AN OLD SLAVE TRADER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19390, 27 July 1926, Page 12

AN OLD SLAVE TRADER.

THREE « GUINEA » VOYAGES. INTERESTING DOCUMENTS. RECORDS OF THE MISTY PAST. There has recently come into the hands of Lloyd's List a thin folio volume, bound in faded and .ather battered brown leather, which contains the deeouments 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 m 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 acounts. 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 carry 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 voyage show that the total proceeds from the sale of negroes 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. Division o 1 Profits. The profit was divided between the five partners to the venture in the following proportions: —Thomas Deane, 12-48ths, Thomas Longdon 12-48ths, Captain Reed 8-48ths, Captain Archibald Robe 3-481hs. John Chilcott 13-48ths, 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, The balance on the third voyage was £9382. The trade goods carried on the outward voyage from Bristol included India goods, Manchester goods, earthenware, brass goods, muskets, cutlery and knives, beads, carpets, gunpowder, 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. Orders to the captain ran as follow: "Bristol, September, 1770.—Capri Willm Lewellin, Ave appoint you Command our Ship Hector, and desire you will repair on Board her with 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 and Ivory, as we expect your first Trade to be at River Ambrose where you are to purchase what Negroes and Ivory you can, if Plenty your whole Cargo, but at least do your endeavour to Purchase one Hundred Negroes at Ambrose as you have but a small quantity of Baits. "Should you Be oblig'd to .make great part of your Purchase at Cape Benda you will find that Article very short, for which reason it will be Prudent for you to do your best at Ambrose/ and when you are half Slav'd dont stay long' if there is a possibility of getting of for after that the Risk of Mortality and sickness 'is great. We recommend' to you the care of your white people, for when your Crew is healthy they will be able to take care of your Negroes without which 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. Thirty Pounds for a Slave. "When you have finish'd your Trade on the Coast you are t'o make the best of your way to Charles Town in So Carolina, and there apply to Messrs. Brewton, Doyle and Brewton, but dont go over the Barr with the ship until you hear from them, for if they are not certain of touriimg (?) 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. Cristophefs on Messrs. Baillis but we hope that will not he the Case, but should it so happen make an Offer of your Cargo to Messrs. Baillies at Thirty Pounds Sterling for the .whole, if they will accept those terms and Oblidge themselves to Dispatch the ship in six weeks and make all the remittance by her in good Bills of Exchange at three, Six and Nine Months in equal Proportions take their.own Bond for the Performance and deliver them you Cargo. "In Gomplyance with these our Orders we allow you Five Pounds per Month wages, and six p. Cent out of the nett Proceeds of the Cargo, your Chief Mate is to have three Slaves on an Aver.idge with the Cargo paying us the prime cost of them with Interest and Insurance, your Doctor Three your second Mate 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 Owners. Be frugal in your Disburstments and make all Dispatch possible whereever you go as Dispatch is the life of a Guinea Voyage. We desire no Candle might be made use of in drawing Spirits or to go near the Powder and be sure the most careful of your Officers and men are 'impioyd to do that duty. Treatment of the Slaves. "We recommend to you to treat the Negroes with as much Lenity as safety will admit and suffer none of your people to bate or abuse them under what pretence so ever, be sure let their Provisions be well dres'd arid given in due season. And get your wood on Board and water fill'd that you may not be detained nor your ship Lumberd, when you are near slav'd, you seeing these Orders fulfilld will contribute mutch to a healthy Ship and of course to a good voyage. In case of vour Mortality, which we pray god to Prevent, -your Chief Mate Mr Jacob Paterson is to take to the. Command of our Ship and follow these our Instructions and so on in Sueksession we are wishing you a good Voyage and safe return to vour Friends and Owners.

"NB If you should have the scurvey or Swelling amonge your Negroes, we insist on your Doctors making use of the Lime juiee and Iron as p receipt given jou, and as you are Directed in it. Mutton Broth is likewise recommended to you in Fluxes and you are to get all the sheep and Goats you can to bring off the coast with you. After you leave River Ambrose, let Cape Benda be your place of trade.—John Chiicott, Tho Longden, John Read, Tho Deane. "Received 2d Septern. 1770 of Mr. John Chiicott a Copy of the foregoing Orders which I promise to Observe. —Willm. Lewellin.

"Received at the same time of Mr. John Chiicott the Hectors Register, Mediterranean Pass, Cocketts and Ships Articles, all of which I promise to be accountable for.—Willm. Lewellin,"