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Title: A rebel Negro armed & on his guard
Description: Engraving was done after one of John Gabriel Stedman's own drawings. According to Stedman's account, the image depicts a rebel Surinamese negro. As he wrote, "This rebel negro is armed with a firelock and a hatchet; his hair, though woolly, may be observed to be plaited close to his head, by way of distinction from the rangers, or any other straggling negroes, who are not yet accepted amongst them; his beard is grown to a point, like that of all Africans, when they have no opportunity of shaving. The principal dress of this man consists of a cotton sheet, negligently tied across his shoulders, which protects him from the weather, and serves him also to rest on; while he always sleeps under cover in the most obscure places he can find, when detached from his companions. The rest of his dress is a camisa, tied around his loins like a handkerchief; his pouch, which is made of some animal's skin; a few cotton strings for ornament around his ancles [sic] and wrists; and a superstitious obia or amulet tied about his neck, in which he places all his confidence. The skull and ribs are supposed to be the bones of his enemies, scattered upon the sandy savannah." (vol. 2, p. 88-89), Plate in John Gabriel Stedman's Narrative, of a five year's expedition, against the revolted Negroes of Surinam, in Guiana, on the wild coast of South America; from the year 1772 to 1777 (London: Printed for J. Johnson, St. Paul's Church Yard, & J. Edwards, Pall Mall, 1796), vol. 2, p. 88., Fels Afro-Americana Image Project, Resistance.
Creator: Bartolozzi, Francesco, 1727-1815, engraver
Date: Dec. 1, 1794
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Books & Other Texts | Rare Am 1796 Sted 755.Q v 2 p 88, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A2699

Title: Manner of bush-fighting by the African negroes; Gradation of shades between Europe & Africa
Description: As Stedman noted, he sketched the top diagram to better convey the African negroes' manner of bush fighting. The following explanation can be found in his text: "The two columns E and F are supposed to be first engaged, where No 1 in the column E commences the attack by firing at random in the opposite bushes; and instantly retires, by shifting his place to No 1 in the column C, where he re-loads; while No 2 in the column F, having fired at the flash of his pan, advances in the same manner, shifting his station to re-load at No 2 in the column D; and at the flash of whose pan No 3 fires in E, and receives the fire of No 4 in F, &c. &c. Thus continuing through both lines, til No 8 has fired in F, when the whole have shifted their stations; and the same manoeuvre is continued with the columns C and D, beginning again with the identical numbers 1, 2, 3, &c. at the top; while these lines, having shifted their places, still the firing is repeated by the lines A and B, and thus ad infinitum, until by sounding the horn one of the parties gives way in fight, and the battle is over." Below the diagram, a color scale shows some skin-tone gradations between black and white. Commenting on this, Stedman wrote: "Having frequently mentioned the different shades between a black and a white, the same plate represents them to the reader at one view. From the above two colours the mulatto is produced; from the mulatto and black, the sambo; from the mulatto and white, the quaderoon, & c. &c.", Plate LIV in John Gabriel Stedman's Narrative, of a five year's expedition, against the revolted Negroes of Surinam, in Guiana, on the wild coast of South America; from the year 1772 to 1777 (London: Printed for J. Johnson, St. Paul's Church Yard, & J. Edwards, Pall Mall, 1796), vol. 2, p. 98., Fels Afro-Americana Image Project, Resistance.
Date: Dec. 1, 1791
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Books & Other Texts | Rare Am 1796 Sted 755.Q v 2 p 98, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A2700

Title: Flagellation of a female Samboe slave
Description: Engraving was done after one of John Gabriel Stedman's own drawings; it illustrates an incident that he witnessed during his travels in Surinam. According to Stedman's account, the image shows a beautiful Samboe girl of about eighteen, who was tied by both arms to a tree limb and flagellated by two overseers in such a manner that "she was from her neck to her ancles [sic] literally dyed over with blood." When Stedman reached her, she had already received 200 lashes, and he begged one of the overseers to let her down. At this point, however, the overseer explained that, in order to prevent strangers from interfering with his government, he had made an unalterable rule to double any slave's punishment when a stranger tried to intervene on his or her behalf. The girl thus received another 200 lashes., Plate XXXV in John Gabriel Stedman's Narrative, of a five year's expedition, against the revolted Negroes of Surinam, in Guiana, on the wild coast of South America; from the year 1772 to 1777 (London: Printed for J. Johnson, St. Paul's Church Yard, & J. Edwards, Pall Mall, 1796) vol. I, facing p. 326., Fels Afro-Americana Image Project, Punishment Scenes.
Creator: Blake, William, 1757-1827, engraver
Date: [between 1791 and 1796]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Books & Other Texts | Rare Am 1796 Sted 755.Q v 1 p 326, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A2697

