Zong, (renamed
Richard of Jamaica), one of 10 ships to have disembarked Africans in Black River from 1781-1791, docked after a long voyage from modern-day Ghana. Seized from the Dutch (as
Zorgue) and sold to a Liverpool syndicate led by William Gregson, the
Zong was captained by Luke Collingwood.
The overcrowded ship with 442 Africans onboard, including 244 already on board when it was seized, left Accra on August 18, 1781, making a stop in Sao Tomé before embarking on the Middle Passage journey on September 6, 1781.
Ten weeks later, it arrived in Tobago, after which it continued on its journey to Black River, but it veered off-course near Haiti, losing time. By then, complaints of water shortage, illness, and death among the crew and poor navigational and leadership decisions all created a level of confusion aboard. Towards the end of November, approximately 62 Africans had died.