594 THE FRENCH SYSTEM. Chap. XXIX. 



ivory — a woman fetched two arrobas, or sixty pounds weight. 

 A large portion of the males were sent to Bourbon. We 

 were witnesses of both these modes of disposing of the cap- 

 tives, as well as of the results following their capture. We 

 again allude to this nauseating subject, because it is of im- 

 portance to observe that all this waste of life happened under 

 the direction of an enlightened and far-reaching intelligence. 

 His Majesty, Napoleon III., meant to supply the lack of labour 

 in Bourbon by engaging free emigrants from Africa. A Govern- 

 ment Officer was appointed over every vessel, and he was to 

 see that the engagements with the natives were just and fair ; 

 that no overcrowding took place, and that proper food was 

 supplied in sufficient quantity. With all the Emperor's care, 

 his policy actually produced the effects which we witnessed. 

 It became the accursed slave-trade in an. aggravated form, 

 and with a powerful, energetic Government to back it. All 

 honour to the Emperor for freeing his people from the calamity 

 of being engaged in slaving ; and to our Government for 

 patiently pointing out the evils of which he was unconsciously 

 guilty, and, at considerable sacrifice, enabling a supply of 

 labour to be exported from India. That there may be no 

 mistake in supposing that we have been misled in ascribing 

 the sad effects we have faintly described to the enlightened 

 and careful "French engage system," we will mention one of 

 the proofs. When we were at Johanna, a " free emigrant," 

 who had been bought at Eilwa for twenty-two dollars, swam 

 on board the Pioneer from a vessel long known at the Cape 

 as the Mazurka, but then belonging to a French owner, and 

 under the supervision of the French Government Officer. 

 This emigrant had slipped overboard from the Mazurka at 

 early dawn, when she was getting under way ; and we found 

 that he was a Manganja, and had actually come from Banda. 

 We saw also the Manganja " free emigrants " going down in 

 canoe-loads chained. The Commandant of Tette remarked, 

 with a grin, " You can't interfere with us now that we have 



