We have now seen what kind of country it is, from which the Negroes are brought: and what sort of men (even white men being the judges) they were in their own country. Enquire we, thirdly, In what manner are they generally procured, carried to, and treated in America.
1. First. In what manner are they procured? Part of them by fraud. Captains of ships from time to time, invited Negroes to come on board, and then carried them away. But far more have been procured by force. The Christians landing upon their coasts, seized as many as they found, men, women and children, and transported them to America. It was about 1551, that the English began trading to Guinea: at first, for gold and Elephant’s teeth, but soon after, for men. In 1556, Sir John Hawkins sailed with two ships to Cape Verd, where he sent eighty men on shore to catch Negroes. But the natives flying, they fell farther down, and there set the men on shore, “to burn their towns and take the inhabitants.” But they met with such resistance, that they had seven men killed, and took but ten Negroes. So they went still farther down, till having taken enough, they proceeded to the West-Indies and sold them.
2. It was some time before the Europeans found a more compendious way of procuring African Slaves, by prevailing upon them to make war upon each other, and to sell their prisoners. Till then they seldom had any wars: but were in general quiet and peaceable. But the white men first taught them drunkenness and avarice, and then hired them to sell one another. Nay, by this means, even their Kings are induced to sell their own subjects. So Mr. Moore (Factor of the African Company in 1730) informs us, “When the King of Barsalli wants goods or brandy, he sends to the English Governor at James’ Fort, who immediately sends a sloop. Against the time it arrives, he plunders some of his neighbours’ towns, selling the people for the goods he wants. At other times he falls upon one of his own towns, and makes bold to sell his own subjects.” So Mons. Brue says, “I wrote to the King” (not the same) “if he had a sufficient number of slaves I would treat with him. He seized three hundred of his own people, and sent word he was ready to deliver them for goods.” He adds, “Some of the natives are always ready” (when well paid) “to surprize and carry off their own countrymen. They come at night without noise, and if they find any lone cottage, surround it and carry off all the people.”—Barbot, (another French Factor) says, “Many of the Slaves sold by the Negroes are prisoners of war, or taken in the incursions they make into their enemy’s territories. Others are stolen. Abundance of little Blacks of both sexes, are stolen away by their neighbours, when found abroad on the road, or in the woods, or else in the corn-fields, at the time of year when their parents keep them there all day to scare away the devouring birds.” That their own parents sell them, is utterly false: Whites not Blacks, are without natural affection!
3. To set the manner wherein Negroes are procured in a yet stronger light, it will suffice to give an extract of two voyages to Guinea on this account. The first is taken verbatim from the original manuscript of the Surgeon’s Journal.
“SESTRO, Dec. 29, 1724. No trade to-day, though many traders came on board. They informed us, that the people are gone to war within land, and will bring prisoners enough in two or three days; in hopes of which we stay.
“The 30th. No trade yet: but our traders came on board to-day, and informed us the people had burnt four towns: so that to-morrow we expect slaves off.
“The 31st, Fair weather; but no trading yet. We see each night towns burning. But we hear many of the Sestro men are killed by the inland Negroes: so that we fear this war will be unsuccessful.
“The second of January. Last night we saw a prodigious fire break out about eleven o’clock, and this morning see the town of Sestro burnt down to the ground.” (It contained some hundred houses.) “So that we find their enemies are too hard for them at present, and consequently our trade spoiled here. Therefore about seven o’clock we weighed anchor, to proceed lower down.”
4. The second Extract taken from the Journal of a Surgeon, who went from New-York on the same trade, is as follows. “The Commander of the vessel sent to acquaint the King, that he wanted a cargo of slaves. The King promised to furnish him, and in order to it, set out, designing to surprize some town, and make all the people prisoners. Some time after, the King sent him word, he had not yet met with the desired success: having attempted to break up two towns, but having been twice repulsed: but that he still hoped to procure the number of Slaves. In this design he persisted, till he met his enemies in the field. A battle was fought, which lasted three days. And the engagement was so bloody, that four thousand five hundred men were slain upon the spot.”——Such is the manner wherein the Negroes are procured! Thus the Christians preach the Gospel to the Heathens!
5. Thus they are procured. But in what numbers and in what manner are they carried to America?——Mr. Anderson in his history of Trade and Commerce, observes, “England supplies her American Colonies with Negro-slaves, amounting in number to about a hundred thousand every year.” That is, so many are taken on board our ships; but at least ten thousand of them die in the voyage: about a fourth part more die at the different Islands, in what is called the Seasoning. So that at an average, in the passage and seasoning together, thirty thousand die: that is, properly are murdered. O earth, O sea, cover not thou their blood!
