"Ayuba Suleiman Diallo (1701-1773)

Ayuba came from a prominent Fulbe family of Muslim religious leaders.His grandfather had founded the town of Bundu,and he grew up with Samba Geladio Diegui the heir (kamalenku) to the kingdom of Futatoro.Mandingoes.In 1730,Ayuba became a victim of ever-growing slave exploitation of the Senegambia region.Ayuba and his interpreter Loumein Yoas (also known "Lahamin Joy,"Lahmin Jay,""Lamine Ndiaye," "Loumein Ybai,"and "Lamine Jay") were near the Gambia River to trade slaves and paper.While visiting some friends on their return trip,Ayuba and Yoas were captured by invading Mandingoes.The invaders shaved their heads to make them appear as war captives,and threrby supposedly legitimately enslavable,as opposed to their actual condition of people captured in a kidnapping raid for the specific purpose of selling slaves for financial profit.The two men were sold to factors of the Royal African Company.Ayuba subsequently convinced English Captain Pike of his high social status,and explained his father was capable of paying ransom.Pike granted Ayuba leave to find someone to send word to Ayuba's family.Since the messenger did not return in time,at the behest of Captain Henry Hunt,Pike's superior,Ayuba and Loumein were sent across the Atlantic to Annapolis,Maryland,where he was delivered to another factor,Vachell Denton.Ayuba was then purchased by Mr Tolsey of Kent Island,Maryland.Ayuba was initially put to work in the Tobacco fields;after being found unsuitable for such work,he was placed in charge of the cattle.While in captivity,he used to go into the woods to pray.After being humiliated by a child while praying,Ayuba ran away and was captured and imprisoned at the Kent County courthouse.It was there he was discovered by a lawyer,Thomas Bluett,traveling through on business.Thomas was impressed by Ayuba's ability to write in Arabic.When another African spoke Wolof, a language of a neighboring African ethnic group,was able to translate for him,it was then discovered that he had aristocratic blood.Encouraged by the circumstances,Mr Tolseyallowed Ayuba to write a letter in Arabic to Africa.Eventually,the letter reached the office of James Oglethorpe,Director of the Royal African Company.After having the letter authenticated by John Gagnier,the Laudian Chair of the Arabic at Oxford,James purchased Ayuba for 45 dollars.According to his own account,John was moved with sentiment upon hearing the suffering Ayuba had endured.John purchased Ayuba and sent him to the London office of the Royal African Company in London.Thomas and Ayuba traveled to England in 1773.During the journey Ayuba learned to communicate in English.Emotionally swayed his letters claimed him to be,James was not conscientious to leave instructions with the London office of RAC concerning what to do with Ayuba upon his arrival in late April 1733.Captain Henry Hunt (or perhaps his brother,William Hunt),one of the original factors in charge of Ayuba's enslavement,arranged for lodging in a country province.Yet Henry was planing to sell him to traders who claimed they would deliverd him home.Ayuba,fearing yet more trickery,contacted Thomas and other men whom he met en route to London.Thomas arranged for Ayuba's stay in Hertfordshire.The RAC following John orders,made in part through persistent request from interested men in London,subsequently paid all all the expenses and purchases price of the bond for for Ayuba.Ayuba beseeched Thomas once again,explaining that none of this secured he would not be enslaved once again.According to Thomas,all the honorable men involved had promised they would not sell Ayuba into slavery,supposedly Ayuba was not under and threat,Thomas and other sympathizers paid "fifty-nine pounds,six shillings,and eleven pence half-penny"simply to ease Ayuba's anxiety.Englishmen in London and surroundings provinces who had met Ayuba collected money so that his "freedom in form,"an official document seal made and sealed by the RAC.Thomas explained,"Job mind being now perfectly easy,"he could fraternize with London's elite,obtaining many gifts and new friendships,while also being of service to Hans Sloane through his newly acquired ability to translate Arabic into English.Ayuba was in the company of many other prominent people,including the royal family and the Duke and Duchess of Montague.In July 1734,he returned to Gambia and later returned to his homeland.His father had died,and one of his wives presuming that Ayuba had perished,had remarried.His homeland was ravaged by war,but being prosperous individual,he was able to regain his old lifestyle.Ayuba faced later hardships,In June 1736,he was imprisoned or held as a parolee by the French.He have been targeted by the French because of his alliances with the British.He was held perhaps for a year by the French,when Ayuba's local countrymen,rather than British,secured his release.Her later sent letters to the London RAC to visit London, but this request was denied.His death was recorded in the minutes of the Spalding Gentleman's Society.