THE FIRST CROSSING
Being the Diary of Theophilus Richmond,
Ship’s Surgeon aboard the Hesperus, 1837-8
Edited by David Dabydeen, Jonathan Morley, Brinsley Samaroo, Amar Wahab & Brigid Wells
Derek Walcott Press Books
978-1-906038-01-4
Even babies crossed the Kala Pani!
"Besides the regular crew there are now 170 Coolies including 7 women and 11 children, one of the lattter tribe being only a forthight old...."
....and they gave the babies RUM!
"...the child who survived and who is not yet four years old, took within the space of 16 hours, the entire contents of a teacup full of strong Rum....."
They ate one meal per day while on the voyage across the Kala Pani:
"... when they all sit in the peculiar manner that I have already described in two long double rows, each with his brass dish and drinking cup before him andbusily employed in shovelling an extensive and recherche Olla Podrida of Rice, Saltfish, Peas, Tumeric, Chillis, Tamarinds, etc into their unbeleiving stomachs. It is their custom to take only one meal a day, but that one is most voluminious...."
They suffered immensely, some did not survive the journey:
"...I was called out to see one of the Coolies who had been suddenly taken ill....I soon discovered to my horror and consternation that I was looking at a genuine case of Indian Cholera, and cholera in one of its most aggravated shapes... Altho' his body was cold as ice from head to foot, he was continually crying out from the overpowering sensation of internal heat, the intense violence of which was but too clearly indicated by the parched lips and blackened tongue with their miserable concomitant of raging thirst....on Wednesay there were 7 deaths...on Thursday there were 4 seizures and 2 deaths....and 6 more fell victims by the following Sunday..... one untoward event occured a few days since in the suicide of an unfortunate Coolie..who threw himseld into the sea...the violence and size of the waves that were rolling around must have destroyed him almost immediately...."
From THE FIRST CROSSING,
Being the Diary of Theophilus Richmond, Ship's surgeon aboard the HESPERUS, 1837-38 (HESPERUS brought the first Indian Immigrants to the Caribbean).
Edited by David Dabydeen, Brinsley Samaroo, Jonathan Morley, Amar Wahab & Brigid Wells.
The newly discovered diary of the first journey in the trade in Indentured Indians, which saw half a million laborers shipped from India to the Caribbean plantations between 1838 and 1917. Hundreds of thousands more Indians were also sent to Mauritius, Fiji, and Africa.
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The First Crossing, the diary of British surgeon Theophilus Richmond who sailed on the first ship, Hesperus that brought indentured labourers from Calcutta, India to Georgetown was launched at Le Meridien Pegasus.
The book which was published by the Derek Walcott Press is the brainchild of Guyanese writer, Professor David Dabydeen who teamed up with Professor Brinsley Samaroo, Jonathan Morley, Amar Wahab and Brigid Wells to edit the book. Speaking at the launching last evening, Dabydeen said it took them close to three years to complete the book.
He recalled how he was introduced to Richmond’s diary, noting that it was very enlightening to see the first written account of Indian existence in Guyana. Professor Dabydeen said they did extensive work in putting the book together, recalling the hours of research and editing that was done.
Former Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana Al Creighton who did an analysis of the book last evening said it was profound and timely. Creighton added that the book has made an important contribution to scholarship and he recommended it as a book to be read.
The diary chronicles Dr Richmond’s journey from Liverpool, England in June 1837 to Mauritius, to Calcutta, India and from Calcutta on January 29, 1838 to Guyana.
Richmond died two months after arriving in Demerara, Guyana on May 5, 1838 of yellow fever at the age of 23. His presence onboard the Hesperus was as a result of being employed by John Gladstone, father of the then British prime Minister who wanted labour from India to replace the ex-slaves on his sugar plantation on the West Demerara. Over 100 Indians started the journey but not all made it through.
Dabydeen said they have compiled a list of the immigrants on that first voyage, which would be made available for research purposes.
