A new account of Guinea, and the slave-trade

A seasoned sea‑captain offers a vivid, first‑hand picture of the Guinea coast as it was in the early 1700s. He sketches the geography with a newly drawn map and then turns to the dramatic conquest of the Kingdom of Dahomey, describing the battlefield camps, the ritual sacrifices witnessed, and the customs of the local peoples that would have seemed alien to European readers of his day. The narrative balances stark observations of warfare with reflections on the strange and sometimes terrifying rites practiced by societies far from London’s streets.

The second part shifts to the mechanics of the Atlantic slave trade, outlining how men and women were captured, the staggering numbers shipped each year, and the legal justifications traders invoked. Along the way, mutinies aboard the cramped vessels and the ever‑present threat of piracy surface, climaxing in the author’s own harrowing capture by pirates. His account blends practical details with personal peril, giving listeners a rare glimpse into a world of commerce, conflict, and survival on the edge of empire.