text:
Hulking castles, cliff-top lighthouses and country homes buffered with forest… Gorgeous to look at, yes, but they also make excellent places to stay!
Vast would be the best way to describe the Clandeboye Estate. Huge swathes of green fields, a lake flecked with swans and a country home straight from a Jane Austen novel – this is County Down's crown. And deep in the estate, there is Helen's Tower.
The slender stone tower rises into a peak of turrets and flagpoles. Visions of Rapunzel rush to mind in the velvet cladding of the dining room. On the roof, the estate spreads itself out in green grandeur. Almost 100 years ago, the 36th Ulster Division trained here before fighting and dying at the Somme.
Lord Tennyson stood here, too, and did what he did best. He wrote this:
Helen's Tower, here I stand,
Dominant over sea and land.
Son's love built me, and I hold
Mother's love in letter'd gold.
Where history lives, curiosity follows. Dorothy-Ellen White of the Irish Landmark Trust knows that better than most. Gate lodges, lighthouses, castles and cottages – if it's historic, the Trust have restored it.
Dorothy-Ellen understands the attraction: "Historic properties are steeped in local legend and folklore. Staying in a castle, a tower or a cottage as if it were your own is utterly magical."
Think a friend might enjoy this article? Click to save and share
Castles, of course, are the dream. King or queen for the day is the fantasy. Jeremy Irons liked the idea so much he bought his own. US presidents have swapped the White House for Dromoland Castle in County Clare, and David Beckham married Victoria at Luttrellstown, County Dublin. But the pleasure is not restricted to celebrities and royalty.
Lisheen Castle in County Tipperary is isolated luxury and a nod to classic interiors. Limerick's Fanningstown Castle wears ivy stubble over its medieval features and Fermanagh's Crom Castle perches on Lough Erne, demanding a double take. And best of all, you can stay in them all.
Still, it would be a lie to say that all unique accommodation in Ireland is old or ancient. The Gyreum Ecolodge looks like something from another world: a UFO fallen from the sky into the Sligo countryside.
The truth is, this "temple rising out of the ground" couldn't be more in tune with the earth if it tried. Welcome to the ultimate in eco living, to hostel accommodation where wind turbines turn a Sligo breeze into electricity, and solar panels mean roasting hot showers. Thanks to an organic garden, organic duck eggs and homemade jams, the food won't leave a carbon footprint, either. Even your morning coffee is fair trade.
reland is in the throws of an accommodation revolution – some old and traditional, some new and memorable. Glamping on manor estates, tipis by the sea, horse-drawn caravans, and yurts on Teapot Lane – things can get very interesting.
The idea of renting a self-catering pub might sound like an exercise in avoiding temptation, but don't worry – the bottles, kegs and taps are empty. Alcohol aside, every other feature of the Irish pub is yours to rent.
To find this peculiar pub, you'll need to journey to the sleepy village of Aglish in County Tipperary. Pick up your keys for Conroy's Old Bar and, hey presto, you're the landlord of your very own public house.
Cosy rooms sit alongside bar counters, turf fires, stools, bottles and even a cash register. If you're lucky, you might even get a visit from your very own regulars.
How's that for unique?
Save this page to a Scrapbook:
Save this page to your Scrapbook:
You have Scrapbooks created. Click below to see all of your saved pages.
Create a new Scrapbook:
This page has been save to your Scrapbook
Enjoy a taste of aristocratic lifestyle and Titanic-era glamour by staying with real-life aristocrats in one of Ireland's...
Nowhere is Ireland's history more eloquently expressed than in our "Big Houses". Architectural awesomeness and centuries...
From cheap and cheerful to luxurious castle living, Ireland has accommodation to suit everyone.
Fancy staying in a castle in Ireland? Experience accommodation like a king – you'll sleep like one too
Stepping into one of Ireland's historic walled gardens is like entering a secret world. Journalist and author Fionnuala...
Ridiculously decadent and wickedly corrupt, Rogrigo Borgia is one of the best love-to-hate-him characters of all time....
Ghosts, grand dynasties and gifts of the gab… when it comes to Irish castles, you never quite know what stories lie...
The tragic romance of P.S. I Love You still endures. A Facebook page liked by over 130,000 fans brims with messages...
Holiday ideas, news, offers… sign up for our ezine and we'll keep you in touch with Ireland.
By sea or by air, find the best route here
Sign-up for the latest information on great offers, holiday hot spots and events across Ireland. Your privacy is important to us.
Look out for our newsletter in your inbox.
Unfortunately there was a problem signing you up for E-Zine, please click the button below to try again or refresh the page.
Want to know more? Ask a question in our Community, they're the people who know Ireland best.
For more information on travel and accommodation, attractions have a look at our brochures and maps.
If you're a visitor from the island of Ireland you may want to visit one of these sites… Otherwise proceed to Ireland.com
Share this link


text:
Funding from the National
Endowment for the Humanities
supported the electronic publication of this title.
Text scanned (OCR) by
Lee Ann Morawski
Image scanned by Ingrid Pohl
Text encoded by Chris Hill and Natalia Smith
First edition, 2000
ca. 70K
Academic Affairs Library, UNC-CH
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Source Description:
(title page) Narrative of Dimmock Charlton, A British Subject, Taken from the Brig "Peacock" by the U. S. Sloop "Hornet," Enslaved while a Prisoner of War, and Retained Forty-Five Years in Bondage.
Mary L. and Susan H. Cox, ed. by 15 p.
The electronic edition is a part of the UNC-CH
digitization project, Documenting the
American South.
All footnotes are inserted at the point of reference within paragraphs.
This electronic edition has been transcribed from a photocopy supplied by the Harvard University Library.
Any hyphens occurring in line breaks have been removed, and the trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line.
All quotation marks, em dashes and ampersand have been transcribed as entity references.
All double right and left quotation marks are encoded as " and " respectively.
All single right and left quotation marks are encoded as ' and ' respectively.
All em dashes are encoded as --
Indentation in lines has not been preserved.
Spell-check and verification made against printed text using Author/Editor (SoftQuad) and Microsoft Word spell check programs.
Languages Used:
LC Subject Headings:
Revision History:
[Title Page Image]
In the Anti-Slavery Standard of Nov. 27th, 1858, a tissue of
charges of the most severe and crushing character appeared,
entitled "a caution," respecting a colored man, a native
African, styled John Bull. This name was given him by his
British captors of the Peacock, in 1812, who took the Spanish
slaver into which he was thrust, when first kidnapped from
Sierra Leone, his native home. In the engagement with the
Hornet, he became a prisoner of the United States, and was
fraudulently retained as a slave, when demanded in the
exchange of British prisoners, and with wilful falsehood
reported dead of a fever. A series of gross injustice baffled
every effort for freedom, and continued his slavery from
youth to grey hairs; and he has but recently recovered his
liberty, after 45 years of bondage in its most aggravated
forms. Soon after the publication of the above named
"caution," a most respectful appeal was made to the Editors
of the Anti-Slavery Standard, requesting them to reexamine
the source of these charges. A minute account was also given
of the CAUSES of the misrepresentation, and with the assurance
that there was no intention on the part of his friends to
screen him, if they should be found true. But, if on a fair
review of the whole subject the charges proved to be without
just foundation, his friends united with him in claiming an
honorable acquittal, so far as the same press can produce it,
which has been made the organ of injury to his character.
Such expressions as these, "being wanting in principle,"
"unwilling to work," "collecting money in Philadelphia under
various false pretences," &c. Certainly his appeal for the
emancipation of his wife, a free woman of Nassau,*
*Is there
no method by which this fact, which can be well established
may be made to give freedom to herself and her descendants,
now in bondage? LEGAL justice would cause their fetters to
in the British Isle of Providence, West Indies, and her four children and grandchildren, now in slavery, were not "false pretences," but facts fully confirmed[.] During his residence in this city since October last, he has applied to the friends of humanity for aid and employment, to assist him in obtaining his earnest wish, the freedom of his family in the South--ten persons in all--one grandchild, brought to New York by those holding her as a slave, has been liberated there by legal measures. Her freedom being established, he removed her to Canada, to prevent what he feared, her re-capture. This he accomplished with written as well as verbal authority, from two of the most respectable Attorneys in New York, John Jay and Charles E. Whitehead, they giving him the full assurance that he had the sole right to dispose of her. He had steadfastly
*Is there no method by which this fact, which can be well established may be made to give freedom to herself and her descendants, now in bondage? LEGAL justice would cause their fetters to fall.
declined to bind his little girl to one of the members of the Anti-Slavery Society, who had been interested in her emancipation, and this decision, and his removal of her to Canada, his eminent lawyer, John Jay, declares he believes to be the only charge they have against him. Can we wonder, after such sad experience, at his unwillingness to put any chain upon her newly enfranchised form and soul? They say he threatened to shoot a colored man sent to prevent his removing her--if he dared to lay a hand upon her. This he freely acknowledges, as prompted by his agony, and which he does not defend as right. He says, "I am sorry, but I was provoked;" he might have said, tortured at the thought of her being again in bonds.
It will be only necessary here to add that his course in Philadelphia has been under strict observance of those make this appeal and defence. They are willing to show any inquirers who wish an honest explanation, the grounds of this attempt to vindicate his claim to sympathy and respect. His statements in this city, so far from being "various false pretences," are substantiated by respectable authority, and his character given by a gentleman who says, "I have known him for 30 years, ever since I was a boy, and I never knew a man more injured by being deprived of his liberty and the fruits of his toil, after the contracts for his freedom were, on his part, faithfully fulfilled. He was always sober, industrious, peaceable and polite." This is briefly his warm and sympathetic language, given to us personally.
No response being given by the Anti-Slavery Editors, the injured man feels compelled to make this statement in contradiction to their "caution," in which they say they were requested "by his Philadelphia friends to denounce him." We have no idea that such measures would be endorsed by the noble-minded friends of freedom in the Anti-Slavery Society, if they were acquainted with the particulars which "his friends in Philadelphia" have sought to place before them. There is one individual--the only one known to them who could have made such a request, whose statement in his own hand-writing, is, with other documents, retained as testimony that he threatened thus to publish him, and this, notwithstanding the kindest remonstrance and explanation on his part, previously given in the presence of his friends, who used their efforts also, and took all the blame from the accused, showing where the offence originated, and that no injury was done or intended.
