(Was Before Emancipation, Was Before Haiti)
FUH ALL AHWEE! – By Ted Eric Matthews
Remember 1762? Remember Plantations Goedland and Goed Fortuin up dee Berbice River. What a brave and heroic thirty -six they were! They struck a blow for Liberty, for us—–the audacity!—–Then pursued, hunted, killed, severely punished! Remember 1763? (was before Haiti).
Remember Magdalenburg, Providence, Hollandia, Lillianburg up dee Canjie River. Break the chains! Break out! Burn! Chop! Free ourselves! Free yourselves! Run Massa run! Run missy run! Massa day done!
Remember Cuffy (Coffij), and Atta, and Akara, an’ an’ Accabre! Accabre dee Obeaman. Accabre who said “kill all de whites! Drive dem to dee sea! Cuffy dictated letters, negotiated, procrastinated, his government, his army. Waited, hesitated, dissension in dee ranks! Former house slaves, former field slaves— We massa was a good massa! Spare missy, she was good to we!
Van Hoogenheim, governor of the Berbice colony was crafty, played for time, waited for reinforcements, divide and rule — then, pursued, hunted, killed, scatteration, severely punished!— then the hangings, incinerations, brandings, floggings, chopped-off ears. Forget dee bloodshed?! Forget dee crushed bones?! Forget dee burnt flesh?! Never! Never! Never! The spark never died! It must never die! Remember 1763 – in dee Berbice colony — four months free. Remember 1763—was before Haiti — was FUH ALL AHWEE!
Comments
Oh, how we misuse the term “House slave” as though it was advertised and the best candidate got the job!! Cuffy was a house slave – he worked in the house. BUT, it was Cuffy who plotted with others and started the revolution of 1763.