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of these four charnel-houses, the men's slave-room was only two feet seven inches high; in the second, two feet; and, in the third, two feet three inches. It is stated that in some of these vessels were fierce dogs of the blood-hound species, trained to sit watching over the hatches during the night, lest the wretched beings below, driven to desperation, should make any attempt to reach the region of purer air.

But the heart sickens over such details. What the sum of human misery must amount to during the passage across the At lantic in the ships that escape, we can only form some idea from the state of the few that are captured-for very few indeed they are, compared with those that elude our cruizers. The number of vessels brought for adjudication at Sierra Leone in the year 1824, as stated by the Commissioners, amounted only to six, out of which the number of slaves emancipated was 1,245. The total number of cases adjudicated since the establishment of the Mixed Commission is stated to be fifty-two; and the total number of slaves emancipated up to the 1st of January, 1825,-5,160. In the year 1825 they report the condemnation of six ships having on board 1,660 slaves.

But bodily suffering in these floating dungeons of filth and corruption of disease and death-is but a part-perhaps a small part of the misery which the ill-fated African is doomed to undergo. If we allow him to possess but a small portion of the common feelings of our nature, we may imagine the mental agony which must attend the eternally recurring recollection of that moment when he was brutally snatched away from friends, family, and dearest connections, to be crammed into the hold of a slaveship; his cruel lot still further embittered by that dreadful state of suspense and anxiety, which a total ignorance as to his future fate must unavoidably produce.-Major Denham has taught us how sword and fire are let loose upon harmless and peaceable villages for the sake of seizing and carrying off the unoffending inhabitants, even far in the interior of Africa, where, contrary to what is observed in most regions, the natives are more civilized than those nearer to the sea-coast; how wars are multiplied upon wars merely because those of the vanquished that escape butchery are slaves,— all this in order to satisfy the greedy and rapacious cravings of the native slave-dealers, who are again tempted and urged by the European traffickers.

Here then, on the coast of devoted Africa, is scope enough for the exercise of our humanity. Here is the favourable climate and the fertile soil, on which is nourished and propagated that condition of slavery which we are so anxious to abolish-here is the root; and in vain should we cut down the tree, while the root is

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devoted officer's own subsequent fate. He, down to the last, speaks in sanguine terms of the rapid improvement of Sierra Leone, both in regard to its internal management, and the security and extension of its trade; and in these views he is supported by the testimony of the Commissioners, who state that the agriculture of the colony has improved and increased, and that its produce is now fully sufficient to support its augmented population. 'The people,' says General Turner, by being thrown more upon their own resources, are becoming industrious and orderly, respectful to their employers, submissive and obedient to the laws;' and he adds, what is most important, that the name and character of the colony are spreading rapidly, and that the rulers of distant nations are eagerly seeking our friendship and alliance, and openly soliciting a trade with us. Indeed we hesitate not to say, that, once establish a commercial intercourse of this kind, encourage it even at a loss for a time, and wage unrelenting war with every slave-dealer on the banks of the rivers-and the civilization of Africa is ensured; but so long as the slave-trade is permitted to exist, we are equally certain that rapine and murder, barbarism and desolation, will continue to mark its footsteps.

It is to Africa herself, we must repeat, and to the slave-trade, that the chief attention of the rational philanthropist ought at present to be directed. These are the primary objects which ought to engage the zeal that is not without knowledge.

ERRATUM.-P. 157. line 5. for models read medals.

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What then remains to be done? Are we, in utter despair, to withdraw our cruizers from the coast of Africa; to abandon all our forts and settlements on that coast, and throw open at once the whole line of this devoted country to the full and unrestrained scope of the slave-dealers of those governments who are more disposed to encourage than to repress the hateful traffic; and who have the insolence to ascribe our anxiety for its extinction solely to interested motives? Or, are we to compel by force of arms, the French, the Spaniards, and the Portugueze to abandon it? It is but too obvious that hitherto persuasion and remonstrance have equally failed; though our steady perseverance has produced, in the course of the past year, some little glimmering of hope, that a sense of shame has just touched the ruling powers of France, and that public opinion in that country is beginning to declare itself against a trade, which the French king, twelve years ago, solemnly pronounced repugnant to the principles of natural • justice, and of the enlightened age in which we live.' Even the Baron de Damas has at length admitted the utter inefficiency of the existing law. Even he (we are told)

did not hesitate to acknowledge, that the slave-trade from the French ports had very much increased during the last two years; and he gave assurances that the French ministers were examining thoroughly the whole question, not only with the view of adopting an improved mode. of administering the present law, but with the intention of collecting. materials on which to found the proposition of a new law to the chambers. He apprehended, however, that the investigation was not in a state of sufficient forwardness to enable the government to bring forward the question during the ensuing session.'

