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AFRICAN INSTITUTION.-Substance of the XVth REPORT of the African Institution.

Fourteen years, say the direc tors, have now elapsed since the Bill for the Abolition of the Slave Trade became an act of the imperial parliament of Great Britain; but, it having been found, that the penalties of that act were not sufficient to deter British subjects from continuing the slave-trade, parliament, in the year 1811, enacted that every British subject, and every person residing within the British dominions, who should in anywise be concerned in the slave-trade, should be deemed a felon, and might be punished by transportation, for a term not exceeding fourteen years; and thus the British law at present remains. This act tended greatly to restrain, if not to extinguish, except in the Isle of France, the British slave-trade; and, whilst the nation continued at war, the slave-trade of other states was also much diminished; so that Africa was, for a time, relieved in a considerable degree from the desolating effects of this traffic. But the return of peace to Europe, having put an end to the belligerent right of search, was the signal for an extensive revival of the slave-trade in Africa, accompanied with more than its usual miseries.

France and the Netherlands were, however, prevailed upon to sign treaties stipulating for the total and immediate abolition of this trade. The result of the efforts used with Spain and Por tugal was not so favourable. Both these powers, however, agreed forthwith to confine their

slave-trade within certain specified limits. Portugal still refused to fix any precise period for the final abandonment of it; but Spain consented totally to abolish it from the 30th of May, 1820, five months being allowed for completing the voyages that might have been commenced prior to that period.

Notwithstanding the stipulations entered into by France for the abolition of the slave-trade, the directors have had the painful duty, year after year, of exhibiting to the Institution numerous and irrefragable proofs of the continuance of this traffic by the subjects of that kingdom. They are much concerned to say, that the account which they have now to render of the state of the French slave trade is even more afflicting than any which has preceded it. Indeed, so multiplied and so flagrant have been of late the violations of the French law on this subject; to such an extent, and with such impunity, has this trade been carried on, almost without the affectation of disguise; that the evil, practically speaking, could scarcely have been greater had it been actually tolerated by the government of France.

The statements thus made are confirmed by the circumstances developed in the case of a French slave-ship called the Sylph, detained by his majesty's sloop Redwing, captain Hunn, and brought into Sierra Leone, on the 10th February, 1819, with 364 slaves on board. From the examinations which took place

on that occasion, it appeared that when captain Hunn fell in with the Sylph, in latitude 7 deg. 50 min. north, and longitude 16 deg. 30 min. west, she had been fiftyone days at sea from Bonny, where she had taken in 388 slaves twenty died before her detention, and four afterwards. It also appeared, that she was bound to Guadaloupe, where the traffic in slaves was stated to be carried on with scarcely any

reserve.

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Another case, that of a ship called Le Rodeur, whilst it proves the little risk that is run by French subjects in carrying on the slave-trade, furnishes also a most striking exemplification of some of the worst horrors which attend the Middle Passage. "The ship Le Rodeur, captain Bof two hundred tons burthen, left Havre the 24th of January, 1819, for the coast of Africa, and reached her destina. tion the 14th of March following, anchoring at Bonny in the river Calabar. The crew, consisting of twenty-two men, enjoyed good health during the outward voyage, and during their stay at Bonny, where they continued till the 6th of April. They had observed no trace of ophthalmia among the natives; and it was not until fifteen days after they had set sail on the return voyage, and the vessel was near the equator, that they perceived the first symptoms of this frightful malady. It was then remarked, that the negroes, who, to the number of one hundred and sixty, were crowded together in the hold, and between the decks, had contracted a considerable redness of the eyes, which spread with singular rapidity. No great attention was at

first paid to these symptoms, which were thought to be caused only by the want of air in the hold, and by the scarcity of water which had already begun to be felt. At this time they were limited to eight ounces of water a day for each person, which quantity was afterwards reduced to the half of a wine glass. By the advice of M. Maignan, the surgeon of the ship, the negroes, who had hitherto remained shut up in the hold, were brought upon deck in succession, in order that they might breathe a purer air. But it became necessary to abandon this expedient, salutary as it was, because many of those negroes, affected with nostalgia (i. e. a passionate desire to revisit their native land) threw themselves into the sea, locked in each other's arms.

