The horrors of a full slaver almost defy description. Arrived on the
coast, and the port reached, if no man-of-war be on the coast, two
hours suffice to place four hundred human beings on board. On the
slaves being received, the largest men are picked out (if not sent
with bad characters) as head-men, and these, dividing the slaves into
gangs, according to the size of the vessel, of from ten to twenty,
keep them in order. The slave-deck is divided into two unequal
parts, the greater for the men, the other for women and children.
The stowage is managed entirely by the head-men, who take care that
the largest slaves shall be farthest from the ship's side, or from
any position in which their strength might avail them to secure a
larger space than their neighbours. The form of stowage is, that the
poor wretch shall be seated on the beams, and the head thrust between
the knees so close that when one moves the mass must. The slave is
fed twice a-day; in order to give room, one-half are allowed at a
time on deck. At the hour of the meal they are ranged into messes,
and when all is ready, at a signal from the head-men, they commence.
The food consists of either rice, calabancies (a kind of bean), or
farinha (the flour of the cassada, a species of potato) boiled. As a
relish to these are either salt pork, beef, fish, chillies, or
palm-oil, in small quantities. After each meal they are made to
sing, to digest the food, and then the water is served out, the
fullest nominal allowance of which is one quart each, daily, though
seldom more than a pint is given. Irons are seldom used on board,
unless after a mutiny, or if closely chased by a man-of-war; in which
case the condition of the slave becomes truly dreadful; they are all
barred below, for fear of their rising, are seldom watered till the
chase be over, though it may last two or three days, while everything
that can be thought of to make the vessel sail is done, whatever
misery it may cost the cargo: often some of the unfortunate wretches
are thrown overboard in empty casks or small boats, in the hope that
the cruiser will stop to pick them up and thus delay the chase.
CHASES AND CAPTURES OF SLAVERS BY H.M.S. 'BONETTA,'
ON THE AFRICAN COAST.
We give some accounts of the chases and captures of slaves by the
ships of H.M.'s squadron employed in blockading the west coast of
Africa to prevent the slave-trade. The accounts will show a part of
the description of work the officers and men of the Navy are called
on to perform.
In the year 1848, H.M.S. 'Bonetta,' Commander Forbes, formed one of
the northern division of the squadron on the west coast.