Reports like this were used by the abolitionists to show that, rather that some Africans preferred to die than be enslaved:

I thought all our troubles of this voyage were over; but on the contrary... on the 14th March... to our great amazement above 100 men slaves jumped overboard... we lost 3 good men slaves, who would not try to save themselves, but resolved to die and sunk directly down...

Captain Japhet Bird Captain Japhet Bird, Boston Weekly News Letter (April 1737)