1791-Nov.: Robert Parker, an upholsterer in Montego Bay, observed four enslaved men engaged in an earnest nocturnal discourse in front of his establishment.

1791-Nov.: Robert Parker, an upholsterer in Montego Bay, observed four enslaved men engaged in an earnest nocturnal discourse in front of his establishment. The men were waiting for a scheduled meeting with two others and were overheard discussing the number of white “Guns and Soldiers.” Once their companions arrived, the group abandoned English and began to converse in the “Coramantee” language. This encounter provided a rare glimpse into the clandestine and multilingual communication networks used by the enslaved population.