Britain's Slave Trade.

[robpage]

there was a knack to soot blowing , you could jet it right out or have it land within feet of the funnel , normally you would ring the bridge and warn them , coursme altered , soot over the side , course reset , but the Kenyan 3rd mate had a huge chip on his shoulder , we spent a lot of time in South Africa , and he did not , in those days , get the same run ashore , used to have spotless cotton cap covers , well they were a great target

[vic mcclymont]

On the VAAL we had just left Las Palmas, after bunkering, sailing time was just before first sitting, it was a glorious sun lit evening.
The telegraph's rang full ahead, FD and HD boiler fans switched to high speed,standby over.
The standby engineering staff had just reached the accommodation , all heading for the showers, when the relative silence was broken by the unearthly din of the engineers klaxon blasting it's whoop, whoop into our ears.
We all raced back down below, all (six) fans had tripped, fans restarted, no obvious faults, back up to the accommodation.
As sailing time was near first sitting,passengers for this sitting were on deck dressed in all their finery.
When the fans were restarted black I'll plume was ejected from the funnel which apparently fell on the deck passengers, who were non to happy as they were engaged in this oily black cloud.
Needless to say all engineering staff names were mud.
Vic

[j.sabourn]

Vic and Rob the obvious thing to do, was tell them it was a present of free tooth paste for all those fortunate enough to receive. Was a bit different to the ship I described as there was a distinct lack of water which went into the boilers , in reserve we had a 40 gallon of F.W. On the boat deck until the next port of refuge. Anyone found spitting in it was for the high jump. Cheers JWS.

[Fouro]

Re # 11.

No matter how one finds it, the truth is the truth. William Wilberforce regarded slavery as a National crime for which all Englishmen were responsible. (his words not mine). The English ruling classes viewed abolitionists as radical and dangerous, similar to French revolutionaries of the day. Antislavery bills of one sort or another were defeated in Parliament for eleven consecutive years before the act abolishing the Slave Trade was passed in 1807. Slave ship crews were often treated more cruelly than slaves, simple reason for this being, slaves brought a profit so there was an incentive to ensure they were adequately fed and cared for. In fact the death rate for slave ship crews was higher than that of slaves.

Fouro.

[Fouro]

###aye rob i often when sitting outside the galley peeling my tatties thought well them ginger beers are stuck down there in all that noise and heat just sitting till a other one tells them to press button b .....while cappy sat in the sun getting bronzied getting the best cuts of meat and a good 8 hours kip at night who had the best job ...but of course i kept it secret ....otherwise all them gingers would have wanted to be galley boys...and cappy would have been out of a job ......lol ...cappy tatty peeler extrordinaire

Some of the engineers I came across at sea wouldn't have known how to peel a tattie.

Fouro.

[Manfar Tuck]

The original slave trade was a triangle, to west coast of Africa, and from there slave cargo to the Caribbean and from the Caribbean to England with cargo of gold, but where was the middel passage?

[vic mcclymont]

Many people decry the UK for its heritage, but people forget what we brought to the world.
Yes we engaged in the slave trade, many others did and many Africans did. Of course it is simplistic to blame the UK for the Ills etc.
Many years ago on a Fred Olsen Cruise, the ex Governor of the Falklands was giving lectures on his historical background.
After WW2 he joined the Civil Service, was appointed to Africa. When the crops were bountiful the UK ensured that sufficient crops were held back for the following year.
Under African ownership the crops were gorged in the full years, nothing held back for the famine years
Its easy to decry our part in the salve trade, but there were many more parties involved, which many chose to ignore.
Vic

[John Callon]

#27 As I understand it the slave ships sailed from the Caribbean to New Orleans or some such port in the Southern US where the slaves were sold to the cotton plantation owners. The ships were then loaded with Cotton. They then returned back to the UK, more than likely Liverpool for discharge.
Regards
John C

[Captain Kong]

and all that cotton was used in the Cotton Mills of Lancashire and my great granddad , Started work in those dark satanic mills at the age of eight and died fairly young with Lung Cancer from the cotton dust, Bysinosis.
My Grandad also started work at the age of ten in those dark satanic mills and also died of Lung Cancer from the cotton dust, Bysinosis.
My Dad started work in those dark satanic mills at the age of 12 and also died from Lung Cancer from the cotton dust Bysinoss
My Grandads sister, Emma, age Eight, years old was a coal miner, 3,000 feet underground.

Now can any intelligent person, tell me, the cotton pickers in the sunshine and fresh air had a worse time or life than my family??????????
Answers please with an intelligent answer as to why there is no reference about the terrible slave conditions of the British workers of that era..
Brian

[vic mcclymont]

and all that cotton was used in the Cotton Mills of Lancashire and my great granddad , Started work in those dark satanic mills at the age of eight and died fairly young with Lung Cancer from the cotton dust, Bysinosis.
My Grandad also started work at the age of ten in those dark satanic mills and also died of Lung Cancer from the cotton dust, Bysinosis.
My Dad started work in those dark satanic mills at the age of 12 and also died from Lung Cancer from the cotton dust Bysinoss
My Grandads sister, Emma, age Eight, years old was a coal miner, 3,000 feet underground.

Now can any intelligent person, tell me, the cotton pickers in the sunshine and fresh air had a worse time or life than my family??????????
Answers please with an intelligent answer as to why there is no reference about the terrible slave conditions of the British workers of that era..
Brian

Doesn't suit the left.
Vic