Page:Abstract of the evidence for the abolition of the slave-trade 1791.djvu/78

( 44 ) "Damn you, I'll make you eat, or I'll kill you." The same child having swelled feet, the captain ordered them to be put into water, though the ship's cook told him it was too hot. This brought off the skin and nails. He then ordered sweet oil and cloths, which Isaac Parker himself applied to the feet; and as the child at mess time again refused to eat, the captain again took it up and flogged it, and tied a log of mango-wood eighteen or twenty inches long, and of twelve or thirteen pounds weight round its neck, as a punishment. He repeated the flogging for four days together at mess time. The last time after flogging it, he let it drop out of his hand, with the same expression as before, and accordingly in about three quarters of an hour the child died. He then called its mother to heave it overboard, and beat her for refusing. He however forced her to take it up, and go to the ship's side, where holding her head on one side to avoid the sight, she dropped her child overboard, after which she cried for many hours.

Besides instances of slaves refusing to eat, with the view of destroying themselves, and dying in consequence of it, those of their going mad, are confirmed by Town, and of their jumping overboard, or attempting to do it, by Town, Millar, Ellison, and Hall.

Other incidents on the passage, mentioned by some of the evidences in their examination, may be divided into three kinds.

The first kind consists of insurrections on the part of the slaves. Some of these frequently attempted to rise, but were prevented, (Wilson, Town, Trotter, Newton, Dalrymple, Ellison,) others rose, but were quelled, (Ellison, Newton, Falconbridge,) and others rose, and succeeded, killing almost all the whites : (Falconbridge and Town). — Mr. Town says, that inquiring of the slaves into the cause of these insurrections, he has been asked, what business he had to carry them from their country, They had wives and children, whom they wanted to be with. After