How did the scramble operate aboard slave ships?

The "scramble" did not take place on board the ships. During the height of the slave trade, demand for slaves was so great that, at a slave auction, purchasers of slaves would literally "scramble" to gather as many slaves as they could. Slaves newly transported from Africa would be herded into a pen, surrounded by eager buyers, often pushing and shoving in order to position themselves to grab hold of the finest specimens. A starting gun would be fired, and the buyers would surge into the pen to try and collect the best individuals. Often, fights broke out among the buyers. Following the scramble, buyers lined up with their "captured" slaves and paid for them.