144 The British West India Colonies, [FEB. 



trade to the Brazils, and about 2,000 slaves annually smuggled into 

 the Spanish possessions, it had entirely ceased. But the documents 

 recently printed by order of parliament, not only demonstrate, in the 

 most undeniable manner, that the Colonies of France and Spain have 

 renewed this trade to an enormous extent, but that it is sanctioned, or 

 at least not opposed, by the local authorities. The parliamentary papers 

 afford ample proof of the extent to which it is still carried on in the 

 island of Cuba. The British Commissioners there declare from Havanna, 

 that " the slave trade with this island is fully as extensive, and is car- 

 ried on in all its branches, with very nearly as much publicity as if our 

 treaty were not in existence ;" that " the representations which his 

 Majesty's Commissioners have been in the habit of making to the Cap- 

 tain-general on the arrival of slave vessels are perfectly useless."* That 

 " no concealment whatever is found necessary ;" that '" the abolition by 

 Spain is merely nominal, and, instead of promoting, only serves to 

 injure the cause of humanity." 



The affirmation of the British commodore employed for the suppression 

 of the slave trade on the coast of Africa,t that that trade " between the 

 Gambia and Cape Palmas, is carried on solely almost under the French 

 flag," is abundantly confirmed by various documents in the parliamentary 

 papers alluded to ; and while France and America pertinaciously deny 

 the right of mutual search, it is evident that vessels assuming these flags, 

 may, in general, elude the activity of our cruisers with impunity. The 

 authorities in the French Colonies seem to pay as little regard to the 

 ostensible acts of their government on this subject as those of Cuba. 

 One of the Parisian journals, in June last, gives a specification of seven 

 cargoes, amounting to nearly 2,000 slaves, landed in Martinique alone 

 (viz. from the 4th of November, 1828, to the 5th of January, 1829), from 

 Africa, in the short space of three months ; J and the importation and 

 sale of negroes in the French West India islands, has been declared to 

 be as common as that of mules. It appears that the number of slaves 

 legally imported into Rio Janiero from the 1st of July, 1827, to the 31st 

 of March, 1828 (a space of nine months), was no less than 30,964, 

 exclusive of those carried to Maranham, and other Brazilian ports. J5y 

 the Convention of the 23d of November, 1826, this traffic will cease to be 

 legal, on the part of Brazil, after the 13th of March, of the present year 

 (1830), from which day no vessel is to be permitted to leave the African 

 coast ; but six months is allowed from that date for vessels to reach their 

 destination. Such, however, are the facilities afforded by geographical 

 position, that unless more good faith is displayed by the Brazilian, than 

 has been shewn by the French and Spanish authorities, there is reason 

 to fear that they will continue to carry on the slave trade, and that our 

 measures of abolition, entered into with the concurrence of all the poten- 

 tates of Europe, amidst the pomp of congressional discussion, will have 

 added to its cruelties without diminishing its extent. 



Hitherto, however, this trade in Brazil has not been illegal ; but 

 its continuance in the French and Spanish islands, in open violation of 

 solemn engagements, and in contempt, as it were, of the expensive mea- 

 sures, and ardent wishes of Great Britain, whose Colonies have observed 



* Class A Correspondence with British Commissioners, pp. 93, 148. 



f- Class B Correspondence with Foreign Powers, &c. pp. 125105 to 107- 



+ Journal of the Socie'te' de Morale Chre'tienne. 



