Ship slave trader

Types of ships used.

There does not exist of standard ship slave trader, nor of specific model of ship. It is a banal tradind ship. Simply, it transports a cargo of slaves part of his time.

It is to say that one will find all the types conceivable of ships. If the sizes will be generally average, even small, then one will find boats, goélettes, brigs, to old warships reformed or taken in hiring.

To give examples, one will be able to find the Postilion , of 20 barrel X, of Nantes, 6 men of crews able to carry 20 prisoners at most, or the Monk-Tatty , of Bordeaux, 784 barrel X. But in general, the ship slave trader will be rather of 120-150 barrel X, 80 to 90 feet from length, and 25 feet broad, 65 to 75 feet of skittle and 10-12 feet of hold. A reason for this choice can be found under the conditions of navigation on the African coasts. It is necessary to be able to approach with more close to the coast, to even be able to penetrate the mouth of the rivers.

At the end of XVIIIe, the naval manufacturer most known of Nantes, Vial of Clairois, declared that it was necessary between 300 and 400 barrel X, 10 feet of hold and 4 feet 4 inches between bridges for an ideal slave trader.

It should be noted that the tendency will go towards a reduction in tonnage and that at the XIXe century, when the draft becomes illegal, the ship-owners will privilege small very fast ships, Brick S generally, hoping for them able to escape cruisings

Preparation of a ship slave trader.

The ship.

As it is about a banal tradind ship, there are no modifications particular to take into account.

Not need for a new boat, one even considers that already worn, it will be enough for the use for which it is intended. That can even be an end of a career for a ship with the forms offering a good transport capacity or offering a good speed.

However, it is necessary that it can pile up in its hold the slaves whom he intends to transport. It is thus necessary to have a tween deck. If need be, it will be necessary to build it, or to add strapping men.

The cargo initially includes/understands 400 to 450 barrels, necessary for several hundreds of people for one 2 months duration of sea at least. One counts approximately 3 liters of water per man and day. By admitting a ship of 45 sailors and 600 slaves, it is a little more than 145.000 liters that it is necessary to store for 75 days of sea… One imagines the importance which will have the wet cooper on board and that of work of handling day laborer. The more so as water is preserved badly, on board. Shawl tells it: … at the end of 2 months that this water is embarked… it becomes russet-red and so much puante that the nose should be stopped. She remains 9 to 10 days in this state; after that, it is cleared up little by little, but while being cleared up it preserves a very insipid taste which remains 8 or 6 days to be dissipated. She remains in her new purity 3 weeks or 20 days. Its redness takes it again, but less strong than the first time. It is generated there for at the time of the large worms like the largest straw towards the root of corn. These worms are of a white grisâtre, the black nose and have small long tails like the 2/3 of their body, and the whole of a good through finger. One passes this water and the linen retains them. That lasts approximately 8 days. These worms die in the water which becomes blanchâtre, about like small-milk. This water répure little by little, and becomes again beautiful and clear, without any bad smell nor dislike that to be filled of small towards a little long that one sees stirring up like eels. They are white, extrèmement sharp and so menus and if untied that they pass through all and are retained by the finest muslin not folded in 8 doubles, i.e., 16 beds one on the other… Voilà what the sailors call the 3 diseases of water…

Then, they is 18 months of cookie, that is to say 160 quintals; 20 barrels of flour. Moreover, one will load 10 barrels with ox, 10 quarters of bacon, oils, butter, cod, of vegetables. The wine, on the basis of 1,25 liter per sailor and day, will include/understand 2,5 barrels for the officers and 10 for the sailors.

Concurrently to that, for a cargo of 450 blacks, one will embark to nourish them 30 broad bean barrels, 100 quintals of rice and 30 quintals of hulled grain of Holland.

According to the size of the ship, one will embark also live animals, poultry, sheep, even cows, mainly intended, in the order, with the officers then with the crew.

The preparation of a ship slave trader is approximately half more expensive than a normal tradind ship. As well for the crew more, the fuelling more important as for the cargo of draft.

