After two months at sea, our ship finally arrives in Santo Domingo in the Caribbean. The captives are immediately “unloaded,” then disinfected and rehabilitated. Indeed, during the voyage, infectious diseases like diarrhea, dysentery, scurvy, typhoid, and smallpox were rampant due to stagnant air in the holds, a lack of hygiene, and poor nutrition. Getting fresh air on deck when the weather permitted was not enough to stave off such illnesses. The crew wasn’t safe from these infections either.

In the port, the captain would announce an auction to sell the slaves. The sale would take place in the port and featured a description of the “merchandise.”


Excerpt from the diary of a plantation owner :



Once the slaves were sold and sales were recorded (in a journal outlining the trade, a journal on the sale of the slaves and return purchases, an invoice book, and a general ledger), our ship’s captain would negotiate the purchase of colonial products like sugar, indigo, and coffee. Negotiating purchases and loading the ship could take between two and three weeks.

The ship would then be ready for the return trip to Nantes, a two- to three-month voyage. At last the sailors would go home to their families after eighteen months abroad.

The ship’s cargo would then be processed and refined in Nantes before being distributed throughout Europe.