The charge against the accused was that he was going about injuring his character, and retaining a paper of recommendation from him of which he demanded the return. Of both these charges he was entirely innocent. An Anti-Slavery lady, of England, thought proper to call upon this person, whose name we omit, to expostulate with him on account of the charge he had made for board and washing for the accused. This was entirely her own act of kindness, not only unprompted, but without the knowledge of his other friends or himself. She had received the information in reply to her interrogatories of his expenses and the means of his support, without a word or look of complaint.
As to the paper it was detained by THE UNDERSIGNED, to show to some friends as references, the inconsistency of charging the persecuted man with want of truth, and being an imposter as to his family being slaves, when the sole tenor of this paper, dated the 19th of October, was to confirm his identity, with the individual in the printed documents from the New York Standard, and also from his British friends. After sending him with this paper to us, he came himself to
manifest his interest in getting a pamphlet published and money subscribed, and at the time he sent it, it was accompanied by his note requesting our efforts in his behalf. A few days, perhaps not more than a week elapsed, till this well meant expostulation of the English lady, changed the whole current of his proceedings. When we expostulated with him as to the date of this paper which he wished to recall before we had made it serve as a reference to vindicate the accused, we asked why did he send him to us as a person worthy of sympathetic aid, if certain letters which he then produced from New York, against him, were then in his possession, and which he now claimed an authority against him. He at first attempted to represent that they were not then received; he afterwards, when the dates were shown him as four and five days previous, said "the truth was because I placed no confidence in the charges they contained." Now these, with further discrepancies, are only narrated or retained for the removal of aspersions, which must crush his efforts to support himself, and to liberate his beloved and suffering family. That these particulars are reluctantly given in this form, will be evident to all who may read the statement presented before the close of last year, to the Editors in New York, the pacific tone and forbearing expostulations of which, we think, with the exigencies of the can, demanded a reply, other than silence.
Mary L. & Susan H. Cox.S. E. cor. of Race and 7th Sts., opposite Franklin Square.
N. B.--Robert C. Beatty, Cashier of the Bank of Bristol, Penns., gives his name as a reference. During the temporary residence of his family in this city, thro' the past winter, he had with them an opportunity of knowing the injured man, and his name was one of six signatures appended to the appeal to the Editors in New York. No application was made for more names, or, unquestionably, they might have been obtained, and of equal respectability.
The history of Solomon Northrup--a free citizen of New York, who spent many years in Southern Slavery--is fresh in the memory of our readers. We yesterday heard narrated another slave history rivalling it in interest, though in many respects of it very different character. The subject of it is a venerable and intelligent native African, recently arrived here from Savannah, Georgia, where he was known as DIMMOCK CHARLTON, and served more than forty years as the slave of various parties, while he claims to have been a British subject, and entitled to British protection. The man's face is an honest one, and his integrity and reliability are so well vouched for that it would be found difficult to doubt or discredit his story. Indeed, he tells it in so straightforward, frank and simple a manner as to carry conviction with it. Although utterly uneducated, unable even to read or write, he displays a degree of intelligence and an amount of sagacity, sound sense and native shrewdness which would do no discredit to his former masters, however great their opportunities for mental
culture. We propose to give his history as received from his own lips, trusting that it will not only interest the reader, but that it may stimulate efforts among the philanthropic to crown with well deserved happiness the declining years of this dark-skinned hero, by restoring to freedom those of his family who are still held in servitude.
Our subject is now, as near as he can judge, 57 or 58 years of age, a native of Kissee, peopled by a tribe of the same name, settled on one of the great rivers in the interior of Africa--or, as he expresses it, "away up on the fresh water." His name was TALLEN at that time. When 9 or 10 years of age, war was declared against his tribe by the Mandingos, who captured Kissee, and took its inhabitants prisoners of war. TALLEN, with six other boys of about the same age were a mile or so from the town at the time of the battle, but were pursued and taken prisoners. This, as well as he can calculate, was in 1811 or 1812. The prisoners of which there were a large number, were all sent down to the Coast, sold to a slave dealer, and stowed away with hundreds of other unfortunates on board a Spanish slaver. The distance they traveled in reaching the seashore may be estimated from the fact that the journey occupied about four weeks.
The slaver put to sea with its human cargo, who began to suffer the horrors of the middle passage, many of them dying for want of fresh air and exercise during the three weeks they were stowed away in her suffocating "between decks." At the end of this time the slaver was chased and captured by an English war-brig, but TALLEN does not remember the name of either of the vessels. The prize and her cargo were taken to England, where the Africans generally were sent ashore until they could be properly disposed of. TALLEN, however, who had meantime been christened "John Bull" on board the British vessel, was sent to the British brig Peacock, to serve as cabin-boy. Several of the captured Spanish sailors were also transferred to that vessel. At this time the war between the United States and Great Britian was in progress, and sometime afterward the Peacock was engaged in action by the little American schooner Hornet, commanded by the gallant captain LAWRENCE, which, as will be remembered, speedily put her in a sinking condition, and forced his crew to surrender. This was on the 24th of February, 1813.
Subsequently our hero was sent to Savannah, Ga., in charge of Lieut. WM. HENRY HARRISON, from whence the latter was to take him to Washington. Judge CHARLTON, of Savannah, proposed to HARRISON to leave TALLEN, or "John Bull," with him, promising that he would raise him for HARRISON. The latter declined, relating the particulars of his history, and saying that he must take the boy as a prisoner of war to Washington, and let Congress decide what should be done with him, adding, as his own supposition, that he would follow the fortunes of the other prisoners in all respects. Judge CHARLTON then proposed to keep the boy with him until he should be wanted at Washington, promising Lieut. HARRISON that he would send him on whenever he should write for him.
With this understanding, HARRISON left the boy with Judge CHARLTON. Two months afterward, HARRISON sent for "John Bull," and CHARLTON replied that the boy had died--which of course ended the Lieutenant's interest in and care for him. The authority for this statement was Judge CHARLTON'S waiting-man or body servant, an old man named ISAAC, of whom John speaks in high
terms. About the time this word was sent to Washington, CHARLTON called all his servants together and forbade them strictly ever to call TALLEN "John Bull" again, but ordered them to call him DIMMOCK CHARLTON, after--himself by which name he has since been known.
The very next day after this occurence, CHARLTON sold him to a French tailor of Savannah, named JOHN P. SETZ, who is still living at Augusts, Ga. He was sent down to SETZ's house in the morning, and staid there all day, but at night expressed his intention of "going home." SETZ told him no,--to stay where he was, that he belonged to him now. DIMMOCK, as we shall now call him, replied, asserting that he was a free man and could not be sold. SETZ, in answer, said that CHARLTON bought clothes of him, and gave DIMMOCK in payment, and again ordered him to stay where he was and go to work. The boy attempted to run away, but SETZ caught and brought him back. Being sent down into the kitchen, he slipped out of the back door, went to CHARLTON'S and asked if he had sold him. The Judge replied in the negative. Just then SETZ, in pursuit, came into the house, and seized the boy to drag him off. CHARLTON interfered, took SETZ one side, had a short talk with him, and then told DIMMOCK that he wanted him to go and learn the tailor's trade with the Frenchman. Having become alarmed at the proceedings, he positively refused to stir a step, unless dragged away by force.
CHARLTON then told SETZ that he had better take the boy away from the city. This information also was derived from the waiting-man ISAAC. As the Frenchman had a store in Augusta, he took DIMMOCK there. Thirteen months later he sold him to Captain DUBOIS, who was commander of the Pulaski at the time of her wreck. At that time he commanded the steamer Samuel Howard, but was building General Washington, to run between Savannah and Augusta, and bought DIMMOCK to go on board of her as steward. After living with Captain DUBOIS two years, the latter sold him to Captain DAVIDSON, of Savannah, who, in turn, sold him to one WM. ROBINSON, of the same city. DIMMOCK's superior intelligence showed him that by hiring his time of his master, and working for himself, he could save money to purchase back the freedom of which he had been robbed. He formed his plans accordingly, and put them in execution, finding employment as a superintending stevedore, and earning liberal wages in loading cotton for export, at which he seems to have been very successful. He arranged with ROBINSON to purchase himself at the price of $800. This he soon saved by hard work and economy, paid the entire sum in in cash, and was then immediately sent to jail and kept there until his cruel master had found a purchaser to take him off his hands.
His next master proved to be JAMES CARR, then and now employed in the Planters' Bank of Savannah. DIMMOCK ventured to express to CARR the hope that he would not serve him as ROBINSON had, and related how villainously he had been used by him. CARR replied that ROBINSON was a d----d scoundrel, but that he would deal justly with him. Thus encouraged, DIMMOCK again hired his time, and proceeded to toil once more for liberty, agreeing with CARR that he should have the privilege of purchasing himself at the price which was paid to ROBINSON, which he supposed was $700. At the time of his purchase by ROBINSON, he carried the latter $300, and four months latter gave him $400 more. Subsequently, he ascertained from ROBINSON that all CARR paid him was $450. Thus was the poor follow again swindled out of the gold for which he had toiled so faithfully.
In the meantime he had married a slave woman [a free woman of Nassau, Providence Isle in the West Indies, enslaved by T. Pratt, senior, who took her and her parents and sisters to Savannah,] by whom he had two daughters. These all belonged to Mr. PRATT, of Savannah, of whom DIMMOCK speaks very gratefully. PRATT finding that he would be compelled to sell his servants told DIMMOCK, and said he would sell them reasonably to enable him to get some one to buy them who would not send them off. Not having yet learned that his master had deceived him, DIMMOCK went to CARR, told him the case, and solicited his aid to buy his wife and children, telling him that he had some little money,--that it would probably cost $2,000 to make the purchase, and that he would soon give him the balance. At this time he had $1,500, earned in stevedoring, hid away dollar by dollar in a tin case buried in the earth. This sum he carried to CARR, who purchased the family.
