APPENDIX. No. VI. 
cxxvii 
It might be impracticable at present, from the loss of the Custom-house 
books, to obtain any authentic account of exports and imports during the last 
seven years. But this defect of official information isin some degree supplied by 
an authentic statement, made out on a particular occasion by a Committee 
of the African Company, from accounts with which they were furnished 
from the Custom-house, through the intervention of Government. The ob- 
ject of the Company in obtaining these accounts was to procure authentic 
data relative to some public measure which was in agitation, connected with 
the African trade. The following statement was extracted from the books of 
the Company. 
Imports from Africa into Great Britain. 
1808 So'^^ 306 
' ' exclusive of gold dust, which is not subject to any custom- 
1809. 383,926 V , .s J 
1810. 535,577/ 
Exports from Great Britain to Africa. 
1808. /820,]94 
1809. 976,872 
1810. 693,911 
The great difference between the value of the exports and imports in this 
ease was accounted for by an experienced officer of the African Company 
by supposing that a large proportion (from one third to a half) of the goods 
exported, was captured by the enemy. If this be the true explanation, the 
account must have been balanced by the exports of gold dust, and the bills of 
exchange drawn from the British settlements on the African coast. Another 
supposition (and perhaps a more probable one) is that a considerable part of 
the exports found their way into the hands of the contraband slave traders, 
and was employed in carrying on their illegal speculations. 
But even if we consider the imports alone, the increase in the commerce 
of Africa during the before mentioned period is altogether astonishing ; so 
much so, as almost to induce a suspicion that there is some fallacy in the 
statement, although there dues not appear to be any specific ground for 
questioning its correctness. For if to the amount of the imports as above 
stated, we add the value of the gold dust imported, we shall find that this 
additional commerce nearly fills up the chasm occasioned by the Abolition of 
the slave trade, extensively as that trade was carried on by this country. 
But considering this statement only as a general proof of a great increase 
