Because the number of slaves who had to be
quarantined was over the capacity on the Isle of Quarantine lazaretto official Menorca so the ships were diverted to the Isla d'en
Colom. The landing of passengers and cargo and effects in 1787 to this
provisional lazaretto which had 9 tents or barracks for about 15 people each, a
shack for the captain of the Urca, the chaplain and a cadet, another barrack
for women, a house that was for the doctor , surgeon and apothecary, another
hospital tent common diseases, where a furnace was kept and quicklime for
burial, a tent-hospital for sick suspects, one for the infected and the other
for undiagnosed, a shack to purify clothing, a wooden house for emergency
physicians, a mortuary for burial, a cemetery, a house for the guards and water
wells.
Right in front of the island on Minorcan
land was mounted a cordon sanitaire with military guards and civilians on the
orders of a deputy health minister, so that prisoners there could not escape to
the coast of Menorca.
Finally, on June 11 freedom was granted and it took three days for the ship to
leave and the people who remained on the island were finally released on August
4t.
It seems that only two individuals died one
of tuberculosis and one of bubonic plague. These patients arrived critical on
landing and the remaining passengers and crew who had completed quarantine in
good health left the island and inscribed a stone Insula Salutis.
The illustrious Captain Juan Roca Vinent
and was one of the men responsible for carrying out the steps of the landing
and stay in the slaves on the island. Fidel Mahon in his diary in 1776 and 1826
as the captain wrote of the daily events on the island.
This document is kept in the Municipal
Archives of Mahon since 1926, when the City Council acquired it from the Mahon family. From later
entries, the last heir of the family was in possession of the Rock Mahn Daily
and Mr Antonio Roca Vareze fell in love with the Isle d'en Colom and ended up
buying it, it is still owned by the Roca
family.
Vareze Antonio Roca, was passionate about
the history of the island
of Menorca and was in awe
of the natural beauty of the place. A plaque was installed with an inscription
referring to the plight of the slaves of Algeria
This tiny island near the northeast coast
of Menorca, served as interim lazaretto or quarantine station in mid-1785 when
the Spanish slaves were freed by Algeria as a result of the new peace
established with the Algerian Regency.
Aboard the Royal Urca Redemptor at Mount
Caramel and the Brig Jabeque La
Soledad the Spanish captives came to Alicante, a
Port in which they were not allowed to come ashore and were ordered to be go to
Mahon
quarantine station. The Urca Redemptor
Royal, commanded by Don Bartolomé Escuder, reached the port of Mahon
on 3 April 1787, bringing on board 263 slaves. The brig with skipper Don Andres
Escudero and he sailed the Jabeque a boat with three masts, sails and rowing
capability.
Don Antonio Socías arrived on the 7th
April with 84 slaves in the manifest as a cargo of slaves.
