Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1817-11-11
FROM LONDON PAPERS.

Lucas leo, to jim Wi55n Cyscker, En-.
dated L2ndon, The 7fb Aooember, 1910.
SIR have the honour TO lay before
you, for the Information of their Lord
ihips, fuch oblrrvations and remarks as
have consdered il ny duty to make on
The prefent aaie CT 19frica
To his Msjehy's Government, and
shos- humane and benevolent perfons
who for years pat have been exerting
their intereif and wealth in the caufe of
Africa, il muR be painful TO hear that all
their efforts towards obtaining the real
abolition of lavery, have been of little or
no avail for though fewer negroes may
have been enAaved Gnce the abolition
acts took place with reflect to this
country, yet the cruelty to those now
taken away by the Spaniards and Portu
guese, has increafed quadruple and
rhofe Acts appear to have had no other
effect than that of transferring the Slave
Trade to Spain and Portugal, whole In
humane traffic has 6nce wonderfully in
created; and there is every reafon to
fuppofe that it will itill further increase,
as the fear of termination to the trade
in few years, will induce them 10 pur-
fue il with much greater activity. They
now fill their fhips Beyond any former
precedent as proof of which, his Ma
jefy's nip Bann, commanded by Capt
Flfhsr, captured the Portnguefe brig San
Antonio, only I2o tons, with 600 faves.
In pafage of 50 leagues, more than 80
died, and as many more appeared ire
coverably gone in the midit of the tick
lay a putrid corpse, and such horred
aench, that captain Filher was appre-
henGve of plague. and was obliged to
tase not only the crew, but I5o faves on
board the Bann, and make the belf of
his way to Sierra Leone. And thefe
powers confider themfelves 70 fate in the
trade, and are in fuch perfect good under
handing with the native chiefs, that on
the Bann's capturing the Portuguese brig
Temeraire. off Whydah which veflel
had purohafed 600 caves, but had not
time TO load them, the chief afured the
Portugusfe matter, who is on fhore there,
thar he would feed the Caves until anoth-
er veGcl could arrive for them, on his
bringing him fome tobacco as remuner.
alton the matter is now al Whydah, in
daily expectation of veGel, when there
10 liGrle doubt bur he will succeed in TAX
ing off his cargo.
One OF the Portuguese matters cap
tured, had made IL trips to the coat for
Aaves. and only once been captured.
The profits they make are enormous.
One Of the fchooners captured by the
Inconitant, off the river Logas, having
arrived but few days on the coat, had
only purchafed ten haves, for which the
matter gave OF rolls of tobacco. each roll
worth in the Brszils 1000 milreas. about
lbs ferling, making the cot of each fave
TO the Portnguels merchant 81. fos. /; for
which he would receive 400 dollars.
Thefc facts will thew. that neither noun
tains, rivers, or deterts, will prove barri
ers to the fave trade, as the black chiefs
will bring their faves from every extrem-
lily of Africa, as long as there is nation
that will afford them fave market and
these circumstances will, | prefumc clear
ly thew, that the partial abolition of the
1ave trade is of little or no ben6t, but
that, on the contrary, the wreschednefs
of the natives is frequently increafed by
it and am convinced, that the only
means of promoting the Happiness and
civilization of Africa will be to annihiI-
ate The fave trade in toto for whillt
there is fuch facility in telling ilayes,
there will be no incentive to indufry in
that quarter of the world.
lnow beg leave to defcribe our fettle
ments in this country, as | iaw them.
rs Sierra Leone is under the immediate
control of the Colonial Department,
hall only remark, that after all the fums
Of money which have been expended on
its Improvement, it is fill in mott de-
plorabe fate greae abuies and mifman-
agements are faid, have exiited ano
certainly, to judge from its prefent
wretched condition, the reports appear
TO be too well founded.
The prefent governor, Colonel M'Car-
thy, appears a mild, benevolent, good