from other sources, that the export of slaves from the Portuguese dominions to the southward of Loanda was carried on to a very considerable extent during the last year, and that there must be some persons engaged in organizing this traffic resident in the Portuguese possessions.

The export of slaves from the Portuguese possessions in Angola was put a stop to on a former occasion by the expulsion from those possessions, on demand of her Majesty's Government, of Senhors Flores and Garrido, two notorious slave-dealers. These individuals were subsequently allowed to return to Loanda, one of them, Senhor Flores, having received from the Portuguese Government a large grant of territory in the neighbourhood of Benguela to enable him to work some rich copper-mines said to have been discovered in that neighbourhood. But, from reports received by her Majesty's Government, it would appear that those mines have not turned out so profitable as was expected, and as it is from the coast in the vicinity of Benguela that shipments of slaves were stated to have been effected, it is quite possible that the facilities afforded by the assemblage of a considerable number of slaves in the neighbourhood of the mines may have induced the parties engaged in working them to make up for the unprofitableness of their mining speculations by taking to the more lucrative traffic in slaves. The recent capture of the Spanish brigantine Virgen del Refugio off the coast of Benguela would also serve to strengthen this suspicion.

New York.-No case had been brought for adjudication before the court in the year ended 31st December, 1863.

From the West Coast of Africa station Commodore Wilmot sent the following few remarks connected with the successful return of the Investigator from the Niger in the month of November last :

"It seems that Lieutenant Gambier ascended in the steamer as far as Egga, about 360 miles from the entrance of the river; from thence he advanced a further distance of five miles in his boats, and entered a small river, up which he went fifty miles to a village called Wanagi, seven miles from Bida, the capital of King Massaba. Dr. Baikie accompanied him.

At Wanagi they were met by King Massaba's messengers, who informed them that horses would be sent down for their conveyance to his town.

The name of this river is not yet given in any chart; neither has it been surveyed. It will be well to call it by some name connected with this year's expedition. It is about 300 yards across in the broadest part, and from thirty to forty in its narrowest part; depth unknown, but Lieutenant Gambier thinks its average quite two fathoms. The banks are thick with mangrove and a few trees, but the country is well cultivated, yielding Indian corn and yams. There is also the butter tree, which is about ten feet high, and produces what is called 'shea butter,' which is used by the natives for food and for greasing their bodies. The leaf of this tree is larger than a laurel leaf, but of the same shape. There is plenty of cotton, red and white; large quantities might be grown. At every village cotton was brought down for sale.

The soil appears to be

"The country seems well populated with much of the same description of people as in other parts of Africa. All were very friendly and anxious for trade. most fertile; cotton, Indian and Guinea corn, cassada, the date, palm, yams, &c., growing in great abundance. The yams are superior to those in most places on the coast, and the climate from all accounts is very healthy; a fresh breeze blowing up from the sea.

"Dr. Baikie came on board at Lukoja, his own place about 220 miles up, and was greatly rejoiced to see the Investigator, as his supplies were exhausted, and he had given up all hopes of being relieved this year. The missionaries were all landed at those places where they had missions, embarking again when the Investigator returned. All the goods, &c., belonging to those gentlemen were likewise conveyed by Lieutenant Gambier up the river. There are partridges and guinea fowl, also elephants and buffaloes, in the neighbourhood. From the entrance of the Niger to Egga, a distance of 360 miles, the average depth in the rainy season is between four and five fathoms, excepting in one part of the ship-channel, which was only ten feet; this of course makes it impossible for vessels drawing more water to proceed further than this shallow part, which is about 200 miles up. There is another pas

sage the other side of the island, near which this ten feet is, which has not yet been surveyed, and Lieutenant Gambier thinks it highly probable that a deeper channel may be found there. My opinion, formed upon the information I have been able to obtain, is that it would well repay one company to take the trade of the Niger into its own hands, encouraged and assisted by a yearly subsidy from the Government, until the trade is regularly and permanently established, and certain profits arise. After this it will be of course for her Majesty's Government to rescind the charter, and do away with the monopoly as they think proper. It appears that this single ten foot channel mentioned above is the only obstacle, excepting the river bar, to vessels of large draught of water navigating the river after passing the bar, and taking in their cargoes 300 miles up. This is a very serious obstacle, but it can be overcome by steamers of light draught towing up large cargo boats or hulks of a considerable size. The bar is another drawback to vessels drawing much water; there is only twelve feet on it in the rainy season. A company must therefore be prepared to enter upon their work with two powerful paddle-wheel steamers, drawing when loaded nine feet of water, which is only one foot less than the depth of the channel in its shallowest part, with a good supply of cargo-boats or other conveyances as they may deem expedient for river work. The ship to receive the cargo must be at anchor outside the bar. These steamers should be armed with one heavy and one light gun, also a proportion of small-arms, rockets, &c., in case of necessity. They should be very fast, well ventilated, and carry at least 100 tons of coal. A depôt of coal must be in the river at the best selected place, and wood can be obtained very cheap. I should say that steamers with two rudders would be the best, which will prevent the necessity of turning. At first some little difficulty will doubtless arise, which must be expected; but the enterprise of British merchants, backed by the energy and skill of British seamen, will conquer every obstacle, and establish a trade in the Niger that will fully satisfy in a few years every one that is really interested in the happiness and prosperity of Africa."

