Final answer:
Equiano is greeted with a horrible smell when he first steps below the decks of the ship during the transatlantic slave trade.
Step-by-step explanation:
The "greeting" that Equiano receives when he first steps below the decks of the ship is that he is met with a horrible smell. In his autobiography, Equiano describes the stench as putrid and unbearable, due to the cramped and unsanitary conditions on the slave ship. This greeting serves as an initial shock to Equiano, highlighting the inhumane conditions of the Middle Passage and the deplorable treatment of enslaved individuals during the transatlantic slave trade.
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