| PART 1. |
Slaves. |
Windward Coast from Isles de Los to Cape Le Hou.
Captain Deane. |
[...] killed in the Fray. Being asked, If he knew of any other Instance
of Slaves made so by Violence? replied, He did not. He knew of public
Wars, but no other Instance of private Violence. Being asked, Whether
the Government of those Countries authorized or connived at Transactions
of this Sort? Captain Deane replied, They do not publicly; whether
or not privately he cannot say: The Plunderers would be sold themselves,
if discovered. Being asked, Whether the Natives of those Countries
go armed, in order to prevent such Outrages? he said, They generally
are armed, those who can afford to purchase them, with Muskets; the
others with Side-arms. This they do to defend themselves from Wild
Beasts, which are very numerous on the Windward Coast (of which only
Captain Deane speaks), and it may be also to protect themselves from
their Countrymen; but of this Captain Deane is not sure. Being asked,
Whether there are not a great Number of Slaves brought down from the
Back Country to be sold? he replied, There was a great Number; and
added, they make the greater Proportion of those sold. Being asked,
Whether the Prince of the Country has not some Duty upon, or some
Interest in, the Slaves that are publicly sold? Captain Deane replied,
He has an Emolument upon every Slave publicly sold, and generally
attends the Sales to receive his Duty; and for this Reason he has
an Interest in preventing Slaves being made so by Kidnapping and Violence.
Captain Deane, however, is of Opinion, that notwithstanding this,
the Princes of the Country sometimes privately encourage those Acts
of Violence. |
| Gold Coast.
Mr. Norris. |
In the Fantyn Nation, a considerable Portion of the Community are
Persons born Slaves. These have peculiar Privileges, and under them
enjoy many Advantages which the Slaves of the neighbouring Countries
do not; - for Example, a Slave born in the Household cannot be sold
at the Caprice of his Master. Mr. Norris being asked, whether there
are any Slaves in that Country arising from Delinquency, and whether
there are any brought out of other Countries? replied, There are a
few Ashantees, and others, domesticated in their Families. The Fantyn
Country also furnishes annually about 2,000 Slaves, who become so
for Delinquencies and Debt. |
| |
Mr. Norris being asked, whether the Privileges stated by him to
belong to the born Slaves in the Fantyn Country, extended to the Slaves
purchased or acquired? replied, The Distinction is this; a Slave that
has been purchased or acquired may be disposed of at Pleasure; but
a Slave born within the Walls cannot be sold at the Will of his Master,
unless guilty of Crimes, in which Case he may be sold. |
| |
Mr. Norris does not conceive that Crimes are often falsely imputed
to them in order to made them Slaves; in some Cases it may happen,
but not frequently. Accusations may sometimes proceed from Avarice
or Resentment, but the Decision is always before a Magistrate. In
Cases of Adultery the Fine is always to the Advantage of the Husband;
and if the Fine, which is fixed at the Price of a Man Slave, is
not paid, the guilty Person is sold. |
| |
Mr. Norris being asked, what are the Parts of the Gold Coast where
the European Traders come to purchase Slaves? replied, The Places
for purchasing Slaves are Appollonia, Axim, Cape Three Points, Acqueda,
Dixcove, Boultrou, Succundee, Chamah, Commenda, Elmina, Cape Coast,
Mouree, Annamaboe, Cormantine, Tantum, Appam, Wynnebah, Baracoe, Accra,
Pram-pram, Ningo, and Whyudah; but the latter is not properly on the
Gold Coast. |
| |
The British, Dutch, and Danes are the European Nations who, in Consequence
of having Forts there, possess the Trade of the Gold Coast. The British
purchase about 6,000 Slaves there annually, perhaps some Years a few
more. As Annamaboe is the great Mart of Trade, the British Ships anchor
in that Road, and send their Boats to the different Forts from Appollonia
to Pram-pram inclusive. Mr. Norris cannot enter with Precision into
a Detail of the particular Forts so as to specify the Trade of each,
but referred himself to Governor Miles, who has resided long there,
and might perhaps be able to give the Information required on that
Head. |
| |
The Dutch procure about 2,500 Slaves annually on the Gold Coast,
chiefly at Elmina and Accra; the Danish Ships usually lie at Accra,
and carry off about 1,500 Slaves annually, which are procured chiefly
there, the Remainder at Ningo and their Settlements near the River
Volta. |
| |
The French, Portuguese, and American Vessels sometimes visit this
part of the Coast; but having no Settlements there, enjoy but little
of its Trade; but should the French accomplish their Intention of
establishing themselves in the Vicinity of Annamaboe, they may expect
an equal Share of this Trade with the British. |
| |
The English Merchants purchase these Slaves of the Black Traders,
all resident upon the Coast, who come by them in several Ways. The
Black Traders go to certain Marts or Fairs, where they meet other
Traders, and purchase Slaves of them. In what Manner the Black Traders,
who bring the Slaves to the Frontiers, come by them, Mr. Norris does
not know. Being asked, whether from Conversation or other Means he
had reason to suppose that many of these Slaves were Captives made
in War? he replied, He does not think this applies to the Gold Coast,
but in other less civilized Parts of the Country he has no doubt Outrages
may be committed for the Purpose of making Slaves. The Object of making
Slaves as One Sort of Plunder, may be a concurrent Cause of War; but
they have the same Motives for War as the European Nations, |
| |
such |
Slaves. |
PART 1. |
| such as Ambition, Avarice, Resentment, &c. &c. The Inhabitants
of the interior Parts are less civilized; and among them there may
be predatory Wars; but it is not so with the Ashantees or the Fantees. |
Gold Coast.