When he met Mr. PRATT afterwards, DIMMOCK learned that he had sold the woman and children for $600 only, and had received that sum from CARR and no more, supposing that he was giving the difference between it and their actual value, to the husband and father. Upon his asking CARR what he had done with the $900 balance, the later laughed, told DIMMOCK that he had the money in Bank for him, and to say nothing to anybody, that he and his family were all free now, but to keep it to themselves, and live quietly with him. Thinking they were in reality free, and could not be sent off again among strangers at any man's will, which was what they most dreaded, DIMMOCK and his wife remained under CARR'S "protection," quite contented for many years. Finally, by representations made to his wife, CARR caused a separation between the parties, and then sold the father to Mr. HUDSON, of Savannah, the wife to Mr. CUMMINGS, and the children,-- of whom there were now several,--each to a different purchaser, thus almost hopelessly breaking up the family.
To this time DIMMOCK had carefully concealed from his makers his claim to liberty as a British subject. He foresaw that if it became known to them, they would be likely to sell him off into the interior somewhere, and that then he might bid farewell to all thought of ever regaining his liberty. So long as he could keep in a seaport like Savannah, he knew he could earn and save money, and then his chance of making good his claim to British protection would always be better than if upon an interior plantation isolated from the busy world. But when he found his family broken up, and all of them again in slavery, his heart was crushed, and he became reckless. He had repeatedly sought the protection of the British Consul at Savannah, Mr. MOLYNEAUX, but that functuary refused to interfere in his behalf, apparently fearing to do so, and probably looking upon slavery as a very satisfactory condiiion for a man with a black skin--a theory which he illustrated by himself holding slaves. When HUDSON bought him, DIMMOCK asserted his right to freedom, and told him his story. HUDSON evidently was satisfied with the truth of his statement, and consequently that he was very insecure property to hold; so he sent him to a trader for sale. Mr. DAVIDSON, a liquor dealer near the market in Savannah, became his purchaser. He lived with him two years, when DAVIDSON came to him one day, told him he had heard that he claimed to be a British subject, and asked him what were the facts. He, too, was convinced of the truth of the singular history, and immediately sent him again to a slave-dealer, for sale at a purchaser's risk. Mr. BENJAMIN GARMAN bought him for $550, in order to give
DIMMOCK another opportunity to purchase himself. This was a little more than a year ago, since which time the poor fellow has returned the purchase money, and a few days since came on here in the steamer Alabama, lest some new device should be found to deprive him of the liberty he has been forty-five years in pursuit of.
Among the Spanish sailors captured on board the Peacock, with DIMMOCK, was one named MINGO. Between these two, a lasting friendship sprang up, and they have managed to work together during all their many years residence in Savannah. A year ago, by advice of a friend, DIMMOCK took MINGO before a lawyer, who prepared the necessary affidavits setting forth the facts, of his capture and his title to recognition as a British subject. To this MINGO made oath in due form. A day or two afterwards, he was arrested upon the charge of drunkenness, and thrown into prison, where he died very suddenly and mysteriously. The proofs however, are deemed ample to establish DIMMOCK's claim; and his purpose is, if possible, to bring suit to recover damages of CARR and others for his long detention in Slavery. Whatever means he can realize from this source, or from the donations of the charitable, he desires to appropriate to the release from Slavery of his wife and children and grandchildren. His oldest child VIRGINIA, is in Savannah with three children. The next, CHRISTIANA, has one child. The third, ELIZABETH, has two. Besides these, he has a son who belongs to lawyer O'BYRNE, of Savannah, who has befriended DIMMOCK in his recent undertakings.
Since his arrival here, DIMMOCK has called upon the Acting-British Consul to make good his title to protection as a British subject, with a view to prosecuting his oppressors. That official sent him to his counsel, Mr. EDWARDS, who discourages him from attempting to do anything because the case has laid so long. If there is a statute of limitations which deprives a subject of redress for wrong, when he has been prevented by force from calling for it sooner, the British Government will probably announce the fact when this case is brought fairly before them. That DIMMOCK CHARLTON is entitled to redress from some quarter is certain--and the question remains for practical decision who is responsible for it. Either the government of the United States or that of Great Britian is bound by every consideration of humanity and justice to see that he receives some compensation for his life of oppression and cruel wrong.
We venture too crave the attention of our friends to the following tale of a slave. It is extracted from the columns of the National Anti-Slavery Standard, and we will, in due place, complete the history.
"The fact was briefly stated, in last week's Standard, of the freedom of a little girl, held as a slave, having been secured under a writ of Habeas Corpus, before Judge Robertson, in West Chester county; and a promise was given that the details relating both to the child and its grandfather, who appeared on its behalf, should be given in a future number. We redeem the promise, in the hope that the story may be as interesting and instructive to our readers as it has been to ourselves.
"Several weeks ago a black man called upon us to ask for aid and advice in getting possession of his grandchild, a little girl of five or six years, who, he said, was somewhere in this city, under the care of two ladies, sisters, by the name of Kerr, and who would, he feared, carry the child back to the South and to slavery, whence they had brought her a few months before. On inquiring further into his and her history, we learned that he had recently arrived hero from Savannah, having purchased his freedom of his master, Mr. Benjamin Garman; that all his kindred about whom he knew anything, wife, children, and grandchildren, were still slaves, except only this little one, now in New York, in the possession of the Misses Kerr; and that, for his own sake as well as hers, he was desirous of securing the child, and placing her where her freedom should be beyond the reach of either accident or hostile design, and where, by his exertions, he could fulfil to her the duties of a parent, and secure for her liberty, at any rate, and happiness as far as it should lie in his power.
"It is hardly necessary to say that this statement was enough to enlist the sympathies and command the active exertions of any one professing to hold either principle or feeling in regard to slavery; but the appeal was irresistible when we came to hear from the man's own lips the romantic and touching history of his own life. To some of our readers, perhaps, this is already familiar, as it was told, at about the time we allude to, in a morning paper in this city. We have delayed relating it, as the less that was said about it publicly, till the fate of the grandchild was decided, the better; and we wished, moreover, to hear what contradiction or corroboration it might call forth, as undoubtedly it would provoke either one or the other within a short period. The event has justified the delay, and we are enabled now to record the story with more entire confidence than we hardly dared feel when we first heard it, while we have the satisfaction also of rounding off the tale with the successful appeal for the freedom of the child, and her restoration to the arms of her grandparent.
"Dimmock Charlton, for by this name he has been known for most of his life, though he has now re-assumed an earlier one, is a native of Africa. One would hardly doubt this who looks upon his intensely black skin, and listened to his broken English, though it may be easy for him to mispronounce or the hearer to misapprehend the name by which he calls his people. He says, however, that he was born in a country called Kissee, on a great river in the interior of Africa-- 'away up on the fresh water.' He is, he thinks, about fifty-eight years old, and he remembers vividly the first twelve years of his life, when he was called Tallen, and was a wild, untutored. and happy savage, and had never heard of Christian men or nations. But then a war broke out between his own and a neighboring tribe, and his people were conquered, and among the prisoners who were captured and driven to the coast to be sold to the slavers was Tallen.
"They were about thirty days on this journey from Kissee to the sea coast; but once there, and they were huddled by hundreds, some from the tribe of Kissee and some from other tribes equally wretched, on board a Spanish vessel waiting for her cargo. Then came a voyage of three weeks--three weeks of horror. The little savage from the great 'fresh water' of Central Africa, who had never heard of civilization, and had never been taught to believe in any other God than Fetish, took now his first step in that great scheme whereby, our Doctors of Divinity teach us, the Heavenly Father is to lead his race to the blessed knowledge of Christian light and life. He met the horrors of the 'Middle Passage.' He listened, day and night, to the groans of the dying; he suffered the agonies of thirst and suffocation; he saw his fellow sufferers taken up to be thrown into the sea, and might have envied them the early and easier martyrdom which was accepted as their share in the sacrifice for the redemption of their race. At the end of three weeks, however, the Spaniard was captured by a British cruiser, and she and what was left of her human cargo were taken to England. Unfortunately Tallen cannot recall, if he ever knew, the names of either of these vessels.
"On his arrival in England a pleasant prospect seemed, for a little while, to open
before him. On the dispersion of the Africans, it fell to his lot to be put on board the British brig Peacock as a cabin boy, and that vessel soon after sailed on a cruise. The Dr. Southsides, perhaps, will think that it was only returning him into the true path of providential redemption that this happened to be the cruise in which the Peacock fell in with the American schooner Hornet, and in the memorable naval battle which followed that encounter she struck her flag to Captain Lawrence. Tallen or, as he was now called, John Bull, a second time in his short career a prisoner of war, was brought to this country.
"Here he fell in charge of Lieut. (afterwards President) William Henry Harrison, and for some unexplained reason, was taken to Savannah, Ga. In that city he was left with Judge Charlton, until he should be ordered to Washington, to be disposed of with the other prisoners, the crew of the Peacock. Judge Charlton proposed to Lient. Harrison that he should leave the boy with him to be brought up, but this the Lieutenant declined, as being a prisoner he was not within his control. Two months subsequently he sent to the Judge for his charge, and received for answer that the boy had died of the fever. Such was the statement made to John Bull by an old servant of Judge Charlton, named Isaac, and subsequent events seem to verify it.
"The Lieutenant, John Bull never new or heard from, again; but at about the time that he must, if the statement be true, have been sent for to go to Washington, and when the Judge returned him as dead of fever, he--the Judge--called together his servants, and announced to them that it was his pleasure that hereafter the boy should no longer be known as 'John Bull,' but thence forward be called by that same which belonged to himself; and he incited them to remember his orders by that incentive which slaveholders usually supply to their slaves--the threat of the cowhide. Thereafter 'John Bull' was known only as Dimmock Charlton, and by that name he has gone ever since.
