Abstract of the evidence for the abolition of the slave-trade (1791)/Chapter 9
That the Seamen employed in the slave trade are worse fed, both in point of quantity and quality of provisions, than the seamen in other trades, is allowed by most of the evidences, and that they have little or no shelter night or day from the inclemency of the weather, during the whole of the Middle Passage, is acknowledged by them all.
With respect to their personal ill usage, the following extracts may suffice.
Mr. Morley asserts that the seamen in all the Guinea men he sailed in, except one, were generally treated with great rigour, and many with cruelty. He recollects many instances: Mathews, the chief mate of the Venus, Captain Forbes, would knock a man down for any frivolous thing with a cat, a piece of wood, or a cook's axe, with which he once cut a man down the shoulder, by throwing it at him in a passion. Captain Dixon likewise, in the Amelia, tied up the men, and gave them four or five dozen lashes at a time, and then rubbing them with pickles made use of certain vulgar expressions. Mr. Moriey also himself, when he was Dixon's cabin-boy, for accidentally breaking a glass, was tied to the tiller by the hands, flogged with a cat, and kept hanging for some time.
Mr. Morley has seen the seamen lie and die upon deck. They are generally, he says, treated ill when sick. He has known men ask to have their wounds or ulcers dressed; and has heard the doctor, with oaths, tell them to take their own dung and dress them.
Mr. Ellison also, in describing the treatment in the Briton, says, there was a boy on board, whom Wilson, the chief mate, was always beating. One morning, in the passage out, he had not got the tea-kettle boiled in time for his breakfast, upon which, when it was brought, Wilson told him he would severely flog him after breakfast. The boy, for fear of this, went into the lee fore chains. When Wilson came from the cabin, and called for Paddy, (the name he went by, being an Irish boy) he would not come, but remained in the fore chains; on which Wilson going forward, and attempting to haul him in, the boy jumped overboard, and was drowned.
Another time, on the Middle Passage, the same Wilson ordered one James Allison, (a man he had been continually beating for trifles) to go into the women's room to scrape it. Allison said he was not able, for he was very unwell; upon which Wilson obliged him to go down. Observing, however, that the man did not work, he asked him the reason, and was answered as before, " that he was not able." Upon this, Wilson threw a handspike at him, which struck him on the breast, and he dropped down to appearance dead. — Allison recovered afterwards a little, but died the next day.
Mr. Ellison relates other instances of ill usage on board his own ship, and with respect to instances in others, he says, that in all slave ships they are most commonly beaten and knocked about for nothing. He recollects that on board the Phoenix, a Bristol ship, while lying on the coast, the boatswain and five of the crew made their escape in the yawl, but were taken up by the natives. When Captain Bishop heard it, he ordered them to be kept on shore at Forje, a small town at the mouth of Calabar River, chained by the necks, legs, and hands, and to have each a plantain a day only. The boatswain, whose name was Tom Jones, and an old shipmate of his, and a very good seaman, died raving mad in his chains there. The other five died in their chains also.
Mr. Towne, in speaking of the treatment on board the Peggy, Captain Davison, says, that their chests were brought upon deck, and staved and burnt, and themselves turned out from lying below; and if any murmurs were heard among them, they were inhumanly beaten with any thing that came in the way, or flogged, both legs put in irons, and chained abaft to the pumps, and there made to work points and gaskets, during the Captain's pleasure; and very often beat just as the Captain thought proper. He himself has often seen the Captain as he has walked by, kick them repeatedly, and if they have said any thing that he might deem offensive, he has immediately called for a stick to beat them with; they, at the same time, having both legs in irons, an iron collar about their necks, and a chain; and when on the coast of Guinea, if not released before their arrival there from their confinement, they were put into the boats, and made to row backwards and forwards, either with the Captain from ship to ship, or on any other duty, still both legs in irons, an iron collar about their necks, with a chain locked to the boat, and taken out when no other duty was required of them at night, and locked fast upon the open deck, exposed to the heavy rains and dews, without any thing to lie upon, or any thing to cover them. This was a practice on board the Peggy.
He says also, that similar treatment prevailed on board the Sally, another of the ships in which he sailed. One of the seamen had both legs in irons, and a collar about his neck, and was chained to the boat for three months, and very often most inhumanly beaten for complaining of his situation, both by the Captain and other officers. At last he became so weak, that he could not sit upon the thwart or seat of the boat to row, or do any thing else. They then put him out of the boat, and made him pick oakum on board the ship, with only three pounds of bread a week, and half a pound of salt beef per day. He remained in that situation, with both his legs in irons, but the latter part of the time without a collar. One evening he came aft, during the Middle Passage, to beg something to eat, or he should die. The Captain on this inhumanly beat him, and used a great number of reproaches, and ordered him to go forward, and die and be damned. The man died in the night. The ill treatment on board the Sally was general.
