Captain Earle Replies to the Merchant’s Letter

[Elphin]

A letter of instruction was sent by Liverpool merchants to Captain Earle of the slaving ship Chesterfield on 22 May 1751. It is retained in the Davenport papers available at Liverpool Museum.

It is gracious, sir, that in instruction
you call me friend and recognise that
I am, indeed, in the ways of the sea,
experienced. I assure you, the customs
there in Old Callabar - while unseemly
to men gilded and refined - hold no fear.

At my command, this Guineaman, that lolls
low now beyond the Pool, laden, will sail
for Douglas, take on said list of sundry goods
from Mr Bridson, press them tight among
the beads and brass, the Birmingham guns,
the cowries, the copper and the calico.

I shall report our proceedings south, save
for the tedious matter of our trades;
it would be of no more interest than
the kitchen maid’s gossip of bruised fruit
and the manners of a local monger.
I hear St Kitt’s offers the best remittance.

I will ensure so. It is in my interest;
the pair I have been granted, as privilege,
will be my pension, for I am weary.
Although, I have made such claims before,
and still, each time, I learn that the irons
are no more empty here than on the sea.

In Jamaica I shall secure tobacco,
enough that you will be, finally, in funds
to complete Adam’s grand design. My last
master, Glassford, has a street named for him
in Glasgow. It’s overdue, I’ve heard you say,
that this city’s burghers should grant the same.

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ism/ ... etter.aspx

edit s4 l2 substituted pair for two after jons comments

[jms]

HI Elphin,

I was a bit disappointed you didn't get the elephant teeth in there!

I thought this was very well done. My only criticism would be that, while for the most part this is coherent without reference to the source material, this is not the case for the last but one stanza, which I found a bit of a mystery until I went to read the original letter. Just a thought...

Cheers,

Jon

[Oskar]

Elph

This is incredibly good. I'm impressed with the way you have assumed the peculiarities and codes of language of the men in those tricornered hats. The text reads as an authentic piece of primary source documentation. The tone is dry and appallingly business-like - something to marvel at, bearing in mind the human cargo that is involved.

This really does it for me. It's got the background of the Industrial Revolution (I liked your reference to Birmingham guns), the British Empire and, more centrally, the triangular trade between Britain, West Africa and The Americas.

There are, however, a couple of nitty gritty bits that detract from overall excellence IMO

At my command, this Guineaman, that lolls
low now beyond the Pool, laden,

For me, your use of poetic artifice here runs counter to the generally functional, business-like tone you manage to achieve with such skill throughout the rest of the text. Yes, I know it's a poetic piece, but I don't think the poetry is quite so cleverly buried in the text as elsewhere.

I also happen to agree with Jon about the penultimate stanza. It needs a little more explanation, especially in respect of the two slaves - the pair doesn't really create any sort of clear picture for the reader to work with.

That said, you have my total admiration for what you've achieved here. The last stanza is very good indeed. I couldn't help but think of all that grand street architecture and civic pride as being nothing more than the product of a horrible money laundering exercise!

This is one I'll keep on coming back to. I believe it to be one of your best.

Cheers.

[R. Broath]

Hi Elph. You have caught the tone of the original in expert style. I love the Captain's obsequious pandering to his betters while managing to maintain his own hierarchical position with this;

'it would be of no more interest than
the kitchen maid’s gossip of bruised fruit
and the manners of a local monger.'

Great stuff.
I also agree that to stand alone this might require specification of the 'pair'. We know he has been granted a boon but it would make this more...humane if they were identified as slaves. The good captain has no problem with the trade and I think the poet owes it to the audience to identify the gift.

A eloquent missive slipping easily into the speech of the day.
Very impressive.

Jimmy

[ray miller]

The more things change, the more they remain the same. The gilded and refined men still hold sway and there are those working for 7p an hour. Interesting and very well written. I baulked a little at "lolls low beyond the pool, laden..." but just a little.
"press them tight" calls to mind the press gangs and is a nice touch.
Whilst I had no problem realising what "the pair" was alluding to, I have difficulty with "I learn that the irons are no more empty here than on the sea". I can guess at several possible meanings but wouldn't be sure of any.
Does "Adam's grand design" refer to the original Adam or a historical figure?

[David]

A very good piece of ventriloquism, Elph. It seems to me (no expert) thoroughly convincing and accurate.

