Hi Dom,
I was moved by your courage to casually disclose that your dad started
as a coolie working at the Bombay docks and rose to be Chief Petty
Officer. That example is bound to have shaped your own values.
The little I got to know about you came from Alfonso Albuquerque, not
the conqueror, but an unusual guy who lived in Porvorim, on the main
road opposite Bank of India branch in the 1970-80s. Allow me to say
something about him.
Born in 1911, he was one of a large, well known Goan family, now mostly
scattered in Canada.
Alfonso went to London to study law in 1933 and travelled to Germany in
1936. There at a ball in Berlin, he met a blond German beauty, Ursula by
name, then aged 20. He danced with her the whole night. Ursula thought
him one of the handsomest men she had seen but frankly Alfonso was quite
dark-complexioned. Next day, the two were swimming at a local lake and
soon the courtship was on. It was the time when Hitler's Aryan ideology
and anti-Jewish views are reaching their peak.
Ursula had agreed to marry Alfonso and booked her passage to Bombay. She
arrived there in June 1939 when UK declared war on Germany.
The couple lived mostly on the outskirts of Mombasa. Alfonso switched
from law to chicken farming. Meanwhile tensions were brewing and the
children, Klaus and Claudia, left for the US on overseas study, followed
by their mother.
Soon Alfonso was on his own and he took the path of spiritual
liberation. His guru was UG Krishnamurti and under his teachings, he
appeared to have undergone a radical transformation in Porvorim, leading
him to do away with much of his worldly goods and live like an ascetic.
Meanwhile, his son had become a Professor of Sociology at Charleston
College, South Carolina.
To return to you, its was Alfonso who spoke warmly about you and your
artistic talents. But I don't recall much.
The point of this email is to ask you to fill us in on what you have
been doing in the USA.
Eddie
Eddie
------ Original Message ------
From: "Dom Martin" <dommart...@aol.com>
To: "goanet@lists.goanet.org" <goanet@lists.goanet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, 5 May, 20 At 00:34
Subject: [Goanet] Goanet] Slave Trade
My latefather, Vincent Xavier Verodiano Martin, whose academic
credentials were “segundgrao” -- left home at age 12, worked as a coolie
atthe Bombay docks, slept thereon, later enlisted in the Royal
IndianNavy and rose to the rank of Chief Petty Officer. The
highestposition the British allowed Indians in the Royal Navy was the
rank of lieutenant. My father's commanding officer was Lt. Sardarilal
Mathradas Nanda, who, after India's independence, went on to become
Admiral of the Indian Navy.
Note: My father was onboard HMS Indus in the epic WWII sinking of the
mighty German battleship, Bismarck. At the onslaught, HMS Indus
waspositioned behind HMS Hood. A single salvo from Bismarck sent Hoodto
the bottom of the ocean within 3 mins, leaving no survivors. Inthat
lightning skirmish, the rest of the British naval fleet hastenedretreat,
regrouped and then hounded Bismarck to its watery grave.
Althoughmy father's career originated as a "coolie", he was not enlisted
by the“Brits” to serve East Africa as a “coolie”. He migrated
andtranscended that status on his own. I salute his extraordinary
gritand remain eternally indebted.
DomMartin
_________________________________________________Message: 2
Date: Mon, 4 May 2020 10:46:36 +0000 (UTC)
From: Bernado Colaco <ole_...@yahoo.co.uk>
To: <goanet@lists.goanet.org>
Subject: [Goanet] Slave Trade
Message-ID: <26953537.1672756.1588589196...@mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
I wonder how many Goanetters or their forefathers were taken by the
brits as coolies or indentured labour to East Africa?
BC
Soon after Portuguese conquered Goa, it became the main port to trade
slaves brought from Portuguese enclave from Africa.? The slaves were
shipped from Goa to Ceylon and as far away to Macao.? The Mhamai Kamats
(whose ancestral house is just behind Governor's residence in Panjim)
were one of the main slave traders in Goa.?
