Other Cargoes

Abstract

Abstract British slave ships leaving Africa transported supplementary cargoes ranging from gold and pepper to parakeets and ivory—all shipped home to Britain at the end of the voyage. These cargoes are the focus of Chapter 8, which outlines their impact on daily life in Britain. It is argued that the home reception of these goods facilitates an analysis of the role of the slave ship in the circum-Atlantic movement of things, as well as of people. Ethnographic and natural ‘curios’ from Africa were in some demand at home, and Chapter 8 also considers the activities of sailors who contributed to the development of British collections. The final section turns to the wooden chest in which the abolitionist Thomas Clarkson housed his own collection of the ‘productions of Africa’, exploring its use and purpose.