The cargo of draft gathers the whole of the goods having to be used to buy the slaves. That embarked by the Roy Dahomet , slave trader of the La Rochelle of 230 barrel X, in 1772, is rather representative. It is composed of bulges, iron bars, pipes and knives, alcohol, powder and firearms, ornaments, hats and fabrics and clothes. The whole for a value of 145.067 books, 8 grounds and 3 sums of money at the beginning of forwarding. In the course of road, one will add tobacco to it.

The shoddy goods of the officers, made up of ornaments of coral and fabrics, are assembled to 6.760 books and 3 grounds.

The crew.

It is one of the reasons of the high cost of preparation of a ship slave trader. The crew is more numerous than on a normal tradind ship. At the end of the XVIIIe century, an English ship of 150 barrel xa a crew of 30 sailors, i.e. double of a normal tradind ship. If it were a French or Dutch ship, they would be even 45 sailors. To give an order of magnitude, one can consider that there will be 1 sailor for 10 prisoners.

In 1735, the Victorious , of Nantes, 250 barrel X, has a crew of 92 sailors.

At the end of the XVIIIe century, the ratio will go down to 1 sailor for 5 barrel X.

the captain.

There does not exist specialist " captain négrier". It should rather be considered that one is, on the occasion, charged with a cargo of slaves, between 2 cargoes of normal goods.

Thus, in Bordeaux, one counts 465 forwardings négrières. On the number of captains concerned, 222 will do only one of them, 56 will make of them two and 17 will make three of them.

The pay of a captain varies between 100 and 200 pounds per month. For English, they is approximately 5 pounds sterling. To give an example, the captain of the Apollo , in 1754, touches 150 pounds.

But the wages are not all. The captain is also interested in transport. He in general receives a gratification which is function of the number of alive unloaded slaves. This gratification is, in general, from 1 to 3% of the selling price. But it can, in certain cases, higher being. It will be the case of the captain of the Apollo , to take again this example; it had right, him, to 5%.

other officers.

They are frequently in double. It is not necessarily an obligation for this type of voyage, but rather an insurance in the event of death.

Their wages turn, for French, between 1 and 4 books per month.

specialists.

It is initially about the carpenter . On him the installation of the ship rests, as well for the transport of the goods as for the transport of the slaves. It is thus important to have a good carpenter able to work quickly and well.

One finds then the wet cooper (one needs much water for this overloaded boat, and a corrupted water will be cause of important losses among the prisoners).

The surgeon is also one of the characters - keys. It is essential to detect in time the appearance of the diseases, to treat the patients, even to make them presentable for the end of the voyage. It is not rare that the surgeons, like the officers, are doubled. Let us recall that at the time, a surgeon is not a doctor and that, if it embarks remedies and potions, it inevitably did not have the adequate training. But the situation is the same one on the boats of the king, it is not a characteristic of the ship slave trader.

These specialists are arranged among the officers. That is comprehensible because their work will be for much in the financial success of the voyage. They touch wages of a level comparable with those of the officers.

On the first Portuguese ships delivering itself to the draft, one found even a notary . He was charged with the respect of the procedures, in particular financial.

other sailors.

They are engaged according to the practices of time. It is either of marine truths, or of the people recruited for a voyage and who will be formed on the way.

The desertion from the sailors will be always a problem for the ships slave traders. It is probably for this reason that the wages are versed in 2 times. Half at the beginning and the remainder with the port of disembarkation. It is often specified that this last payment will be " in currency of the cru".

Among the sailors, it is not rare to find African. Who are free or slaves of preceding voyages. The captains are often interested by this type of sailors, because it is thought that their presence can contribute to calm the transported prisoners.

A sailor, on a French slave trader, touches approximately 2 books per month. A foam, half.

Lastly, it should be noted that mortality in the sailors is, on average, more important than that met at the transported prisoners, 18% against 12%.

A standard voyage.

If one takes the example of the ship on the basis of a French port, it is necessary to count 2-3 month to reach Africa; 3-4 month on the African coasts; then 2-3 month to reach the Antilles. It will remain then on the spot between 1 and 12 months before setting out again for France, which it will reach 2 months later. The ship will thus pass, approximately, between 15 and 18 months to carry out its tour, one 12 months duration being regarded as exceptional.

