Page:Abstract of the evidence for the abolition of the slave-trade 1791.djvu/143

( 109 ) of the seamen had both legs in irons, and a collar about his neck, and was chained to the boat for three months, and very often most inhumanly beaten for complaining of his situation, both by the Captain and other officers. At last he became so weak, that he could not sit upon the thwart or seat of the boat to row, or do any thing else. They then put him out of the boat, and made him pick oakum on board the ship, with only three pounds of bread a week, and half a pound of salt beef per day. He remained in that situation, with both his legs in irons, but the latter part of the time without a collar. One evening he came aft, during the Middle Passage, to beg something to eat, or he should die. The Captain on this inhumanly beat him, and used a great number of reproaches, and ordered him to go forward, and die and be damned. The man died in the night. The ill treatment on board the Sally was general.

As another particular instance, a landman, one Edw. Hilton, was in the boat watering, and complained of his being long in the boat without meat or drink. The boatswain, being the officer, beat him with the boat's tiller, having nothing else, and cut his head in several places, so that when he came on board he was all over blood. Mr. Towne asked him the reason of it. Hilton began to tell him, but before he could properly tell the story, the mate came forward, (by order of the captain) the surgeon and the boatswain, and all of them together, fell to beating him with their canes. The surgeon struck him on the side of his eye, so that it afterwards mortified, and was lost. He immediately had both his legs put in irons, after he had been so beat, that he could not stand. The next morning he was put into the boat on the same duty as before, still remaining with both legs in irons, and locked with a chain to the boat, until such time as he became so weak, that he was not able to remain any longer there. He was then put on board the ship, and laid forwards, still in irons, very ill. His allowance was immediately stopped, as it was the surgeon's opinion it was the only method of curing any one of them who complained of illness. He remained in