'An Account Of The Slave Trade On The Coast Of Africa', 1788
Extract from Alexander Falconbridge's, 'An Account of the Slave Trade on the Coast of Africa.' In this extract he describes the selling of the slaves in the West Indies. Many of the Africans who had survived the horrors of the middle passage were ill or weak and were sold first at a low price. The remaining 'healthy' slaves were sold at a 'Scramble.' The ship's captain would agree a fixed price with the purchasers, the slaves would be gathered into a group in a yard or enclosure, and at an appointed time the purchasers would scramble forwards to collect as many of them as they could. Some purchasers would use ropes or chains in order to be able to draw together larger numbers of slaves more easily.
