Amphitrite was launched in 1796 at Kingston upon Hull. She first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1797 with S.Barker, master, Atkinson, owner, and trade Hull–Lisbon.[3]Lloyd's Register does not show any change of ownership or master, but the Register of Shipping for 1800 showed her with Adams, master, Forbes, owner, and trade Liverpool–Africa.[1] By another account Amphitute, of 194 tons (bm), George Adams, master, William Forbes & Co., sailed from Liverpool on 17 June 1799 for the Gold Coast, where she intended to purchase 323 slaves.[4] Captain George Adams sailed from Liverpool on 21 July 1799.[2]
In 1799, 156 vessels sailed from British ports bound on slave-trading voyages, 134 of them from Liverpool.[5]
Lloyd's List reported on 4 February 1800 that "the French Squadron" had captured Adriana, Hewitt, master, and Amphitrite, of Liverpool, on the coast of Africa.[6][a]
In 1799, 18 British slave-trading ships were lost, five of them on the coast of Africa. In 1800, the numbers were 34 and 20, with three vessels captured on their way to Africa.[9] From 1793 to 1807, war, rather than maritime hazards or resistance by the captives, was the greatest cause of vessel losses among British slave ships.[10]
Notes
^The Lloyd's List report was incorrect with respect to Adriana. She completed the voyage to the West Indies and returned to Liverpool.[7] A French privateer did capture her, but that was in 1804 on a later slave-trade voyage.[8]
