150 A. D. 178^. 



(lead of rapid fettlements, precipitately pviflied fofward by the force of 

 Britifti capitals, frequently to the ruin of the adventurers and of thofe 

 Concefned with them, we might reafonably exped; to fee a flow, but 

 fure, progrefs in increafing the number and the extent of plantations, 

 •which will infure more real and permanent profperity to the proprie- 

 tors, and to the Weft-Indies and the Britifh empire in general *. 



Having now attended the Negroes from their feizure, or condemna- 

 tion, and their embarkation as Haves in their own country, to their final 

 fettlement in the Weft-Indies, and indulged in the profpecl of the happy 

 effeds which may be expe<!l:ed to refult from an abolition of the import- 

 ation of flaves, it is proper to take a view of the effeds of the flave trade 

 upon the feamen, who are employed in tranfporting thofe miferable 

 creatures acrofs the Atlantic ocean, and of the extent of the trade. 



The whole of the habitable part of the veflel being, as defcribed 

 above, affigned to the flaves, the feamen had no place to lodge in during 

 the paffage from Africa to the Weft-Indies, commonly called the middle 

 pqffage, and were obliged to fleep upon the booms, under the booms, 

 in the boats, in the tops, or wherever they could find any fpare room 

 above deck, where, if they had not an awning, they were expofed to 

 the fcorching heat of the fun, and frequently to torrents of rain. There 

 were many complaints of bad and fcanty provifions and watery, and of 



* The flave-meichants have fomehow found 

 means to pcrfuade moll of the planters to make a 

 common interefl with them in oppofing the aboh- 

 tion of the flave trade, wherein they act contrary to 

 the fenfe of the aifembly of Jamaica in the year 

 1774, and the opinion and pioofs adduced by Mr. 

 Long in his Hiilory of Jamaica, quoted in the lail 

 note but one. Tliat importation is not nccefl'ury 

 for keeping up the ftock, is proved by the example 

 of Noith America, a country lefs congenial to the 

 conftitution of tlie Negroes than the Weil-Indief, 

 where, norwithllanding the deftruclion and defcr- 

 tion of the flaves occalioned by the war, the number 

 of Negroes, though perhaps not ef flaves, lias 

 jrreatly increafcd— hccaufe fmce the war they have 

 imported very few, and of late years none at all, 

 except in the I'outhern dates. The fmal! commun- 

 ity of the Bermudians affords an example ftiU 

 nearer to themfelves in every refpeft : and there 

 the ftock of Negroes, though the men, being m.ollly 

 failors, are continually expofed to the danger of 

 tlVc feas, and moreover to (laughter and captivity 

 in time of war, has at leall been kept up, though 

 there does not appear to have been any importation 

 from Africa, but one confiding of only 90 Negroes, 

 fvora the year 1 744 till 178S, and probably none 

 fince that. Above all let them attend to the 

 dreadful example of the confequence of having too 

 many Negroes in the dcftnidtlon of the noble co- 

 lony of Sc Domingo, where they had increafed 

 about i8o,oco fmce the year 1775 ; "pon which 



I IliaJl quote the words of Mr. Edwards, a Jamai- 

 ca planter, who was formerly rather an advocate 

 for the flave trade, in the conclulion of his Hljhry 

 of S'. Domingo. — ' To the refident planters I ad- 

 ' drefs myfelf with dill greater folicitude ; and, if it 

 ' were in my power, would exhort them, with more 

 ' than mortal voice, to rife above the foggy atrac- 

 ♦ fphere of local prejudices, and by a generous fur- 

 ' render of temporary advantages, do that which 

 ' the parliament of Great Britain, in the pride and 

 ' pleutitude of imptrial dominion, cannot effect, 

 ' and ojight not to attempt. I call on them, with 

 ' the fincerity and affection of a brother, of them- 

 ' felves to reftrain, limit, and finally abollih, the fur- 

 ' ther introduction of enflaved men from Africa ; 

 ' not indeed by meitfures of ludden violence and in- 

 ' judlce, difregarding the many weighty and com- 

 ' pHcated mtereds, winch are involved in the iffue ; 

 ' but by means which, though, flow and gradual in 

 ' their operation, will be fure and certain in their 

 ' effect. The colonial legiflaturcs, by their fitu?.- 

 ' tion and local knov.legc, are alone competent to 

 ' this great and glorious tafk : and this example of 

 ' S*^. Domingo, and the diflates of felf-preferva- 

 ' tion, like the hand-writing againft the w^all, warn 

 ' iheni no longer to delay it.' 



f Mr. Dalzell obferved to the committee, that 

 ' Mr. Gullan, a futgeon, and afterwards a captain 

 ' from the port of Briftol, preferved 3CO flaves for 

 ' the fortnight, that immediately preceded their 

 ' arrival at Barbados, by didilkd fea water. — Mark 



the 



