The French do not export slaves across the Atlantic, although they tenaciously maintain domestic slavery in their settlements. On the contrary, the Portuguese in Bissaô, Cacheco, and Cape Verde, carry on the traffic to a great extent under the flag of Brazil; as does Spain, also, preferring the Brazilian flag, which does not forfeit the vessel, and consequently remove it from the trade. The notorious slave-dealer, Governor Kitan, resides at Bissaô; with him Pedro Blanco, Martinez of Gallinas, Felipe de Souza, called by the natives Char Char, of Lagos and Whydah. These are justly considered the most extensive dealers on the west coast, and their adventures frequently come under the surveillance of the Mixed Courts in Sierra Leone. To the southward of Bissaô is the Nunez, situate on the river of the same name, and, under the dominion of the native chief, the Landewas, the resort of both French and English, whence is procured gold, ivory, wax, hides, coffee, and other productions; but in consequence of the frequent feuds amongst the chiefs, and incursions to the settlement for the object of plunder, the merchants have placed themselves under the protection of the British cruisers, which visit periodically. Rio Pongas, in the neighbourhood of Nunez, is almost exclusively engaged in the slave trade; consequently, legitimate commerce is little known there, nor is it the resort of any creditable merchant of the Colony, as all mercantile operations there are of a very questionable character. From this place to Sierra Leone are the Isles de Los, Bogga country, from whence are procured hides, wax, palm oil, small quantities of gold, ground nuts, mats, gum, ivory, &c. We now come to the British Colony of Sierra Leone, which merits particular attention from the solicitude with which the Government has watched over it ever since its establishment. This Colony was founded by the English in 1786, under the direction of Captain Tomson, of the Navy, who took with him 400 distressed Negroes from London, with about 60 whites, to prepare and cultivate that portion of the country which was ceded by King Tom for the purpose of Colonisation. This system, however, having soon failed, Messrs. Wilberforce, Thornton, and other intelligent persons, were induced to undertake the object upon a different system, justly reasoning that little benefit could be effected from the mere abolition of the slave trade, unless the natives were in structed in religion and the arts of civilisation, which alone can render a people free. Under the direction of those distinguished advocates for the liberty of man, a better mode of action was suggested, and new Colonists encouraged to venture into the speculation, when an eligible town was founded in 1792. In the year 1794 the French sent out a squadron, which almost levelled everything to the ground-a victory that would have been "more honoured in the breach than the observance," when we consider the universal benefit to mankind that was proposed by the establishment. However, such future assaults are happily provided against; and even were they not, it is to be hoped that such labours of love, should the misery of another war overwhelm the world, will be considered as a joint-stock benevolence, and be respected accordingly-nay, must be respected-were the two leading Powers, Britain and France (though at issue upon other points), to join heart and hand in such honourable protectorship. The following list of captured and condemned slavers for one quarter speaks trumpet-tongued in advocacy for such a consummation: RETURN OF VESSELS CAPTURED AND CONDEMNED AT SIERRA LEONE BETWEEN THE 1ST OF JANUARY AND THE END OF MARCH, 1845. By what El Cayman Brigantine C. H. M. Buckle.. ...... Venus........Schooner Cazuza Deligencia.. Huracan.. Vivo Deligencia.. Oliveria Ditto..... .... taken. .. .... Growler Jan. 11, 1845 Spanish Felucca .. H. B. Young.. Dos Hermanos Ditto J. Russell (b) Schooner Ditto C. Hadaway R. J. W. Dunlop. Mar. 27, 1845] Ditto Nineteen prizes; 803 slaves. .... In the trade, but no slaves found on board. 421 slaves taken. Equipped for the trade, &c. 70 slaves taken. Equipped for the trade, &c. 312 slaves taken. Equipped for the trade, &c. Instances have occurred of slave dealing in the Colony by liberated Africans themselves, as in the case of the notorious Gibson, sentenced to five years in a chain gang, but who, through the cognizance of the driver, escaped to the Mandingo shore, leaving the driver to serve the sentence in his place. Other cases of Mahomedans, Mandingoes, and Foulahs or Timmannees, residents in the Colony, are established, who have inveigled liberated African boys or children out of the Colony, and sold them in the interior. Cooper Thompson reports from Teembo that he there found a family so disposed of, and had resided for many years, but was ultimately liberated by King Alimammee Foodi Bocarri. Cummings, a liberated African, on more occasions than one, has had bills presented to the grand jury against him for slave dealing, also a Mandingo, named Dowdah; but, from the manner in which the evidences are trained by the people in the interior, conviction is difficult, yet many have been punished severely. Aiding and abetting in the traffic is more than suspected. (For particulars see Mixed Commission.) I by no means intend to charge the British merchant with this offence, but the question is, into whose hands do his goods get, and for what purpose? If the cargo be sold for doubloons, dollars, &c., from whom do such flesh-earned payments come?