Draft:Arrogante (slave ship)
 | This is a draft article. It is a work in progress open to editing by anyone. Please ensure core content policies are met before publishing it as a live Wikipedia article. Find sources: Google (books · news · scholar · free images · WP refs) · FENS · JSTOR · TWL Last edited by PharaohCrab (talk | contribs) 0 seconds ago. (Update)
Finished drafting? or |
The Arrogante was a Portuguese schooner involved in the Transatlantic slave trade which was captured the British in 1837 while trying to transport slaves to Cuba. The Arrogante was captured by the HMS Snake during the Blockade of Africa, the ship was then taken to Montego Bay, Jamaica. In Jamaica, some of the Africans alleged that one of the slaves on board was killed, cut up, then served with rice to the other slaves by the Portuguese sailors. though the incident was investigated, the British authorities did not charge any of the sailors.
Voyage and accusations of cannibalism
[edit]The Arrogante had acquired its "cargo" of 470 slaves at the mouth of the Gallinas River from the Spanish Slave trader Pedro Blanco who was also aboard the ship. 40 days later, on November 23, 1837 the ship was spotted then captured, Alexander Milne, the Captain of the Snake reported that the conditions on board were extremely poor and was shocked by the “dead children lying about the deck” indeed by this time 64 of the slaves had already died and many more were in the last stages of life. Lieutenant Robert Boyle Miller was then given command of the Snake by Milne who immanently sailed to Jamaica with the Arrogante to free the slaves. despite the efforts of the assistant-surgeon from the snake, 74 more slaves die in the 11 days it took to get to Jamaica. Meanwhile Milne and the Snake sailed to Jagua, Cuba with the majority of the crew of the Arrogante where they were delivered.
In Jamaica, several of the Africans alleged, among many abuses that one of the slaves named Mina had been killed by the Portuguese then cut up and cooked in a pot then served it with Rice to the other slaves onboard, they also alleged the heart and liver were also cooked in a separate pot and then eaten by the sailors.
Eventually the Jamaican colonial authority decided to investigate these claims and several of the survivors were intervened and many gave consistent and similar testimony. However, Lieutenant Miller and other colonial officials were unconvinced. Miller claimed that the ship's captain was too "inoffensive" to be capable "of such a horrible transaction" and noted that two Africans on board who spoke English never mentioned the incident to him eventually it was determined that there was not sufficient evidence.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ Barcia, Manuel (22 July 2021). "White Cannibalism in the Illegal Slave Trade: The Peculiar Case of the Portuguese Schooner Arrogante in 1837". New West Indian Guide / Nieuwe West-Indische Gids. 96 (1–2): 2–3. doi:10.1163/22134360-bja10002. S2CID 237730603.