What happened in slave scrambles?

Answer 1

slaves brought to the Americas were distributed in different ways . one method , which must have been horrifying to the newly arrived slaves , was known as a 'scramble'. When the slave ships reached port their cargoes were herded together to be sold , either on deck or in nearby yard . Sometimes they were sold at a fixed price per head , rather than being auctioned , and the purchasers would rush upon them , grabbing those they want to buy.

(taken from a different question)