On the 31st December, 1863, Commodore

Wilmot, of the Rattlesnake, sent a report пpon the state of the slave trade on the West and East Coast of Africa, of which the following is the conclusion::

"It will be a source of congratulation to the country that the slave trade during the last twelve months has been considerably on the decline, the cause of which I have endeavoured, though perhaps imperfectly, to explain in my previous remarks. The war now existing between the Northern and Southern States of America has, doubtless, very materially assisted the efforts of our cruisers, and intimidated the old and long-established agents of the slave-dealers on this coast from risking their money and their ships in such an uncertain speculation. The will for entering into these nefarious proceedings is still the same, and the demands from Cuba reach these shores with great and increasing urgency. If the kings and chiefs can be brought to recognize the benefits of legitimate trade as compared with the uncertain profits arising from the sale of their fellow-creatures, they will in a great measure facilitate the accomplishment of this desirable end, and do more for the real benefit of their country than can be effectually carried out by a hundred cruisers, unless these cruisers establish a close and rigid blockade, in spite of the flags of different nations.

"There is no doubt that we can coerce the kings and chiefs of Africa into giving up the slave trade, and that the power of these chiefs to continue it has been very much magnified. I am quite certain that one year's blockade would force the King of Dahomey to listen to our terms. Whenever this potentate is put down all minor chiefs will follow his example. My report upon the state of the Dahomian country will have fully explained all the difficulties on this head. The kings and chiefs of Africa keep up their position, dignity, and power entirely by the imports from the white man's country. They cannot do without cloths from Manchester, iron, rum, tobacco, and silks from England, with powder and arms from the same place, also gold and silver ornaments of every description, which makes them so dependent upon the ships that come from across the sea, that if these articles of trade and usefulness were stopped the whole influence pos

sessed by these native governments would be upset and their very existence jeopardized.

"It is from this knowledge and from these considerations that I unhesitatingly affirm the certain destruction of these governments whenever a well-devised pressure is put upon their actions. The people live almost entirely and are kept together by what they receive from their kings during their annual customs. Stop this, and the result will be a looking to themselves for their every-day subsistence and the cultivation of the soil for the common necessaries of life. Cuba well guarded, and the Governor-General determined to do his duty, will also be a principal cause of the abolition of the slave trade. Portugal must also be sincere in her efforts to put down the slave trade on this coast. There is no doubt that slaves have been shipped from their possessions south of St. Paul's de Loanda, whether with the knowledge of the Government officials I will not pretend to say.

"I believe Brazil to be perfectly honest with regard to the abolition of the slave trade, as far as the Government of that country is concerned, and although vessels carrying the Brazilian flag have again appeared in the Bights, I do not think they have gone there for illegal purposes. Unless we come to some understanding with France, I am afraid that the French flag will be often used as a protection from the right of search, and that we shall have great difficulty in doing our duty and carrying out our instructions so long as this subterfuge is permitted. I have mentioned that slaves are shipped from Elmina by the Dutch authorities and sent over to their colonies in Java; these are brought from the King of Ashantee, who has always a large number ready. It is reported that these slaves are shipped in Government vessels, but I will not vouch for the truth of this. I have never met a Dutch ship of war on this coast. There are no American ships of war of any kind out here, and the Spaniards have only a schooner gunboat at Fernando Po. The French Rear-Admiral, Laffon de Ladebat, has his flag flying in the Armorique, screw frigate, and his headquarters are at the Gaboon. There are only two or three small paddle-wheel vessels under his command; the steamers at Senegal, ten in number, all paddle-wheel and mostly built of

iron, being entirely colonial. They are commanded by a capitaine de frégate, who resides at St. Louis. I hear that Spain intends to send out a commodore to this station.

