This group of severely emaciated boys and young men on the lower deck of a Royal Naval ship apparently have been taken from what was a slave vessel trading illegally off the African coast headed to the Americas. The captain of the Royal Naval ship had instructions not to return the rescued slaves to the place on the coast where they had been put on the slave ship (presumably because they were in danger of being recaptured by traders) but it is not clear from the available documentation what happened to them afterwards. (text from here)
Atlantic Ocean
1869
from UK National Archives
Atlantic Ocean
1869
from UK National Archives
5 comments:
You know, I don't care what anyone says, we will never, ever quit having to deal with the results of the slave trade. Our sin was too profound.
Agreed.
I can't even get my head around it. They are each somebody's baby.
The Royal Navy's role in suppressing the slave trade (often at considerable cost to the crew) is one of the better parts of British history and a story that should be told more often.
Oh! some of my ascendants!
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