grieving over a whole cargo of Africans that he was bringing from Angola in his ship. It had struck a shoal called the Negrillos, within sight of Cartagena, and was so badly wrecked that only thirty of the nine hundred aboard escaped. This is an example of what we have just said, for even misfortunes come in degrees. The case grieved me, and I was astonished at how many Africans for sale there must be in Angola. One thing led to another, and he came to tell me the reason there were so many now. This was true even though many had been freed because of what the Father Rector, Luis Brandaon, whose letter I have just quoted, preached publicly against the injustice of their captivity. I showed surprise at what he told me, since the Father himself had told me something very different. He answered that it was not so in this case. I begged him to tell me the story. He said that two powerful kings had gone to war with each other. One of them, hard pressed by his enemy, sent an ambassador to ask for help from someone on our side who could give it. He sent along a rich present, a great number of slaves, and this won the man over, so that he sent the king plenty of good soldiers. This did not escape the enemy king. He thought that if he did the same, and gave a bigger gift, he too would get more help. He judged that self-interest is so powerful, and so persuasive a speaker, that it might win the man over. It happened just as if he had foreseen it, for poverty is a cruel executioner of those born to honor. With both sides reinforced, they came to blows and fought a cruel war, and one of them won. Many thieves and idle, lawless people seized on this defeat to commit assaults, robberies, and thefts across the kingdom. Disasters like these are open fairs where such people do business and profit, since the law is busy and distracted by the disaster, and in the confusion no one is on guard. So captives were plentiful, and that was why there were so many slaves on the market now. From there came the countless Africans who were reaching Cartagena at that time. But we should note the ordinary way the trade works in that land, how they buy the “pieces” that make up their cargoes to ship them elsewhere. The citizens and settlers of Luanda own certain Africans whom they call Pumberos, each of them worth a thousand pesos. These men set out with others, called carriers, who carry the trade goods on their backs eighty leagues inland. There they find great fairs and gatherings where they can buy many Africans. The sellers are Africans called Genses, which means merchants, who have come from more than two or three hundred leagues away with many captives from different kingdoms. They trade them to the Pumberos for all kinds of goods. Once the Pumberos have bought, they go back to report to their masters. As proof of the captives who died on them along the road, they bring back some of their hands. To see them, and to smell their stench, fills one with horror and dread.