"The slave trade from the East side of the continent of Africa is carried on to a far greater extent than is generally supposed in Europe. It consists of two separate branches, namely, that conducted by the Portuguese, and the other by the maritime Arabs; the former has been in existence for the last century, whilst that of the latter is of more recent origin.

"The great increase of late of the Arab export slave trade from Zanzibar and vicinity may be traced to the discontinuance of that traffic through Tripoli and Tunis, as most of the slaves are taken to the markets formerly supplied from those places. This horrible business is carried on by the maritime Arabs of the Red Sea and Persian Gulf; they visit Zanzibar and adjacent coast at the expiration of the north-east monsoon in squadrons of from 50 to 100 native vessels, called dhows or buddeens, varying from 40 to 200 tons, and each capable of carrying from 60 to 300 slaves. They bring quantities of dried fish (shark) and cotton, which they exchange for negroes, in preference to anything else.

"The greater number of these vessels begin to return at the commencement of the southwest monsoon, about the end of March; some leave at a later period, and the rest in the months of September and October. During the last three years I have directed the energies of the few cruisers I have had at my disposal for the suppression of this traffic and, notwithstanding the severe measures they have adopted, by which more than 100 of these vessels have been captured or destroyed, such are the strong inducements and profits of it, that I am informed many vessels are expected next year of a faster description, and better armed. The light draught of the Arab vessels, and the intricate nature of the coast in consequence of the numerous shoals and small islands, enable them to evade the cruisers; and although the boats have in many instances intercepted and cut them off, the larger number have escaped either by superior sailing, or from better knowledge of the navigation. When the Arab finds that escape is impracticable, he invariably runs his vessel to the shore, and in

the endeavour to make the slaves escape into the bush many are drowned. It is owing to this practice that so few vessels are taken with the slaves on board. In the year ending the 30th September, 1862, 22 dhows were captured, estimated to carry from 2,000 to 3,000 slaves; of these only three had their cargoes on board, numbering 289 slaves. During the last year 21 of these slave vessels have been seized, calculated to carry a similar number, two of which had 123 slaves in. From the reports of the several commanders of the cruisers, I gather that they consider their vessels too large, and entirely unsuited to cruise effectually in suppression of this traffic: neither are their boats of sufficient power or speed to cope with the numbers of Arab vessels they occasionally meet; single-handed they are generally successful. Strong currents and fresh breezes prevail much in the latitude of and to the northward of Zanzibar, making it very unsafe for the large cruisers to keep in-shore; and the same causes render it very dangerous to open boats. The source whence such numbers of Africans are taken appears to be the country round the great lakes in the interior. They are brought to the coast near Keelwa, or Quiloa, by the captors, who make them carry on the road thither ivory and other produce. Thence about 20,000 of them are taken during the year to supply the market for the domestic slaves in Zanzibar and Pemba, independently of those carried off by the Northern Arabs. The slave trade from the Portuguese territories supplies that to Cuba, the Comoro islands, French settlements, and Madagascar, being better suited for the purpose. Four or five vessels under Spanish and other colours are said to visit the East coast of Africa and the Western ports of Madagascar yearly for the purpose of obtaining cargoes of slaves. Two are reported to have made successful shipments at Inhambane, and another from Ibo. A vessel called the America is now on the coast under observation. Upwards of 3,000 slaves upon the average are so taken off.

"The traffic with the Comoro islands is very extensive and easily carried on, as the native vessels can make a trip to them from the coast during the night. The slaves, after being landed there, are re-shipped in vessels with French agents, and taken to their settlements

at Nosbeh and Mayotta, under the names of engagés, where they are employed in the culti vation of sugar, &c. The number of Africans transported to Madagascar from the Portuguese dominions is much on the increase. Many of these are for re-embarkation in foreign vessels for Cuba; the others are employed for agricultural purposes. Besides those exported for slavery, nearly all the natives in the Portuguese territories are held in bondage of the most corruptible and degrading kind. In the small island of Mozambique, where there are only about 600 Portuguese, there are 5,000 slaves, and the mortality amongst the domestic slaves is so great that they are always in demand. Dr. Livingstone in his letters to me states that the country about the Shire and Lake Nyassa is desolated by the slave-hunters. The Portuguese do not employ their slaves in any extensive cultivation of the land, or for manufacturing purposes, but merely to provide for the present necessities, and for sale when a favourable opportunity offers. Under such circumstances it cannot be matter of surprise that there is little or no legitimate foreign trade in the province of Mozambique. At Zanzibar the slave is trained to the cultivation of produce for exportation, and there is therefore considerable commerce carried on at that island with German, French, and American merchants; there is also a good trade with our Indian possessions.

