Brutal Captains,Violent Crews" How the Slave Trade Worked".

"Slave ship crews were often the dregs of the seafaring community". Some were dragooned into service when drunk, or were forced to sign up for a slaving voyage after being encouraged to run up debts with a port pub keeper in league with a slave ship officer. They were a rough and surly lot, who often fought their officers and suffered brutal whippings in return. If a sailor remained disobedient, his captain handed him over to the nearest Royal Navy ship, where iron discipline was guaranteed to break any rebel spirit. The amount of recorded violence between slave ship officers and men gives us an idea of the violence that would have been unleashed on the chained slaves below decks.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/abolition/map/index.shtml#