Hottentot Venus

by Barbara Chase-Riboud

  —Aye, aye, all rise for his lordship, the Honorable Earl of Ellenborough, the crier shouted.

  Lord Ellenborough entered followed by the attending magistrates. The judge’s long, flowing ermine-trimmed red robes gave him a theatrical air. His high white court wig added six inches to his rather small person, and despite a long narrow chinless face and famous Christmas-tree eyebrows, he seemed to me to radiate authority, temperance and dignity. The first thing he said was that he tolerated no nonsense in his courtroom and was determined to keep the cartoons, circus atmosphere and penny posters out of the proceedings. Lord Ellenborough, it seemed, was related to Lord Grenville. The solicitor general then rose and addressed the magistrates with his opening argument.

  —I am applying to your lordship on behalf of an unfortunate female who is at present exhibited to the view of the public in a manner offensive to decency and disgraceful to the country. I apply to you on behalf of a helpless and ignorant foreigner brought to this country and exhibited against her consent by those in whose keeping she is. I am aware that the Court cannot grant the rule for which I am applying unless they be convinced that she is under restraint and that this exhibition is against her will. However, I see no reason why a writ of habeas corpus should not be issued to bring her before the coroner and attorney of the Court in the presence of proper persons.

  —I am somewhat at a loss, your lordship, as to how to frame this motion—whether it should be for a writ of habeas corpus or whether it should be for a rule. I will proceed to read the affidavits upon which my application is founded and then take direction from the Court as to the manner of shaping the motion. I submit the affidavit of William Bullock, owner of Egyptian Hall, and call him to the stand.

  In the King’s Bench

  —Will you please state your name and profession to the Court.

  —William Bullock of Piccadilly in the county of Middlesex, proprietor of the Liverpool Museum.

  —Will you please tell the Court what you know of the Venus and her keeper Mr. Dunlop.

  —Sometime in or about the month of August, I recall, I was applied to by Mr. Alexander Dunlop, who I believe either is or was an army surgeon and who stated that he had then lately arrived from the Cape of Good Hope to purchase of me a camelopard skin of great beauty and considerable value, but the price being greater than I chose to give, no bargain was then made, although I afterwards had a subsequent interview with Alexander Dunlop and purchased the skin.

  —Is this the only thing Alexander Dunlop offered you?

  —Alexander Dunlop in the course of conversation with me informed me that he was in possession of a Hottentot woman who he had brought from the Cape of Good Hope.

  —And did you consider that proposition? Why do you think Mr. Dunlop and company entered onto this project?

  Master Bullock eyed the prosecuter.

  —Why were they doing this? he answered. Money certainly.

  —And of course this went against your ethics and morality.

  —Yes.

  Master Bullock was adamant.

  —I could not, he repeated, in good conscience exhibit a live human being in an animal museum no matter how . . . extraordinary. But I did purchase the giraffe skin from Mr. Dunlop and it is now exhibited in the Great Hall as part of my collection.

  —How much did you pay for it?

  —For the skin I paid one hundred guineas.

  —And how much did Dunlop ask for the Venus?

  —I don’t care to answer that.

  —Please answer the question.

  —Five hundred pounds, at the same time informing me that he was under the engagement to return her to the Cape of Good Hope in two years. Mr. Dunlop expressed to me previous to the time I purchased the camelopard skin that he would rather dispose of the whole concern together, meaning, as I understood and verily believe, the skin and the Hottentot woman, but when I purchased the skin, Mr. Dunlop remarked that, as he had disposed of the other part of the concern (meaning thereby, as I understood and believe, the Hottentot woman) to advantage, if I would make him a handsome offer for the skin I should have her as a bargain. Mr. Dunlop at the time I was in treaty for the skin described the extraordinary shape and make of the woman and that she was an object of great curiosity and would make the fortune of any person exhibiting her to the public. I felt that such an exhibition would not meet the countenance of the public and I declined acceding to Mr. Dunlop’s proposal and only purchased the skin.

