Others may have jumped overboard out of fear as 12 did onboarding the ship. Phillips writes in his journal that 12 slaves 'willfully drowned themselves' during the voyage, and that several others persistently refused food starving themselves to death, 'for it is their Belief that when they die they return to their own Country and Friends again.'
Others may have jumped overboard due to fear as 12 did onboarding the ship. Phillips notes in his journal that 12 slaves 'chose to drown themselves' during the voyage, and that several others refused food persistently, starving themselves to death, 'believing they will return to their homeland after death.'