Some Basic Facts

In 1784, l'Aurore finds itself in a context very favorable for merchant vessels because of the temporary end of a lengthy period of conflicts and because of the increasingly intensive exploitation of the colonies through the use of five great companies, the better known being the East India Company.

Building, fitting out and sailing such a ship represents an important investment which was most often provided by the owner in association with merchants and other investors.

The captain needed a good experience of the African coast and also had to be an excellent businessman in order to carry out the negotiations for the purchase and the sale of the human cargo. Furthermore, along with his staff he was authorized to carry his own merchandize that he was able to trade free of charge. Another, more sinister, private merchandize consisted of black men traded directly by the staff for their own personal benefit, to the extent of up to 5% of the total number of prisoners.

A surgeon, aided by an assistant with a lower level of responsibility, was responsible for the good health of the captives before and during the voyage to the Antilles.

On board ship, there was a difference between the food served the crew and that, more scanty, served the captives and consisting mostly of biscuit, rice and beans.

The unfortunates loaded aboard the ship were of both sexes, their age being between 16 and 30 although negro boys and girls with a lower value than adults were also traded. They were sometimes as young as five years of age.

The men who made up two thirds of the cargo were kept naked whereas women wore a loin cloth. In order to save space the captives laid down head to feet as can be seen in many engravings of the time.

Discipline was particularly harsh in order to prevent revolts. With this objective in mind, the quarterdeck was protected by a wood partition topped with metal spikes to insure the independence of the crew in case of unexpected movement from the prisoners.

The prisoners were kept in the middle deck and were separated into two groups with the men towards the head and the women toward the stern. In these parking areas some shelves were installed, used most often by the younger captives, supposedly to protect them from risks of violence and sexual aggression from the older ones. But this is also a way to pile up more people!

Sickness was not uncommon, especially digestive problems. But smallpox and typhoid fever were also occurring during the voyage, not to mention suicide by despairing captives. In the colonies, yellow fever was especially common in slaves who were forced to work interminably and made up more than 80% of the local population.

At the end of l'Aurore's triangular voyage, the profit derived from this two-year investment in the best case represented about 70%.