  —And did you imagine how she would look stuffed and naturalized and placed amongst your specimens?

  Master Bullock flinched as if he had been burned.

  —I am a collector, not a taxidermist! Of course I imagined how she would look naturalized, stuffed and placed amongst my skylit African flora and fauna, along with my other animals. My museum of natural history is designed not only to display the natural world as it is, but also to influence the minds and behavior of the people who visit my museum to contemplate their own higher, rationalized human behavior and establish the distance between human and animal nature. But when I met Sarah Baartman, I was amazed that she spoke our language—English. But if she possessed a language, the King’s English, rudimentary as it was, I believed that meant she possessed the humanity of the King as well! No! I could not exhibit another human being no matter how spectacular!

  —Did you ever consider denouncing Mr. Dunlop to the authorities as Mr. Macauley has done?

  —Well, I began to eye the two men, one a colonial and the other an officer and a so-called gentleman, with suspicion. One was insisting it was my patriotic duty and the other that it was my scientific duty, but why were they doing this? As I said, money certainly. But I thought Miss Baartman must be the mistress of one of these men as well. Which one? And if so, wasn’t he her pimp as they say? I felt uncomfortable. I realized I was contemplating a commercial venture based on this poor creature that might even be illegal and get me in trouble with the police. The Hottentot was the living, breathing personification of crime: sex, deformity and slavery. For by now I was sure she was a slave, illegally imported into England. I felt cramped as I faced Miss Baartman in her carriage that day. An explorer had once said to me that nothing more uncannily focused the projection of guilt for the slave trade, for the empire, for one’s own savage and immoral impulses, than those moments when one white man confronts another white man in the depths of the jungle. And for me, Miss Baartman was the jungle! I even said so out loud. I said, This is the jungle! I jumped out of the carriage, no longer able to stand the sight of Miss Baartman. I refused any more dealing with Mr. Dunlop, except for the giraffe skin . . .

  I was surprised Master Bullock didn’t tell the Court how he had sat in my carriage and pinched me and joked about my backside and haggled over my price. Or how he had sung my birthday song by naming me Venus, or how he had been so frightened at what he was doing, he had had to escape from my sight once he had decided I was human, because it had turned his stomach.

  —And do you believe she was smuggled into England as contraband?

  —I know Alexander Dunlop and the Hottentot female and Hendrick Caesar, who now exhibits the female, all came to England from the Cape of Good Hope in the same ship. Alexander Dunlop, Hendrick Caesar and the female now live together in the same house in York Street, Piccadilly. I have since been informed by Mr. Alexander Dunlop that he has been so unfortunate as to have sold and disposed of his interest in the exhibiting of the Hottentot woman and that he has now next to nothing to do with her.

  —Could you specify who you mean?

  —I mean the Hottentot woman—

  —Her real name, please.

  —Sarah Baartman, sir.

  —Could you point out to the Court her person?

  —She’s sitting over there. (He pointed at me)

  —And you refused to exhibit her?

  —How could I in good conscience exhibit a live human being in an animal museum, no matter how . . . extraordinary.

  �
�Thank you, Mr. Bullock. You are dismissed.

  —So your lordship may perceive that this unfortunate creature was offered to William Bullock for sale, which is sufficient proof that she is a slave and not a free agent, continued the solicitor general, his white wig bobbing as he paced.

  —I now introduce, he continued, the affidavits of Mr. Babington, Mr. Macauley and Mr. Van Wageninge, all illustrious members of the African Institution, a society the object of which was to abolish slavery in Great Britain and, now that that great cause is accomplished, is to meliorate the conditions of the Africans. Upon learning of the disgraceful exhibition of this female, these gentlemen went to see her and found her exhibited in such a disgraceful and disgusting manner, I will forbear going into the particulars . . . I now read to the Court their sworn affidavits, and call to the stand Mr. Macauley.

