THE SLAVE QUESTION. 
427 
by the independent chiefs, who would gladly enter 
into defensive alliances with us ; — with the exception of 
the Filatahs, who might easily be kept in order, as far 
as their operations on the river are concerned. 
“ None, however, but a government establishment 
can pacify the river 5 or,” as the natives say, clean 
the road of the Filatahs.” Most of the ills of the 
defenceless Pagan negroes are to be ascribed to these 
restless marauders ; for although, to her disgrace be it 
spoken, Africa has always been ready to sell her sons, 
yet these pests of society are the actual chief suj^porters 
of the Slave Trade, in its present aggravated state. 
They make excursions every season into distant as 
well as neighbouring nations, for the sole purpose of 
enslaving the unfortunate inhabitants ; and tlie mighty 
Quon’a affords a ready means of sending them to 
their destiny, the realities of which, sad as we know 
them to be, fall very far short of the vague anticipa- 
tions of the poor victims. The example of the Fi- 
latahs is followed by other negro princes, and even by 
individuals, so that the from one end to the other of 
this noble stream the social system has been shaken 
to its very centre, and kept in a continual state of 
catalysis: for in these depopulating wars, the voice of 
fraternal and even parental affection is less heard than 
that of the fiendish excitement of the slave dealer. 
The natives looked upon our presence in the river, 
even during the first mercantile expedition, as the 
means of putting a stop to this melancholy state. At 
