324 HISTORY OF THE [book m 
pie to them , by an immediate and unqualified sup¬ 
pression of this reprobated commerce; and I should 
still maintain and avow the same sentiments, were 
I not, on fuller inquiry and better information, led 
to suspect, that the means proposed are not ade¬ 
quate to the end. I fear, that a direct and sudden 
abolition by one nation alone, will not serve the 
purposes of humanity in Africa; and I am fully 
convinced, that such a measure will tend to aggra¬ 
vate, in a very high degree, the miseries of a great 
majority of the negroes already in the West Indies, 
whose decreasing population is at present unavoid¬ 
able; and who, therefore, unless recruited by sup¬ 
plies from Africa, must find their labours augment, 
as their numbers diminish. 
A question too arises in this place, the discussion 
of which might, probably, render ail further debate 
on the subject of abolition superfluous. It extends 
to nothing less than the practicability of the mea¬ 
sure. Whether it be possible for any nation in Eu¬ 
rope, singly considered, to prevent its subjects from 
procuring slaves in Africa, so long as Africa shall 
continue to sell, is a point on which I have many 
doubts; but none concerning the possibility of con¬ 
veying the slaves so purchased into every island of 
the West Indies, in spite of the maritime force of 
all Europe. No man who is acquainted with the 
extent of uninhabited coast in the larger of those 
islands;—the facility of landing in every part of 
them:—the prevailing winds, and the numerous 
creeks and harbours in all the neighbouring domi- 