"I have annexed, for their lordships' information, a list of slave vessels captured on the East coast of Africa by her Majesty's cruisers during the past year."

SLAVE TRADE.-CLASS B.

Correspondence with British Ministers and Agents in Foreign Countries, and with Foreign Ministers in England, relative to the Slare Trade from January 1 to December 31, 1864. Africa - Bight of Benin.- Consul Freeman wrote on the 8th January, intimating further suspected shipments of slaves, and the expediency of blockading the Forcados river and Benin. And Earl Russell informed him that the Admiralty was requested to send a cruiser to Benin. In September a despatch was received by Dr. Parkie, from Lukoja, who was

engaged in the Niger expedition, stating that heavy dues were charged on all ivory passing down the river, but that on application to King Masaba, these might be reasonably reduced. Soon after Governor Blackall reported that Dr. Parkie died at Sierra Leone after a short illness.

Africa-Bight of Biafra.-In November, 1863, Consul Burton sent a note of an ascent of the Congo river as far as the Yéllala, or main rapid. He said that "all the friends of Africa saw, with great satisfaction, the final disappearance of the Immigration Africaine.' It had produced a bevy of low chiefs, touters, and kidnappers, enriched by the traffic; it had thoroughly demoralized the European agents, who bought their free labourers as openly as any slave-dealer, and it had thrown the natives back many years in the march of improvement. He met a negro near Boma who has sold, they say, 3,000 captives' (such is the usual local term), and who has in his villages 100,000 dollars of cloth and rum, white weapons, and arms and ammunition-irritamenta malorum all!

"The following objects of export are found throughout the country which the Congo river is known to water:

"1. Cotton, which in the beginning of the present century was regularly exported to England. 2. Wax, procurable in abundance, but wholly neglected. 3. Copper, still brought in small quantities from the interior; this, however, and other metals, as iron and gold-of which tradition speaks largely are unexploited. 4. Ivory, so despised by the traders that for years it has been sent from the Upper Congo to Mayumba, and other non-slaving ports, for exportation. 5. Palm oil in quantities, along the banks and in the delta as far as Boma. 6. Ground-nuts, growing throughout the country. The highlands of the interior might be covered with this oil-grain. Of these the arachis, paying about cent. per cent., is best adapted for the upper country, and everything should be done towards its development."

On the 22nd February, 1864, Earl Russell sent to Consul Burton copies of letters from the Liverpool African Association, complaining of the conduct of Pepple, King of Bonny, in levying dues and making demands on British traders not authorized by treaty. On the 12th

May Earl Russell received from Consul Burton a long account of his reception at Agbome by the King of Dahomey, part of which is as follows:

"On the day after our arrival the 'landlord' began palaver.' The presents sent by her Majesty's Government had been sent forward to his store-house. Coming in the evening with great mystery he informed me that it was customary to open them in his presence before sending them to the king. I refused on the ground that there was no custom in the case, his king having never yet received presents direct from her Majesty's Foreign Office. I yielded, however, as far as communicating to him the contents of your lordship's despatches, thinking to exercise a good effect upon the human sacrifices of the coming customs. The principal effect was, that the king, pretexting that he had heard the message,' kept me waiting two months instead of at most ten days.

Africans have no In Dahome, those men would make

"The king made his ceremonious entrance into Agbome on December 21. We were summoned to sit before the south-eastern gate of the Komasi Palace before noon, when nothing was to take place till 4 P.M. sense of or regard for time. who have charge of white interest with the king by causing their strangers to wait for the royal appearance as long as possible in the hot air and the blinding dust. Finding them guiltless of the least regard to our comfort in this matter, I at once warned the Bukono that he must expect nothing of the kind from me he was refractory; but after that day whenever kept waiting before the palace beyond a certain time, I ordered our hammocks and departed. The king never found fault with this proceeding, and, as in many other points, he was probably kept in ignorance of our troubles. It was certainly not a dignified position for an English official, in full uniform, to sit opposite the tattered mud wall of a petty African chief. I easily obtained permission to appear in plain clothes at all the fêtes outside the collection of thatched huts called the Palace.'

"The minor caboceers, each with his suite and umbrellas, first passed in review order round the open space before the palace acting parade-ground. They were closely followed by