Title: A female negro slave, with a weight chained to her ancle [sic]
Description: Engraving was done after one of John Gabriel Stedman's own drawings; it records an incident that he witnessed during his travels in Surinam. In Port Amsterdam, Stedman encountered a young female slave dressed in a scanty loin-cloth, which, like her skin, bore the traces of a whip. As punishment for failing to complete a task to which she was unequal, the young woman was forced to wear a chain around her ankle to which a hundred pound weight was also affixed. This she wore for some months., Plate IV in John Gabriel Stedman's Narrative, of a five year's expedition, against the revolted Negroes of Surinam, in Guiana, on the wild coast of South America; from the year 1772 to 1777 (London: Printed for J. Johnson, St. Paul's Church Yard, & J. Edwards, Pall Mall, 1796), vol. I, facing page 15., Fels Afro-Americana Image Project, Punishment Scenes.
Creator: Bartolozzi, Francesco, 1727-1815, engraver
Date: Dec. 1, 1795
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Books & Other Texts | Rare Am 1796 Sted 755.Q v 1 p 15, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A2693

Title: A Surinam planter in his morning dress
Description: Engraving was done after one of John Gabriel Stedman's own drawings, which record his impressions of Surinam. It offers a detailed frontal view of a Surniman planter, who stands in the extreme foregroud of the image; the planter's turned head also provides a profile view of his face. Behind him and to the right, a female slave, wearing only a skirt and a headress, pours him a glass of wine. Stedman described the scene as follows: "His worship now saunters out in his morning dress, which consists of a pair of the finest Holland trowsers, white silk stockings, and red or yellow Morocco slippers; the neck of his shirt open, and nothing over it, a loose flowing night-gown of the finest India chintz excepted. On his head is a cotton night-cap, as thin as a cobweb, and over that an enormous beaver hat, that protects his meagre visage from the sun, which is already the color of mahogany, while his whole carcase seldom weighs above eight or ten stone, being generally exhausted by the climate and dissipation. To give a more complete idea of this fine gentleman, I in the annexed plate present him to the reader with a pipe in his mouth, which almost everywhere accompanies him, and receiving a glass of Madeira wine and water, from a female quaderoon slave, to refresh him during his walk." (vol. 2, p. 56), Plate XLIX in John Gabriel Stedman's Narrative, of a five year's expedition, against the revolted Negroes of Surinam, in Guiana, on the wild coast of South America; from the year 1772 to 1777 (London: Printed for J. Johnson, St. Paul's Church Yard, & J. Edwards, Pall Mall, 1796), vol. II, facing p. 56., Fels Afro-Americana Image Project, Scenes from Slave Life.
Creator: Blake, William, 1757-1827, engraver
Date: Dec. 2, 1793
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Books & Other Texts | Rare Am 1796 Sted 755.Q v 2 p 56, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A2698

Title: Family of Negro slaves from Loango
Description: Engraving was done after one of John Gabriel Stedman's own drawings, which record his impressions of Surinam. According to the accompanying text, it shows "a negro family in that state of tranquil happiness, which they always enjoy under a humane and indulgent master." Stedman described the illustration as follows: "The figures in the plate are supposed to be of the Loango nation, by the marks on the man's body, while on his breast may be seen J.G.S. in a cypher, by which his owner may ascertain his property. He carries a basket with small fish, and a net upon his head, with a large fish in his hand, caught by himself in the river. His wife, who is pregnant, is employed in carrying different kinds of fruit, spinning a thread of cotton upon her distaff, and comfortably smoking her pipe of tobacco. Besides all this, she has a boy upon her back, and another playing by her side." (vol. 2, p. 280), Plate LXVIII in John Gabriel Stedman's Narrative, of a five year's expedition, against the revolted Negroes of Surinam, in Guiana, on the wild coast of South America; from the year 1772 to 1777 (London: Printed for J. Johnson, St. Paul's Church Yard, & J. Edwards, Pall Mall, 1796), vol. 2, p. 280., Fels Afro-Americana Image Project, Scenes from Slave Life.
Creator: Blake, William, 1757-1827, engraver
Date: [between 1791 and 1796]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Books & Other Texts | Rare Am 1796 Sted 755.Q v 2 p 280, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A2701

