Chapter Six. The Final Passage

Abstract

The final journey for slaves from Cartagena to Lima was characterised by numerous variations in their diet and living conditions. The foods fed to slaves differed markedly on different stretches of the journey reflecting local environmental conditions, traditional agricultural practices, as well as the availability of labor. Alternatively, the greater part of the journey could be undertaken by the Chagres River, which originated three leagues from Panama and flowed north to the Caribbean coast. Most slaves would have slept in the open air, but small settlements with lodging houses for merchants and other travelers, would have been used by the slave traders. In the 1620s Manuel Bautista Perez's slaves appear to have been lodged in rented houses, 157 but this changed once he acquired a chacara at Bocanegra and accommodation was provided at San Lazaro.Keywords: Bocanegra; Caribbean coast; Chagres River; Manuel Bautista Perez; slave traders