The Shrouds Summary

The reality of Jessie being on an illegal slave trade ship slowly sinks in for him. The crew declares that the number of ships involved in the slave trade cancel out the validity of the laws which prohibit it. Ned Grime, the carpenter, is the only one who does not protest the laws, but when Jessie learns that he earns money from the success of the shipment the same as the other sailors, Jessie is not impressed by his loftiness. Sharkey, another sailor, tells Jessie about the danger of American ships catching them. Jessie learns of the American laws against slavery and Sharkey tells him of the huge amounts of money in the trade.

The first days on the ship, the weather is perfect for sailing, and Captain Cawthorne is in a great mood. Jessie describes being at the beck and...