William Snelgrave

“ Along the greatest part of this Coast, the Europeans have been cautious of venturing on Shore amongst the Natives, they being very barbarous and uncivilized, as several have experienced to their cost. In those few places where I have been on Shore my self, I could never obtain a satisfactory account from the Natives of the Inland Parts. Nor did I ever meet with a white Man that had been, or durst venture himself, up in the Country; and believe, if any had attempted it, the Natives would have destroyed them, out of a Jealousy that they designed to make discoveries to their prejudice. ”

“ So I went on board Captain Elliot, where I soon saw the French Ship taken. For coming so unexpectedly into the Pirates hands, they made no Resistance: And because the Captain did not strike on their first firing, they put a Rope about his Neck, and hoisted him up and down several times to the Main-yard-arm, till he was almost dead. Captain Le Boose coming at that instant, luckily saved his Life: And highly resenting this their cruel usage to his Countryman, he protested, “he would remain no longer in Partnership with such barbarous Villains.” ”

“ That the best way to make Trade flourish, was to impose easy Customs, and to protect us from the Thievery of the Natives, and the Impositions of great Men; which the King of Whidaw not doing, had greatly hurt the Trade. For the ill usage the Europeans had met with of late from him and his People, had caused them to send fewer Ships than formerly they did. And tho’ a large Custom might seem at first for his Majesty’s Advantage, yet it would soon be found, that a great number of Ships would thereby be hindred from coming to trade ”

“ It has been the Custom among the Negroes, time out of Mind, and is so to this day, for them to make Slaves of all the Captives they take in War. Now, before they had an Opportunity of selling them to the white People, they were often obliged to kill great Multitudes, when they had taken more than they could well employ in their own Plantations, for fear they should rebel, and endanger their Masters Safety. ”

“ Misfortune, as these poor Captives were now in, how he should like it? He readily answered, Not at all. On this I observed to him, that the grand Law both of Whites and Blacks, with all their Fellow Creatures was: To do to others no otherwise, than as they desired to be done unto: And that our God had enjoined this to us on pain of very severe Punishments.” To which he answered, This was the Custom of his Country; and so he left us.
Presently after this Gentleman’s departure, there came to us a Colonel of the Army, whom we had seen at Jaqueen, the day before we set out on our Journey. ”

“ As this was the principal Part of all the Guinea Coast for the Slave Trade, the frequent Intercourse that Nation had for many Years carried on with [3] the white People (a) had rendered them so civilized, that it was a Pleasure to deal with them.
(a) So they call the Europeans, in Opposition to the Negroes.
The greatest Inconvenience we were exposed to, was the Thievery of the common People, which it was hardly possible to guard intirely against; so bold and dextrous were they at it: Tho’ if taken in the Fact, they became our Slaves. ”

“ Hereupon the King of Whidaw resolved to return; and, to provide against the worst, he desired his Neighbours of Popoe to lend him some of their Forces; which they readily did. For these People, with all the Coast-Negroes, mortally hate the Dahomes, on account of their Cruelty, and their Barbarity in eating human Flesh. And, besides that the Popoes are little afraid of the Dahomes Power, because they live in Islands, they now assisted the Whidaws out of Policy; thinking, if they were reinstated in their Country, Trade would soon revive, which had been so long interrupted on account of the War. ”

“ But neither the Person that was executed, nor his Countrymen of Cormantee (as I understood afterwards,) were so weak as to believe any such thing; tho’ many I had on board from other Countries had that Opinion.
When the Execution was over, I ordered the Linguist to acquaint the Men-Negroes, “That now they might judge, no one that killed a white Man should be spared:” And I thought proper now to acquaint them once for all, “That if they attempted to mutiny again, I should be obliged to punish the Ringleaders with death, in order to prevent further Mischief.” ”

“ The King of Dahomè had notice of their coming, a few days before they reached his Country; and he having formerly experienced how terrible such Numbers of Horse had been to his Army, which consists of none but foot Soldiers; he resolved to bury his Riches, burn his Towns, and then fly into the Woods and Thickets with his People; which is a common thing amongst the Negroes, for the weaker side to do, when at War; for they have no fortified Towns as in Europe: So they that are Masters of the Field command the Country far and near. ”

