SLAVERY. 



247 



ployed in Recife, — upon the sugar-plantations, 

 — in the Mata or cotton estates, — and in the 

 Sertam or cattle districts. 



As the voyage from the coast of Africa to the 

 opposite shores of South America is usually 

 short, for the winds are subject to little vari- 

 ation and the weather is fine, the vessels which 

 are employed in this traffic are generally speak- 

 ing small, and are not of the best construction. 

 The situation of captain or master of a slave- 

 ship is considered of secondary rank in the Por- 

 tuguese merchant-service, and the persons who 

 are usually so occupied are vastly inferior to the 

 generality of the individuals who command the 

 large and regular trading vessels between Europe 

 and Brazil. The slave-ships* were formerly 



* The ships which are employed in this trade oftentimes 

 till some of their water-casks with salt-water, when they 

 leave Brazil, that they may serve as ballast ; and on taking 

 fheir live cargo on board upon the coast of Africa, the salt- 

 water is replaced by that, which is for the use of the additional 

 number of persons. On one occasion a vessel had proceeded 

 for some days on her voyage from Africa towards Brazil with a 

 full cargo, when the discovery was made that the casks had 

 not been filled with fresh water. The coast of either con- 

 tinent was too distant to enable the vessel to reach one or 

 the other, before the greatest distress must be experienced, 

 and therefore a most shocking expedient was resorted to, — 

 a great number of the negroes were thrown overboard. This 

 misfortune was accidental, and occurred unintentionally, and 

 a man must have been in a similar situation before he can de- 

 clare that he would not act as the Portuguese did on this 

 occasion; but the circumstances arose from the nature of 

 this execrable trade. 



K i' 