Title: Manner of sleeping &c in the forest ; Rural retreat, the cottage
Description: Printed one on top of the other, these two separate engravings record John Gabriel Stedman's memories of Surinam. Entitled "Manner of sleeping &c in the forest," the above image shows the type of hammock that Stedman and the other members of his party used during their encampment. Hammock shown here is suspended from four narrow wooden poles that have been pounded into the ground, and is covered by what appears to be a rudimentary straw roof. To the right, two unclothed slave women have built a small camp-fire, which they use to heat water to do the washing. Image below bears the title "Rural retreat, the cottage." It appears to show a member of Stedman's expedition with his wife and child (quite possibly, Stedman and his wife Joanna). Seemingly, the illustration corresponds with a passage in which Stedman described the simple houses that he and the others constructed. Of his own house, he wrote, " [it] was finished without either nail or hammer, in less than six days, though it had two rooms, a piazza with rails, and a small kitchen, besides a garden, in which I sowed, in pepper-cresses, the names of Joanna and John; . . . . " (vol. 2, p 323), Plate LXXIII in John Gabriel Stedman's Narrative, of a five year's expedition, against the revolted Negroes of Surinam, in Guiana, on the wild coast of South America; from the year 1772 to 1777 (London: Printed for J. Johnson, St. Paul's Church Yard, & J. Edwards, Pall Mall, 1796), vol. II, facing p. 324., Fels Afro-Americana Image Project, Scenes from Slave Life.
Creator: Barlow, engraver
Date: Dec. 1, 1791
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Books & Other Texts | Rare Am 1796 Sted 755.Q v 2 p 324, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A2703

Title: Female quadroon [sic] slave of Surinam
Description: Engraving was done after one of John Gabriel Stedman's own drawings, which record his impressions of Surinam. It offers a detailed frontal view of female slave from Surinam, who, being a quaderoon, belonged to a "class . . .much respected for their affinity to Europeans." (A quaderoon, as Stedman explained, is "the offspring of a white and a mulatto;" and there were many in Surinam.) The plate is accompanied by a lengthy passage, which reads as follows: "To give the reader a more lively idea of these people, I shall describe the figure and dress of a Quaderoon girl, as they usually appear in this colony. They are mostly tall, straight, and gracefully formed; rather more slender than the Mulattoes, and never go naked above the waist, like the former. Their dress commonly consists of a sattin petticoat, covered with flowered gauze; a close short jacket, made of best India chintz or silk, laced before and shewing about an hand-breadth of a fine muslin shirt between the jacket and the petticoat. As for stockings and shoes, the slaves in this country never wear them. Their heads are adorned with a fine bunch of black hair in short natural ringlets; they wear a black or white beaver hat, with a feather, or a gold loop and button: their neck, arms, and ancles are ornamented with chains, bracelets, gold medals, and beads. All these fine women have European husbands, to the no small mortification of the fair Creolians; yet should it be known that an European female had an intercourse with a slave of any denomination, she is for ever detested, and the slave loses his life without mercy." (vol. 1, p. 297), Plate XXXII in John Gabriel Stedman's Narrative, of a five year's expedition, against the revolted Negroes of Surinam, in Guiana, on the wild coast of South America; from the year 1772 to 1777 (London: Printed for J. Johnson, St. Paul's Church Yard, & J. Edwards, Pall Mall, 1796) vol. I, facing p. 296., Fels Afro-Americana Image Project, Scenes from Slave Life.
Creator: Perry, engraver
Date: [between 1791 and 1796]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Books & Other Texts | Rare Am 1796 Sted 755.Q v 1 p 296, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A2696