“ Secondly, When they are carried to the Plantations, they generally live much better there, than they ever did in their own Country; for as the Planters pay a great price for them, ’tis their interest to take care of them.
Thirdly, By this means the English Plantations have been so much improved, that ’tis almost incredible, what great Advantages have accrued to the Nation thereby; especially to the Sugar Islands, which lying in a Climate near as hot as the Coast of Guinea, the Negroes are fitter to cultivate the Lands there, than white People. ”

“ For I knew several Voyages had proved unsuccessful by Mutinies; as they occasioned either the total loss of the Ship and the white Mens Lives; or at least by rendring it absolutely necessary to kill or wound a great number of the Slaves, in order to prevent a total Destruction. Moreover, I knew many of these Cormantine Negroes despised Punishment, and even Death it self: It having often happened at Barbadoes and other Islands, that on their being any ways hardly dealt with, to break them of their Stubbornness in refusing to work, twenty or more have hang’d themselves at a time in a Plantation. ”

“ This Ship came to Whidaw whilst I was at Jaqueen, and Captain John Dagge, the Commander, being indisposed, sent More to the King of Dahomè’s Camp, with Presents for his Majesty. There he saw many strange things, especially human Flesh sold publickly in the great Market-place. As I was not in the Market during the time I was in the Camp, I saw no such thing: But I don’t doubt but that I should have seen the same, had I gone into that place, for there were many old and maimed Captives brought from Tuffoe, (besides those sacrificed) which no Europeans would have bought. ”

“ From Jaqueen to the Bay of Bennin, and so round to the Callabars, Camerones, and Cape Lopez, is above 300 Leagues, in which long Tract there is no Settlement of any European Nation; so of course the Natives are for the most part barbarous and uncivilized. I have, in my younger years, traded to many places in this Tract, especially at Old Callabar, where, in the year 1704, I saw a sad Instance of Barbarity. The King of the place, called Jabrue, being fallen sick, he caused, by the advice of his Priests, a young Child about ten Months old, to be sacrificed to his God, for his recovery. ”

“ I have been told, That it is common for some inland People, to sell their Children for Slaves, tho’ they are under no Necessity for so doing; which I am inclined to believe. But I never observed, that the People near the Sea Coast practise this, unless compelled thereto by extreme Want and Famine, as the People of Whidaw have lately been. ”

“ As soon as the Natives perceive a Ship on their Coast, they make a smoke on the Sea-Shore, as a Signal for the Ship to come to an Anchor, that they may come and trade with the People on board. As soon as we are at an Anchor, they come to us in small Boats, called Cannoes, being made of a single Tree, and bring their Commodities with them. ”

“ Opinion, next to Murder and Cruelty, too often practised by Pirates, nothing could make them more odious to the World, than their destroying, out of mere Wantonness, so many Ships and Cargoes, as had been done by Cocklyn and Le Boose’s Crews ”

“ In this Town the King allowed the Europeans convenient Houses for their Factories; and by him we were protected in our Persons and Goods, and, when our Business was finish’d, were permitted to go away in Safety. The Road where Ships anchored, was a free Port for all European Nations trading to those Parts for Negroes. And this Trade was so very considerable, that it is computed, while it was in a flourishing State, there were above twenty thousand Negroes yearly exported from thence, and the neighbouring Places, by the English, French, Dutch, and Portuguese. ”

“ And if they should take a Prize at Sea, that has any Women on board, no one dares, on pain of death, to force them against their Inclinations. This being a good political [257] Rule to prevent disturbances amongst them, it is strictly observed. So now being in a Harbour, they went on Shore to the Negroe-women, who were very fond of their Company, for the sake of the great Presents they gave them. Nay, some white Men that lived there, did not scruple to lend their black Wives to the Pirates, purely on account of the great Rewards they gave. ”

