Ever since the settlement of Europeans on the continent of America and
the West Indian Islands, a trade in slaves had existed to a very great
extent. The slaves were taken from among the many tribes in the
interior of Africa in large numbers, and transported across the
Atlantic.
The evils of such an inhuman custom were manifold, and were a very dark
stain on civilisation. In course of time the conscience of England was
awakened to the evil, and the nation decided to take some stern steps to
put a stop to this trade in human beings, both in the interests of
humanity and justice, and for the sake of Africa.
On 25th March 1807 the Royal assent was given to a Bill for the total
abolition of the British slave trade on and after 1st January 1808. At
first only a penalty of money was exacted from those who were convicted
of slave-dealing. This, of course, was soon found to be without much
effect, and in consequence, in 1811, slave-dealing was made punishable
by transportation for fourteen years. Even this was found to be very
inadequate. The slave-dealer knew that the risks of his being caught at
his illicit trade were very small, and as the profits were very great he
was quite willing to run that risk. Slave-dealing still continued with
renewed zeal, and, if possible, greater cruelty than before.
In 1824, therefore, the offence was declared to be piracy, and
punishable with death. In 1837, however, the punishment inflicted on
British subjects for trading in slaves was changed to transportation for
life.
A squadron of small vessels supposed to be suited for the purpose was
forthwith equipped and sent to the African coast, to capture slavers
wherever they could be found north of the equator, either embarking
their cargoes or prepared to receive them, or with full ships, and
whether up rivers, on the coast, or out at sea.
These expeditions were full of excitement for the bluejackets, and
countless were the chases after slavers by the ships of the squadrons.
The danger was great in many cases. The slave-dealers were of the
lowest grade of humanity, and cruel to the last degree. The barbarity
with which they tore away the poor blacks from their native country, and
the cruelty with which they treated them on board, is indescribable.
The slaves were treated worse than animals, and many died during the
voyage, but that mattered little to the slave-dealer, who had paid
nothing for them, and who could find plenty more where they came from.
Often the slave-dealers had on board, or rather in the hold of the ship,
something like 900 slaves. When the decks were battened down during
storms the tortures they endured were frightful. Often when the hatches
were opened after a hurricane more than one-third of the slaves were
found to be dead from suffocation or want of food, and often, sooner
than have the trouble of hauling up the dead bodies, the hatches were
battened down again and the poor slaves left in their misery till the
end of the voyage, when perhaps another third were found to have died.
It was to prevent atrocities such as these that our sailors were called
upon to perform such gallant deeds on the African Coast, and their
gallantry and powers of endurance were never displayed to better purpose
than during the chases and captures of slavers. Accounts of some of
them are given, to show the sort of work our officers and men are called
upon to perform to keep down this horrible evil.