408 
THE SLAVE QUESTION. 
wliicli, as it is for the specific purpose of labour, 
will be regulated by certain considerations. But to 
meet this, the purveyors will provide an unlimited 
trade will see that the undermentioned price of a vessel is much 
above the average value, thus : — 
Items £. s, d. 
1. Costof avessell70to200tons— 700^. to IjOOO^.jSay 1,000 0 0 
2. 15 to 20 men at 100 Spanish dollars each per 
trip, say . . . , . 
3. Victualling 20 men for 90 days, say 
4. Pay of captain 400 Spanish dollars 
5. Cost of 450 slaves, each at from 2^. 10^. to 4/,, 
say 3l. each . . . , , 
6. Feeding 450 slaves on passage 25 to 30 days 
7. Luxuries for the captain, &c. 
8. Different contingencies .... 
Total - 
416 13 4 
100 0 0 
83 6 8 
1,350 0 0 
112 10 0 
50 0 0 
150 0 0 
£3,262 10 0 
Supposing out of the 450 slaves thus purchased, only 350 reach 
their destination, and sell at the common market price of 607., you 
have the sum of 17,5007. ; then deduct the wdiole outlay of the 
vo^^age, 2,2627. 10s., the vessel (1,000?.) being still forthcoming, there 
remains a clear profit of 15,2377. 10s, 
According to the manner in which the slave-trade is con- 
ducted at present, the articles for the purchase of the slaves are 
generally sent across to the depots on the African coast in neutral 
bottoms. If the vessel is captured, the captain and crew lose their 
wages, (wliich are only paid on the completion of the voyage) hut as 
an inducement to take greater interest in the adventure, the captain 
is generally allowed to bring a few slaves, and sometimes the crew 
one each, whose passage they pay for at the rate of 87. to 107. Thus a 
vessel captured with the slaves or slave-cargo on board involves a 
loss of items 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, items 2 and 4 being saved; which 
makes the actual loss 2762?. lO^. So that one successful voyage, 
landing 350 slaves, and realizing 15,237?. 105., would cover the loss 
