218 
THE CONFERENCE. 
productions of the country for commerce, they would 
prove a permanent source of revenue. Obi replied, that 
he was very willing to do away with the slave-trade, if a 
better ti affic could be substituted, ^hth a view to 
elicit information, as well as more fully to explain our 
object, a number of queries were put to the King, some 
of which are given below, in order to illustrate the 
nature of our conference. Tt will easily be imagined that 
there was gi'eat difficulty in shaping the questions, every 
one of which had to be put in a variety of forms to suit 
his capacity, on a subject which we were introduemg in 
such a new phase to him and to his subjects, who may 
be supposed to have been at least as ignorant of the 
cnielty of the practice as were our own more enlightened 
countrymen within a century from the time of our 
propounding to him this new doctrine, which had dawned 
so recently, and with so much difficulty among us. 
The pertinent remarks of this untutored native Chief 
will thus also shew the reader more clearly, how fully he 
understood the nature of the treaties we were proposing 
for his acceptance. 
Commissioners . — Does Obi sell slaves for his own 
dominions ? 
Obi. — No ; they come from countries far away. 
Commissioners . — Does Obi make war to procure 
slaves ? 
Obi . — When other chiefs quarrel with me and make 
war, I take all I can as slaves. 
