SLAVE-TRADE. 



ot the vedols that tranfport them, and in fome fcarcely to 

 lit down in the iame pofture. 



When the veliel is full, their fituation is truly pitiable. 

 A grown-up perfon is allowed, in the bed resjulated fliips, 

 but fixteen Englilb inches each in width, two (Englifli) feet 

 eight inches in height, and five feet eleven inches in length ; 

 OT, as furgeon Falconbridge exprefles himfelf, not fo much 

 room as a man has in his coffin. Surcreon AVilfon defcribes the 

 (laves as much crowded below. He generally took off his 

 (hoes before lie went down among them, and was obliged to 

 be very cautious how he walked, left he fhonld tread upon 

 them. Captain Knox admits, that they had not room to 

 lie on their backs. It alfo appears, that if they are the leaft 

 dilatory or reluftant in packing themfelves, they are quick- 

 ened by the application of the whip. Dr. Trotter lays, 

 they are fo crowded below, that it is impoffible to walk 

 through them without treading on them ; and alfo, that it 

 is the firft mate's duty to fee them ifowed or packed to- 

 gether. Thofe who do not get quickly into their places, 

 are compelled by a cat-o'-nine-tails. But now their fitua- 

 tion becomes too wretched to be defcribed. No language 

 has words to explain it properly. Captain Hall has often 

 heard them cry out from below for want of air. The fpace 

 between decks was fo hot, that often, after he has been 

 there but a few minutes among them, he found his fhirt fo 

 wetted by perfpiration, that he could have wrung it. Mr. 

 Ellifon fays, that the fteam from their confined bodies be- 

 low comes up through the gratings like a furnace. Sur. 

 geon Wilfon has often heard them complain of heat. The 

 bad effefts, which refulted from this and their confine- 

 ment, were weaknefs and fainting. He has feen fome die a 

 few minutes after being brought up, which proceeded from 

 corrupted air and heat jointly. He has feen others go down 

 apparently well at night, and found them dead in the morn- 

 ing. He had an hofpital on board, but the fitk flaves were 

 obliged to lie on the bare boards, fo that the motion of the 

 veflel often cccafioned excoriations from the prominent parts 

 of their bodies. Surgeon Falconbridge declares, that he 

 has known flaves go down apparently in health, and 

 brought up dead in the morning. He once opened one of 

 them furgically, to difcover with certainty what was the 

 caule of his death ; and found, from the appearance of the 

 thorax and abdomen, that it was from fuffocation. He 

 fays, that once on going below, he found that twenty of 

 the flaves had fainted. He got them inftantly hauled up on 

 deck ; but notwithftanding the quicknefs of his movements 

 on this occafion, two or three of them died. And once, 

 though he was only fifteen minutes in their room below, he 

 became fo ill himfelf, that he could not get up aaain to the 

 deck without help ; and he never was below many minutes 

 together, but his Ihirt was as wet as if it had been dipt in 

 water. He fays alfo, that as the flaves, whether well or ill, 

 always lie on the bare planks, the motion of the fliip rubs 

 the flefh from the prominent parts of their body, and leaves 

 the hones almoll bare. And when the flaves have the flux, 

 which is frequently the cafe, the whole place becomes co- 

 vered with blood and mucus, like a flaughter-houfe ; and as 

 they are fettered and wedged clofe together, the utmoft dif- 

 order arifes from endeavours to get to three or four tubs, 

 which are placed among them for necefl'ary purpofes : and 

 this diforder is ftill further increafed, by the healthy being 

 not unfrequently chained to the difeafed, the dying, and 

 the dead. Dr. Trotter, fpeaking on the fame fubjed, 

 gives us an equal mefencholy account. When the fcuttles, 

 fays he, in the fliip's fides, are obliged to be fliut in bad 

 weather, the gratings are not fufficient for airing the rooms. 

 He never himfelf could breathe freely below, unlefs im- 



mediately under the hatchway. He has feen the flaves 

 drawing their breath with all that laborious and anxious 

 effort for life, which are obferved in expiring animals, fub- 

 jected by experiment to foul air, or in the exhauded re- 

 ceiver of an air-pump. He has alfo feen them, when the 

 tarpauhngs have been thrown over the gratings, attempting 

 to heave them up, crying out, in their own language, 

 Kickeriiboo, ikieraioo, that is, " We are dying." Molt 

 of them have been recovered, by being brought upon deck ; 

 but fome have perifhed, and this entirely by fuffocation, as 

 they had no previous figns of indifpofition. 



The flaves, after having been flowed, foon begin to ex- 

 perience the effedfs that might be naturally expeAed from 

 their fituation. The peftilential breath of many in fo con- 

 fined a If ate renders them fickly, and the vicifTitude of heat 

 and cold generates a flu.x. Several die, and others are in- 

 duced to deftroy themfelves, or to revenge themfelves on 

 their oppreffors. The fhips, having completed the middle 

 paftage, anchor in their deftincd ports ; and the unhappy 

 Africans on board are prepaivd for fale. Some are con- 

 figned to brokers, who fell them for the fliips. With this 

 view they are examined by labourers, who want them for 

 their farms ; and in tlie felection of them, friends and rela- 

 tions are parted without any confideration ; and when they 

 part with mutual embraces,- they are fevered by a lafh. 

 Another mode of fale is by vendue ; in which cafe, they are 

 carried to a tavern, or other public place, where, being put 

 up to fale, the%' become the property of the higheft bidder. 

 Thefe are ufually fuch as are in a fick and emaciated ilate, 

 and are generally fold for a few dollars. The third mode of 

 felhng them is by the " fcramble." In this cafe, the main 

 and quarter-decks of the (hip are darkened by fails, which are 

 hung over them at a convenient height. The flaves are then 

 brought out of the hold, and are made to ftand in the 

 darkened area. The purchafers, who are furniftied with 

 long ropes, rufh, as foon as the fignal is given, within the 

 awning, and endeavour to encircle as many of them as they 

 can. 



Thefe fcrambles, however, are by no means confined to 

 the fhips. They are made frequently on the fhore. When 

 the latter happens to be the cafe, the unhappy objefts of 

 them are (hut up in an apartment, or court -yard, the doors 

 of which being thrown open, the purchafers rufh in, with 

 their ropes in their hands, as before defcribed. 



Nothing can exceed the terror which the wretched 

 Africans exhibit on thefe occafions. An univerfal (hriek is 

 immediately heard. All is confternation and difmay. The 

 men tremble. The women clng together in each other's 

 arms. Some of them faint away, and others have been 

 known to expire. If any thing can exceed the horror ot 

 fuch a fcene, it muft be the iniquity of valuing a part of the 

 rational creation in fo debafed a light, and of fcrambling 

 for human flefh and blood. 



During the time that elapfes from the flaves being put 

 on board, on the African coalt, to the time when the re- 

 ceivers leave the colonies, after having difpofed of their 

 cargoes, about 25,000 lives are deftroyed, i. e. one-fifth, 

 or nearer one-fourth of the number put on board. About 

 20,000 of thofe who are annually imported die during the 

 " feafoning ;" which feafoning is faid to expire, when the 

 firft two years of fervitude are completed. This is the time 

 whicii an Africanmuit take to be fo accuftomed to the colony, 

 as to be able to endure the common labour of a plantation, 

 and to be put into the gang. From the period when their 

 feafoning terminates, their fituation is as follows. They 

 are fummoned at five in the morning to begin their work. 

 This work may be divided into two kinds, the culture of 

 lof the 



