SLAVE-TRADE. 



them paffed down to the fliore, and difpofcd of in the fame 

 manner. 



The fecond order of flaves, and that not inconfiderable, 

 eonfifts of thofe whofe villages have been depopulated for 

 obtaining them. The third clafs eonfifts of fiich as have 

 been faid to be convifted of crimes. Captain Wilfon fays, 

 that fuch as are fold on this account are fold for the benefit 

 of their kings or judges. On afking king Darnel's officer, 

 who had brought down a culprit for fale, whether the man 

 was guilty of the crime imputed to him, he was anfwered 

 by the officer, that this was of no confequence. Mr. Town 

 fays, it is not uncommon to impute crimes falfely, or to 

 bring on palavers, that is, accufations or trials, in order to 

 make Haves. Mr. Morley remembers a woman fold on pre- 

 tence of adultery at Old Calabar ; and in the river Ambris, 

 fays Mr. Falconbrid^^e, a king's officer wanting brandy and 

 other goods, but having no flave with which to purchafe 

 them, accules a man of Extortion in the fale of his fifli, and 

 after a fummary trial on the fpot, procures him to be con- 

 demned and fold. 



The fourth clafs includes prifoners of war ; being either 

 fuch as are the produce of wars that have originated in 

 common caufes ; or fuch as have been fupplied by wars made 

 iblely for the purpofe of obtaining them. The fifth clafs 

 comprehends thofe who are flaves by birth. Some traders on 

 the coaft, it is faid, who have flaves in their pofleffion, make 

 a praftice of breeding from thofe, for the purpofe of felling 

 to others. After having been brought up to a certain age, 

 they are reckoned faleable. The fixth clafs is compofed of 

 thofe, who have facrified their liberty to gaming. The 

 feventh and laft clafs eonfifts of thofe, who having run into 

 debt, are feized according to the laws of the country, and 

 fold to their creditors. The two laft clafles are very incon- 

 fiderable, and fcarcely deferve mention. 



Having loft their liberty in one or other of the ways now 

 defcribed, they are conveyed to the banks of the rivers, or 

 to the fea-coaft. Some are found to have belonged to the 

 neighbourhood ; others to liave lived farther up the country ; 

 and others in very diftant parts. It has been calculated, 

 that fome of the latter have been brought looo miles from 

 their homes. Of thofe who come from a diftance, many 

 have travelled by water, many have been made to walk alfo 

 over land. Thefe march in droves, or cauffles, as they are 

 called. They are fecured from rifing pr running away, by 

 pieces of wood, which attach the necks of two and two to- 

 gether ; or by other pieces, which are faftened by ftaples to 

 their arms. They are made to carry their own water and 

 provifions, and fome of them elephants' teeth, and other 

 commodities, which their mafters may have picked up on 

 their route. They are watched and followed by drivers, 

 who make the weak keep up with the ftrong. As they 

 pafs through different places, others, who have been re- 

 duced to flavery in a fimilar manner, are purchafed, and 

 added to the caiiffle. Many in thefe cauffles fpeak different 

 languages, and cannot at all underftand one another. 



When they reach the banks of the rivers on the coaft, 

 they are offered for fale : fome to land faftories, or depots 

 kept for that purpofe by the Europeans ; others, where the 

 rivers are fmall and fhallow, to (hips' boats and tenders, 

 which are conftantly plying about to purchafe them ; and 

 others immediately to the fhips thcmfclves. In the rivers 

 Senegal and Gambia, from ten to forty are brought down 

 at a time ; in the rivers Bonny and Calabar, from a thou- 

 fand to fifteen hundred ; and on the Windward Coaft, per- 

 haps a folitary individual, or only two or three at a time ; 

 fo that Having, as it is called, is very tedious in that quarter. 

