“Sir,
“During my stay at Lourenço Marques, Delagoa Bay, I usually visited, after business hours, persons there considered of high standing; and, being in quest of knowledge that might in future prove advantageous, I generally introduced such subjects as would best lead to the information I was most desirous of gaining.
“Their commercial policy is not to deal in trifles. Specimens illustrative of natural history, which excite the admiration of the civilized portion of the world, have with them no charm. Ivory and Negroes appear to be the only articles of commerce to which they aspire, and they succeed in obtaining them to an astonishing extent, at comparatively small cost.
“With regard to ivory, each merchant has several negro hunters, who kill a number of elephants during the season; besides which they purchase ivory in barter, on the banks of the Manakusi, or King George’s River, which river offers great advantages, being navigable for craft of light draught.
“This river is monopolized by the Portuguese, who will not allow foreigners to penetrate. In proof, I need but mention that, having a strong desire to make as many discoveries as I could, for the advancement of trade and commerce, I intimated to the authorities my intention of entering the said river, but was forbidden to do so, with an earnest caution as to the consequence, which, I was told, would be the seizure of the cutter and cargo; that, though their jurisdiction did not extend so far, yet I should expose myself, if I attempted the passage of the river, both in going in and in coming out.
“But there are, doubtless, other motives than those of monopoly in the ivory trade, which I will leave your readers to conjecture from the following information which I gathered as to the manner in which the abominable practice of slave dealing is carried on.
“It does not unfrequently happen that irruptions take place between neighbouring tribes, with a view to the number of prisoners they may be fortunate in taking, as a means of obtaining articles of home consumption, such as beads, blankets, &c., which are obtained in exchange for the unfortunate captives. Those of the age of eighteen years are most suitable; all above that age, I was told, are put to death. The women are distributed among the conquering warriors, and the young men sold into slavery. Slaves in any number can thus be procured; the only difficulty traders have to contend with is to secure them; and, happily, that difficulty does exist, else, I imagine, it would be beyond human power to depict the misery which would ensue.
“In spite of all difficulties, however, the trade is carried on with comparative impunity, and with considerable success. Agents are established on the East Coast of Africa, by slave merchants, to purchase slaves of those who obtain them in barter. Those agents act under instructions, particularly as to signs, and signals, and places of embarkation; and also establish relations with those already engaged in the traffic, from whom and through whom large numbers of negroes are collected, and chained in small groups, some by the neck, and others by the hand, and are then marched, at the time, and to the place appointed, to await the arrival of the vessel that is to carry them to their destiny.
“A trial was made, not long since, to establish a ‘legitimate’ trade, if in any way it can be called legitimate. Not many months ago, four or five vessels, carrying the French flag, called at Killimane, for the purpose of establishing a Free Emigration.