The Sun.
London, England, 1838-11-15 00:00:00

THE NEW SLAVE TRADE.

When first " the Gladstone and Glenelg correspondence'
on the Cooly traffic was brought to light, although we saw
at once that it contained many dark and suspicious pas.
sages interspersed amongst the letters published, we were
yet of the number of those who maintained, that, if the
Coolies were perfectly free agents in their transportation
from India to Guiana, the Legislature ought to satisfy itself
with passing certain protective enactments without going on
to raise any barrier against the emigration of the natives of
Hindostan to any quarter of the world where they thought
they could improve their condition. Subsequent accounts-,
however, of what was passing in Calcutta and other parts of
India, tended to raise doubts and suspicions in our minds
as to the free agency of the natives in the matter. These
doubts and suspicions were more than confirmed by the
contradictions in Mr. Robertson Gladstone's recent speech
to the Conservative Tradesmen's Associa'ion. He proved
too much, when he described " the free and happy Coolies"
as guarded by constables, and kept in the hold in their
passage down the Hooghly. Our imagination could not
embrace the idea of these inmates of Paradise being forcibly
prevented from making their escape to the Pandemonium
from which they had been rescued. But, while we were
yet pondering over, and labouring to unravel, these deep
mysteries, the Asiatic Journal, of the present month, came
to hand, filled with the most appaling and heart-thrilling
details of the Cooly trade which it is possible to conceive.
To make the supply of free emigrants! equal to the de—
mand, the most horrible means have been adopted.
Swarms of subaltern Cooly dealers have been hastened into
existence, who, by deceit or violence, kidnap and carry away
all the natives who fall into their hands. Force and fraud
are used by turns. More than the horrors and the cruel-

ties of the 'old Airic;nsiave-i;de;;;;Poken7f as things
of daily occurrence. Whole districts are described as being
depopulated to satisfy the avarice and cupidity of these
human tigers, compared with whom the tiger of the jungle
is a kind and tender animal. All Calcutta is in a ferment
at the horrors which have been perpetrated. The papers
are crammed with police reports exposing the villany of the
wretches who collect " the free agents" for exportation. A
public meeting has been held to call upon the Government
to arrest the farther progress of this horrid traffic. The
Bishop himself has considered it his duty to put himself at
the head of this Christian work, and he is not a likely man
to shrink or turn back from the undertaking. And we
have no doubt, that, when the horrible and disgusting de-

;ails to which we have referred have been circulated through

this country, the cry which has been raised in India will
find a responsive voice in England, which will go on, in-
creasing and strengthening, until, " with the shout of a
giant," it extends to the Cooly the same protection which
it has achieved for the Negro. The battle of emancipa-
tion must again be fought. Where are its champions ?
Liverpool Albion.

ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.

The fist meeting for the session was held on Monday
evening, W. R. Hamilton, Esq., President, in the chair. A
great variety of presents were announced, amongst which were
donations fiom the Depots de la Marine et de la Guerre et
Paris, as well as many foreign societies.
Captain Washington announced that recent letters had been
received from Mr. Schomburg, the Society's traveller in
Guiana, who had arrived at Fort Joachim, on the Portuguese
frontier, from whence it was his intention to proceed westward
on the Orinoco. Advices have also been received from the
Koordistan expedition, under Mr. Ainsworth, which on the
17th of September was at Constantinople, being about to de-
part for Asia Minor. Throughout his overland route Mr.
Ainsworth had neglected no opportunity of making magnetic
observations, a large collection of which was the first fruit of
the journey.
The first paper read was a description of the recent expedi.
tion to the north-west coast of Australia, under the command
of Lieutenants Gray and Lushington, which was communi
cared by Lord Glenelg. The expedition left England on the
14th of July, in the ship Beagle, which, under the command
of Captain Wickham, went out on the nautical survey of the
north-western and other parts of the coast of Australia. The
party reached the Cape of Good Hope on the 21st of Sep-
tember, where they freighted the Lynher, a sloop of 160 tons,
and railed for Hanover-bay, which they reached on the 3d of
Dec., taking with them a considerable flock of sheep and goats
for diapersicn in the country. From hence the vessel was
despatched to Timor to purchase ponies, of which twenty-six
were procured. The expeditionary party, consisting of twelve
persons, left the encampment at Hanover-bay on the Ist of
February, and after a very difficult journey, the natural impe-
diments proving greater obstacles to their progress than the
hostility of the natives, they returned to the same spot on the
15th of March. The most important result of the journey was
the discovery of a large river, which they named Glenelg
River, but which had no outlet to the sea, losing itself in man-
grove banks. In a hostile encounter with the natives, near
the commencement of their journey, Lieutenant Grey was
wounded in the hip, but this did not impede his progress. In
the course Of their journey they found a great many curious
paintings in caves, executed in a surprising way for a simple
race, and which, with many other circumstances, seem to In-
dicate that they are a race of Asiatic origin.
The next communication read was from Captain Wickham,
giving an account of his naval survey of the coasts of this por-
tion of Australia. No opening was found in the shores of the
bay, thereby setting at rest the question respecting Dampier's
Land being an island. He also discovered a large river, to
which he gave the name of Fitzroy River. Contrary to the
reception of the former party by the natives, these were most
friendly and hospitably entertained, invariably seeking com-
munication end intercourse with them. It was observed that
the discovery of these two rivers, although of considerable
magnitude, is still utterly insufficient to account for the drain-
age of this vast continent; and this interesting question, in-
stead of being at all placed in a clearer point of view by the
united exertions of these two expeditions, is, if possible, at
this moment involved in deeper mystery than ever.
Mr. Hoskins introduced to the notice of the meeting the
subject of the expedition of the native of Dongolah up the
White River, the principal source of the River Nile, under the
supei intendance of an association of Egyptian travellers. It
was intended that be should leave England as soon as possible
this winter, with some gentlemen going overland to India,
who would take charge of him as far as Koosir. Here he
would purchase a camel and merchandise, and travel as t!
Dongolah merchant. He possesses the advantages of a good
constitution and a good memory, and has been made a
(painted with the compass and astrolabe, so that he possesses
many qualifications for the undertaking.
The meeting adjourned to November 26.

DEATH FROM FRlGHT.—Richard Vitler, fore-
man to Mr. Ponsford, builder, died yesterday from the effects
of friEht. He was on the roof of the house in Oxford-square,
Bayswater, when the late dreadful scaffold accident occurred,
and, although not at all hurt, be
when was so
deli frighteneum ensued, that on
hich r -
turning home he took to his bed, rid, w
terminated fatally.
WANT OF A GRA P E-L A Nir.-ThC growers of
grapes in this country seem not to be aware of the enormous
inroads likely to be made on their profits by the importation
of grapes from Spain and Portugal. We saw, yesterday, at
a grocer's door in the Market-place, no less a quantity than
45 eat. of grapes just received. The grape-growers, like
corn-growers, have indeed endeavoured to protect them-
theselvics by a duty which amounts to nearly 50 per cent. on the
price paid to the grower in Spain. However, this heavy duty
is found insufficient, as the fact we have stated shows. It is
true that persons in the middle classes may have a handsome
dessert upon their Sunday tables for a couple of shillings; but
are their comforts to be promoted at the expense of the home
grqe-growers? See what a destruction of capital invested
in glass and flues, will take place !—Manchester Times.