In distant ages, when the glories of the “Isles of the West” are told, the memory of Boadicea, the Queen of the British Iceni, who boldly met the invading Roman legions, may be forgotten; so, likewise, that of Queen Elizabeth and the Spanish Armada may fade from the memory of man; but while the world lasts, and humanity has a heart for other’s woes, the tale of Victoria and the slave shall not pass away, while generations yet unborn will exclaim: “Blessed art thou among women.”
With such an inspiring example before him, is it possible that the young King of Portugal can pause in the course which duty, interest, and humanity alike dictate? No! Dom Pedro the Fifth will now see slavery as it exists in his African dominions; his decree will go forth that slavery shall cease wherever the Portuguese flag flies; he will thus ally the House of Braganza with that of Brunswick by ties more indissoluble than those of blood—namely, the memory of good deeds. The curse of slavery shall pass away from his land; Portugal will again resume her position among the first powers of civilization, and admiring posterity will point to Dom Pedro the Fifth as the regenerator of Portugal and the saviour of Africa.
APPENDIX.
A.
The reader’s attention is called to the following note from “Buxton on the Slave-trade,” London, 1839, in connection with the accompanying notice of trees, shrubs, and plants to be found on the Zambesi:—
“Many beautiful kinds of wood have been discovered by accident amongst the billets of fire-wood brought home in the slave-ships of Liverpool. Mr. Clarkson gives the following anecdote in his ‘Impolicy of the Slave-Trade.’ After mentioning the tulip-wood, and others found in this manner, he says:—‘About the same time in which this log was discovered (A.D. 1787), another wood vessel, belonging to the same port, brought home the specimen of the bark of a tree that produced a very valuable yellow dye, and far beyond any other ever in use in this country. The virtues of it were discovered in the following manner:—A gentleman resident upon the coast ordered some wood to be cut down to erect a hut. While the people were felling it he was standing by; during the operation some juice flew from the bark of it, and stained one of the ruffles of his shirt. He thought that the stain would have washed out, but, on wearing it again, found that the yellow spot was much more bright and beautiful than before, and that it gained in lustre every subsequent time of washing. Pleased with the discovery, which he knew to be of so much importance to the manufacturers of Great Britain, and for which a considerable premium had been offered, he sent home the bark now mentioned as a specimen. He is since, unfortunately, dead, and little hopes are to be entertained of falling in with this tree again, unless a similar accident should discover it, or a change should take place in our commercial concerns with Africa.
“I shall now mention another valuable wood, which, like all those that have been pointed out, was discovered by accident in the same year. Another wood vessel, belonging to the same port, was discharging her cargo; among the barwood a small billet was discovered, the colour of which was so superior to that of the rest, as to lead the observer to suspect that it was of a very different species, though it is clear that the natives, by cutting it off the same size and dimensions, and by bringing it on board at the same time, had, on account of its red colour, mistaken it for the other. One half of the billet was cut away in experiments. It was found to produce a colour that emulated the carmine, and was deemed to be so valuable in the dyeing trade, that an offer was immediately made of sixty guineas per ton for any quantity that could be procured. The other half has been since sent back to the coast, as a guide to collect more of the same sort, though it is a matter of doubt whether, under the circumstances that have been related, the same tree can be ascertained again.” P. 9.