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CHAPTER XVII

TALES OF THE COASTWISE SLAVE-SHIPS

Colored Men from New York Prison Sent to New Orleans and Sold — Stealing Slaves in New Jersey for the Southwest Market — Coastwise Slavers that Lost their Human Cargoes in British Islands — Madison Washington a Negro Worthy of his Name — Joshua R. Giddings and the Coastwise Trade — Extent of the Coastwise Traffic.

When the United States prohibited the slave-trade by the act of March 2, 1807, a reservation was carefully made in favor of the coastwise trade of the nation itself. Sections 8 and 9 provided that no "ship or vessel of less burthen than forty tons," in the coast trade, should take on board or transport any slave "to any port or place whatsoever" under penalty of $800 for each slave. Any "ship or vessel of the burthen of forty tons or more. . . sailing coastwise from any port in the United States to any port or place within the jurisdiction of the same," might carry slaves, however, on making out "duplicate manifests of every such negro," with a full description of each, and delivering "such manifests to the collector of the port," before sailing. There was absolutely no limit specified as to the number to be carried, nor was there any provision for the safety, let alone the health and comfort, of the slaves so to be carried. And that, too,

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