"As Judge Charlton was, during his lifetime, a very well
known person, a man of high standing and great respectability,
a lawyer of some eminence, an author of one or two law books,
and one against whom we, at least, never heard any thing
worse than that he published a volume of most dreary rhymes,
it may seem incredible that he could be guilty of so
despicable a crime as is here laid to his charge.* *Judge
Charlton was very intemperate.
But we must remember that the act is to be measured by the code of slaveholding morality, and not by that which obtains in more civilized communities. It might, indeed, be argued that man who steal men from themselves--the original owners--would not be very scrupulous in stealing from each other, were it not that the universal principle of 'honor among thieves' would operate as a sufficient restraint in a state of society where its infringement would lead to the wildest confusion. But in the case of this 'John Bull' there need enter no such consideration. He, according to the code which provails among our Southern brethren, belonged to nobody--was a mere waif and estray which the fortunes or war had landed upon our shores, from the coast of Africa, and anybody might pick it up who would be at the trouble. Some consideration, perhaps, might be due to Lieutenant Harrison, but he had no claim upon the property, as property, but simply upon the man as a prisoner. If discharged of his duty to him, in that regard, he had nothing further to do with him; and if persuaded of the truth of that convenient fiction, that the boy was dead, all remonstrance from him would be avoided; Judge Charlton would, in an easy way, be so much the richer, to the value of this particular piece of goods; nobody would lose anything except the Government, whose loss of a prisoner, who might be a burthen, would be a gain, and the poor boy himself would have somebody to take care of him. So, perhaps, reasoned the Judge; so, at least, only could he reason to any sort of self-justification. At any rate, he took care of the poor African by giving him his own name, and selling him the next day to a Frenchman.
*Judge Charlton was very intemperate.
"The Frenchman's name was John P. Setz, and he is still living in Augusta, Ga. Dimmock, when told that he belonged to him, protested, as was natural enough in an untutored and heathen African, not yet made acquainted by any Savannah divine with the good things God had in store for his native land, nor what his particular share was to be in that great scheme of Christianization, that he was nobody's slave, but a freeman. Setz, on the other hand, condescending to reason on the subject, asserted that the Judge, Dimmock's late master, owed him--Setz was a tailor--for a bill of clothes, and that the boy was transferred for the value thereof. An appeal was made to the Judge. He denied to Dimmock that he had sold him, but had a talk aside with the tailor. The result Dimmock soon learned; for the particulars he was indebted to his friend Isaac, the Judge's body servant. He was taken by Setz, in accordance with the Judge's advice, to Augusta, where, about a year after, he sold him to a Mr. Dubois, a steamboat captain. With him he lived two years, and was then sold successively, to a Captain Davidson, and then to one Mr. Robinson, of Savannah.
"In the course of these and subsequent years, and successive changes of ownership, Dimmock's mind became so far enlightened as, if not to reconcile himself to slavery, to suggest to him the expediency of recognizing it as his inevitable fate, and of finding some other way of escaping from it than merely protesting against it. He hired his time of his master, and being an industrious man, In the course of time made money enough in his business, as a stevedore, to purchase himself of Robinson, for the sum of eight hundred dollars. This man had no sooner received the money than he sent him to jail, and kept him there on sale till a new buyer was found for him. Here again we may think a sense of honor should have restrained this Robinson, as to our Northern sense, it might seem that Judge Charlton overstepped the boundaries of truth and justice; but the slave code distinctly says that a slave can possess nothing, and that all that he has, or can earn, belongs to his master. Strictly speaking, therefore, the eight hundred dollars, which Dimmock hoped would purchase his freedom, belonged to Robinson at any rate. To look at the subject in any other light would have been were magnanimity and gratuitous generosity in Robinson; and he, probably, is not a man who permits himself to be carried away by such enthusiastic impulses.
"The purchaser this time was James Kerr, of Savannah, who expressed a great deal of indignation when told by Dimmock of the manner in which money had been made out of him by his former master. Encouraged by this sympathy, Dimmock again commenced the accumulation of a fund for a second purchase of his freedom. Kerr agreed to accept as a ransom the sum he had himself paid to Robinson, and Dimmock at length put into his hands seven hundred dollars, which he supposed was that sum. He afterwards learned that he had paid two hundred and fifty dollars too much, but of course he had no redress.
"In the mean time, Dimmock had become a husband and father. A Mr. Pratt was the owner of his wife and children, and he consented to sell them at a moderate price to any one who would hold them for Dimmock till he could redeem them. He had at this time paid the price of himself to Kerr, but was not aware that that gentleman had quietly taken two hundred and fifty dollars more than the stipulated price. He interceded with him to become the purchaser of his wife and two children, with the understanding that it should be on account of the husband and father. Kerr consented and the purchase was made--Dimmock putting into his hands $1500, which in the course of time he had accumulated from his business, and hoarded away in the earth. The sum he supposed Pratt would ask was $2000, and this he promised to make good to his kind master. His kind master accepted the trust, and went, as Dimmock afterwards ascertained, to Pratt and made the purchase for $600. When reproached with this breach of trust, and called to account for the balance of $900, he laughingly said it was safe in the bank, and gave his written obligation for it. This obligation Dimmock put in his trunk, but on one occasion, while he was absent from
home, the trunk was broken open and the paper stolen. That the paper, alone, was the object of the thief was evident from the fact that he did not meddle with fifty dollars which laid beside it.
"For many years Dimmock lived with Kerr, contentedly with his family, persuaded that his and their freedom were secure, and that they could not be again sold or separated from each other. That little money transaction between the man and his master was so entirely in accordance with the man's experience of its being in the usual way of business between white and black folks, that he took no special precaution against further knavery, nor even seemed to be aware that such precaution was possible. He trusted his master as if he had nothing to expect of him but the fairest and most generous dealing. But the time came when he was to be disabused of any such misapprehensions. At length Kerr sold him to one man, his wife to another, and scattered some of the children about among various owners. Then it was that despair seized him, and he returned again to his original assertion, that he was a British subject, and wrongfully held in Slavery--a fact about which he had thought for many years it was wisest and most prudent to keep silence, lest he should be sold into the interior, or to the South, be separated for ever from his family, and lose all chance of ever regaining his liberty. His story seems to have obtained credence. One Hudson, who bought him of Kerr, believed it, and, probably considering that he might have made an unsafe investment, sent him to a trader for sale. A liquor dealer by the name of Davidson then bought him, but, on learning his story, put him again in the market. Lastly, he was bought by Mr. Garman a little more than a year ago, who honestly permitted him to purchase himself, and to leave Savannah a free man when the price was paid.
"So strange a tale, when made public, has not been allowed to pass uncontradicted. The Savannah papers have declared it to be untrue; and a Mr. Fay--a northern man, but a resident of Savannah--has, in a letter to the New York Times, avowed his disbelief in some of its essential points. That it would be acknowledged as true, however, was not to be expected. Those most concerned in it have an obvious and direct interest in its disapproval; and these, or some of these persons are undoubtedly responsible for the contradiction of the Savannah papers. The testimony of Mr. Fay may also, possibly, have an interested motive. He is known to have befriended Dimmock in Savannah, and being a Northern man it is, perhaps, best that he should free himself from any suspicion of having been privy to a statement made in a Northern paper so damaging to Southern morality and honor. But all these contradictions, be it observed, identify the man as the person he professes to be--as having been a slave of some, at least, of the persons mentioned, from Judge Charlton down to Mr. Garman; and of having purchased himself of the last-named gentleman. His story is thus corroborated in some very essential particulars, and contradicted only where we can reasonably expect nothing but denial. Miss Kerr, moreover, in her testimony before Judge Robertson, in the case of the child Ellen, said, she had long known that Dimmock claimed to be a British subject, and to have been taken a prisoner of war in the brig Peacock, and she believed it to be true. And this testimony is the more important that it was made voluntarily, when there was no opportunity for consultation with others who had a direct interest in concealing a fact, not only important in itself, but one from which the subsequent transactions naturally spring. But besides all this there was, according to Dimmock's statement, a Spaniard--long resident in Savannah, Mingo by name--who was a fellow-prisoner with him on board the Peacock, and ever after a firm friend. This man was familiar with the whole story, and, by the advice of a friend, he was taken before a magistrate and made affidavit to the
facts within his knowledge. Mingo is dead, but the papers are now, as Dimmock believes, in the hands of a certain lawyer in Savannah. This gentleman has been written to at different times by two different persons, but no reply has been received by either of them. If no such papers are in his hands, why does he not say so. If there were any, even merely negative evidence, that could be produced to disprove a tale inculpating so many Southern persons, and especially showing so conclusively how utterly destructive slavery is of all sense of honor and every dictate of honesty, such evidence, we believe, would be eagerly sought for and instantly produced.
"We come now to Ellen, the grandchild. Dimmock believed that she was in this city when he arrived, and he was informed, as he thought, precisely where, by one who professed to be his friend. It was soon ascertained that the information was incorrect, and the person was sought for from whom it was received. He carefully kept out of the way, however, and evidently avoided both Dimmock and a messenger who went with him. For the purpose, apparently, of getting rid of them both, he gave them another, a second direction, which turned out to be as false as the first. All inquiries were baffled, and it seemed impossible to get any clue to the child.
"So matters stood when Dimmock's story appeared in the Morning Times. Whoever had possession of the child would, it was supposed, when thus warned of the presence of the grandfather, be careful to put her beyond his reach. It was afterwards ascertained that the conjecture was well founded, as the Misses Kerr left town the morning after the appearance of the article in the Times. Without then knowing this fact, however, but little hope was entertained of the recovery of Ellen.