  SWORN AFFIDAVITS

  Zachary Macauley of Birchin Lane London Merchant, Thomas Gisborne Babington of the same place Merchant, and Peter Van Wageninge of Water Lane Thames Street London Gentleman. Severally make oath and say first this Deponent Zachary Macauley for himself saith that he is Secretary to an Institution called the African Institution the object of which is the civilization of Africa and the said Zachary Macauley having understood from different public advertisements and otherwise that a native of South Africa denominated the Hottentot Venus of a most extraordinary or unnatural shape was publicly exhibited for Money in Piccadilly . . . And these Deponents Peter Van Wageninge and Thomas Gisborne Babington say that the said female is called by the Exhibitor towards the persons standing round the stage and they are invited to feel her posterior parts to satisfy themselves that no art is practiced—And these Deponents Peter Van Wageninge and Thomas Gisborne Babington do verily believe from the dejected appearance of the said female and from the obedience which she pays to the commands of her Exhibitor that she is completely under restraint and control and is deprived of her liberty. And these Deponents further severally say that during the time they were present the said female at one time appeared very morose and sullen and retired into the little recess off the stage and appeared unwilling to come out again when called by the Exhibitor and the Exhibitor felt it necessary on that occasion to let down a curtain which when drawn separates the stage and little recess from the other part of the room. And this Deponent Thomas Gisborne Babington saith that the Exhibitor after the curtain was let down looked behind it and held up and shook his hand at her but without speaking and he soon afterward drew up the Curtain and again called her out to public view and she came forward again upon the stage. And these Deponents severally say they are informed and believe that the said female’s name is Saartjie and that the name of the person who has the possession of her is Hendrick Caesar—

  [signed] Zachary Macauley

  Thos. Gisborne Babington

  P. Van Wageninge

  —May it please the Court, I call to the stand Mr. Zachary Macauley.

  Master Macauley took the stand, and while he was testifying to what he had seen at 225, I watched the face of the Reverend Wedderburn, who followed the testimony as if he himself were on the stand, squirming and muttering and repeating phrases and wringing his hands and rolling his eyes in disgust. I wondered why it was not he on the witness stand, defending me . . . rather than Master Macauley.

  —And would you say, Mr. Macauley, that the woman in question was under duress and in physical danger . . .

  —I definitely do believe she was under duress and threatened . . .

  —Could you specify she . . .

  —The Hottentot Venus . . .

  —Her real name please.

  —Sarah Baartman.

  —Could you point her out to the Court.

  —She’s sitting there. (He pointed at me)

  —Thank you, Mr. Macauley. You are dismissed.

  —May it please the Court, I now read the affidavit established on November twenty-seventh, 1810, at the residence of Sarah Baartman in Duke Street, St. James’s Square, in the presence of Sir James Temple, Esquire, coroner of the Court, and the solicitors of each party without the presence of Mr. Dunlop and Mr. Caesar. And I call Sarah Baartman to the stand.