“ I shall only observe in general That tho’ to traffick in human Creatures, may at first sight appear barbarous, inhuman, and unnatural; yet the Traders herein have as much to plead in their own Excuse, as can be said for some other Branches of Trade, namely, the Advantage of it: And that not only in regard of the Merchants, but also of the Slaves themselves, as will plainly appear from these following Reasons.
First, It is evident, that abundance of Captives, taken in War, would be inhumanly destroyed, was there not an Opportunity of disposing of them to the Europeans. ”

“ Upon mentioning this, I think it necessary to observe in this place, that the Captain of a Pirate Ship, is chiefly chosen to fight the Vessels they may meet with. Besides him, they chuse another principal Officer, whom they call Quarter-master, [200] who has the general Inspection of all Affairs, and often controuls the Captain’s Orders: This Person is also to be the first Man in boarding any Ship they shall attack; or go in the Boat on any desperate Enterprize. Besides the Captain and Quarter-master, the Pirates had all other Officers as is usual on board Men of War. ”

“ To this the Dahomes replied, “That when they came down, they had no design to attack the French Fort, for the King had no quarrel with the white Men: But the Governor having taken Captain Ossue and his People into the French Fort, contrary to his Promise, it obliged them to act as they had done.” At the same time they told the Governor to his Face, “That he had first sent to their King by a French Surgeon, then residing with their Master, to persuade his Majesty to send an Army down, to destroy Captain Ossue and his People; promising [119] at the same time he would give them no Protection.” ”

“ However the King of Dahomè being desirous of the Portuguese Gold, which they bring to purchase Negroes with, his Majesty sent a great many Slaves down to Whidaw, which made Trade dull with us at Jaqueen. For tho’ formerly great Numbers came to this place, from other Nations now destroyed by the Dahomes, there remains at present only one Country called Lucamee, lying towards the North-East, for Jaqueens to trade to. Which Nation, by means of a wide River, has escaped being made a Conquest to the barbarous and cruel Dahomes. ”

“ For the great Men played the petty Tyrants, often falling out, and pursuing their particular Interests, without regarding the Good of their King or Country. By this means the common People were divided, and such Parties arose among them, as, added to their Fears, rendered them a Prey to their Neighbours; so that tho’ they were able to have repelled any Force which could have been brought against them by the neighbouring Countries, they rather chose to abandon the Land, than join heartily against the common Enemy ”

“ Captives, which were always chose out from among the Prisoners, by the King himself: For they firmly believed, should this be omitted, no more Success would attend them. And he argued for the Necessity and Usefulness of their doing it, from the large Conquests they had made within a few Years, without any Defeat.” Then I asked him, “Why so many old Men were sacrificed in particular? He answered, It was best to put them to death; for being grown wise by their Age and long Experience, if they were preserved, they would be ever plotting against their Masters, and so disturb the Country ”

“ And then we set out; the musical Instruments of the Negroes making a great noise at our Departure. The great Captain, according to his Promise, accompanied us for an hour on the Road, and then took his leave under a Salute of Fire-Arms from his Soldiers, and our Servants. Our Hammock-men had no need of being press’d to make haste, and travel fast: For the Impression made on their Minds by the sacrificing the poor People of Tuffoe, still so much affected them, that they ran full speed with us, even beyond their Strength ”

“ Most Crimes amongst them are punished by Mulcts and Fines; and if the Offender has not wherewithal to pay his Fine, he is sold for a Slave: This is the Practice of the inland People, as well as of those on the Sea side.
3dly. Debtors who refuse to pay their Debts, or are insolvent, are likewise liable to be made Slaves; but their Friends may redeem them; And if they are not able or [159] willing to do it, then they are generally sold for the Benefit of their Creditors. But few of these come into the hands of the Europeans, being kept by their Countrymen for their own use. ”

“ The King of Whidaw having, after Ossue’s Defeat, found means to send Messengers to the King of this Country, they, and the others that had fled to him for Protection, did at last, through their earnest Sollicitations, obtain [121] an Army to march against the King of Dahomè, whom they all look’d upon as a most cruel Destroyer of Mankind. This Nation of J-oe fight all on Horseback, and living a great way on the North towards Nubia, they can at no other time march to the Southward, but when the Season for Forage, and the dry Weather sets in. ”