The loading.

When the ship is on the African coasts, the carpenter starts to prepare it to take on board the slaves.

Transport.

The crew, like the captain, has any interest so that the cargo arrives at destination in the best possible state. One saw higher than the captain has, for example, a percentage of the price of each " part of Inde" unloaded and sold.

security measures.

" To take soin" cargo.

It is important for the slave trader to deliver a cargo in good state, with the minimum of losses. The most important element is speed. Shorter will be the crossing, larger will be the chances to have few losses. But the way nevertheless lasts more than one month, often two.

to nourish It.

to look after It.

to occupy It.

standard Course of one day.

List ships slave traders.

One could not list the thousands of ships which are, one day or the other, devoted to this traffic. This list will be limited to characteristic or known ships.

French Ships.

the Marie-Séraphique , brig Nantes slave trader, which will be used as model with François Bourgeon for his cartoon " passengers of the wind ".
Affricain , 1815, whose ship-owner was Robert Surcouf.

British Ships.

Brookes , in the years 1780, for the plans which remain about it.
Zong , 1781, it is known to have massacred the prisoners whom it transported.

Dutch Ships.

Other nationalities.

Tecora , Portuguese, (year?), which brought the slaves who will revolt on the Amistad .
Fredensborg , Dane, shipwrecked man in 1768 off Norway. There exists a book of Leif Svalesen on this forwarding.
Wildfire , American, 1860, boat hailed in Florida by US Navy with 450 slaves.

Notes.

Sources.

general Works.

Gaston-Martin, Nantes at the XVIIIe century, the era of the slave traders, 1714-1774 , Paris, 1993, Karthala, ISBN 2-86537-440-8.
Eric Saugera, Bordeaux, port slave trader, XVIIe-XIXe centuries , Paris, 2003, Karthala, ISBN 2-86537-584-6.
Eric Saugera, draft of the blacks in 30 questions, the crib, Epic editions, 1998, ISBN 2-910919-63-3.

to differentiate the references to each one of these 2 works, the name of the author is followed of (Bx) for the first and (30) the second.

Olivier Pétré-Grenouilleau, the drafts négrières , Paris, Gallimard, 2004, ISBN 2-07-033902-5.
Hugh Thomas, draft of the blacks , Collection books, R Laffont, Paris, 2006, ISBN 2-221-10559-1.
Jean Meyer, Slaves and slave traders , Discovered Gallimmard n° 11, Paris, 1986, ISBN 2-07-053018-3.

Articles.

Article of max Guérout, French draft towards Buenos-Surfaces during the war of succession of Spain , ** Article of Daniel Binaud, the traffic slave trader of Bordeaux , * log books.
JP Plasse, Log book of a slave trader , Marseilles, 2005, ED. The word & the Remainder, ISBN 2-915378-12-6.
Alain Yacou, Log books and of draft of Joseph Crassous de Médeuil , Paris, 2001, Karthala-CERC, ISBN 2-84586-208-3.
Alain Cadilhon (to dir.), France of Old Mode. Texts and documents, 1484-1789 , Bordeaux, 2003, University Presses of Bordeaux, ISBN 2-86781-303-4 Document 70: the voyage of a ship slave trader of Bordeaux in Mozambique (1787-1788) .

See too.

Articles.

Pierre Brest, a quadrangular example of trade, the tour of " Espérance" (1774-1775) , HTTP: /www.ac-reunion.fr/pedagogie/HistEtGeo/indian/leperipledelesperance18eme.htm

External bonds.

Presentation of a model of ship slave trader * Slavic ship the Dawn High photographs resolution off off has model the Slavic French ship the Dawn off 1784

Reportage on Radio-Canada on slavery.

Bibliography.

Jean Boudriot, Milked and ship slave trader at the XVIIIe century, the Dawn Paris, Anchors, 1984.
Jean Boudriot, the ship slave trader at the XVIIIe century , Paris, Historical Information center of the Navy, 1987.
Rodolphe Damon, Joseph Crassous de Médeuil - Merchant, royal naval officer and slave trader , Paris, 2004, ISBN 2-84586-439-6.

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