The History of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the African Slave Trade by the British Parliament (1808), Volume IIClarkson, Thomas
History
The History of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the African Slave Trade by the British Parliament (1808), Volume II
Clarkson, Thomas
Slave trade -- Africa
With respect to the miseries of the Middle Passage, he had said so much on
a former occasion, that he would spare the feelings of the committee as
much as he could. He would therefore simply state that the evidence, which
was before them, confirmed all those scenes of wretchedness, which he had
then described; the same suffering from a state of suffocation by being
crowded together; the same dancing in fetters; the same melancholy singing;
the same eating by compulsion; the same despair; the same insanity; and all
the other abominations which characterized the trade. New instances however
had occurred, where these wretched men had resolved on death to terminate
their woes. Some had destroyed themselves by refusing sustenance, in spite
of threats and punishments. Others had thrown themselves into the sea; and
more than one, when in the act of drowning, were seen to wave their hands
in triumph, "exulting" (to use the words of an eye-witness) "that they had
escaped." Yet these and similar things, when viewed through the African
medium he had mentioned, took a different shape and colour. Captain Knox,
an adverse witness, had maintained, that slaves lay during the night in
tolerable comfort. And yet he confessed, that in a vessel of one hundred
and twenty tons, in which he had carried two hundred and ninety slaves, the
latter had not all of them room to lie on their backs. How comfortably then
must they have lain in his subsequent voyages! for he carried afterwards in
a vessel of a hundred and eight tons four hundred and fifty and in a vessel
of one hundred and fifty tons, no less than six hundred slaves. Another
instance of African deception was to be found in the testimony of Captain
Frazer, one of the most humane captains in the trade. It had been said of
him, that he had held hot coals to the mouth of a slave, to compel him to
eat. He was questioned on this point; but not admitting, in the true spirit
of African logic, that he who makes another commit a crime, is guilty of it
himself, he denied the charge indignantly, and defied a proof. But it was
said to him, "Did you never order such a thing to be done?" His reply was,
"Being sick in my cabin, I was informed that a man-slave would neither eat,
drink, nor speak. I desired the mate and surgeon to try to persuade him to
speak. I desired that the slaves might try also. When I found he was still
obstinate, not knowing whether it was from sulkiness or insanity, I ordered
a person to present him with a piece of fire in one hand and a piece of yam
in the other, and to tell me what effect this had upon him. I learnt that
he took the yam and began to eat it, but he threw the fire overboard." Such
was his own account of the matter. This was eating by duresse, if any thing
could be called so. The captain, however, triumphed in his expedient, and
concluded by telling the committee, that he sold this very slave at Grenada
for forty pounds. Mark here the moral of the tale, and learn the nature and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account