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Document Description
Stowage of the British Slave
Ship "Brookes" Under the Regulated Slave Trade Act of 1788
Note: The Brookes after the Regulation
Act of 1788, was allowed to carry 454 Slaves. She
could stow this number by following the rule adopted in this plate
namely of allowing a space
of 6ft by 1ft 4 In to each man; 5ft 10 In by 1ft 4In to each woman,
& 5ft by 1ft 2In to each
boy, but so much space as this was seldom allowed even after the
Regulation Act. It was proved
by the confession of the Slave Merchant that before the above Act
the Brookes had at one
time carried as many as 609 Slaves. This was done by taking some out
of Irons & locking them
s[?]wise (to use the technical term) that is by stowing one within
the distended legs of the
other.
Illustrating
Fig
1.
Longitudinal Section
Fig
2.
Plan of lower deck with the stowage of 292 slaves
130 of these being stowed under the shelves as shewn in
figure 3 & figure 5.
Fig
3.
Plan shewing the stowage of 130 additional slaves round the
wings or sides of the lower
deck by means of platforms or shelves (in the manner of
galleries in a church) the slaves
stowed on the shelves and below them have only a
height of 2 feet 7 inches between the
beams and far less under the beams.
Fig
4.
Cross section at the poop
Fig
5.
Cross section amidships
Fig
6.
Lower tier of slaves under the poop
Fig 7.
Shelf tier of slaves under the poop
Credits
U.S. National Archives and
Records Administration
Related Links
Slavery and Abolition
About the Dolben Act of 1788
Map: European Slave Ports
More History
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