THE ROARING FORTIES 113 



some guarantee that slavers who misused the 

 flag and traders who lawfully used it should be 

 judged by its natural protectors rather than by 

 the officers of a foreign power. The article in 

 this shape was designed to leave wholly un 

 touched the controversy over the right of search, 

 and merely to reduce the frequency of the 

 incidents that might raise anew that contro 

 versy. 



At this date the discussion of the right of 

 search by the publicists, official and unofficial, 

 had assumed new phases in connection with the 

 matter of the slave-trade. How, it was asked, 

 could the nefarious traffic ever be interfered 

 with, if a vessel loaded with slaves could escape 

 examination by the simple expedient of running 

 up a flag other than that of the cruiser that 

 wished to examine her? There must be at 

 least such examination as will determine whether 

 the suspected ship has a right to the colors 

 which she displays. Irrespective, thus, of any 

 serious search, there must be a right of visitation 

 as to a merchantman concerning which there 

 is any ground for suspicion. 



Not so, was the reply. Visitation would be 

 futile without such a degree of examination as 

 would constitute all that is involved in the 



