SLAVERY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 7 August 1926, Page 11

SLAVERY

H THERE has recently come into the hands of Lloyd’s List a thin folio Volume, bound in faded and rather battered brown leather, which contains the documents relating to three “Guinea” voyages made between the years 1770 and 1776 by the ship Hector, of Bristol. They consist of invoices of the trade goods shipped in the vessel to be bartered for slaves, gold dust and ivory, the orders given by the owners, John Chilcott and Company, to the captain, ship store accounts, copies of letters written by the company to the ship’s agents at ports where she was likely to touch, and the accounts of the voyages. The ship appears to have been fitted to cany some 360 or 370 negroes, and the price which the owners wished to obtain for them on the first voyage was from £3O to £34 apiece. There is no record of the number actually carried, or of the price per head at which they were sold, but the accounts of the first vovage show that the total proceeds from the sale of negfoes was £8386 15s 9d, and that with the freight on the homeward cargo from North America, consisting of rice and skins, barrels of pitch and tar, turpentine and pipe staves, the net proceeds of the voyage, after deducting all expenses, were £8583.

The profit was divided between the five partners to the venture in the following proportions::—Thomas Deane 12- Thomas Longdon 12-4Sths, Captain Reed S-48ths, Captain Arclii bald Robe 3-48tlis, John Chilcott 13- On the second voyage £45 is suggested as the average price obtainable for. the negroes, and the sum realised from their sale was £10,114 ss, the net balance of the voyage being, £10,774. Tlui balance on the third Amyage Avas £0382. The trade goods carried on the outward voyage from Bristol included India goods, Manchester goods, earthenware, brass goods, muskets, cutlery and knives, beads, carpets, gun-powdor, rum and brandy. The orders to the captain for the first voyage are typical. They were sometimes varied by letters despatched by later ships leaving for the Guinea coast, in the hope that they might encounter him, or by letters sent to the ship’s agents in South Carolina or Virginia for delivery to him. Orders to the captain ran as follow: “Bristol, -September, 1770.—Capn Willin Lewellin, AA r e appoint you Command‘our Ship Heetofr, and desire you Avill repair on Board her Avith your ships- Company, not exceeding Thirty-two in Number and imbrase the first Opportunity of sailing and make the best of your way to Angola, where you are to dispose of your Cargo for good healthy young Negroes nnd Ivory, as wc expect your

THREE “GUINEA” VOYAGES,

first Trade to be at River Ambrose I where vou are to purchase what Negroes | and Ivory you can, if Plenty your whole I Cargo, but at least do your endeavour I to Purchase one Hundred Negroes at „■ Ambrose as you have but a small quan-. I titv of Batts. I ‘‘Should you Be oblig’d to make. I great part of vour Purchase at -Cape I Bendfi you will find that Article very I short; for which reason it will be Pru- I dent- for you to do your best at. Ambrose/ and Avhen you are half Slav’d dont stay long if there is ft possibility of getting of for nftcr that the Risk of Mortality and sickness is great. We recommend to you the care of vour white people, for Avlien your Crew is healthy they will be able to take care of your Negroes without Avliich there is little Probability of making a good Voyage/ all this we must leave to your prudent Management as we don’t doubt your best endeavours for the good of the Concern. “When you have finish’d your Trade on the Coast you are to make the best of your way to Charles Town in So Carolina, and there apply to Messrs. BrcAvton, Doyle and Brewton. but dont go o\ r er the Barr Avith the ship until you hear from them, for if they are not certain of tourning (?) your Negroes out at upwards of Thirty Pounds Sterling round, you are to Proceed to Virginia to Hampton Road and send an Express \ to . . . of your arrival and proceed to any River those Gentlemen. might Order you. should you be oblidg’d to call at the Islands for Provisions let it be at St. Cristophcrs on .Messrs. Baillis but avo hope that will not be the Case, but should it so happen make an offer of your Cargo to Messrs. Baillies at 'Thirty Pounds Sterling for the AA'hole, if they Avill accept those terms and Oblidge themselves to Dispatch the ship iri six Avoeks and make all tire remittance by her in good Bills of Exchange at three, Six and Nine Months in equal Proportions take their own Bond for tlie Performance and deliver them you Cargo. • .

“ Lit Complyance Avith these our Orders avc allow you Fi\'c Pounds per Month wages, and six p. Cent out of the nett Proceeds of the Cargo, your Chief Mate is to ha\-e three Slav r es on an Avcridge Avith the Cargo paying us the prime cost of them with Interest and Insurance, your Doctor Three your second i[ate one on the same terms aforesaid, You nor your Officers are allow to Purchase any Ivory on Penalty and Forfiture of the same to the OAvners. “We recommend to you to treat the Negroes AA'ith as much Lenity as safety' Avill admit and suffer none of your people to bate or abuse them under what pretence so ever, be sure let their ProA-isions be well dres’d and given in <luo season. 99