Although I have given most of my library on African history over to my daughter, I have found the following on a slave rebellion in Antigua which is a suitable start for Richard Allicock's call for a thread on African slave immigrants to the West Indies. From: Bondmen and Rebels: A study of Master-Slave Relations in Antigua, David Barry Gaspar, Johns Hopkins University Press. 1985 From Part II. Slaves and Slave Society As in other parts of plantation America, Antiguan slaveowners showed a definite preference for certain ethnic groups and an aversion to others. Their first choices were blacks from the Cold Coast generally, whom they called Coromantees (Koromantyns, Callamantees), an those imported from Whydah in Dahomey. Coromantee was not the name of any particular Gold Coast group but a generic term adopted after the Dutch fort at Kormantin. The largest ethnic groups in the Gold Coast belonged to the Akan language group (Fanti, Asante), and here too were to be found the Guang an Ga-Andangme peoples and numerous others of the hinterland. Of the Coromantees Bryan Edwards wrote: "The circumstances which distinguish the Koromantyn, or Gold Coast, Negroes, from all others, are firmness both of body and mind; a ferociousness of dispositions; but with al, activity, courage and a stubbornness, or what an ancient Roman would have deemed an elevation, of soul, which prompts them to enterprises of difficulty and danger; and enables them to meet death, in its most horrible shape, with fortitude or indifference. They sometimes take to labour with great promptitude and alacrity, and have constitutions well adapted for it.".. Africans loaded as Whydah, a port in Dahomey, on the Slave Coast, were Antiguans' choice after Coromantees. These slaves were called Pawpaws or Poppas, a term that referred to the Fon, Gun, and other related groups of that region. Stephen Blizard [Tim's note: S. Blizard was the owner of Green Island Estate and others in Mid 18th Century] noted that Gold Coast slaves "always answer better than any Slaves from Africa except Papaws."..These Antiguan preferences for Coromantees and Pawpaws corresponded to the make-up of the British slave trade during the first three decades of the eighteenth century, when most British exports came from the Gold and Slave coasts. Although slaves continued to be shipped from these regions, their slaves in their overall British trade declined after 1730 in favor of the Bight of Biafra, further down the coast. Curtin's calculations indicate that the Gold Coast, which had contributed 38.3 percent of the export trade during the decade 1721-30, held only 15.8 percent between 1751 and 1760. For the same periods the shares of the Bight of Biafra - where the main groups were Ibos, Ibobios, Edos, and Ijaws - were 3.2 percent and 40.4 percent respectively... When Antiguans bought Ibos, or slaves from Calabar or Angola, they risked "mortality and failure of that kind of Negroes."

I am very glad that Tim Anderson has started off this particular thread, with the origins of the slaves who were in Antigua. His post has shed some light on the material below that I had intended to post in relation to the origins of the slaves in British Guiana. I present the material unedited except for the enclosures in [ ]. I would like others on the list to continue the thread in relation to the other Caribbean territories, and as well, to try to figure out the modern day equivalents of the geographical locations and the tribes mentioned below. From Henry Dalton: The History of British Guiana; etc., Vol. 1 (1855) pp. 160-163. Dalton stated: "The slaves imported [to British Guiana] were procured from various parts of the coast and interior of Africa, and their value was differently estimated, as will appear from the following account, chiefly derived from an old Dutch writer [Hartsink] on the subject." [This might be Jan Jacob Hartsinck a writer on the Guianas in the 1770's, author of: "Beschryving van Guiana, of de Wilde Kust, in Zuid-America : betreffende de aardrykskunde en historie des lands ... de bezittingen der Spanjaarden, Franschen en Portugeezen en voornaamelyk de volkplantigen der Nederlanderen, als Essequebo, Demerary, Berbice, Suriname ... Waarby komt eene verhandeling over den aart en de gewoontes der neger-slaaven / Alles uit echte stukken opgesteld door Mr. Jan Jacob Hartsinck . 1770 ]. Dalton continues: "The Ardras called Dongos (as well as other slaves who had cut marks upon their bodies), were all brought from Inda (better known as Tida) and Ardra, towns near the western sea-coast of Africa, from a distance of fifty miles to the north-east of Ardra. They were however not of the best sort, although accustomed to agiculture, and capable of being rendered useful. The men, women and children, had gashes upon their cheeks, but those of rank amongst them were marked only about the forehead. The Naga slaves differed little from the above, and were well adapted for labour; they had streaks or curves, which represented rudely the outline of animals upon their bodies. The Mallais slaves were brought to Tida, Ardra, and Jaquire, from a distance of about three months' journey. They were an excellent people, and accustomed to severe labour, which they willingly undertook. They brought high prices in the market. Their tattooed marks differed in some respect from the Tibou and Guiamba negroes. The Aquiras, distinguished by lines upon the back and breast in the form of lizards and snakes, had