The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-06-25 00:00:00

WAGES OF AFRICAN SEAMEN.

The trade between this port and the Western Coast of
Africa has long been extensive and lucrative ; and the wages
of British seamen engaged in it have always been higher than
those given on any other voyage, in consideration not only
of the fatigue attendant on collecting cargo, but of the
perilous nature of the service in a climate the fatality of
which, to European constitutions, is generally acknow-
ledged. There are two kinds of voyages, or adventures, that
may be made : one direct to the Bight of Benin and home,
which may occupy from eight to nine months ; the other to
some point or place to windward, and thence running down
the coast, a distance of 1100 or 1200 miles, visiting the small
places of traffic, and finally completing a full cargo of palm
oil and other African commodities. In both cases, the com-
manders of the vessels employ native boatmen, or, as they
are called, " Kroomen," to assist in discharging and loading ;
and some of these, particularly on the longer voyage, they
frequently find it necessary to engage as seamen, in lieu of
those of their crews who have fallen a sacrifice to the climate,
to assist in navigating their vessels home. When on the
coast, these men are (we learn) generally paid a small amount
of wages, at the rate of so manylcoppers (each about VA) per
month, or in goods to that amount. In engaging them to
come to this country a promise is made to them of a similar
reward for the voyage to England, and back to their own
country ; but their ignorance in pecuniary transactions is, it
is to be regretted, too frequently taken advantage of by cap-
tains and owners, whose station in life leaves the less pallia-
tion for conduct so reprehensible. Many of these poor
Kroomen are turned adrift on their arrival at a British port,
without any wages whatever, and destitute of the means
of returning to their native land. Many of them have,
from time to time, applied to the magistrates, in petty
sessions, in order to recover their wages, and be pro-
vided, according to promise, with a passage home. It
almost invariably appears, however, that their names have
not been put upon the ship's articles, so that their claim, al-
though just and equitable, cannot be legally confirmed.
The unfortunate creatures are thus left, unacquainted with
any mode of European labour on shore by which they can,
earn a livelihood ; and if they do not happen to be expert as
seamen, so that they can work their way home, they are
necessarily thrown upon public charity, and become a bur-
then to the community. Mr. Hall, of the police-court, took
much pains to redress as far as he had the power, the griev-
ances of these men, and sometimes succeeded in procuring
them passages to their own country : but the evil still exists,
and it ought to be removed by legislative enactment. We
have heard, but have no individual knowledge of the fact, that
Sir James Graham's bill, commonly called " the Seamens'
Protection Act," requires that the name of every man shipped
to do duty on board of a vessel should be entered in the
articles in the log-book. If so, we trust Mr. Hall's suc-
cessor, in the office of stipendiary magistrate, will, when a
case comes before him, enforce so salutary a provision. In
noticing the poor Kroomen, we would by no means impli-
cate all the African merchants of our port in transactions so
inhumane and disreputable ; on the contrary, we are aware
that there are many honourable exceptions, particularly the
wealthier portion of the trade. But there are still some who
adhere to the system pointed out, on the plea that has uni-
versally been the custom of the port, a custom, however,
which would be " more honoured in the breach than the ob-
servance."