"But, as it happened, that which it was feared would be a serious obstacle in the way of the search, turned out to be a fortunate incident in aid of it. Information reached us--how, it would not be proper thus publicly to say--but information as complete as authentic, and as direct as we could possibly wish for, in relation to the Misses Kerr, their past movements, their present residence, and their plans for the future. Their intentions, we were led to believe, were good: their only wish was to secure the happiness of the little girl, and to this end they had instituted a subscription for the purpose of raising the sum of 250 dollars, for which amount, it was said, their brother James Kerr, of Savannah, Dimmock's former master, was willing to emancipate her. A portion of this sum had already been raised, but a quietus was given to this plan by the publication of the story; for the benevolent individuals who had been disposed to aid in it were no longer willing to contribute to any fund which was to go to Mr. Jas. Kerr, whose gains out of the Dimmock Charlton family were thought to be already rather in advance of his claims. If the money was not raised, however, it was understood that the child was not to be returned to him; and as his sisters were not supposed to be able to pay such a sum for her freedom, however well disposed they might and were believed to be toward her, the necessity of taking her from their custody was imperative. Mr. John Jay, the District-Attorney for this district, his father and grandfather have been before him, of all held in or threatened with slavery, was consulted, and it was determined that a writ of habeas corpus be asked of the Hon. Wm. H. Robertson, Judge of the County of Westchester.
"The writ was issued and the parties sought for at Sing-Sing. They were only found, however, after a diligent search of an entire day, as there were some mistakes of names, which, there is some reason to suppose, where put in the way of any inquiry that might might be made as to the locality of the Misses Kerr and there protege, for the purpose of misleading. But they were at last found, and on the 12th inst. a hearing was had before Judge Robertson at Katonah. After the usual preliminary proceedings, Miss Kerr, who declined to appear by counsel, was called as a witness by Mr. Jay, and testified as follows:
"'I reside in Savannah, Georgia; I am the sister of Mr. James Kerr, of Savannah;
he is the trustee for myself and my sister; the child Ellen, now present in Court, is one of a large family of slaves belonging to my brother and sister. I cannot say in whom in particular the title to her is vested; I think in my sister, Eugenia M. Kerr, who is now staying with me at Mr. David A. Griffin's, in the town of Sing Sing. I came on from the South the last Spring, arriving in New York about the 14th of April; my sister Eugenia was already there, having come on last October; I brought Ellen with me with my sister's approval, and Ellen has lived with us ever since, at New York and Sing Sing; my brother know that Ellen was coming on, and approved it; her mother had been sold by my brother, and her grandmother neglected her, and we took an interest in her on this occount; Ellen was valued at four hundred dollars; her light complexion increased her value; slaves of that complexion usally make clever servants; my brother consented to take three hundred and fifty dollars; the child's grandmother has frequently been at the North, and could not be persuaded to remain; the mother of Ellen is the youngest daughter to Dimmock, who calls himself John Bull; Dimmock once belonged to my brother, Mr. James Kerr; Dimmock is now free; he was freed by his last Master, Mr. Benjamin Garman-- his price being raised in part by Dimmock himself, and in part by contribution; Ellen is about five years and six months old; I brought her to the North because I did not know what would become of her; I had her entered on our departure from Savannah as my slave or servant; my sister and myself proposed to remain at the north for an indefinite time-- for several years--visiting the South occasionally; I have no wish that the child should be returned to slavery, but I did wish to raise the money, that we should not lose her whole value; my brother having thrown off fifty dollars, and being in embarrassed circumstances, could not afford to throw off any more; I am very reluctant to have the child taken away from me; I am attached to her, and wish to keep her with me; I have already commenced to educate her; her grandfather, Dimmock, knows how to read; I long since heard of his having been on board of the Peacock when taken by the Hornet, and I believe that part of his story is true.'
"Mr. Jay then briefly submitted to the Court that upon the evidence there could be no doubt as to the rights of the child and law of the case, and moved that she be declared to be free. The Judge reviewed the facts and applied the statute, and without hesitation granted the motion. He remanded the child, however, into the can of the constable till Monday, the 17th, as he wished to take time to consider the question of guardianship. A good deal of emotion was shown by Miss Kerr and the child at parting, the former feeling unquestionably a warm interest in one whom she had, we hope, the will, though not the power, to protect from those who might at any moment return her to bondage, while the child only knew in a kind mistress an all-sufficient friend.
"On Monday, the 17th, the case again came up on the question of guardianship. Mr. Jay took the ground that the power to appoint a guardian did not lie with a County Court, and the Judge concurring in this view of the case, signed an order for the delivery of the child into the hands of its grandfather. A little scene had again to be gone through with when she parted from her kind friend, Mr. Hoyt, the constable; but she soon forgot her griefs in two happy hours in the family of her counsel, who sent her on her way rejoicing with more gifts than probably her little hands ever clasped before. And she has been ever since among some new found friends, as contented and as good a child as if she had never known a parting or a change of place.
"We may as well say, now and here, that the intention is to place her in some family, when she will be kindly, judiciously, and carefully brought up. If among our readers there are any who are disposed to take upon themselves such a charge, we shall be glad to hear from them. Ellen is a bright mulatto, very intelligent, very tractable, good tempered and winning. She cannot fail, we think, to well repay the friends who shall be at the trouble of her nurture and education. Any letters in regard to her may be addressed to S. H. Gay, at this office."
John Bull, otherwise Dimmock Charlton, believing himself to be a British subject, or, at any rate, imagining that he had some claim to be considered such, having served on board a British man-of-war, and been taken prisoner whilst in the British service, was anxious to come to England, especially as there lacked an important link in the chain of evidence necessary to establish his identity. He obtained a letter of introduction to Mr. John Cropper of Liverpool from the son of Judge Jay, who rescued John Bull's grandchild from Slavery under the circumstances narrated above, and was referred to us. Fortunately he succeeded, discovering in Greenwich Hospital a pensioner who was serving on board the Peacock at the time she was captured. The following is the declaration of this important witness:
"'I, THOMAS TRETHOWAN, aged 61, native of Kenwen, near Truro, in the county of Cornwall, formerly an board the Peacock, an English brig of war, and now an inmate of Greenwich Hospital, do solemnly and sincerely declare, that I was serving in the capacity of servant to Captain William Peek, commander of the Peacock, an eighteen gun English brig of war, in February, One thousand eight hundred and twelve, when she was attacked off the Spanish Main and sunk, by the Hornet, a twenty gun ship, belonging to the United States of America, and commanded by Captain Lawrence; that I was rated as a boy on the ship's books; that there was on board a colored boy, who, to the best of my recollection at this distance of time, came on board at Demerara; that during the engagement he remained in the captain's cabin, which was used as a cockpit; that I remember his uttering several shrieks when our mainmast fell overboard; that I saw that boy again on board the Hornet--he having been saved with others of the Peacock's crew as she went down; that we were all conveyed as prisoners to New York, except the boy aforesaid, our colored cook (whose name was Gould,) and an American seamen who had been impressed and taken on board the Peacock. That I heard, when in prison, that these three per- had been conveyed away South, and that the boy was going to be taken to a place in Georgia they called Savannah; that from the conversations I have had with the colored man, John Bull, otherwise Dimmock Charlton, and from the answers he has returned to the questions I have put to him I firmly believe him to be the same individual who came on board the Peacock at Demerara, was on board of her when she was sunk, and was taken to New York, and thence conveyed to Savannah in Georgia. And I make this solemn Declaration, conscientiously believing the same to be true; and by virtue of the provisions of an Act made and passed in the sixth year of the reign of His Majesty King William the Fourth, intituled An Act to repeal an Act of the present session of Parliament, intituled An Act for the more effectual abolition of oaths and affirmations taken and made in various departments of the State, and to substitute declarations in lieu thereof, and for the more entire suppression of voluntary and extra-judicial oaths and affidavits, and to make other provisions for the abolition of unnecessary oaths.
"Declared at the Mansion House, in the City of London, this tenth day of December 1857, before me,
"WILLIAM CUBITT. Alderman."
[The following testimonials are appended in support of Dimmock Charlton's good character. For obvious reasons the signature to the last one is omitted. Many others are in his possession, voluntarily given by those who had known him in Savannah, Ga., New York, London, Eng., and other places:]
November 17th, 1859.
I have known John Bull, alias Dimmock Charlton, for about eighteen months, and from all I have seen of him, believe him to be an honest, sober man, and that a life of hardships and sufferings, gives him some claim upon the benevolent.
July 15th, 1858.
JOHN BULL--Dear Sir--You have a perfect right to take your child where you please, without the consent of any one. There is no one but yourself to have any right over her.
Yours, &c.,
PHILADELPHIA, January 20th, 1858.
I hereby certify that the bearer, Dimmock Charlton, has been known to me for over twenty-five years, as a slave in the city of Savannah, state of Georgia; has always maintained a good character for honesty and sobriety.
His wife and children are at present in bondage as slaves in the city of Savannah, but can no doubt be ransomed at fair prices, upon proper steps or application being resorted to, or addressed to the respective owners.
---- ------
Formerly of Savannah, Ga.
P. S.--The wife of Dimmock is owned by G. B. Cumming,
Daughter [of Dimmock is owned by] W. H. May,
Son [of Dimmock is owned by] D. O'Byrne,
Daughter [of Dimmock is owned by] J. M. Tison,
[Daughter] [of Dimmock is owned by] Some party unknown, but the wife can tell by whom.
Return to Menu Page for Narrative of Dimmock Charlton, a British Subject ... ed. by M. L. and S. H. Cox
Return to North American Slave Narratives, Beginnings to 1920 Home Page
Return to Documenting the American South Home Page

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Contrary to its depiction as a backward desert full of terrorists, Pakistan is home to beautiful scenery and a few free-spirited travelers who explore the country in 4x4 vehicles. Baber Khan, editor of the car website PakWheels.com, shares his story and amazing photos. — Ed.
Pakistan could be known as the greatest tourism country in the world, rather than the agricultural country or terrorism breeding facility as it is known as today, as my friends discovered in a journey across one of Pakistan's majestic parks.
Click through the gallery to see the photos and read the story
If anyone asks me what the ultimate expression of freedom is I say it's the Pajero, Land Cruiser and other 4x4s. If I were the President of Pakistan, I'd pass an ordinance that everyone who owns one must keep them outside their homes to display that they are free people.
Me and my crew of friends were hypnotized by the mesmerizing beauty of Sindh's Kirthar National Park where our 4x4s worked hard to pass through almost every terrain. I believe these 4x4s are lions of off-road which, when kept in a city, is like caging a wild beast in a cramped zoo.