As another particular instance, a landman, one Edw. Hilton, was in the boat watering, and complained of his being long in the boat without meat or drink. The boatswain, being the officer, beat him with the boat's tiller, having nothing else, and cut his head in several places, so that when he came on board he was all over blood. Mr. Towne asked him the reason of it. Hilton began to tell him, but before he could properly tell the story, the mate came forward, (by order of the captain) the surgeon and the boatswain, and all of them together, fell to beating him with their canes. The surgeon struck him on the side of his eye, so that it afterwards mortified, and was lost. He immediately had both his legs put in irons, after he had been so beat, that he could not stand. The next morning he was put into the boat on the same duty as before, still remaining with both legs in irons, and locked with a chain to the boat, until such time as he became so weak, that he was not able to remain any longer there. He was then put on board the ship, and laid forwards, still in irons, very ill. His allowance was immediately stopped, as it was the surgeon's opinion it was the only method of curing any one of them who complained of illness. He remained in that situation, after being taken out of the boat, for some weeks after. During this time, Mr. Towne was obliged to go to Junk River, and on his return he inquired for Hilton, and was told that he was lying before the foremast, almost dead. He went and spoke to him, but Hilton seemed insensible. The same day Mr. Towne received his orders to go a second time in the shallop to Junk River. After he had gotten under weigh, the commander of the shallop was ordered to bring to, and take Hilton in, and leave him on shore any where. He lived that evening and night out, and died early the next morning, and was thrown overboard off Cape Mezzurado.
Mr. Falconbridge, being called upon also to speak to the ill usage of seamen, says that on board the Alexander, Capt. McTaggart, he has seen them tied up and flogged with the cat frequently. He remembers also an instance of an old man, who was boatswain of the Alexander, having one night some words with the mate, when the boatswain was severely beaten, and had one or two of his teeth knocked out. The boatswain said he would jump overboard; upon which he was tied to the rail of the quarter-deck, and a pump-bolt put into his mouth by way of gagging him. He was then untied, put under the half-deck, and a centinel put over him all night—in the morning he was released. Mr. Falconbridge always considered him as a quiet, inoffensive man. In the same voyage a black boy was beaten every day, and one day, after he was so beaten, he jumped through one of the gun-ports of the cabin into the river. A canoe was lying along-side, which dropped astern, and picked him up. Mr. Falconbridge gave him one of his own shirts to put on, and asked him if he did not expect to be devoured by the sharks. The boy said he did, and that it would be much better for him to be killed at once, than to be daily treated with so much cruelty.
Mr. Falconbridge remembers also, on board the same ship, that the black cook one day broke a plate. For this he had a fish-gig darted at him, which would certainly have destroyed him if he had not stooped or dropped down. At another time also, the carpenter's mate had let his pitch-pot catch fire. He and the cook were accordingly both tied up, stripped, and flogged, but the cook with the greatest severity. After that the cook had salt water and cayenne pepper rubbed upon his back. A man also came on board at Bonny, belonging to a little ship, (Mr. Falconbridge believes the captain's name was Dodson, of Liverpool) which had been overset at New Calabar. This man, when he came on board, was in a convalescent state. He was severely beaten one night, but for what cause Mr. Falconbridge knows not, upon which he came and applied to Mr. Falconbridge for something to rub his back with. Mr. Falconbridge was told by the captain not to give him any thing, and the man was desired to go forward. He went accordingly, and lay under the forecastle. Mr. Falconbridge visited him very often, at which times he complained of his bruises. After this, he had a return of his flux, and died in about three weeks from the time he was beaten. The last words he ever spoke to Mr. Falconbridge were (after shedding tears) "I cannot punish him," (meaning the captain) "but God will." these are the most remarkable instances which Mr. Falconbridge recollects. He says, however, that the ill treatment was so general, that only three in this ship escaped being beaten out of fifty persons.
To these instances, which fell under the eyes of the evidences now cited, we may add the observations of a gentleman, who, though never in the slave-trade, had yet great opportunities of obtaining information upon this subject. Sir George Young remarks, that those seamen, whom he saw in the slave-trade, while on the coast in a man of war, complained of their ill treatment, bad feeding, and cruel usage. They all of them wanted to enter on board his ship. It was likewise the custom for the seamen of every ship he saw at a distance, to come on board him with their boats; most of them quite naked, and threatening to turn pirates, if he did not take them. This they told him openly. He is persuaded, if he had given them encouragement, and had had a ship of the line to have manned, he could have done it in a short time, for they would all have left their ships. He has also received several seamen on board his ship from the woods, where they had no subsistence, but to which they had fled for refuge from their respective vessels.
That the above are not the only instances of barbarity contained in the evidence, and that this barbarous usage is peculiar to, or springing out of the very nature of the trade in slaves, maybe insisted on from the following accounts:
Captain Hall, (of the merchants service) believes the seamen are in general treated with great barbarity in the slave-ships, and he does not know of their being ill treated in any other service.
