Jamaica honours slaves
2007-12-29 22:42
Kingston - A monument to Africans who died en route to Jamaica more than 200 years ago in one of the worst atrocities aboard a slave ship was unveiled late on Friday at a former slave market.
About 230 Africans perished during the 1781 voyage aboard the British ship Zong, which departed from West Africa.
The ship's captain ordered the crew to throw 133 sick slaves overboard and then tried to claim insurance money for "loss of merchandise".
One of the final events in a yearlong celebration marking the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the monument in St Elizabeth parish also is a tribute to the 208 Africans who survived the trip.
- AP