The disease which had spread itself so rapidly and frightfully among the Africans, soon began to infect all on board, and to create alarms for the crew. The sufferings of the people, and the number of the blind augmented every day; so that the crewpreviously alarmed by the apprehension of a revolt among the negroes, were seized with the farther dread of not being able to make the West Indies, if the only sailor who had hitherto escaped the contagion, and on whom their whole hope rested, should become blind like the rest.* The

This calamity had actually befallen the Leon, a Spanish vessel which the Rodeur met with on her passage, and the whole of whose crew, necessity of altogether abandoning having become blind, were under the the direction of their ship. They entreated the charitable interference of

Rodeur reached Guadaloupe on the 21st of June, 1819, her crew being in a most deplorable condition. Three days after her arrival, the only man who, during the voyage, had withstood the influence of the contagion, was seized with the same malady. Of the negroes, thirty-nine had become perfectly blind, twelve had lost an eye, and fourteen were affected with blemishes more or less considerable. Of the crew, twelve lost their sight entirely, among whom was the surgeon; five became blind of one eye, one of them being the captain; and four were partially injured.

It is stated, among other things, that the captain caused several of the negroes who were prevented in the attempt to throw themselves overboard, to be shot and hung, in the hope that the example might deter the rest from a similar conduct. But even this severity proved unavailing, and it became necessary to confine the slaves entirely to the hold during the remainder of the voyage. It is further stated, that upwards of thirty of the slaves who became blind were thrown into the sea and drowned, upon the principle that, had they been landed at Guadaloupe, no one would have bought them, and that the proprietors would consequently have incurred the expense of main taining them, without the chance of any return!

The Rodeur having afterwards

the Rodeur; but the seamen of this vessel could not either quit her to go on-board the Leon, on account of the cargo of negroes, nor receive the crew of the Leon on board the Rodeur, in which there was scarcely room for themselves.

returned to Havre, was refitted by the same owners, and dispatched early in the last year on a second slave voyage; and the command of her has been given to the same captain who had her in charge on the former voyage!

In 1820 the French slave-trade had swelled to a more enormous extent than at any former period. During the first six or seven months of that year the coast of Africa is described as having actually swarmed with French slave ships. The French flag is eagerly sought after, not only by Spaniards, but by Americans and Portuguese, in order to protect their criminal traffic, it being the opprobrious distinction of France, that her flag alone can now be safely resorted to for the protection of slave ships to the northward of the equator.

On the 4th of March, 1820, after a long chase, a vessel was boarded by the boats of his majesty's ship Tartar, commanded by Sir George Collier, which proved to be la Jeune Estelle, of Martinique, M. -master. On being boarded he declared he had been plundered of his slaves, and that none remained on-board. His agitation and alarm however excited suspicion, and led to an examination of the vessel's hold. During this examination a sailor, who struck a cask which was tightly closed up, heard a faint voice issue from it, as of a creature expiring. The cask was immediately opened, when two girls of about twelve or fourteen years of age, in the last stage of suffocation, were found to be inclosed in it, and by this providential interposition were probably rescued from a misera. ble death. Sir George Collier,

conceiving that other slaves might still be secreted, ordered a fresh search. The result was, that a negro man was rescued from death. A platform of loose boards had been raised on the water-casks of the vessel, so as to form an entre-pont, or between-decks, of twenty-three inches in height, which was the only space allotted for the accommodation of this unfortunate cargo of human beings. Beneath this platform, one of the boards resting on his body, jammed be tween two water-casks, appeared the above wretched individual, whom it was a matter of astonishment to find alive.

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It was recollected with horror by the officers of the Tartar, that, when they first began the chase of La Jeune Estelle, they had seen several casks floating past them, in which they now suspected that these wretched beings might have been enclosed, having been thrown overboard to elude the detection of his proceedings.