 }^\\ thofe, who are thus oftered for fale, undergo previous 

 Vol. XXXIII. 



examination by a furgeon ; and none are taken but fuch as are 

 free from diforder, and in the prime of life. Indeed 25 years 

 of age is the ftandard, beyond which the purchafers do not 

 like to take them. In making their bargains, the goods as 

 well as the flaves are valued by a medium, which is known to 

 the parties concerned. From Senegal to the end of the Wind- 

 ward Coaft, this medium is called a bar both by African 

 and European brokers ; on the Gold Coaft and at Whidah, 

 an ounce ; at Calabar, a copper ; at Benin, a pawn ; and 

 at Angola, a piece. Thus every flave is valued at fo many 

 bars, ounces, &;c. Every piece of goode, every barrel of 

 powder, every knife and cutlafs, is valued in like manner. 

 One article is marked half a bar or ounce ; another a whole 

 bar or ounce ; another five, ten, twenty, and fo on. Bjr 

 means of this arrangement, the bill is eafily made out on 

 both fides. The Europeans reckon the amount by pen and 

 ink ; the Africans by fmall ilones or beads. Some of the 

 latter, however, reckon entirely by their heads, and are 

 found to be correft. 



When the flaves are conveyed to the (hore, they are 

 carried in boats to the different fliips whofe captains have 

 purchafed them. The men are immediately confined two 

 and two together, either by the neck, leg, or arm, with 

 fetters of folid iron. They are then put into their apart- 

 ments ; the men occupying the fore-part, the women the 

 after-part, and the boys the middle of the vefTel. The tops 

 of thefe apartments are grated for the admiffion of light and 

 air, and they are ftowed like any other lumber, occupying 

 fuch quantity of room as has been allotted to them. Many 

 of them, whilft the fliips are waiting for their full lading, 

 and whilft they are near their native ftiore, from which they 

 are to be feparated for ever, have manifelled great appear- 

 ance of oppreffion and diftrefs ; and in fome cafes have re- 

 curred, for apprehended relief, to fuicide ; others have been 

 affefted with delirium and madnefs ; others, again, have 

 been aftuated by a fpirit of revenge, and have refolved on 

 punifhing their oppreflbrs at the hazard of their own Hves. 

 In the day-time, if the weather be. fine, they are brought 

 upon deck for air. They are placed in a long row of two 

 and two together, on each fide of the ftiip : a long chain 

 is then made to pafs through the fliackles of each pair, by 

 which means each row is at once fecured to the deck. In 

 this ftate they take their meals, which confift chiefly of 

 horfe-beans rice, and yams, with a little palm-oil and 

 pepper. Captain Hall informs us, that they are made, 

 after meals, to jump as high as their fetters will let them, 

 on beating a drum. If they refufe, they are whipped till 

 they comply. This the flave-merchants call dancing. Sur- 

 geon Falconbridge explains to us the reafon of this cuftom, 

 by Hating that the flaves are compelled to jump for cxercife ; 

 and furgeon Claxton fays, that the parts on which tlie 

 fliackles are fattened, are often excoriated by the violent 

 exercife they are forced to take : and of tliis they made 

 many grievous comphints to him. In the fame manner the 

 fong is faid to be promoted among tlicm ; whereas all their 

 fongs, fays furgeon Falconbridge, Mr. Morley, furgeon 

 Claxton, Mr. Ellifon, and others, are of a melancholy na- 

 ture, confifting of lamentations for the lofs of their couutry 

 and of their friends. 



When the number of flaves U completed, the fliips weigii 

 anchor, and begin what is termed tlie yl'/i(/.//c palTage, to 

 carry them to their refpeftive colonies. The vciiels in which 

 they are tranfported arc of difTcrent dimenfions, from 1 1 to 

 800 tone, and they carry from 30 to 1500 flaves at a time. 

 The height of the apartments is difi'erent. according to the 

 fize of the veflel, but may be Hated to be from fix feet to 

 Icfs than three ; (» that it is impoffible to ftund cred in molt 

 Q of 



