IN PERILS BY SEA. 
163 
traffic between the east coast of Africa and the 
land of the Hovas. All that has ever been 
printed upon this subject has hitherto failed to 
convey anything like an adequate picture of the 
atrocities and horrors which surrounded this par¬ 
ticular and most disgusting phase of commercial 
venture in its palmy days. There can be no 
doubt about the excellent effect of our slave 
policy so far, and of the good results which have 
followed from our friendly relations with the 
present Sultan of Zanzibar; but the evil is only 
“ scotched, not killed.” A brisk traffic in former 
times was carried on in East African slaves, be¬ 
tween the Hova princes of Imerina and the ports 
along the coast of the continent, and the Arabs 
of Muscat and Johanna were the merchants by 
whom it was directed. These men landed in the 
night from their swift-sailing dhows, and shipped 
off cargoes of wretched creatures of all ages, with 
which they made for the unfrequented harbours 
and inlets of the Sakalava country, which ex¬ 
tends from Imerina along the whole of the north 
and west coasts of the islands. When pursued, 
the miserable freight was cast overboard and 
drowned. If the slavers were successful, on the 
other hand, in eluding the vigilance of the boats 
of her Majesty’s cruisers, their unhappy victims 
were sold at the landing-place to traders from the 
capital, or agents of the great nobles, who were 