They are poised and bored. We don't even enjoy looking at them in the cityscape, but when you take them where roads end and adventure begins, the Pajeros and Land Cruisers are unparalleled in providing the ultimate adventure of sightseeing.
And they do it in the comfort of their well-supported seats as you drive them over dirt, sand, mud and rocks over the mountains to bring us to the tip of one of the best views in all of Central Asia.
Even a Mini Pajero with its tiny 1100cc engine (from a 3-door Pajero) impressed everyone as it followed effortlessly the trails of Land Cruiser and 5-door Pajero. The 70 series Land Cruiser led the way to the tip of the mountains while Pajero followed with six people in its cabin and the heaviest cargo in it's back.
Kirthar National Park, the second largest in Pakistan, has a pretty vast list of animals such as leopards, striped hyenas, wolves, ratels, urials, chinkara gazelles, rare Sind wild goats and Blackbuck antelopes. Sadly, the last leopard was shot in 1977.
Despite spotting very few animals the jaw-dropping-awesomeness of the entire Kirthar and Karchaat was hypnotizing. After recent rains there was pleasant weather. The color of the countryside was green. A beautiful landscape as far as we could see was our companion through out the trip wherever we went – it was so beautiful that we thought that God has welcomed us here.
It is best that we leave the rest for the pictures to speak for themselves but there are a few things we should mention. Our guides were awesome, friendly and welcoming, and the Government's Wildlife Department's guest houses were very well kept and built. Supported by the beautiful landscape around they could compete with the best hotels in the world and these guest houses are cheap too with rent around $20 USD a night.
Last but not the least, any journey becomes a pain if your fellow travelers are cold and impatient but my fellow travelers were wonderful; Hanif Bhatti, Aqeel Baig, Shahab, Naveed Merchant, Fahad, Dr. Yaqoob, Ejaz, Shakeel, Masroor, Shoaib, Jawad and the locals along with the welcoming residents of Kirthar, Karchaat and nearby villages and towns.
Today, our little 4x4 exploration group has a new slogan: "The best people to travel and be with."
(Hat tip to McNewbie!)
Photo Credit: Baber Kahn, Aqeel Baig, Hanif Bhatti, Muhammad Yaqub, Sync View,


text:
|Guides All Guides and HOWTO's.
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
freeBSD router running openospfd with failover using ifstated
Note: originally I posted this over at freebsdforums.org, but moved here due to low attendance.
DISCLAIMER: I don't claim that this is a foolproof way to accomplish failover for your specific situation - but the state daemon can be used for this.
For years I used a FreeBSD router with static routes to manage a growing internal networkand, for the most part, it was very effective. However, adding routes and maintaining the changes quickly became a pain - a change to my FreeBSD router required routes to be added or removed from 2 Cisco devices I was using internally as well - a 2600 and a 7120.
So, mostly to reduce the amount of maintenance, I set up the openospfd daemon
this required a change to /etc/rc.conf:
as well as the setup of the config file. Mine is pretty simple:
auth-type simple
auth-key mysecretkey
fib-update yes
redistribute static
redistribute connected
router-id my.ip.add.ress
area 0.0.0.0 {
interface dc0 {
hello-interval 10
router-dead-time 40
interface dc1 {
hello-interval 10
router-dead-time 40
interface dc2 {
hello-interval 10
router-dead-time 40
interface dc3 {
hello-interval 10
router-dead-time 40
Using the ospfctl command you can extract data about neighboring ospf devices, routes, etc.
Ex: ospfctl show neighbor
displays the other ospf devices in it's area
ID Pri State DeadTime Address Iface Uptime
xx.xx.xx.2 1 2-WAY/OTHER 00:00:39 xx.xx.xx.2 dc0 -
xx.xx.xx.12 1 FULL/DR 00:00:34 xx.xx.xx.12 dc0 01w3d05h
xx.xx.xx.3 1 FULL/BCKUP 00:00:35 xx.xx.xx.3 dc0 01w3d05h
xx.xx.xx.4 1 2-WAY/OTHER 00:00:39 xx.xx.xx.4 dc0 -
So that allowed me to make changes to my FreeBSD router that would be propagated to my other network devices. I now use that FreeBSD router as the gateway for many internal subnets, so by adding an alias IP to the router the directly connected subnet is then advertised to it's neighbors and that greatly reduces the amount of running around a new subnet took to setup. However, I should also recommend that you blackhole the broadcast address of those subnets if you don't need them.
It is not terribly important, but I also configured my edge routers to distribute the gateway address to my FreeBSD routers at this point. This was just part of my move to redundancy (I am using 2 Cisco 7206 VXRs as my edge routers) and this distributes the routes to both FreeBSD routers and the 2600 and 7120.
For about a year I've been using openospfd and it's very stable, for me at least, and making changes is painless. After a few months I built a second, identical, machine to act as a backup, but didn't spend too much time on an automatic failover solution.
But, until I implemented a failover system, I was still basically looking at a single point of failure. So I decided to try out ifstated which I had played with but never really experimented with much.
Ifstated, which is available in the ports collection, allows you to use conditional statements to trigger "states" during which you can run scripts or pass commands. I installed ifstated on the second FreeBSD router (which has openospfd installed with a similar config). In this implementation I have a "master" router and a "slave" that checks the master and will assume it's aliases (which subnets use as their gateways). I was very careful to never assign one of the "real" IPs on my routers as the gateway address of a device. I wanted to be able to bring up the alias IPs on my slave router
without having to worry about removing the actual IPs from the master.
To get this installed you'll need to install from ports and add the following to your
I only need 2 states - a primary state and a backup state. To implement this I setup
my ifstated.conf like this:
# indicates that the initial state is primary
init-state primary
# the evaluations. I don't believe that there is a restriction on the kind of
# evaluation that is conducted. You could evaulate whether a file existed or
# check the date, I don't believe it matters.
pingCheck1 = '( "ping -q -c 1 -t 3 xx.xx.xx.12 > /dev/null" every 10 ) '
pingCheck2 = '( "ping -q -c 1 -t 3 xx.xx.xx.9 > /dev/null" every 10 ) '
state primary {
# things to run when the state is initialized
init {
run "'Changing state to primary!'"
# because we want to check those interfaces and if they go down trigger a state change
# note the expression "!" indicating "not"
if ! ( $pingCheck1 && $pingCheck2 ) {
# so, if both fail change state
set-state backup
state backup {
init {
# when this state initializes run the script to add those alias IPs
run "/path/to/script/changetobackup.sh 'Changing state to backup!'"
# continue to evaluate those interfaces in case they return
if ( $pingCheck1 && $pingCheck2 ) {
# I had to remove those aliases here because when I had it run during the primary
# state's init{} it would throw errors and crash when starting up because those aliases
# don't exist when the daemon starts. This could be solved with a third state, but I didn't require that.
run "/path/to/script/changetorprimary.sh 'Reverting to Primary State from Backup State!'"
set-state primary
this does a ping on the primary IPs on my master router's dc0 and dc1 interfaces and, if it can't hit them, changes state to backup. When the primary state initializes it simply echoes the state. After the evaluation fails, and the state changes to backup, it executes a script that contains a list of alias IPs to add to the slave's NIC. Also during this backup state the evaluation continues. If it can hit both interfaces on the master router it executes a script to remove those alias IPs added in the "changetobackup.sh"
script prior to resuming the primary state. This file is highly customizable - google it and you'll find many examples illustrating how you can do different things here.
So that's my how-to. While there are other means of accomplishing what I've done, I found that
this method is accessible to both hardened BSD veterans as well as those relatively new to the
environment. Additionally be aware that this is by no means the limit of ifstated, which has the
capability to perform all sorts of evaluations and trigger events (scripts/commands/etc) when
they occur.
My hardware for the FreeBSD routers were identical Dell Power Edge 2300 servers with 4-port DLink
cards and 1 GB RAM each. Each server routes traffic at a rate of approximately 45 Mbps with very
low load. In the future I plan to evaluate the same system on the 64-bit release of FreeBSD.
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Linear Mode
|Similar Threads
|Thread Starter
|Last Post
|Lagg failover on FreeBSD 7.0 Dell 1950/Broadcom 5708 NICs
|FreeBSD General
|14th September 2010 08:06 PM
|Best way to check if freebsd server is running a nameserver service/daemon
|FreeBSD General
|6th November 2008 01:26 AM
|Running Pure 64-Bits On FreeBSD.
|FreeBSD General
|21st October 2008 04:59 AM
|Decision for FreeBSD router
|General software and network
|3rd July 2008 07:33 PM
|Router - recommendations for FreeBSD?
|FreeBSD General
|12th June 2008 06:12 PM


text: Marvel's The Avengers is a 2012 American superhero film directed by Joss Whedon, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team. Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity. ... more on Wikipedia


text:
Mavs beat Bucks 115-108 for 4th straight win
Ellis scores 32 in defeat
Vince Carter hit three key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and scored 23 points off the bench as the Dallas Mavericks won their fourth straight with a 115-108 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.
Dirk Nowitzki added 19 points while O.J. Mayo had 14. Mavericks rookie and former Marquette star Jae Crowder, last year's Big East player of the year, was one off his career high with 14 points.
Monta Ellis scored 32 points for the Bucks, giving him 20 or more in all six of Milwaukee's games this month. Mike Dunleavy added 18 points while J.J. Redick had 17. Larry Sanders had 13 points and 12 rebounds.
The Mavericks, who are three games out of the eighth spot in the Western Conference playoff race, matched their longest winning streak of the season and have won five of six.
The eighth-place Bucks missed a chance to gain ground for the sixth seed in the East, with both Boston and Atlanta losing Tuesday night. The Bucks are a game behind both teams in the playoff race.
The Bucks set the high-scoring pace early with a season-high 35 points in the first quarter and led 35-28. The Mavericks stormed back, finishing the second quarter on a 27-10 run to take a 63-55 lead into the break. They never trailed in the second half.
