| Zachary Macaulay of Birchin Lane London Merchants Thomas Gisborne-Babington
of the same place Merchant and Peter Van Wageninge of Water
Lane Thames Street London Gentlemen Severally make oath and
say and first this Deponent Zachary Macaulay 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 Macaulay 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 he was desirous if
possible of learning under what circumstances she came to England
and whether she was made a public spectacle with her own free
will and consent or whether she was compelled to exhibit herself
and was desirous of returning to her own country as the said
Institution would be anxious in that case to restore her to
her country and friends and therefore this Deponent Zachary
Macaulay as Secretary to the said Institution went on Thursday
the eleventh day of this present Month of October to Piccadilly
in order to see the female in question and having paid two shillings
was admitted into the room where she is usually exhibited And
this Deponent saith that he found a stage of about two or three
feet in height erected at one end of the room upon which the
said female was exhibited with a small recess at one end of
the said stage into which the said female occasionally retired
And this Deponent saith that the said female was cloathed in
a dress resembling her complexion which is very dark and her
dress was so tight that her shapes above and the enormous size
of her posterior parts are as visible as if the said female
were naked and the dress is evidently intended to give the appearance
of her being undressed And this Deponent further Saith that
he entered into conversation with the person who exhibited the
said female and made many enquiries respecting her and the Exhibitor
informed this Deponent that she was a female of the Hottentot
Tribe and that he had brought her from the Cape of Good Hope
having obtained her from the Dutch Boors who came from the interior
down to the Cape and that he had made an agreement with the
Government at the Cape and they had given him permission to
take her to this Country And this Deponent saith that upon the
Exhibitor informing him that he brought her to England with
the consent of the Government at the Cape he was much surprized
and said what did Lord Calledon who is Governor at the Cape
give permission for her being brought to England and the exhibitor
answered that he did and upon being interrogated if Lord Calledons
permission was in writing the exhibitor said it was and upon
being further asked if Lord Calledon knew that she was brought
to this Country to be exhibited he answered Oh! Yes, Yes, upon
which this Deponent Being in the habit of corresponding with
him and doubting the truth of these assertions stated to the
Exhibitor that he wished to see the permission which Lord Calledon
had signed for her - being brought to England as he know his
hand writing upon which the Exhibitor said what wont you believe
my word, I have already told you that he has signed it and I
shall give you no further satisfaction a conversation to this
effect passed between the Exhibitor and this Deponent at the
time aforesaid And this Deponent saith that he proceeded to
ask further questions of the said Exhibitor relative to the
said female but the Exhibitor excused himself from giving any
more information respecting her by saying I do not choose to
have so many questions put to me or words to that effect And
this Deponent Saith that during the time he remained in the
room he paid particular attention to the Conduct and behaviour
of the said Exhibitor and also of the said female and he says
that the said Exhibitor sometimes would call the said female
to him, and when she came would desire her to turn round and
would invite the spectators to feel her posterior parts and
at other times if she was at a distance from him would desire
her to turn round in order that every body might see her extraordinary
shape if in the Recess he would call her out for exhibition
and in fact she is exhibited to the public in the same manner
that any animal of the brute creation would be exhibited And
the Deponent saith from the unhappy and dejected countenance
of the said female and from the expressive look of disapprobation
which she gives when ordered to exhibit herself and from her
frequent sighs he considers the said female is unhappy in her
situation and that she is under the restraint and controul of
her exhibitor and is deprived of her liberty And this Deponent
further saith that during the time he was in the room, the Exhibitor
gave to the said female a musical Instrument somewhat like a
guitar and desired her to play upon it and upon that occasion
he particularly observed that the said female by her looks gave
evident signs of mortification and misery at her degraded situation
in being made a spectacle for the derision of the by standers
without the power of resistance And this Deponent further saith
that the said African Institution are willing to take the said
female under their care and protection and to bear all expenses
of restoring her to her Country and friends if they are permitted
to do so And these Deponents Peter Van Wageninge and Thomas
Gisborne Babington severally say that at the request of the
said Zachary Macaulay they went on the fifteenth day of October
now instant to see the said female in Piccadilly aforesaid and
having paid two shillings each they were admitted into the said
room and found her exhibited upon a stage as described by the
last Deponent And this Deponent Peter Van Wageninge saith that
he is a native of Holland and being informed by the Exhibitor
that the said female could speak the Dutch language although
not perfectly well, he this Deponent put many question to the
said female and amongst others he enquired of her whence she
came whether she had any relations whether she was happy and
comfortable here and whether she was desirous of returning home,
all which questions were asked in the language in which the
exhibitor spoke to the said female but the said female would
not answer any of such questions And both these Deponents Peter
Van Wageninge and Thomas Gisborne Babington say they remained
in the room with the said female with many other spectators,
for nearly an hour and during that time she never spoke but
the Exhibitor frequently desired her either to come out of the
little recess into which she occasionally walks from off the
said stage and to come to him or if she was upon the stage to
turn herself round for public exhibition and when he gave these
commands it was in the Dutch Language and he gave them in the
same manner as he would to any of the brute creation - If she
was in the little recess his order was "come out",
if upon the stage "come here" or "turn round"
just as he might wish and the said female obeyed the orders
in the same manner that animals of the brute creation obey similar
commands - that whilst these Deponents were present they heard
the said female utter several deep sighs evidently as from a
being whose mind is distressed and which her countenance strongly
shows her to be And these Deponents Peter Van Wageninge and
Thomas Gisborne Babington say that the said female is called
by the exhibitor toward the persons standing round the stage
and they are invited to feel her posterior parts to satisfy
themselves that no act 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 compleatly 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 appered 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 females'
name is Saartgee and that the name of the person who has the
possession of her is Henrick Cesar |
[3 signatures] |
Zachary Macaulay |
Tho[ma]s Gisborne Babington |
P[eter} van Wageninge |
Sworn at my chambers in Serjeantes Inn
Chancery Lane London this day of October one thousand eight
hundred and ten
Before me |
Sworn by the above named Deponents Zachary Macaulay Thomas
Gisborne Babington and Peter van Wageninge at my chambers in
Serjeants Inn Chancery Lane London this seventeenth day of October
one thousand eight hundred and ten
L. Le Blanc |
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