Title: Group of Negroes as imported to be sold for slaves
Description: Engraving was done after one of John Gabriel Stedman's own drawings; it shows a procession of slaves that he encountered during his travels in Surinam. Of the group, Stedman wrote, "They were a drove of newly-imported negroes, men and women, with a few children, who were just landed from on board a Guinea ship that lay anchor in the roads, to be sold for slaves. The whole party was such a set of scarcely animated automatons, such a resurrection of skin and bones, as forcibly reminded me of the last trumpet. These objects appeared that moment to be risen from the grave, or escaped from Surgeon's Hall; and I confess I can give no better description of them, than by comparing them to walking skeletons covered over with a piece of tanned leather." (vol. 1, p. 200) Stedman eventually continued, "Before these wretches, which might be in all about sixty in number, walked a sailor, and another followed behind with a bamboo-rattan; the one serving as a shepherd to lead them along, and the other as his dog to worry them occasionally, should any one lag behind, or wander away from the flock." (vol. 1, p. 200) He noted, however, that despite their condition, the slaves' facial expressions betrayed little dejectedness -- a point reflected in Blake's engraving., Plate XXII in John Gabriel Stedman's Narrative, of a five year's expedition, against the revolted Negroes of Surinam, in Guiana, on the wild coast of South America; from the year 1772 to 1777 (London: Printed for J. Johnson, St. Paul's Church Yard, & J. Edwards, Pall Mall, 1796), vol. 1, p. 200., Fels Afro-Americana Image Project, Images from the Slave Trade.
Creator: Blake, William, 1757-1827, engraver
Date: [between 1791 and 1796]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Books & Other Texts | Rare Am 1796 Sted 755.Q v 1 p 200, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A2695

Title: A Negro hung alive by the ribs to a gallows
Description: Engraving was done after one of John Gabriel Stedman's own drawings; it illustrates an incident that he learned of during his travels in Surinam. According to Stedman, a "decent looking man" explained to him, "Not long ago, . . . I saw a black man suspended alive from a gallows, by the ribs, between which, with a knife, was first made an incision, and then clinched an iron hook with a chain; in this manner he kept alive three days, hanging with his head and feet downwards, and catching with his tongue the drops of water (it being the rainy season) that were flowing down his bloated breast." (vol. 1, p. 109), Plate XI in John Gabriel Stedman's Narrative, of a five year's expedition, against the revolted Negroes of Surinam, in Guiana, on the wild coast of South America; from the year 1772 to 1777 (London: Printed for J. Johnson, St. Paul's Church Yard, & J. Edwards, Pall Mall, 1796), vol. 1, p. 110., Fels Afro-Americana Image Project, Punishment Scenes.
Creator: Blake, William, 1757-1827, engraver
Date: Dec. 1, 1792
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Books & Other Texts | Rare Am 1796 Sted 755.Q v 1 p 110, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A2694

Title: The execution of breaking on the rack
Description: Engraving was done after one of John Gabriel Stedman's own drawings; it records an incident that he witnessed during his travels in Surinam. According to Stedman, the man on the rack was sentenced to death for having shot and killed an overseer. As Stedman wrote, "Informed of the dreadful sentence, he composedly laid himself down on his back on a strong cross, on which, with arms and legs expanded, he was fastened by ropes; the executioner, also a black man, having now with a hatchet chopped off his left hand, next took up a heavy iron bar, with which, by repeated blows, he broke his bones to shivers, till the marrow, blood, and splinters flew about the field; but the prisoner never uttered a groan nor a sigh." (vol. 2, p. 295), Plate LXXI in John Gabriel Stedman's Narrative, of a five year's expedition, against the revolted Negroes of Surinam, in Guiana, on the wild coast of South America; from the year 1772 to 1777 (London: Printed for J. Johnson, St. Paul's Church Yard, & J. Edwards, Pall Mall, 1796), vol. II, p. 296., Fels Afro-Americana Image Project, Punishment Scenes.
Date: Dec. 2, 1792
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Books & Other Texts | Rare Am 1796 Sted 755.Q v 2 p 296, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A2702

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