Tukamendada watched in horror as the row boats neared the shore. He was the son of Chief Abeokuta of the Bantu tribe in central Ivory Coast, Africa, and had been captured while visiting a neighbors tribe. His visit was to marry the daughter of the Chief of that tribe. He had pleaded with the slave traders to release him, arguing that he was not of that tribe, but they did not heed his pleas. He was branded on the chest along with the one hundred others captured in the raid. Tukamendada was among the first to be taken to the ship that awaited its cargo of slaves. He spoke to the captain of the ship as he was brought on board, but the captain only nodded to him then ordered him into the hole of the ship. This load of slaves was being sent to the islands of the New World where they would bring a very good price. Tukamendada could speak the Spanish language making him very valuable. African slaves were preferred because they could not run away as easily due to the color of their skin, and were unable to blend into a crowd as easily as the Indians could. This story is about Tukamendada, an African slave, who was sold to Hernando De Soto in 1539 and later escaped. Knowing he could never go back to Africa and vowing not to be enslaved again, made him one of the most colorful characters in American folk lore. He was a storyteller, and an inspiration to all the Indian tribes he met. He became a true American hero for his ability to tell incredible stories. Many of his tales have found their way into the American history books as ficitional history.