the character of being active and faithful to their masters. The Tibou slaves were of the worst kind, good for nothing, except light house work. They had long gashes upon the cheeks, breast , and stomach. The Foin slaves were recognised by scratches upon the temples; they were also a bad people, lazy, thievish, and addicted to filthy habits. The Guiamba slaves resembled the last two named races, and were marked like the Tibous. The negroes from Tida and Jaquin [Jaquire] committed thefts when they had the opportunity, but were otherwise true to their masters; they had upon their cheeks several spots or points. The Ayois negroes, a martial and enterprising race were well inclined to work, which they performed better than any of the other nations. They were known by long gashes stretching from ear to ear. They were the terror of the rest; held their lives of no account when their passions were roused, and pursued their objects with an ardour it was difficult to restrain. Other slaves were known by the names of the places they came from. The negroes of Goree were among the best - strong, honest fauthful; they had upon the temples three gashes about three fingers broad. The negroes from Sierra Leone were also very strong, and good for employment; they had four gashes upon the forehead. The negroes from Cabo Monto were neither so strong nor so useful as the others, but made good slaves, and had upon each cheek a gash extending from the head to the chin; they were in general of a lively temperament. The negroes from Cape La Hoe, or Lahore, or the Gold Coast, possessed equally valuable qualities, and were brought in great numbers to Surinam, where a famous traffic was established, and from whence the slaves were carried to other colonies. They were marked over the whole body with figures of birds and animals, and wore round the neck a string of red sea-shells, which was regarded as a kind of amulet or charm. They were for the most part strong, tall, and well made, but not very black in colour; as a general rule, it was remarked that the darker the colour of the negro, the stronger he was. The real D'Elmina negroes were all born in the village or crom of D'Elmina, and were not saleable, such sale being against the laws. Those people which were purchased at St. George D'Elmina, came from the Asiantyn, Hautaschi, Fantysche, Alguirasche, Wassaches, and Akinsche countries. The men as well as the women, were marked upon the cheeks and breast with several gashes. Among these people were found some old slaves quite grey, who had a custom of smearing their hair with charcoal to make it black. The Annamaboe negroes (sometimes called Fantynes) belonged to the English, a well-conducted tribe, and best suited of all for the work of the plantations. they were marked upon the forehead with points, or spots, burnt in with gunpowder. Among the Fantynes were found some Akinsche and Ashantees. Between these nations no marked difference existed except in language. The Acra negroes were brave, strong, and good slaves. These excellent qualities rendered them costly in the market. They were under the protection of the Danes, but the Dutch and the English had control of such as were located near their forts. The Abo and Papa negroes were little meddled with; the last were said to have a kind of poison placed under their nails, with which they threatened to kill any one, if exasperated; hence, perhaps, the disinclination that was shown to interfere with them. The Cormantyn negroes were of a good disposition, but never forgave an injury; they always attempted the life of any person who offended them, and, failing in their purpose, destroyed themselves. They had no characteristic marks, but were known to by their fine smooth black skin. The Loango or Goango negroes (no doubt the present Kroomen), were a vicious race, and practised cannibalism. Their teeth were so exquisitely sharpened that they could easily bite off a finger, and all the other negroes hated and feared them. At the marriage of their kings a certain proportion of each tribe were killed for the purpose of furnishing a banquet. These people were never to be depended upon. They absconded from work, hid in the forests, and lived upon animals and reptiles. To the eastward and southward of the [slave] coast the negroes were of a bad quality; whilst from the north-west the best kind were procured."

I posted this a while back, but it's pertinent to the current thread. TRINIDAD SLAVE CENSUS OF 1813 Number of slaves 25,696 Creole (i.e born in the West Indies) 11,633 (46% of total) African 13,984 (54% of total) BREAKDOWN OF AFRICAN BORN SLAVES Ibo (S.E. Nigeria) 2,863 - 20% of African Congo (Congo) 2,450 - 20% Moco (Cameroons) 2,240 - 17% Mandingo (Senegambia) 1,421 - 10% Kormantyn (Ghana - includes Fanti, Ashanti & others) - 1,068 - 7% Kwakwa (Ivory Coast) 473 - 3% Sierra Leone (Temne 169, Sisu 145, Kissi 63) - 377 2.5% Ibibio (Nigeria) 371 - 2.5% Raddah (Dahomey) 281 - 2% Chamba (Nigeria?) 275 - 2% Fulani (N. Sierra Leone) 171 - 1.2% Popo (Dahomey) 112 - 1% Hausa (N. Nigeria) 109 - 1% Yoruba (W. Nigeria) 10 - 0.07% Various tribes under 1% 818 - 6% Only port of departure known - 8.73% Source: "Seven Slaves and Slavery - Trinidad 1777-1838", by Father Anthony de Verteuil C.S.Sp., Scrip-J Printers, Port-of-Spain, 1992. The book relates the life stories of seven slaves in Trinidad to illustrate how they lived. It contains a chapter on the slave trade, and many vignettes on slave life.