Middle Passage

중간항로

Middle Passage, in the days of the African slave trade to the New World, the middle part of the slave's journey--i.e., the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. From about 1518 to the mid-19th century, millions of African men, women, and children made the 21-90-day voyage aboard grossly overcrowded sailing ships manned by crews mostly from Great Britain, the Netherlands, Portugal, and France. Slaver captains anchored chiefly off the Guinea Coast for a month to a year to gather their cargoes of from 150 to 600 persons. Then began a long period of continuous danger, with raids at port by hostile tribes, threats of slave mutiny, epidemics, attack by pirates or enemy ships, and bad weather. During the Middle Passage, male slaves were kept constantly shackled to each other or to the deck to prevent mutiny, of which 55 detailed accounts were recorded between 1699 and 1845. (see also  United States, black American)

중간항로 (中間航路, Middle Passage). 신대륙을 대상으로 한 아프리카 노예무역이 이루어지던 시대에 노예들이 거쳐야 했던 전체행로의 중간부분인 대서양 횡단 항로.

1518년경부터 19세기 중엽까지 수백만 명의 아프리카 성인 남녀와 어린이들은 주로 영국인·네덜란드인·포르투갈인·프랑스인이 승무원으로 일하는 노예무역선에 빽빽이 실려 21~90일간의 항해를 해야 했다. 노예선은 150~600명 정도의 인원을 배에 태우기 위해 주로 기니 연안에 1개월 내지 1년가량 정박해 있었다. 그리고 적대적인 부족민들의 항구습격, 노예폭동의 조짐, 전염병, 해적선이나 적함의 공격, 악천후 등 계속되는 위험을 무릅쓰고 오랜 항해를 했다. 중간항로를 지나는 동안 노예폭동을 방지하기 위해 남자노예들은 계속해서 서로서로 몇 명씩 짝을 지어 족쇄를 채우거나 갑판에다 족쇄로 채워두었다. 1699~ 1845년 중간항로를 항해한 노예무역선들이 겪은 55건의 선상폭동 사례가 상세한 설명과 함께 기록으로 남아 있다.

So that the largest possible cargo might be carried, the captives were wedged horizontally, spoon fashion, with 6 feet by 16 inches (183 by 41 cm) being the average space allotted per person. Unable to stand erect or turn over, many slaves died in this position. If bad weather or equatorial calms prolonged the journey, the twice-daily ration of water plus either boiled rice, millet, cornmeal, or stewed yams was greatly reduced, resulting in near starvation and attendant illnesses. In the daytime, weather permitting, captives were brought on deck for exercise or for "dancing the slaves" (forced jumping up and down). At this time, conscientious captains insisted that the sleeping quarters be scraped and swabbed by the crew; but in bad weather the oppressive heat and noxious fumes in the unventilated and unsanitary holds caused fevers and dysentery, with a high mortality rate. Deaths during the Middle Passage, caused by epidemics, suicide, "fixed melancholy," and mutiny, have been estimated at 13 percent. So many bodies of dead or dying Africans were jettisoned into the ocean that sharks regularly followed the slave ships on their westward journey.

The Middle Passage supplied the New World with its major work force and brought enormous profits to international slave traders. At the same time, it exacted a terrible price in physical and emotional anguish on the part of the uprooted Africans; it was distinguished by the callousness to human suffering it developed among the traders.