Nowitzki did most of his damage in the first half with 17 points.
The Mavericks opened the second half on a 12-2 run to extend their lead to 18. The Bucks countered with an 11-0 run to cut the lead to 77-70 midway through the third.
Dallas was able to push its lead up to 90-79 heading into the final period.
Dallas went up 14 early in the fourth but Milwaukee responded with a 7-0 burst to cut the lead to 98-91. Carter drained a 3 with 5:30 left to push the lead back to 10, and after Milwaukee cut it to 101-96, Carter answered with another 3 with 4:16 left.
The Bucks cut the lead to 106-100 on Ellis' layup before Carter hit another from behind the arc with 2:27 left. Carter sealed the victory with a layup with 1:39 to play.
Notes: Mavericks forward Shawn Marion missed his third consecutive game with a left calf contusion. ... Bucks forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute was out with a turf toe injury. He is listed as day-to-day. ...The Mavericks have won for just the seventh time ever in Milwaukee.


text:
Be one of the first to know when new listings matching your criteria hit the market.Get New Listings
Search Forest Glen homes for sale & real estate in Oceanside, CA. For information about Forest Glen neighborhood properties for sale or to schedule a private home showing, contact your Oceanside real estate experts today.
Search All Real Estate For Sale: Oceanside
See TODAY's New Listings, search by beds/baths, square feet, listing status, days on market & more!
Want to buy or sell a home in Forest Glen? Call Beer Home Team at 858-465-7899; your neighborhood Forest Glen real estate agents are ready to help with the Oceanside Forest Glen housing market.
Preparing for the sale or purchase of a home in Forest Glen CA? Let our local Oceanside real estate agents work with you to navigate the purchase of or expertly negotiate the sale of your Forest Glen home in Oceanside. Our expert knowledge will give you access to up-to-date information about the unique market dynamics of the Oceanside Forest Glen real estate market. We're ready to help you today!
Contact Beer Home Team to learn more about buyer and seller representation for Forest Glen homes. Visit our comparative market analysis page to receive a free property value analysis in Forest Glen within minutes.
Search Homes For Sale in Forest Glen Oceanside
Back to Oceanside Real Estate
Be one of the first to know when new listings matching your criteria hit the market.Get New Listings
Our free service provides you with a detailed estimate of your home's current market value.Get a Free Market Analysis
Find your next home and learn about neighborhoods, current market statistics, and local schools.Free Relocation Guide
In today's highly regulated market, it's more important than ever to work with a lender you can trust.Get Mortgage Info


text:
Bloomberg looks at an important trend in health care coverage: the rise of employer-based high-deductible plans that mean many patients and families simply can't afford to get sick.
Some companies are now rethinking those policies, Bloomberg's John Tozzi and Zachary Tracer report, after realizing that their goal of reducing costs by getting patients to have more "skin in the game" instead led workers to delay or forgo care, including medications. Patients didn't become "better" health-care consumers. They simply cut back on what they thought they couldn't afford — potentially driving up costs in the long run.
"High-deductible plans do reduce health-care costs, but they don't seem to be doing it in smart ways," said Neeraj Sood, director of research at the Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics at the University of Southern California.
The trend: Nearly 40 percent of large employers offer only high-deductible plans, up from 7 percent in 2009, according to a survey by the National Business Group on Health cited by Bloomberg. And half of all covered workers now have a deductible of at least $1,000 for an individual, up from 34 percent in 2012 and 22 percent in 2009, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Nearly one in four covered workers has a deductible of $2,000 or more.
The key quote: "Why did we design a health plan that has the ability to deliver a $1,000 surprise to employees?" Shawn Leavitt, a senior human resources executive at Comcast, said at a recent conference, according to Bloomberg. "That's kind of stupid."
Why it matters: As employers move away from simply shifting more and more costs to their workers, Axios' Sam Baker notes, they're also paying more attention to bringing down underlying health care prices.


text:
41.0603 Persons responsible for expenses.
(a) The cost of the maintenance, including detention expenses and expenses incident to detention, as well as the transportation expense of deportation from American Samoa, shall be borne by the owner or owners of the vessel or aircraft on which the deported person arrived.
(b) If the vessel or aircraft in which the person arrived has left American Samoa and it is impracticable to deport him within a reasonable time by another vessel or aircraft owned by the same person or company, the costs of deportation may be paid by the government and the owner shall be responsible for reimbursement.History: 1984, PL 18-52 § 2.


text:
MOR History
Paugh History Hall
Regional artifacts illuminate our history
Regional artifacts illuminate our history
Showcasing MOR's founding collection of regional artifacts originally donated in 1957 by our founder, Dr. Caroline McGill, the History Hall shares the compelling stories that connect us with the Northern Rocky Mountains, illuminating our lives and those who lived before us. From early exploration through World War II, this exhibition depicts the cultural and social changes experienced by those who called this region home, including Native Americans, fur traders, gold seekers, and white settlers.
Historical artifacts, photographic wall murals, and pieces from the Museum's extensive textile collection will add to your understanding of Montana's past and the larger forces that shaped the nation.
Included in the History Halls are the stories celebrating the Museum's history from its beginnings in a couple of Quonset huts on the MSU campus to the world-class institution we are today.


text:
Ed Tech
Educators are connecting on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, blogs, Google Hangouts and more, as they develop personal learning networks as a tool for professional growth. Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) are those connections individual learners make to suit their specific perceived learning needs. Educators know that in today's world, value is found in more than just what you know; who you know and how to make the most of those connections and information is even more important. This holds true for youth as well. If we want young people to achieve success in the world today, we must step up and support students as they build their own 21st century rolodex, the PLN.
Can cell phones help parents and educators build a stronger connection that will ultimately benefit students? Yes!
Through cell phones, students, parents and teachers can better communicate with a myriad of free and low-cost resources that Nielsen and Webb list out in this helpful book. Built on the premise that the home-school connection is invaluable for students, readers learn exactly how digital tools can help, including text and voice programs, podcasts, Voki, and translation apps. Cell phones and the enhanced connections they provide can strongly benefit students and their individual learning.
Available for purchase here.
This book looks at breaking the ban that exists in today's schools and bridging the digital divide with cell phones, the most ubiquitous and overlooked learning device in American households. Discover how to stop fighting and start embracing cell phones as powerful learning aids that engage learners in fun and relevant ways. From policy to parent permission, from discipline to classroom management with a wealth of exciting new tools, featuring lesson plans and research-based teaching strategies TEACHING GENERATION TEXT provides everything educators need to harness the power of cells today!
Learn how I became interested in using mobile devices for learning even though they were banned in my district, here.
Available for purchase here.
Being a Connected Educator is more than a set of actions: it's a belief in the potential of technology to fuel lifelong learning. This book is every educator's guide to becoming connected through social media, blogging, personal learning networks, and even new policy.
The book is comprised of the eight chapters below, each written by a connected education thought leader.
Learning Alternatives
Fix the School, Not the Child: 20 Ideas for Parents Who Want to Advocate for the Rights of their Child in School
This book provides parents with 20 concrete actions they can take to advocate for the rights of their child in school today. It was inspired by the movie "Race to Nowhere". The movie identified issues with schools, but ended with no solutions. "Fix the School, Not the Child" was written to provide parents with solutions they can pursue when schools are not meeting their children's needs.
Welcome to the start of your taking control of your own learning and discovering your own path to pursuing your passions. Whether you take the traditional route or an alternative, it is important that you are aware of the options and are empowered to decide. This guide will give you the information and encouragement you need to consider what the best education option is for you and you alone. Some of the concepts may challenge what you already know and some may echo your current beliefs. Either way, it's creating an education for yourself that helps you excel.
The secret is out! Home education is a wonderful option for young people. However, many working parents have the misconception that this is not a viable option. Fortunately, they're wrong! This guide features advice, tips, and ideas from working parents who are home educating their children. Come. Think outside of the box and provide your child with the childhood she or he deserves.
Video featuring Lisa Nielsen and Willyn Webb, authors of Teaching Generation Text discussing the use of cell phones in education.
Check out a couple free books to which I am a contributor.
|Click the picture of the book to access your free copy.
|Visit this link to access your free copy today!
This is followed by ideas for how administrators are using these tools to strengthen relationships while saving time and money, teachers are using them either in class or for homework, and how students themselves are using the tools to enhance their learning.


text:
News from Africa
The EU´s support for Integration of the Maghreb countries
In further response to the transformation of the countries of the Southern Mediterranean, the High Representative and the European Commission issued today a Joint Communication setting out proposals to support the five countries of the Maghreb in their efforts towards closer cooperation and deeper regional integration.
In further response to the transformation of the countries of the Southern Mediterranean, the High Representative and the European Commission issued today a Joint Communication setting out proposals to support the five countries of the Maghreb in their efforts towards closer cooperation and deeper regional integration.
Although rich in development potential and joined by common cultural and linguistic ties, the Maghreb is one of the least integrated regions in the world. Studies have repeatedly shown that the removal of barriers in the region could have significant economic benefits as well as help in common efforts to combat instability and address a number of regional challenges including by promoting socio-economic development, combating climate change, protecting the environment and developing clean, sustainable energy.
EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission Catherine Ashton said: "The Maghreb is a region with enormous human, economic and cultural potential. We welcome the calls from partners in the region for closer cooperation and deeper integration between them. Citizens on both sides of the Mediterranean stand to benefit from such developments. This Joint Communication, which I discussed with partners during my recent trip to the Maghreb, aims to support our partners in their efforts to take forward Maghreb integration and forms a part of the EU's wider response to recent developments in the region".
Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle added that this Communication responds also to calls from public and private actors within the Maghreb countries for progress in integration. "We have proposed a wide range of measures to support efforts in this field while recognising that it is for Maghreb partners themselves to determine the extent and pace of integration," he said and recalled the EU´s own extensive integration experience. "Based on that experience, we believe that efforts towards integration within the Maghreb would not only bring real benefits to the people of the region but also ultimately to the EU itself. We look forward to discussing these proposals with the Governments of the countries concerned, as well as with representatives of business and civil society".
