62 



SLAVERY CITY. 



March 



sands of unhappy wretches, who, once landed, become the 

 helpless instruments of immense gain to their owners : neither 

 can any reasonable number of shipping efficiently blockade 

 the coasts of two great continents. 



If I am right in these assertions, it appears that there is 

 no method by which the slave trade can be totally suppressed, 

 except by destroying the cause of so abominable a traffic : and 

 that, to this end, a native population should be encouraged in 

 hot climates, who, being gradually inured to work on their 

 native soil, for remuneration from their employers, and a pros- 

 pect of future comfort for themselves and their offspring, would 

 totally supersede the demand for constrained labour. Of course, 

 the only way by which such a result could be obtained — I 

 should say, perhaps, the first step towards so satisfactory a 

 result, would be, that the government of a slave-importing 

 country should declare that trade piratical : and proclaim 

 every human being free ; bound to no man, free to do any 

 thing not contrary to religion, or law, from the moment he or 

 she embarked on board a vessel belonging to that country, or 

 placed a foot upon its soil ; which might then indeed be termed, 

 in common with our happy land, a sacred soil. By such a 

 plan as this, individuals would suffer for a time, but the mass 

 of society would be gainers incalculably. ** 



Well-known authors have already said so much of Bahia, its 

 spacious harbour, and delightful environs, that it would be 

 impertinent in the writer of a mere narrative to add his hasty 

 remarks to the calmly considered information which their works 

 contain. But I will venture to notice that however pleased 

 a stranger to Bahia may be at the sensations conveyed through 

 his eyes, previous to landing, he will be miserably disap- 

 pointed when he finds himself in the dirty, narrow, crowded, 

 and hot ' lower town and that the sooner he gets into a 

 sedan* chair, and desires the almost naked bearers to make the 

 best of their way to the ' upper town,' where he will enjoy 



* An arm-chair, with a high back, a foot-board, and curtains to draw 

 round, hung to a pole which rests on the shoulders of two men. 



