58 The Story of the New England Whalers 



In the coasting and the over-sea voyages of the 

 freighters it was customary to allow captains and 

 mates to carry "private ventures." Each with 

 his own money bought such goods as he supposed 

 would sell in the ports to which the ship was bound. 

 These goods were (in limited quantities, of course) 

 carried free of charge. The proceeds were in- 

 vested in foreign goods for the home market. 

 A few voyages were made in which the crew 

 received no wages; the profit on the private 

 ventures which all carried sufficed. The slaver 

 captain, in addition to his wages, had a commission 

 of five per cent on the sale of the negroes in the 

 West Indies, and five per cent more on the purchase 

 of a cargo there for the home market. Further- 

 more he was allowed the price of four out of every 

 one hundred and four slaves delivered in good 

 order, and was permitted to buy five more with 

 his own money and carry them freight free. The 

 mates were allowed to carry two negroes each, 

 bought with their own money, free. In short, in 

 all the colonial ships of early days all of the 

 officers, and at times the men, had some oppor- 

 tunity for profit beyond the wages paid. Thrift 



