The 'Neptunus' was a Zeeland slave trader. In April 1784, the Neptunus departed for West Africa to purchase gold, ivory, and enslaved people in exchange for trade goods. The ship from Zierikzee had a Dutch captain and a crew consisting mainly of Scandinavians and Germans.

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View of the forts of El Mina and Nassau.

In the early evening of Monday, October 17, 1785, several slaves (who had already been placed in the holds) saw an opportunity to free themselves from their shackles. They broke open the iron access grate, climbed onto the deck, and attacked the crew members who rushed to the scene with all kinds of bladed and stabbing weapons. The cook and the boatswain's mate were wounded in the process, and several slaves managed to jump overboard.

NPO

Watch NPO documentaire 'Opstand op de Neptunus ' (Dutch)

Rebellion
Despite all the commotion, the crew managed to drive the other rebels back into the holds, but they could not prevent the Africans from tearing down the palisades and wooden partitions of their quarters there. As a result, the prisoners gained access to the powder magazine and were effectively able to take over power on board.

Bloody firefights broke out that lasted for hours. When the rest of the crew, who were on land, realized what was happening on the ship, they immediately rushed to their aid.

When Europeans and free Africans boarded the ship together, the matter was quickly settled for the rebels. Meanwhile, canoes carrying Africans from Mourée had arrived to help and attempted to calm the mutineers. In vain. Shouting, they replied that they did not want to surrender and would fight on until all whites were killed. Moreover, they threatened to blow up the ship and advised the “free Negroes, if they did not want to lose their lives”, to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Act of Desperation

Because every prospect of freedom was taken from them, the rebellious slaves took their fate into their own hands. In an ultimate act of desperation, they blew themselves and their attackers up.” The enormous explosion shattered the ship. All prisoners on board—approximately 170—perished. As well as 18 Europeans and approximately 240 coastal residents.

An Anglican missionary living there wrote: ‘What are you doing? You are hunting your own people so you can sell them as slaves?’

Owner: Daniël Cornelis Wesselman
Tonnage: last
Complement: 30
prisoners: ca. 200

• Paesie, Ruud, (2016).
  Slavenopstand op de Neptunus. Kroniek van een wanhoopsdaad.
  Walburg Pers, Zutphen, 2016.
• Geschiedenis Magazine nr.1 2017.
• Een braaf en eerlijk man.