nathaniel gordon was from portland. he was an experienced slave trader, had done at least four slave trading voyages in the 1850s. and in 1860, he made another to the west coast of africa. and in august of 1860, he loaded up a cargo of 897 africans into, the bottom of his ship. he was very experienced, very skilled. he used a blade to cut off the of the clothing that the men and were wearing. he then used that blade to separate them male and female into the ship. but most the people on the ship were actually women and children. it's not something we would imagine. but he was going after the weakest, the weak. and in just 45 minutes he loaded these 897 human beings into the bottom of his ship, the eri. he then set sail heading east or heading west. and as goes he is approached by another ship. the high seas now under international law at this time british ships were not allowed to search american vessels. the british had treaties with many of the powers of the atlantic world to be able to search ships for evidence of sla