-decidedly the Portuguese, Spanish, and Brazilian agents, as was the case of the Dolphin, owned by Mr. Heddle, and commanded by Captain Lawrance; and if the payment be in African produce, such as ivory, palm oil, gold dust, how are the European goods disposed of by the natives but in barter for slaves? From this it is evident that to reach the bottom and uproot the whole is, perhaps, impossible; for even the honest merchant will sell, and he cannot ask the purchaser, on the one hand, how he got his money, nor, on the other side, how he means to dispose of the articles for which he had paid; and if he did inquire, of course he would not hear the truth. The trade may be prevented immediately in our own Colonies, yet it will continue to be vigorously carried on in other quarters until the native kings or chiefs are made sensible of the fact that were the hands now sent out of their different territories (for a paltry price) turned to a more legitimate trade, the cultivation of the soil, mining, and certain manufactories which Europeans cannot stand, &c., &c., greater profit would accrue, and greater happiness be established. And who can say but that the very annual tribute or allowance granted are well to the chiefs for their protection of British interests is spent in the purchase of slaves for domestic use, if not exportation? That homeslavery exists cannot be denied, and how can Government prevent it unless by interfering with the established laws and rights of those over whom it has no legitimate authority? That religious instruction is the grand key to reformation must be admitted, yet it would be desirable that only such men should be chosen for missionaries as qualified to reason upon temporal salvation as well as eternal-men who understand political and domestic economy-men who could, and would, convince them that they are pursuing a losing instead of a winning game—men who would undividedly attend to their high and appointed duty, without (as some do, sub rosa) connecting themselves commercially with those very persons whose profits are expended in furnishing slaves for home demand or exportation. I by no means assert that such reverend traffickers speculate out of their calling with this intent, yet such is evidently the result; and as they are engaged to teach others how to think, they would do well to think themselves, and look before they leap, or they may plunge down the precipice of avarice when too late for reflection, and, worse, drag many along with them whom they could have saved. If he who "allows oppression, shares the crime," be a true aphorism, of what is he guilty who abets it? It is not my intention to undertake a statistical account of this frightful subject, those who are curious in such matters will find a minute detail in Sir F. Buxton's "African Slave Trade and its Remedy," published by Mr. Murray, Albemarle-street, which able work happily precludes the necessity of fatiguing research through public documents and other sources of information, and will furnish those fond of the marvellous with facts that leave Lewis's imaginings in his "Tales of Terror" limping far behind, whilst, not only verifying Lord Byron's assertion "that history is more wonderful than fiction," but convincing the most sceptical that the cupidity of man never devised a more infernal means of satisfying his avarice, if that all-devouring and heart-petrifying fiend can be satisfied. I shall, therefore, merely attempt to convey some idea of a slave-ship, from personal observation and authority, the horrors of which, unless witnessed, are beyond human conception-human beliefsed mirabile dictu, not beyond the willing construction and adoption of human beings. K Slavers, as those floating graves may be called, are invariably good sailers, and lie low in the water so as to escape distant observation as much as possible; but it is in the internal, or rather infernal, construction of their stowage room, that they materially differ from other vessels of similar craft. In order that each vessel may carry (as an Irish sailor remarked) more than the full of it," the cabins seldom exceed three feet in height, and are frequently much lower, not exceeding twenty inches, or less, so that, were a sectional view given, those living tombs would have the appearance of shelves, into which the wretched (and, to the owners, unoffending) victims are packed, often chained together, side by side, where they are left for days, weeks, or months, as the voyage may be, literally parboiled in their own steam, and rotting in the calls of nature, which are unnaturally frequent from sea sickness, dysentery, and bad feeding, to which accumulation of offences the most virulent small pox is a very common addition. It may here be supposed that suffering can no further go; but this is only a preface to the dreadful history. The hell-heat that stews brain, flesh, and bone into glue, boils their blood into yelling madness, when they seize each other with their teeth, and suck and gnaw, until the weaker victim expires. Thirst and starvation also cause these demoniac acts, whilst many also die of disease and suffocation, and lie for days in rank and rapid putridity, before discovered by the crew, owing to the manner in which the wretches receive their food, which is by shoving a bucket of garbage into the hole, to be passed from one to another over their bodies, frequently never reaching the furthest, until its intended consumer is like Polonius ،، Not where he eats, but where he's eaten, A convocation of worms is e'en at him.” Then the slaves are permitted to leave this charnel in small gangs to walk the deck for a few minutes, in many hours. Suicide is often attempted and succeeded in by leaping overboard, more through the fear of returning to their crowded coffins, than the dread even of future slavery. When they are ordered back after this short recreation, the manner in which they express their distress is subduing, they fall upon their knees, particularly the women and children, and silently press their heads against the knees of their masters; the ruffian sailor has been seen |