ment of his remains was attended by several thousands of all ranks, professions, and parties, who united in deploring their loss. The mournful procession was closed by some hundreds of those poor Africans who had been personally benefited by his labours, and whose behaviour on the occasion showed the gratitude and affection which they considered to be due to him as their own special benefactor, as well as the benefactor of their whole race.

CHAP. VIII.

It is here requisite to interrupt the history of the zealous exertions of a philanthropist in favour of a new world, in order to turn once more to the vices

of the old one. In 1783, Mr. Sharp found himself

called on for a renewal of his benevolent efforts in behalf of African slaves. The case which presented itself was of the greatest enormity, and most atrocious description. Let us first see his own Manuscript notes of the transaction.

MS. March 19.- Gustavus Vasa, a Negro, 'called on me, with an account of one hundred and thirty Negroes being thrown alive into the sea, 'from on board an English slave-ship.

'20th. Called on Dr. Bever this evening, to 'consult about prosecuting the murderers of the Negroes.

'21st. Called on the Bishops of Chester and 'Peterborough, and General Oglethorpe, and Dr. 'Jebb.

'22d. Ordered Messrs. Heseltine and Lushing'ton to commence a prosecution in the Admiralty Court, against all persons concerned in throwing into

20th.

21st.

'the sea one hundred and thirty Negro slaves, as stated on a trial at Guildhall on the 6th of this month. 'May 19th. Attended the Court of King's Bench with a short-hand writer. This day the Negro cause came on between the insurers and the owners of the slave ship, from on board of which the one hundred and thirty poor Negroes were cast into the sea. A new

22d.

trial is granted to the insurers.'

The circumstances of this case could not fail to excite a deep interest. The master of a slave ship, trading from Africa to Jamaica, and having four hundred and forty slaves on board, had thought fit, on a pretext that he might be distressed on his voyage for want of water, to lessen the consumption of it in the vessel by throwing overboard one hundred and thirty-two of the most sickly among the slaves.

On his return to England, the owners of the ship claimed from the insurers the full value of those drowned slaves, on the ground that there was an absolute necessity for throwing them into the sea, in order to save the remaining crew, and the ship itself.

The underwriters contested the existence of the alleged necessity; or, if it had existed, attributed it to the ignorance and improper conduct of the master of the vessel.

This contest of pecuniary interest brought to light a scene of horrid brutality, which had been acted during the execution of a detestable plot. From the trial, it appeared, that the ship Zong (or Zung), Luke Collingwood master, sailed from the island of St. Thomas, on the coast of Africa, September 6th, 1781, with four hundred and forty slaves, and fourteen whites, on board, for Jamaica; and that, on the November following, she fell in with that island; but instead of proceeding to some port, the master, mistaking (as he alleged) Jamaica for Hispaniola, ran her to leeward.

Sickness and mortality had by this time taken place on board the crowded vessel: so that, between the time of leaving the coast of Africa and the 29th of November, sixty slaves and seven white people had died; and a great number of the surviving slaves were then sick, and not likely to live long. On that day, the master of the ship called together a few of the officers, and stated to them, that if the sick slaves died a natural death, the loss would fall on the owners of the ship*; but if they were thrown alive into the sea, on any sufficient pretext of necessity for the safety of the ship, it would be the

*This was in fact the law then observed, respecting Negro slaves.

Lord Mansfield (on application for a second trial)." Since the trial, I was informed, if the slaves die a natural death, the underwriters do not pay for them, but, in an engagement, if they are attacked and the slaves are killed, they will be paid for as much as for damages done to goods; and it is frequently

loss of the underwriters: alleging, at the same time, that it would be "less cruel to throw the sick wretches into the sea, than to suffer them to linger out a few days, under the disorder with which they were afflicted."

To this inhuman proposal the mate, James Kelsal, at first objected, but Collingwood at length prevailed on the crew to listen to it. He then chose out from the cargo one hundred and thirty-two slaves, and brought them on deck; all, or most of whom, were sickly, and not likely to recover; and he ordered the crew by turns to throw them into the sea. "A parcel" of them were accordingly thrown overboard, and, on counting over the remainder the next morning, it appeared, that the number so drowned had been fifty-four. He then ordered another parcel to be thrown over, which a second counting, on the succeeding day, proved to have amounted to forty

two.

On that (the third) day, the remaining thirty-six were brought on deck, and, as these now resisted the cruel purpose of their masters, the arms of twenty-six were fettered with irons, and the savage crew proceeded with the diabolical work, casting them down to join their comrades of the former days. Outraged misery could endure no longer the ten

done: just as if horses were killed. They are paid for in the gross, as well as for horses killed; but you don't pay for horses that die a natural death.". From Minutes taken in Court, May 21, 1788.