  THE RESULT OF THE EXAMINATION OF

  THE HOTTENTOT VENUS—

  NOV. 27, 1810

  She does not know when she left her native place she being very young when she came to the Cape: the Brother of her late Master, Peter Caesar, brought her to the Cape: she came with her own consent with Peter Caesar and was taken into the service of Hendrick Caesar as his nursery maid; she came by her own consent to England and was promised half of the money for exhibiting her person—She agreed to come to England for a period of six years; She went personally to the Government in Company with Hendrick Caesar to ask permission to go to England: Mr. Dunlop promised to send her back after that period at his own expense [sic] and to send the money belonging to her with her—She is kindly treated and has everything she wants; Has no complaints to make against her master or those that exhibit her: is perfectly happy in her present situation: has no desire whatever of returning to her own country not even for the purpose of seeing her two brothers and four sisters: wishes to stay here because she likes the Country and has money given her by her Master of a Sunday when she rides about in a Coach for a couple of hours—Her father was in the habit of going with Cattle from the interior to the Cape and was killed in one of those Journeys by the “Bosmen.” Her mother died twenty years ago—she has a Child by a drummer at the Cape with whom she lived for about four years yet being always in the employ of Hendrick Caesar; the child is since dead— She is to receive one half of the money received for exhibiting herself and Mr. Dunlop the other half—She is not desirous of changing her present situation—no personal violence or threats have been used by any individual against her; She has two Black Boys to wait upon her: One of the men assists her in the morning when she is nearly completely attired for the purpose of fastening the Ribbon round her waist—her dress is too cold and she has complained of this to Hendrick Caesar who promised her warmer clothes; Her Age she says to be twenty-one and that her stay at the Cape was three years—To the various questions we put to her whether if she chose at any time to discontinue her person being exhibited, she might do so, we could not draw a satisfactory answer from her—She understands very little of the Agreement made with her by Mr. Dunlop on the twenty-ninth October 1810—and which agreement she produced to us—The time of Examination lasted for about three hours—and the questions put to her were put in such a language as to be understood by her—and these Deponents say they were informed by the said female that she could neither read or write.

  [signed] S. Solly

  Jn. Geo. Moojen

  For the first time, Lord Ellenborough intervened:

  Question: What is your name, age, and occupation?

  —My name is Sarah Baartman. I am twenty-one years old, having left my homeland at the age of nine years old to come to the Cape as a slave to the Reverend Cecil Freehouseland. I returned home at age fourteen and married. When my husband was killed, I returned to the Cape when I was seventeen years old and I went to work as a children’s nurse for Mr. Peter Caesar, brother of one of my present employers. His brother, Mr. Hendrick Caesar, and Mr. Dunlop brought me to London with my own consent as his partner.

  Question: Your occupation, then, is nursery maid?

  —Yes, before I was taken into service by Mr. Dunlop.

  Question: How did you arrive in England and how do you make your livinghere?

  —I came by my own consent to England and was promised half of the money received for exhibiting my person just as I am . . .

  Question: For what length of employment?

  —Six years, sir.

  Question: Did you receive permission from the governor of Cape Colony to leave the colony as a protected person under the guardianship of the governor?

  —I went myself to the governor’s house in Cape Town to ask permission to go to England with
Master Dunlop.

  Question: For how long was this arrangement to be for?

  —Master Dunlop promised to send me back after six years at his own expense and to send at the same time all the money belonging to me.

  Question: Do you have any complaints against Mr. Dunlop and Mr. Caesar for harsh or inhuman or unfair treatment?

  —I have no complaints to make against Master Caesar or Master Dunlop, sir.

  Question: Would you characterize your situation as a happy one?

  —I am happy in my present situation, sir.

  Question: Would you like to go home? Return to your own country?

  —I have no desire whatsoever to return to my own country, sir.

  Question: You do have family? Two brothers and one sister, isn’t that so? Wouldn’t you like to return to them?

  —No, my two brothers are dead. I have not seen my sister since I was eight years old. She may be dead too.

  Question: Why do you wish to remain in England?

  —Because there is no slavery on English soil.

  —Any other reason?

  —I like the British Isles and wish to remain here in liberty and freedom with money given to me by my master to spend as I please.

  Question: And what do you do with this money?

  —I ride in coaches on Sundays. I shop on Bond Street and Oxford Street. I buy gloves.

  Question: Tell me a bit about your background. Where do you come from?

  —My father was a herdsman who was killed on Khoekhoe lands, where he had assembled his herd to go to the Xhoa market. He was killed by Boer raiders. My mother died almost eighteen years ago when I was an infant. I was married to a drummer, called Kx’au, with whom I lived for four years. I had one child, !Kung, who died a babe just after the murder of my husband.

  Question: How much of the money do you receive for exhibiting yourself?

  —I receive one half, and Master Dunlop and Master Caesar the other half.