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The paged version of this document contained the following header content in the margin: Grounds of presumption, that a Trade in the natural Productions of Africa would not be attended with such a Loss.
seamen employed in it than the present [1] West India trade.
The third species consists in certain vessels going to the same coast, viz. men of war, which do not experience the same proportion of loss.
Captain Scott, of the Merlin, which carried 100 men, lost eight, of whom only four died of the disorders of the country.
Sir George Young, in the ship he commanded, which had 100 men, lost two, who were sickly when they left England, and a boy by accident.
Capt. Thompson, of the Nautilus, out of 100 burled one, who died by his own neglect.
Captain Hills, of the Zephyr, out of 90 buried none.
And Captain Wilson, of the Race-Horse, out of 100, did not lose a man. Thus, out of 490 in the ships of war, only twelve were buried. [2]
- ↑ It was formerly urged by the enemies of the abolition, that the West India trade was as destructive to seamen as the Slave trade, but by an account made up for the house of Commons, from the Muster-Rolls of West Indiamen, it appears, that out of 462 vessels, carrying 7640 seamen, only 118 were lost, or about one in 65.
- ↑ It must be remarked, that when Captain Scott lost eight out of 100, it was in the year 1769, since which great improvements have been made for the health of the seamen; and the Editor knows, that the men of war, now going to Africa, seldom lose a man.
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