One of the areas for closer integration of the Maghreb countries is energy. "Energy plays an important role in the development of the region. With our Mediterranean Solar Plan we are aiming to help our partners," Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger said.
The Joint Communication forms part of the EU's overall response to recent events in the southern Mediterranean and represents greater engagement in the region. As such it complements the substantial support currently being provided by the EU for the countries of the Maghreb bilaterally and regionally through the European Neighbourhood Policy and, in the case of Mauritania, the European Development Fund and the EU Strategy for Security and Development in the Sahel.
BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, December 19, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)
View online : http://appablog.wordpress.com/2012/...


text:
Difference between revisions of "Fasting"
m (→Lenten periods)
|Line 5:
|Line 5:
===Lenten periods===
===Lenten periods===
There are four main periods of fasting (lenten periods):
There are four main periods of fasting (lenten periods):
:1. [[Great Lent]] is the period of six weeks preceding [[Holy Week]] in anticipation of
:1. [[Great Lent]] is the period of six weeks preceding [[Holy Week]] in anticipation of of [[Great Feasts|]], [[Pascha]].
:2. [[Nativity]] (also called St. [[Apostle Philip|Philip]]'s Fast, coming immediately after his feast on [[November 14]]), is the period from [[November 15]] to [[December 24]] (forty days) in anticipation of [[Christmas]].
:3. The [[Apostles]]'
:3. The [[Apostles]]' is the period from the week following [[Pentecost]] (a variable feast) to the [[feast day]] of Sts. [[Apostle Peter|Peter]] and [[Apostle Paul|Paul]] on [[June 29]].
:4. The [[Dormition]]
:4. The [[Dormition]] is the period of the first two weeks of August in anticipation of the feast of the [[Dormition]] of the [[Theotokos]].
===Fasting days===
===Fasting days===
Revision as of 02:37, August 22, 2005
|This article forms part of the series
Orthodox Spirituality
|Holy Mysteries
|Baptism - Chrismation
Confession - Eucharist
Marriage - Ordination
Holy Unction
|Three Stages
|Nepsis - Metanoia
Hesychia - Phronema
Mysticism - Nous
|Chastity - Obedience
Stability - Fasting
Poverty - Monasticism
|Humility - Generosity
Chastity - Meekness
Temperance - Contentment
|Worship - Veneration
Prayer Rule - Jesus Prayer
Relics - Sign of the Cross
|Church Fathers
|Apostolic Fathers
Desert Fathers
The Philokalia
The Ladder of Divine Ascent
|Edit this box
Fasting in the Orthodox Church is usually considered abstaining from certain foods during fast days or periods. However, fasting means more than simply abstaining from foods. It includes refraining from evil actions and thoughts, and even marital relations.
Fasting times
Lenten periods
There are four main periods of fasting (lenten periods):
- 1. The Great Lent is the period of six weeks preceding Holy Week in anticipation of the Feast of Feasts, Pascha.
- 2. The Nativity Fast (or Advent; also called St. Philip's Fast, coming immediately after his feast on November 14), is the period from November 15 to December 24 (forty days) in anticipation of Christmas, the Festival of the Nativity of the Savior.
- 3. The Apostles' Fast is the period from the week following Pentecost (a variable feast) to the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul on June 29.
- 4. The Dormition Fast is the period of the first two weeks of August in anticipation of the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos.
Fasting days
- Eve of Theophany (January 5)
- Beheading of St. John the Baptist (August 29)
- Elevation of the Cross (September 14)
Regular fasting
Orthodox Christians also regularly fast on Wednesdays and Fridays to commemorate, respectively, Christ's betrayal by Judas Iscariot and His Crucifixion. Monasteries additionally commemorate the angels on Mondays by fasting.
Preparation for receiving the Holy Eucharist
Fasting is a part of the preparation for receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. Additionally, confession and a specific rule of prayers are necessary for proper preparation.
For morning Liturgies, one keeps an absolute fast (no food or drink, even water) on arising from sleep until receiving Communion. Some also abstain from meat and dairy after the preceding Vespers. For afternoon or evening Liturgies, one should keep an absolute fast for at least six hours.
One should always check with the primary celebrant of the Divine Liturgy to verify his expectations regarding preparation for reception of the Eucharist.
Because the celebrating priest or deacon will commune and then consume the remaining Eucharist, he observes an absolute fast before every Liturgy he celebrates.
The fasting discipline may be relaxed, if necessary, when one is travelling or ill. Additionally, exceptions should be made when receiving another's hospitality, because the focus should not be on outward shows of piety, but rather accepting the love and generosity of others. Orthodox Christians should not fast to the detriment of their health. Fasting is a means to an end and not an end in itself. If you are new to fasting, ask your priest for guidance before you begin.
Fast-free weeks
After certain feasts, Orthodox Christians do not fast, in order to show their joy for the feast.
- Afterfeast of the Nativity of Christ to Theophany Eve (December 25 through January 4)
- Week following the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee (first week of the Lenten Triodion)
- Bright Week (week after Pascha)
- Trinity Week (week after Pentecost)
Fasting related to foods has many different degrees. During Great Lent, Wednesdays, and Fridays, daily fasting is at its most strict, abstaining from:
- meat (anything with a backbone),
- dairy products (eggs are in this or the previous category),
- olive oil, and
- wine.
Additionally, during Great Lent, the size and number of meals, as well as the selection, are smaller. On many other feast or fast days, particular foods are avoided or permitted, in lesser degrees of fasting.
Spiritual meaning
Fasting also partners with prayer, almsgiving and confession, readying the whole person like an athlete, body, mind, and soul, for an upcoming feast, similar to the way in which Orthodox Christians would hope to be properly prepared for the Second Coming. For this reason, during fasting seasons, no marriages should take place. (Cf. Pastoral Guidelines.) Another important part of any fasting period is going to Confession.
History and Tradition
The Christians inherited the tradition of fasting from the Jews. Jesus, too, gave examples of fasting to his disciples, most notably preceding his forty days in the desert when he was tempted by the devil (Matt 4:1-11).
See also
- Almsgiving
- Confession
- Prayer
- Xerophagy (or dry-eating)
External Links
- "The True Nature of Fasting" by Bishop Kallistos Ware
- "The Discipline of Fasting" by Bishop Kallistos Ware
- "On Fasting at Great Lent" by Fr. Alexander Schmemann (scroll down to comment 5)
- Liturgical Calendar on the Orthodox Church in America site
- "What Should We Make to Eat?" by Mary Ann Castronovo Fusco


text:
Handheld P2HD Broadcast Camcorder
P2HD handheld camera recorder to feature the AVC-ULTRA*1 codec family and microP2 cards
Key Benefits:
- AVC-Intra 200100/50 + AVC-LongG50/25/12
- High quality 10bit/4:2:2 recording video recording*2
- New compact / lightweight 22x lens (f=28mm-616mm/35mm)
- Dual microP2 card slots for cost efficient microP2 cards
Master Quality Codecs
The AJ-PX230 is a P2HD handheld camera recorder with AVC-ULTRA recording and built-in microP2 card slots. In addition to the established AVC-Intra100, the AJ-PX230 has AVC-LongG for extended recording and the optional AVC-Intra200 codec for master level recording offering a wide range of choice. This handheld camera features two built-in microP2 card slots with simultaneous recording functionality and an especially designed multipurpose compact zoom lens.
The AJ-PX230 covers both low-bit rate and high-bit rate recording thanks to its inherent support of the AVC-ULTRA codec family. The AVC-LongG25 enables extended 1920 x 1080 10 bit 4:2:2 broadcast-quality recording (four times longer than AVC-Intra100). The AJ-PX230 also supports DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO50 as standard for SD recording and DVCPRO HD, AVC-Intra 50, AVC-Intra 100 along with the new AVC-LongG12, G25 and G50 as standard for HD recoding. For even higher quality recording, the AJ-PX230 supports the visually lossless AVC-Intra 200 codec, as an option for master quality all in one compact handheld camera.
Superb Image Quality - High Quality, High Sensitivity Sensor
Additional features of the camera include a newly designed built-in compact 22x zoom lens which covers a wide range from 28mm to 616mm (35mm camera equivalent). The three lens rings for Cam-Type Zoom, Focus and Iris operation provide comfortable manual control similar to that of interchangeable lenses. The newly developed high-sensitivity and low-noise 1/3 type 3MOS sensors produce superb image quality, even in dim light.
Ultimate Cost Effective Operation
Two microP2 card slots enable cost-effective operation. With the same reliability as the P2 card, the microP2 cards can be used without an adapter for either relay recording, when one card is full the AJ-PX230 seamlessly switches to the second card to continue recording; or simultaneous recording, where the same codec is recorded on to both cards at the same time for backup use. The microP2 slots can be used with standard SD cards for even greater efficiency when recording*3 codec's with 50Mbps or less.
Professional Outputs for Flexible Shooting
The AJ-PX230 has all the A/V connections you would expect on a professional camera, including SD/HD/3G-SDI output and HDMI. The AJ-PX230 has two 3 pin XLR audio inputs; one in front behind the microphone mount for easy connection to an external mic and one at the rear side of the camera.
New Ergonomic, Compact and Intuitive Design
The ergonomic design of the AJ-PX230 sees the common video and audio connections mounted on the side of the camera, keeping them out of the way when cables are connected. When it comes to control layout, the low weight and well balanced AJ-PX230 takes many of its inspirations from the professional shoulder mount style cameras. White balance and video gain control toggle switches are positioned easily to hand under the lens and an audio fader control and record start/stop are located at the front of the camera.
Please click here for a list of operation manuals to download.
*1: AVC-ULTRA is the name of Panasonic's professional video codec family. The AJ-PX230 does not support all of the formats included in the AVC-ULTRA family.
*2: Not all codec's support 10bit 4:2:2
*3 Not all SD cards are guaranteed to work with the AJ-PX230EJ or record. Recording speeds are limited to a maximum 50Mb/s.