368 REMARKS ON 



cases are similar. The worst feature of the system 

 is, that this head, or rather blood-money, is only 

 payable upon the number of slaves landed at 

 Sierra Leone, not upon those captured. This is 

 equivalent to telling the world that, unless the 

 British navy are paid for their humanity, they 

 would take no trouble in preserving the lives of 

 the slaves between the periods of capturing and 

 landing them. The ridiculous feature is, that we 

 pay more for the slaves to our own cruisers than 

 we could purchase them for if we went openly to 

 market : the only difference being that a Bri- 

 tish officer, instead of a native chief, receives the 

 purchase-money. It is a curious fact, that the 

 officers and crews of British men-of-war are the 

 only persons who can, at the present day, legally 

 realize the living cargo of a slave vessel. They 

 are certainly confined to one market and pur- 

 chaser, — Sierra Leone and the British Govern- 

 ment. 



If the system is to be continued, let the Bri- 

 tish navy be saved the disgrace of being paid 

 for saving the lives of their fellow-creatures. 

 Give them promotion, double pay, —anything 

 is better than making their profits depend upon 

 their humanity : or establish a separate class, a 