Sailing for Douglas, eh? Mr. Bridson? Local matters for me.

I'm assuming Adam is the architect.

Have you read Mason and Dixon by Thomas Pynchon? It's written in very much the same style. A wonderful book.

This is a very good poem.

Cheers

David

[barrie]

I've been reading and re-reading this piece, sir, and it has proved to be most entertaining. You seem to have captured the dicton of the time quite well, going off what I've read and heard of it.
You appear to have excelled with this, I think it's very good - AND I've no suggestions.
Is Adam, the Adam Smith who wrote The Wealth of Nations?

Good stuff

Barrie

[bobvincent]

You certainly capture the language of a certain age and profession, but what are you trying to say through your poem about life or people?

[Elphin]

Thanks all for reading and critting.

Jon - the lack of direct mention of the slaves was deliberate. I was hoping that by not referring directly it emphasised their status as cargo and gave them a more powerful presence. I think it may not have worked and I am giving some thought to a new stanza that refers to the slaves directly.

Oskar - high praise indeed. It means a lot coming from you and it is accepted graciously. Well spotted on the poetic artifice - those two lines were where this piece started and when I couldnt get them to work I went for the approach of replying to a letter. They stand out now and will receive some attention.

RB - much appreciated and point taken re the slaves.

Ray - glad you picked up on "press", it was exactly what I was hoping to achieve. Adam refers to the architect Robert Adam - a key figure in Enlightenment architecture, but it was also meaning to allude to Adam Smith and his invisible hand of the market and maybe yes the original Adam. All three had a place in grand designs.

David - are you acquaint with Mr Bridson? I would love to believe that his descendants are your local shopkeepers!! Mason and Dixon I should read - it has to be better than V. Cheers

Barrie - A very good from you sir, will please me no end.

Bob - what am I trying to say? Oh there is so very much - a picture of an Enlightened age that gave us the architecture of Adam, the manners of the ships captain but all cursed by the barbarism of slavery; a wondering if there are parallels with today; some consideration of status - the money men, the industrialists, the workers, the slaves; a thought that we might all be slaves, to our pensions, to our legacies, to our masters. If none of these came across the failings are mine, but something I have learnt in this forum is that I as a reader sometimes fail too to give full consideration to what's written.

thanks again

elph

[David]

Bob - what am I trying to say? Oh there is so very much - a picture of an Enlightened age that gave us the architecture of Adam, the manners of the ships captain but all cursed by the barbarism of slavery; a wondering if there are parallels with today; some consideration of status - the money men, the industrialists, the workers, the slaves; a thought that we might all be slaves, to our pensions, to our legacies, to our masters. If none of these came across the failings are mine, but something I have learnt in this forum is that I as a reader sometimes fail too to give full consideration to what's written.

A magisterial reply, old chap. Well said.

Oh, and "The name Bridson is a translation or corruption of MacGiollaBrigide, which is peculiar to the Isle of Man" ... I know a few, but none of them are shopkeepers.

Very very good poem.

Cheers

David

[emuse]

Elph this poem requires a close read. I have read it once but that is not near enough to appreciate it's competence and fluidity. I am really awed by it and the authentic voice it took. I would post the original beneath it and allow it to be part of the entire poem with the original below it in quotes and a nod to its source. That's just my take.

I'll be back for more assessment though it seems it only needs praises at this point.

e

[dedalus]

Dry, my dear, and dangerous!

You are unstoppable when you get that bit between your teeth, when your heart and soul gets going!!! Jesus, man, this was good. Truly.

(well, of course, I'd do the whole thing differently meself ...)
Ah, would you fuck off Brendan?

There's no point in quibbling about the bits and pieces. This is your thing from start to finish and it's bloody good, so it is. Arrr.

Besto,
Brendan

[bobvincent]

You're right, elphin, the relevance of your poem didn't come over, and is only faint after several re-readings.. It certainly SOUNDS true to the age in which it is set, but I suspect that capturing Captain Earle's voice was your main purpose, and any stirring of the reader's soul was a glimmer in the distance. Sorry.

[Elphin]

Thanks for the comments

e- thats a good idea re posting the letter alongside.

ded - good to see you back on board. Captain Earle is the antidote to all those wild living Irishman I love to read about in your stuff, the kind of sea faring Captain that made England what it is today!!!! Now where's the fiddler O'Sullivan when you need him to get a jig going.

bob - I appreciate you coming back.

elph