6. When they are brought down to the shore in order to be sold, our Surgeons thoroughly examine them, and that quite naked, women and men, without any distinction: those that are approved are set on one side. In the mean time a burning iron, with the arms or name of the Company, lies in the fire, with which they are marked on the breast. Before they are put into the ships, their masters strip them of all they have on their backs: so that they come on board stark naked, women as well as men. It is common for several hundred of them to be put on board one vessel: where they are stowed together in as little room as it is possible for them to be crowded. It is easy to suppose what a condition they must soon be in, between heat, thirst and stench of various kinds. So that it is no wonder, so many should die in the passage; but rather that any survive it.
7. When the vessels arrive at their destined port, the Negroes are again exposed naked, to the eyes of all that flock together, and the examination of their purchasers; then they are separated to the plantations of their several masters, to see each other no more. Here you may see mothers hanging over their daughters, bedewing their naked breasts with tears, and daughters clinging to their parents, till the whipper soon obliges them to part. And what can be more wretched than the condition they then enter upon? Banished from their country, from their friends and relations for ever, from every comfort of life, they are reduced to a state scarce any way preferable to that of beasts of burden. In general a few roots, not of the nicest kind, usually yams or potatoes, are their food, and two rags, that neither screen them from the heat of the day, nor the cold of the night their covering. Their sleep is very short, their labour continual, and frequently above their strength; so that death sets many of them at liberty, before they have lived out half their days. The time they work in the West-Indies, is from day-break to noon, and from two o’clock till dark: during which time they are attended by overseers, who, if they think them dilatory, or think any thing not so well done as it should be, whip them most unmercifully, so that you may see their bodies long after whealed and scarred usually from the shoulders to the waist. And before they are suffered to go to their quarters, they have commonly something to do, as collecting herbage for the horses, or gathering fewel for the boilers. So that it is often past twelve before they can get home. Hence if their food is not prepared, they are some times called to labour again, before they can satisfy their hunger. And no excuse will avail. If they are not in the field immediately, they must expect to feel the lash. Did the Creator intend that the noblest creatures in the visible world, should live such a life as this! “Are these thy glorious works, Parent of Good?”
8. As to the punishment inflicted on them, says Sir Hans Sloan, “they frequently geld them, or chop off half a foot: after they are whipped till they are raw all over. Some put pepper and salt upon them: some drop melted wax upon their skin. Others cut off their ears, and constrain them to broil and eat them. For Rebellion,” (that is, asserting their native Liberty, which they have as much right to as to the air they breathe) “they fasten them down to the ground with crooked sticks on every limb, and then applying fire by degrees, to the feet and hands, they burn them gradually upward to the head.”
9. But will not the laws made in the plantations, prevent or redress all cruelty and oppression? We will take but a few of those laws for a specimen, and then let any man judge.
In order to rivet the chain of slavery, the law of Virginia ordains, “That no slave shall be set free, upon any pretence whatever, except for some meritorious services, to be adjudged and allowed by the Governor and Council: and that where any slave shall be set free by his owner, otherwise than is herein directed, the Church-wardens of the parish wherein such negro shall reside for the space of one month are hereby authorized and required, to take up and sell the said negro, by public outcry.”
10. Will not these Law-givers take effectual care, to prevent cruelty and oppression?
The law of Jamaica ordains, “Every slave that shall run away, and continue absent from his master twelve months, shall be deemed rebellious:” And by another law, fifty pounds are allowed, to those who kill or bring in alive a rebellious slave. So their law treats these poor men with as little ceremony and consideration, as if they were merely brute beasts! But the innocent blood which is shed in consequence of such a detestable law, must call for vengeance on the murderous abetters and actors of such deliberate wickedness.
11. But the law of Barbadoes exceeds even this, “If any negro under punishment, by his master, or his order, for running away, or any other crime or misdemeanor, shall suffer in life or member, no person whatsoever shall be liable to any fine therefore. But if any man, of wantonness, or only of bloody-mindedness or cruel intention, wilfully kill a negro of his own” (Now observe the severe punishment!) “He shall pay into the public treasury fifteen pounds sterling! And not be liable to any other punishment or forfeiture for the same!”
Nearly allied to this is that law of Virginia: “After proclamation is issued against slaves that run away, it is lawful for any person whatsoever to kill and destroy such slaves, by such ways and means as he shall think fit.”
We have seen already some of the ways and means which have been thought fit on such occasions. And many more might be mentioned. One Gentleman, when I was abroad, thought fit to roast his slave alive! But if the most natural act of “running away” from intolerable tyranny, deserves such relentless severity, what punishment have these Law-makers to expect hereafter, on account of their own enormous offences?