Page:Full and true account, of the cruel sufferings of the passengers on board the brig Nancy bound for New-York.pdf/5

[ 5 ] a little meat for his wife, who almost longed for it, he was not only refused but insulted; after they had regaled themselves with meat, they would offer the bare bones to the people, and to this man in particular, asking, If they would buy some fat beef? and would order the bones and leavings of their meals to be thrown down, into the hold, "for the Scotch negroes;" and while these injured people were suffering variety of distresses, wounded in their most tender connections, as well as by personal wrongs and insults, it was hard to restrain themselves from making the unmanly captain and his crew feel the immediate effects of their resentment: but it was prudently represented to them, that bad as the captain and his crew were, in their safety that of all the passengers was involved; that the least violence offered to them, would be construed into a mutiny, and would give him an excuse for his conduct, and an opportunity to throw all the blame upon them.

These reasons had due weight, and prevented the least offer of violence to the captain or his men, whose brutality and cruelty secmcdseemed [sic] to incrcaseincrease [sic], and was continued during the whole voyagcvoyage [sic], as if intended to provoke the people to mutiny, that he might thereby be furnished with an excuse for his conduct. Mean while the sickness, mortality and distress of the people was continued and augmented by the ill usage that occasioned it.

On some damage being done by the sea to the cabouse or stand where the largest pot was fixed, it was said to be rendered useless, and was stowed away in the hold, the other pot, which was small, and which the passengers were allowed to use only 4 or 5 hours in the day, afforded very few of them an opportunity of boiling their meal and water, or even warming their water. When they crawled up to the deck, to get a little air, or near the fire to warm themselves, or their food, they were abused with the grossest language, and pushed, kicked, cuffed, or beaten away: one poor woman, who with a little skillet, was warming some of her meal and water at the fire, by the tossing of the ship, or some other