CUSTOM-HOUSE ARRANGEMENTS. 
257 
*ater from tho river Coanza to tho city. There is not a 
single English morchant at Loanda, and only two American. 
This is the more remarkablo as nearly all tho commerce is 
oarr >od on by means of English calico brought hither via 
Lisbon. Several English houses attempted to establish a 
trado about 1845, and accepted bills on Eio de Janeiro in 
payment for their goods; but tho increased activity of our 
cruisers had such an effect upon tho mercantile houses of 
that city that most of them failed. Tho English merchants 
lost all, and Loanda got a bad name in the commercial 
world in consequence. 
One of the arrangements of the custom-houso may have 
had somo influence in preventing English trade. Ships 
coming hero must bo consigned to somo one on the spot; 
the consignee recoivos ono hundred dollars per mast, and 
ho generally makes a groat deal moro for himsolf by put- 
log a percentage on boats and men hired for loading and 
unloading, and on every item that passes through his hands 
The port-charges are also rendered heavy by twenty dollars 
being charged as a perquisite of the secretary of Govern- 
ment, with a fee for the chief physician, something for the 
hospital, custom-house officers, guards, &c. &c. But, with 
a U these drawbacks, tho Americans carry on a brisk and 
profitable trade in calico, biscuit, flour, butter, &c. &c. 
The Portuguese homo Government has not generally re- 
ceived the credit for sincerity in suppressing the slave-trade 
which I conceive to bo its duo. In 1839, my friend -Mr. 
Gabriel saw thirty-seven slave-ships lying in this harbor, 
waiting for their cargoes, under tho protection of tho guns 
°f tho forts. At that timo slavers had to wait many 
months at a timo for a human freight, and a certain sum 
per head was paid to tho Government for all that were ex- 
ported. Tho duties derived from tho exportation of slaves 
for exceeded those from other commerce, and, by agreeing 
to the suppression of this profitable traffic, tho Government 
actually sacrificed the chief part of the export-revenue. 
Since that period, however, tho revenue from lawful com- 
R 22* 
