OUR COMMERCE WITH AFRICA. 357 



The importance of the trade will be more 

 clearly seen by comparing it with that of other 

 countries. The direct export of British manufac- 

 tures to the coast of Africa in 1834 was five times 

 greater than that to Sweden, nearly five and a 

 half times greater than to Norway, three and half 

 times greater than to Denmark, and nearly two 

 and a half times more than to Prussia. The Bri- 

 tish shipping employed in it was double that em- 

 ployed in the trade to Sweden, six times greater 

 than to Norway, ten per cent, more than to 

 Denmark, fifteen per cent, more than to Prussia, 

 nearly double that to Turkey and the Levant, 

 equal to the whole of the Brazil trade, and ex- 

 ceeding the total tonnage employed in the whale- 

 fishery. 



That a trade of this importance has a right to 

 demand protection, not from fair and honourable 

 competition, but from an illegal and brutalising 

 traffic, will, I hope, be allowed by all. To prove 

 it requires this protection, I will state a case 

 that is constantly occurring, and which I have 

 myself witnessed. In the Bonny, Calebar, and 

 Cameroons rivers, there are always British ships 

 loading with palm-oil and other African produce; 

 their commanders and crews making every exer- 