Indeed, we have little doubt, that the French government will find it necessary, in the course of next session, to adopt something more efficient than the present law; the support they are likely to meet with, from the most respectable men in the two Chambers, will leave them no excuse for evasion. The directors of the African Institution say-

The Baron de Staël, who visited Nantz in the course of last year, whilst drawing the strongest picture of that place, (which is in France now, what Liverpool was in its days of less creditable commerce,) and declaring the impossibility that any man of good faith there can question its truth, at the same time adds, that " nobody doubts for a moment that the slave-trade will be suppressed almost instantaneously whenever the government will adopt severe measures, and employ honest men to carry them into execution. The slave-dealers, whatever may be their impudence, and absolute want of moral feeling on the subject, know that they are supported by no real interest, and that their traffic has no chance of lasting." A more rapid progress may perhaps now be looked for. The Baron de Staël readily obtained, during the two days which he staid in Nantz, specimens of the irons used in the slave-ships. Upon

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laying these before the Dauphin, he had the satisfaction of finding the expectations of justice and humanity not deceived. His Royal Highness seems prepared to give the authority of his high station in behalf of this great cause; and has promised that every measure adapted for the suppression of the slave-trade shall have, not only his approbation, but his support.-Twentieth Report, p. 26.

There is some hope too that Spain, having no longer any great interest in pursuing the traffic, and having an honest minister at the head of her councils, may ere long pass such a law against the trade as shall effectually prevent her flag and her subjects from being engaged in it; and as for that wretched government of Portugal, which owes its existence, feeble and palsied as it is, to Great Britain, she ought to be peremptorily ordered to abandon the traffic altogether. Having no slave colonies she can no longer have even a pretext for carrying it on; her ships, therefore, found. in the prosecution of the slave-trade ought unquestionably to be considered as mere pirates, and treated accordingly. The Marquis of Palmella acknowledged indeed, two years ago, to our ambassador at Lisbon, that he was almost willing to consent at once to the total abolition of the slave-trade, in which Portugal could have no interest, in case of the independence of the Brazils.' On which the directors of the Institution justly observe,

As the independence of Brazil has been subsequently recognized, and as any negociation binding its direct interests must be now made with Brazil, it is difficult to explain why, as far as Portugal is concerned, this abolition has not been proclaimed-especially since it is understood that the British government have determined to enter into no treaty with Portugal in which the effectual abolition of the slave-trade should not be provided for.'

We shall presently see what is the determination of the new representative government of Portugal.* With regard to the Brazils, the surrounding states of America will, when once settled in their respective governments, dispose of Don Pedro's negroes, and probably of himself; in the mean time, should his ships continue to desolate Africa, we hope they may be most rigidly kept within the limits prescribed in the existing treaties, and harassed even there by every possible means. At present every Brazilian slave-dealer practises a double fraud, assisted by the corrupt con

* While this sheet is passing through the press, we observe (Sept. 2) the arrival of some Sierra Leone Gazettes filled with new instances of Portugueze, as well as French, cruelty and audacity, in the unremitted prosecution. of this traffic. A Portuguéze schooner, La Fortuna, had just been captured and brought in, with 200 slaves, the remainder of 250, of which the cargo had originally consisted. Ten slavers had been seen lying together in the Bonny, of which seven were French, and the Maidstone had just fallen in with a frigate-built French vessel, the original cargo of which had been 700 negroes.

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nivance of the officers of his government. Firstly, his imperial passport directs him to Molembo; but both the giver and receiver of that well know there are no slaves to be had at Molembo; secondly, the same passport declares the tonnage of the vessel to be quite different from what it actually is, by means of which vile trick, instead of taking on board five slaves for every two tons, according to treaty, it has been discovered that they are in the constant practice of taking on board four or five to every single ton.

It has been attempted' (say the directors of the African Institution) to justify this infringement of positive treaty by the singular declaration that there are two modes of measuring vessels; one for merchant vessels in general, and another for slave-ships: in other words, that a nominal and fictitious tonnage is taken for the last, "whereby human beings can be crammed into a smaller space than that known to be occupied by their weight in lead. The wretched creatures thus stowed away have been, consequently, chained together so close, that in all cases extreme misery, and in very many madness and death, have followed." Mr. Canning's expostulation against this violation of common humanity, as well as of solemn compacts, was presented during the course of last May to the government of Brazil, begging for an "immediate decree to do away this one, at least, among many evils." M. Carvalhoe Melho has answered, with a most concise indifference, that "he will take a fit opportunity to direct the proper measures."

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The following description of a Brazilian slave-trader, taken in the present year, may serve as a specimen of the condition of the poor negroes put on board a ship of this nation. It is that of the Perpetuo Defensor,' having on board 424 slaves.

A short time after detention (it is Commodore Bullen who speaks) I visited her, to be an eye-witness to the state of the slaves on their being brought on deck for the purpose of being counted; and I have to assure their lordships, that the extent of human misery evinced by these unfortunate beings is almost impossible for me to describe. They were all confined in a most crowded state below, and many in irons, which latter were released as soon as they could be got at. The putrid atmosphere emitting from the slave-deck was horrible in the extreme, and so inhuman are these fellow-creature dealers, that several of those who were confined at the farther end of the slave-room, were obliged to be dragged on deck in almost a lifeless state, and wasted away to mere shadows, never having breathed the fresh air since their embarkation. Many females had infants at their breasts, and all were crowded together in a solid mass of filth and corruption, several suffering from dysentery, and although but a fortnight on board forty-seven of them had died from that complaint.'

The directors of the African Institution appear to think that, ' by a determined encouragement of free labour, we may make the trade not worth pursuing.' We must take the liberty to say, that we have no great opinion of this free labour' system. The

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