Mr. Norris. |
| In the Countries Mr. Norris has been describing, he by no Means
thinks there are People who employ themselves in Kidnapping for the
Purpose of making Slaves. |
|
| Being asked in what Manner the Slaves purchased are paid for? he
gave the following Account: |
|
| At Whydah, the Slaves are partly paid for in Cowries, and partly
in Goods; on the Gold Coast, partly in Gold Dust, and the Remainder
in Goods. Nine Tenths of the Gold Dust we receive for Goods is paid
back again for Slaves. |
|
| Being asked what Proportion of the Price paid for Slaves is paid
in Gold Dust, and what in Goods? he said, About One Sixth Part is
paid in Gold Dust, and the rest in Goods. At Whydah One Fourth in
Shells or Cowries, and the Rest in Goods. Our Goods are carried up
the Country to pay for the Slaves. The Gold Dust, which is not produced
on the Spot, comes from the Ashantee Country, which is Five Days Journey
at Least, perhaps Ten. There is a greater Demand for Gold at Annamaboe
than the Country produces. The Quantity of Gold has diminished from
the Practice of burying it with the Dead, and from the additional
personal Ornaments which the Progress of Civilization has introduced
among the Inhabitants. |
|
| Mr. Norris being asked what is the Proportion of Slaves which the
different Nations of Europe annually export from the several Parts
of the Coast? replied, The Whole of the very extensive Coast of Negro
Land supplies the following Numbers yearly. |
|
Mr. Norris presumes that |
|
| |
Slaves. |
General Account of the Number of Slaves exported annually. |
| Gambia furnishes annually |
700 |
|
| Isles de Los, and the adjacent Rivers |
1,500 |
|
| From Sierra Leone to Cape Mount |
2,000 |
|
| Cape Mount to Cape Palmas |
3,000 |
|
| Cape Palmas to Cape Appollonia |
1,000 |
|
| The Gold Coast |
10,000 |
|
| Quilta and Popoe |
1,000 |
|
| Whydah |
4,500 |
|
| Porta Nova, Eppee, and Bidagry |
3,500 |
|
| Lagos and Benin |
3,500 |
|
| Bonny and New Calabar |
14,500 |
|
| Old Calabar and Camaroons |
7,000 |
|
| Gabon and Cape Lopez |
500 |
|
| Loango Melimba, and Cabenda |
13,500 |
|
| Majumba, Ambris, and Missoula |
1,000 |
|
| Loango St. Paul's, and Benguilla |
7,000 |
|
| |
______
74,200
|
|
| Of these |
the British purchase about |
38,000 |
|
| |
the French |
20,000 |
|
| |
the Dutch |
4,000 |
|
| |
the Danes |
2,000 |
|
| |
the Portuguese |
10,000 |
|
| |
|
|
| Besides the above Supply to the European Nations, and
to the Portuguese at Brazil, the Americans have hitherto purchased
a few Slaves. The King of Morocco also, and the different States of
Barbary and Upper Egypt, are supplied with considerable Numbers of
Negroes; and besides many are taken from the Eastern Coast to Persia
and the East Indies. |
|
| From the Countries bordering on the Senegal and Gambia,
the Emperor of Morocco draws his Recruits for his Black Cavalry; and
from the same Quarter, including the Tract of Country down to Sierra
Leone, many Slaves are collected for the Supply of the different States
of Barbary; and from the Mundingo and Sousa Country, Caravans travel
across the Continent to Upper Egypt with considerable Numbers of Negro
Slaves, who are forwarded from thence, either from Alexandria by Sea,
or marched through Asia Minor to Constantinople. On this Account the
Tract of Country on and between the Rivers Senegal and Gambia furnishes
but few Slaves to the Europeans. |
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With |
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