Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/138

board. On being discovered by Mr. Millar, he Legged for mercy, entreating that he might not be delivered up to the people of New Town. He was brought on the quarter-deck, where were some of the New Town people, who wonld have killed him, had they not been prevented. The man was then ironed, and conducted into the room of the men slaves.

Soon after this transaction, the captain returned, and brought with him a New Town trader, named Willy Honesty. On coming on board, he was informed of what had happened in his absence, and Mr. Millar believes, in the hearing of Willy Honesty, who immediately exclaimed, "Captain, if you will give me that man, to cut off his head, I will give you the best man in my canoe, and you shall be slaved the first ship." The captain upon this looked into Willy Honesty's canoe, picked his man, and delivered the other in his stead, when his head was immediately struck off in Mr. Millar's sight.

Mr. Millar believes that some other cruelties, besides this particular act, were done, because he saw blood on the starboard side of the mizzen-mast, though he does not recollect seeing any bodies from whence the blood might come; and others in other ships, because he heard several muskets or pistols fired from them at the same time. This affair might last ten minutes. He remembers a four-pounder fired at a canoe, but knows not whether any damage was done.

As to other acts of injustice on the part of the Europeans, some consider frauds (says Mr. Newton) as a necessary branch of the slave-trade. They put false heads into powder casks; cut off two or three yards from the middle of a piece of cloth; adulterate their spirits, and steal back articles given. Besides these, there are others who pay in bottles, which contain but half the contents of the samples shown; use false steelyards and weights, and sell such guns as burst on firing, so that many of the natives of the Windward Coast are without their fingers and thumbs on this account.

 

CHAPTER X.

African Slave Trade in the Eighteenth Century, Continued. — The Middle Passage.

Abstract of Evidence before House of Commons, continued. — The enslaved Africans on board the Ships — their dejection. — Methods of confining, airing, feeding and exercising them. — Mode of stowing them, and its horrible consequences. — Incidents of the terrible Middle Passage — shackles, chains, whips, filth, foul air, disease, suffocation. — Suicides by drowning, by starvation, by wounds, by strangling. — Insanity and Death. Manner of selling them when arrived at their destination. — Deplorable situation of the refuse or sickly Slaves. — Mortality among Seamen engaged in the Slave Trade. Their miserable condition and sufferings from disease, and cruel treatment.

The natives of Africa having been made slaves in the modes described in the former chapter, are brought down for sale to the European ships. On