Well fed and treated well. some of the slaves even owned slaves. they had a much higher standing in society than slaves in England or america did <span />
In Africa, slaves were not looked down on, they were well fed, and they were treated like family. They could even gain freedom back following a few years. Some of them actually became very prominent citizens after slavery. Also, they could be purchased out of slavery by their own families. Children were not allowed to be bought nor sold, showing they had a better position in society than slaves in England or America.
The North had excellent ports. This made it easier to ship products and to trade. Thus, the North was more suited for manufacturing. It made more sense for the North to have industries and for the South to farm.