(Goodman, 7). Selection of the slaves by the traders was a painstaking.
process. Ships from England would pull up on the coast of Africa, and.
the captains would set off towards the coast on small ships. "If the.
slave trader was a black chief, there always had to be a certain amount.
of palaver, or talk, before getting down to business. As a rule, the.
chief would expect some presents, or dash" (Stampp, 26). Once the.
palaver was over, the slaves had to be inspected. The captain of the.
ship usually had a doctor who would check the condition of the slaves. .
They would carefully examine the slaves, looking in their mouths, poking.
at their bodies, and making them jump around. This was done so that the.
doctor could see how physically fit the slaves were. If the slaves were.
not of the doctors standards, they were either killed or kept to see if.
another ship would take them. In the 1600's, the journey across the.
Atlantic for the African slaves was a horrible one. It was extremely.
disease-ridden, and many slaves did not survive the journey. The people.
were simply thrown into the bottom of the ship and had to survive the best.
they could. Often, many slaves had to wait in the bottom of the ship.
while they were still docked at the harbor, so that the traders could.
gather up more and more slaves. There were usually 220 to 250 slaves in.
each ship. Then they had to stay down there for the long trip across the.
Atlantic Ocean to the New World. "Women and children were allowed to.
roam at large, but the men were attached by leg irons to chains that ran.
along the ship's bulwarks. After a breakfast of rice or cornmeal or.
yams, with perhaps a scrap of meat thrown in, and a little water, there.
came the ceremony of "dancing the slaves" -a compulsory form of exercise.
designed, it was said, for the captive's physical and mental well being" .
(Howard, 23). Even though there was ventilation, the air in the crowded .