HORRORS OF THE SLAVE TRADE. 
23 
choly proofs, however, were there, that so far from 
succeeding, we had by the very attempt, dictated by the 
purest humanity, become in some degree accomplices 
in the cruelties of the trade, while it did not appear 
that the number of victims was lessened. It was ably 
shown in a work on the subject by Sir Fowell Buxton, 
not only that the steps hitherto taken had not removed 
this foul disease, but the very means which had been 
employed for this end had very much aggravated the 
horrors of it, as he clearly demonstrated by a variety of 
harrowing details. 
“ It has been proved, by documents which cannot be 
controverted, that for every village fired and every drove 
of human beings marched in former times, there are now 
double. For every cargo then at sea, two cargoes, 
or twice the number in one cargo, wedged together in a 
mass of living corruption, are now borne on the wave 
of the Atlantic. But whilst the numbers who suffer 
have increased, there is no reason to believe that the 
sufferings of each have been abated, on the contrary. 
The result is, that aggravated suffering reaches multi- 
plied numbers. 
“ I am driven to the sorrowful conviction, that the 
year from September 1837 to September 1838, is 
distinguished beyond all other preceding years, for the 
extent of the trade, for the intensity of its miseries, and 
for the unusual havoc it makes on human life.”* 
* Bu-icton on the Slave Trade, p. 235 , 257 . 
