Perry #12, "17th c. Slave traders"

Slave traders during the 17th century casually describe the cruel treatment of slave purchase and transportation in Africa.

Slaves captured from inland Africa are brought to the coast and held in prisons until they are purchased by a slave trader. When the slave traders come the slaves are stripped and inspected for any diseases or other maladies.

The slaves that are purchased are branded to mark them for a specific country and so that they may not be exchanged for a worse slave.

After they are purchased and branded they wait until the weather is good enough for sailing. They are given small pieces of canvas to wraps around their waists during the cold months.

The captured slaves are usually prisoners of war, taken as spoils of war, some are sold by their own countrymen, and others are criminals being punished. Very rarely do parents sell their children, or husbands sell their wives.

Many of the slaves try to either escape or kill themselves, Their view of slavery, though probably better than their conditions at home, is similar to our view of hell. Some drown themselves or throw themselves into an ocean full of sharks. To prevent this, some traders cut off the arms and legs of the most willful slaves to terrify the rest.

While on the boats the slaves are shackled one person to another. They are fed twice a day at 10 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon, when they are most likely to try to escape. The traders keep many guns and overseers with whips on the ship to deter and prevent mutiny.