THE SLAVE SUPPLY. 



459 



Home Authorities. It lacked earnestness, judg- 

 ing slavery leniently, and finding the practice 

 conducive to the well-being of its subjects. A 

 squadron of at least four steamers was required : 

 the work was left to a sloop and a corvette sta- 

 tioned in the Persian Gulf, with orders, amongst 

 other things, to arrest slavers. The Cape squad- 

 ron, whose beat extended to the Equator, rarely 

 visited these seas, and the French ships of war 

 were popularly said to do more harm than good. 

 Even in after years, when a considerable impulse 

 was given to our cruisers, they could capture only 

 6.6 per cent. : thus, from Zanzibar and Kilwa, 

 in 1867-9 were taken 116 daus carrying 2645 

 slaves, leaving 37,000 to escape. There were 

 neither special agents nor approvers ; steam- 

 launches and crews sufficiently numerous for ardu- 

 ous boat-service were wanting. An infinite deal of 

 nothing in the shape of bescribbled foolscap was 

 collected, by way of sop for the Court of Directors 

 and for Exeter Hall ; but the counsels of such 

 authorities as Lieut. -Colonel Hamerton and Capt. 

 Eelix Jones, I. N., were passed over with the 

 scant attention of a compliment. The fact is, in 

 British India, as to a certain extent in Erance, no 

 political capital could be made out of Abolition. 

 Eew men retain, after long residence in the East, 