Since the British establishment of Bathurst was formed on the island of St. Mary's, near the mouth of the Gambia, no French vessel has been allowed to enter or leave the river without undergoing an examination. Notwith. standing this restriction, however, a very considerable slave-trade is carried on by the French factors of Albreda throughout the whole length of the river Gambia. For, although the authorities at Bathurst do not permit any vessel with slaves on board to pass that settlement, yet they are carried in canoes to the left bank of the river, and thence conveyed by land to Cacho or Cazamens, whence they are shipped for the

West Indies. By these means, the whole of that noble river, which would otherwise be entirely free from this traffic, is from one end to the other of its navigable course, exceeding 1,000 miles, made the scene of the atrocities of the slave trade; and thus, not only is the progress of civilization and improvement in that fertile region retarded, and the natives prevented from pursuing a course of peaceful industry, and beneficial intercourse, but wars are excited amongst them, and the surrounding districts are involved in depredation and blood.

Enough has been said to show the enormous extent to which the slave-trade is carried on under the French flag, not only from Senegal and Goree, but along the whole extent of the African coast, for the supply of the colonies both of France and of other powers. If it were necessary, this point might be further proved by almost daily occurrences in different ports of France itself, where associations are formed with little or no disguise, and vessels fitted out for the prose cution of this nefarious traffic. These ships are known to have several times completed and renewed their atrocious enterprizes, without the smallest molestation or difficulty.

The directors have not failed to communicate these painful facts to his majesty's government; and they know that strong representations have been made on the subject to the government of France; with what effect re mains to be seen. In the month of June last, the minister of the marine announced, in the chamber of deputies, his intention of

proposing a further enactment to render the abolition effectual; and the directors have learnt that a promise to the same effect was actually made to our go

vernment.

The vast extent to which the slave-trade on the west coast of Africa continues to be carried on, is further proved, by accounts received from the river Bonny. During the above period of five or six months, 120 sail of French, Spanish, and Portuguese vessels had visited the river for the purpose of procuring slaves. The French flag is also prostituted to the protection of the Spanish slave-trade, which has now ceased to have any legal existence. This fact is confirmed by recent intelligence from the Havannah, which represents the slave-trade there as in a very flourishing state, and as chiefly carried on under the flag of France.

A flagrant instance of the barbarities which a familiarity with the slave trade has a tendency to produce, recently occurred in the case of a Portuguese vessel called the Volcano do Sul. She was captured by his majesty's ship Pheasant, with 260 slaves on-board; and, in the passage to Sierra Leone, her captain and crew rose upon the British officer and sailors, murdered them all, and then carried the vessel into Bahia, where the slaves were landed and sold.

The directors derive great satisfaction from being enabled to state to the meeting, that the colony of Sierra Leone continues in a state of progressive improvement. The total amount of the population of the colony, on the 8th of July, 1820, was 12,521,

giving an increase, since a former census in December, 1818, of 2,956 persons, including 943 liberated Africans landed at Sierra Leone from slave-vessels, eighty-five persons sent thither from Barbadoes, and the discharged soldiers of two West India regiments, and of the royal African corps, amounting, with their families, to 1,030 individuals.

Accounts received from Antigua state that, in consequence of the benevolent exertions of some individuals, subscriptions had been raised in the town of St. John's (the capital of the island), sufficient to enable the Committee of the Wesleyan Sunday-school Institution to erect, at Parham-town, a school-housé calculated to hold 1,000 scholars. This school, it appears, was opened towards the middle of the last year, with about 700 slave children from estates adjacent to the town. There are besides, two Sunday-schools established in St. John's, connected with the Parham school, and one at East Harbour independent of it.

An American squadron bas been stationed on the coast of Africa for the purpose of seizing and bringing to adjudication such American vessels as may be found violating their Abolition Laws. With respect to the plan of planting a colony in Africa with free blacks from the United States, the hopes of success of the American society have led them to form the project of an establishment on an extensive scale.

We must add, that the praiseworthy exertions of this asssociation are made out of funds not exceeding 600l. per annum !

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