604 



LOED PALMERSTON'S POLICY. Chap. XXIX. 



ing the assertion with others made against the English anti- 

 slave-trade policy, which, on examination on the spot, we 

 found to be groundless. These latter seem to have emanated 

 from traders on the Coast, who in their cups would have no ob- 

 jection to see the slave-trade revived. With all due deference 

 to our countrymen abroad, and in spite of the conviction that 

 they have a higher sense of justice than the members of some 

 other nations, we must confess that the low English trader is 

 so much of a bully, that he needs looking after ; and, putting 

 out of the question the national duty of the strong to protect 

 the weak, we think that the amount of trade* already developed 



* The Annual Trade Eeturns pre- 

 sented to Parliament show that the 

 declared value of British and Irish 

 produce and manufactures exported 



to the West Coast of Africa, arranged 

 in periods of five years each, has been 

 as follows : — 



Exports feom Great Britain. 



£ £ 



1846-50 2,773,408, or a yearly average of 554,681 



1851-55 4,314,752, „ „ 862,950 



1856-60 5,582,941, „ „ 1,116,588 



1861-63 4,216,045, „ „ 1,405,348 



Imports. 



The same Trade Returns show that 

 the imports of African produce from 

 the West Coast into Great Britaiu have 



Official value 

 Computed real value 1 



1851-55 

 1856-60 

 1861-63 



The value of African produce has 

 decreased during the last three years 

 in consequence of the discovery of the 

 petroleum or rock-oil in America. In 

 1864 between 4000 and 5000 bales of 

 cotton were shipped to England. 



It is to be borne in mind that under 

 the system which existed when Sierra 



been as follows. The " official value " 

 is given before 1856, after that date 

 the " computed real value" is given : — ■ 



£ £ 



.. 4,154,725; average 830,945 

 .. 9,376,251; „ 1,875,250 

 .. 5,284,611; „ 1,761,537 



Leone, the Gambia, and Gold Coast 

 settlements were maintained for the 

 promotion of the slave-trade, the lawful 

 commerce was only 20,000L annually ; 

 and that now the amount of tonnage 

 employed in carrying legal merchan- 

 dise is greater than was ever engaged 

 in carrying slaves. 



