Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/377

 suspected vessels had been seen on the south coast; also requesting his views of the present state of the slave-trade on the coast. In reply, the commodore writes:

"On the second subject, my view of the present state of the slave-trade on the south coast: It is formed on my own observations of the line of coast from Cape St. Paul's to this port, and from the reports which I have received from the captains of the divisions, and the commanders of the cruisers under my orders, as well as from other well-informed persons on whom I can rely, that it has never been in a more depressed state, a state almost amounting to suppression; and that this arises from the active exertions of her majesty's squadron on both sides of the Atlantic, and the cordial cooperation which has been established between the cruisers of Great Britain and the United States on this coast, to carry out the intention of the Washington treaty; and latterly from the new measures of the Brazilian government.

"Factories have been broken up at Lagos, in the Congo, and at Arnbriz; although of this I need hardly speak, because your own observation during the past year must satisfy you of the present state of depression there.

"The commencement of last year was marked by an unusual number of captures by her majesty's cruisers, both in the bights and on the south coast, and also by those by the cruisers of the United States. This year, the capture of only one vessel equipped in the bights, and one with slaves (a transferred Sardinian,) on the south coast, have been reported to me — a striking proof of my view.

"The desperate measures also adopted by the slave-dealers in the last few months to get rid of their slaves by the employment of small vessels, formerly engaged in the legal and coasting trade, as marked by the capture of several (named) slavers, prove the difficulty to which they have been driven.

"The barracoons, however, along the whole line of coast, are still reported to me to contain a great number of slaves, to ship whom, I have little doubt further attempts will be made.

"Most satisfactory, on the whole, as this state of things may be considered, still I hope it will not lead to any immediate relaxation either of our efforts or of our coöperation; but that a vigilance will be observed for a time sufficient to enable a legal trade to replace the uprooted slave-traffic, and to disperse the machinery (I may say) of the merchants connected with it, and prevent any resumption of it by them."

In answer to the charge frequently made that the American squadron had been unsuccessful in their efforts to prevent the slave-trade, commander Foote replies that "it has been shown that the African squadrons, instead of being useless, have rendered essential service. For much as colonization has accomplished, and effectual as Liberia is in suppressing the slave-traffic within her own jurisdiction, these means and these results have been established and secured by the presence and protection of the naval squadrons of Great Britain, France, and the United States. And had no such assistance been rendered, the entire coast, where we now see legal trade and advancing