Captain Thompson concludes, from the many complaints he received from seamen, while on the coast, that they are far from being well treated on board the slave-ships. One Bowden swam from the Fisher, of Liverpool, Captain Kendal, to the Nautilus, amidst a number of sharks, to claim his protection. Kendal wrote for the man, who refused to return, saying his life would be endangered. He therefore kept him in the Nautilus till she was paid off, and found him a diligent, willing, active seaman. Several of the crew, he thinks, of the Brothers, of Liverpool, Captain Clark, swam towards the Nautilus, when passing by. Two only reached her. The rest, he believes, regained their own ship. The majority of the crew had the day before come on board the Nautilus in a boat to complain of ill usage, but he had returned them with an officer to inquire into and redress their complaints. He received many letters from seamen in slave-ships, complaining of ill usage, and desiring him to protect them, or take them on board. He is inclined to think, that ships trading in the produce of Africa, are not so ill used as those in the slave-ships. Several of his own officers gave him the best accounts of the treatment in the Iris, a vessel trading for wood, gums, and ivory, near which the Nautilus lay for some weeks.
Lieutenant Simpson says, that on his first voyage, when lying at Fort Appolonia, the Fly Guineaman was in the roads. On the return of the Adventure's boat from the fort, they were hailed by some seamen belonging to the Fly, requesting that they might be taken from on board the Guineaman, and put on board the man of war, for that their treatment was such as to make their lives miserable. The boat, by the direction of Capt. Parry, was sent to the Fly, and one or two men were brought on board him. In his second voyage, he recollects, that on first seeing the Albion Guineaman, she carried a press of sail, seemingly to avoid them, but finding it impracticable, she spoke them; the day after which the Captain of the Albion brought a seaman on board the Adventure, whom he wished to be left there, complaining that he was a very riotous and disorderly man. The man, on the contrary, proved very peaceable and well-behaved, nor was there one single instance of his conduct, from which he could suppose he merited the character given him. He seemed to rejoice at quitting the Albion, and informed Mr. Simpson, that he was cruelly beaten both by the captain and surgeon; that he was half starved; and that the surgeon neglected the sick seamen, alleging that he was only paid for attending the slaves. He also informed Mr. Simpson, that their allowance of provisions was increased, and their treatment somewhat better when a man of war was on the coast. He recollects another instance of a seaman, with a leg shockingly ulcerated, requesting a passage in the Adventure to England; alleging that he was left behind from a Guineaman. He alleged various instances of ill treatment he had received, and confirmed the sailor of the Albion's account, that their allowance of provisions was increased, and treatment better, when a man of war was on the coast. During Mr. Simpson's stay at C. Coast Castle, the Adventure's boat was sent to Annamaboe to the Spy Guineaman; on her return, three men were concealed under her sails, who had left the slave-ship—they complained their treatment was so bad, that their lives were miserable on board—beaten and half starved.—There were various other instances which escape his memory. Mr. Simpson says, however, that he has never heard any complaints from West Indiamen, or other merchant ships;—on the contrary, they wished to avoid a man of war; whereas, if the captain of the Adventure had listened to all the complaints made to him from sailors of slave-ships, and removed them, he must have greatly distressed the African trade.
Captain Hall, of the navy, speaking on the same subject, asserts, that as to peculiar modes of punishment adopted in Guineamen, he once saw a man chained by the neck in the main top of a slave-ship, when passing under the stern of his Majesty's ship Crescent, in Kingston-Bay, St. Vincent's; and was told by part of the crew, taken out of the ship, at their own request, that the man had been there one hundred and twenty days. He says he has great reason to believe, that in no trade are seamen so badly treated as in the slave-trade, from their flying to men of war for redress, and whenever they come within reach; whereas men from West Indian or other trades seldom apply to a ship of war.[1]
The last evidence, whom perhaps it will appear necessary to cite on this occasion, is the Rev. Mr. Newton, This gentleman agrees in the [2] ill usage of the seamen alluded to, and believes that the slave-trade itself is a great cause of it, for he thinks that the real or supposed necessity of treating the negroes with rigour gradually brings a numbness upon the heart, and renders most of those who are engaged in it too indifferent to the sufferings of their fellow-creatures; and he supposes there is no trade in which seamen are treated with so little humanity as in the African slave-trade. He has himself seen the sailors, when sick, beaten for being lazy, till they have died under the blows.
- ↑ The circumstance of seamen in the Slave-trade being desirous of leaving their ships, and of those in other trades staying by them, when in sight of men of war, is confirmed also by Captains Smith and Wilson, of the navy.
- ↑ It will be proper to mention here, that several specifick facts of the ill treatment of seamen in the Slave-trade have been omitted in these accounts, as well as that this ill usage is confirmed by more of the witnesses, viz. Trotter, Dove, Parker, Storey, and Forster; on the other hand, about seven captains may be traced, three of whose names only are mentioned, (viz. Butler, Smith, and Frazer) who have had the merit of going against the current of bad example in the abuse of seamen in this trade. If it should be asked how it happens that seamen enter for slave-vessels, when such general ill usage there can hardly fail of being known, the reply must be taken from the evidence, "that whereas some of them enter voluntarily, the greater part of them are trepanned, for that it is the business of certain landlords to make them intoxicated, and get them into debt, after which their only alternative is a Guineaman or a gaol."