Why do the ship's crew members flog an enslaved person at the end of the excerpt?
* because he is sick
✓ because he jumped overboard
because he started a fight
* because he refused to work
One day, when we had a smooth sea and moderate wind,
two of my wearied countrymen who were chained
together (I was near them at the time), preferring death
to such a life of misery, somehow made through the
nettings and jumped into the sea; immediately, another
quite dejected fellow, who, on account of his illness, was
suffered to be out of irons, also followed their example;
and I believe many more would very soon have done the
same, if they had not been prevented by the ship's crew,
who were instantly alarmed. Those of us that were the
most active, were in a moment put down under the deck;
and there was such a noise and confusion amongst the
people of the ship as I never heard before, to stop her,
and get the boat out to go after the slaves. However, two
of the wretches were drowned, but they got the other, and
afterwards flogged [beat] him unmercifully, for thus
attempting to prefer death to slavery.
- Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano,
It’s B