Black Ivory

by R.M. Ballantyne

Six feet water in the hold, sir! That would not have been a pleasant announcement to the captain of the 'Aurora' at any time, but its unpleasantness was vastly increased by the fact that it greeted him near the termination of what had been, up to that point of time, an exceedingly prosperous voyage. "Are you sure, Davis?" asked the captain; "try again." He gave the order under the influence of that feeling which is styled "hoping against hope," and himself accompanied the ship's carpenter to see it obeyed. "Six feet two inches," was the result of this investigation. The vessel, a large English brig, had sprung a leak, and was rolling heavily in a somewhat rough sea off the east coast of Africa.

Genres: Historical Fiction

344 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2007

About the author

R. M. Ballantyne was a Scottish writer of juvenile fiction.

Born Robert Michael Ballantyne in Edinburgh, he was part of a famous family of printers and publishers. At the age of 16 he went to Canada and where he served for six years with the Hudson's Bay Company. He returned to Scotland in 1847, and published his first book the following year, Hudson's Bay: or Life in the Wilds of North America. For some time he was employed by Messrs Constable, the publishers, but in 1856 he gave up business for literature, and began the series of adventure stories for the young with which his name is popularly associated.

Reviews

[Thom Swennes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much has been written about slavery in the southern states, Caribbean islands and many South American countries but little has been written about the genesis of this abhorrent trade. The slavery trade (new shipments from Africa) was internationally abolished in 1808 and completely abolished in the United States at the close of the Civil War in 1865. In actuality the heinous trade continued on from the east coast of Africa by Portuguese and Arabic traders which wasn’t (according to the book) abolished until 1879. Black Ivory is a story about two English castaways that find themselves in the middle of a group of odious and detestable slave traders. Although the main characters of this narrative are fictitious, the numerous footnotes and references attest to the general factuality of the story. As to be expected of a story of this era (published in 1873), written predominantly for a youthful audience, an evangelistic message is intertwined in the story. This isn’t a story for the faint-hearted as it portrays a heart wrenching tale of unbelievable suffering, hopelessness and horror. On the up-side it is also a tale of hope, love and a brighter future. I recommend this book to a chosen few that want to explore the darker corners of the (not quite forgotten) past.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars & 5/10 hearts. This book is fiction, but contains a good deal of nonfiction. It is all about the slave trade in Africa, and if you are a sensitive reader (blood & violence) you’ll probably want to skip it. He doesn’t hide the awful stuff that happens, though he doesn’t harrow up your feelings uselessly. He just shows you enough of it to make you realize how awful it was & how it needed to be stopped. He was very passionate on this issue, and I love how not only he cared for the black people’s bodies, but their souls—repeating again & again that the Gospel must be sent to Africa. The whole thing was written in a non-discriminatory, perfectly acceptable way. There’s many mentions that the slaves/natives were almost naked (& I disagree with Disco that because they’re in a warmer climate it’s OK for them to be so), but that’s all I disagreed with. The characters are amazing; there’s a lot of humour; some great lessons & thoughts. All in all, a good thinking book, a good book about the slave trade, & one I’ll definitely reread.

A Favourite Quote: “[T]here must be the introduction of the Bible.... The life-giving, soul-softening Word of God, is the only remedy for the woes of mankind, and, therefore, the only cure for Africa.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “To travel with one’s mouth and eyes opened to nearly their utmost width in a state of surprised stupefaction, may be unavoidable, but it cannot be said to be either becoming or convenient. Attention in such a case is apt to be diverted from the business in hand, and flies have a tendency to immolate themselves in the throat.”

[Haythem Bastawy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is an entertaining tale with a sincere overtone of opposition to slavery. In spite of the exterior layer of sincerity that envelops the story, the story depicts a clouded reality of victims (Africans who are kidnapped and turned to slaves), villains (Arab slave traders and Portuguese slave buyers) and heroes (the English civilised White men who do their best to rescue the slaves). Without going into details the bias is apparent throughout to the more thorough readers. Ballantyne at the beginning of the story states that in spite of being a work of fiction it is based on authentic reliable extensive sources of what happens of the coast of East Africa, to weave his story however Ballantyne uses two stereotypical villains as the cause of all evil: the cunning, smooth Arab and the rich inferior Portuguese competitor to the Englishman's imperial civilising sovereignty in Africa.