New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-03-10
TRADE WITH AFRICA.
10 the Editor Of The N. Y. Tribune.
JOHN ID. FLOYD, ocCfct
Var Department, March I, 1860.

10 the EditO, Of The NJ Y. Tribune
SIR: Permit me a few words in reply to letter Of
your correspondent, dated United States ship Ports
mouth, st. Paul de Loando, Dec. 20, 1859, which sp
peared in your paper of March 3.
do not intend to say word which shall sustain tho
slayetrade the SLAYER my adherence Of both 10
as great that Of any man be; but wish to cor
rect some of the statements of that letter which might
rure, in the opinion of the people of this country, the
honest merchants captains who are or may be en-
gagged in the lawful African trade-a trade which 10
far from being, even now, matter Of small import
aDce.
The save-trade has decreased wonderfully IN Africa
these last few years. Some years agothe English force
on the western coast of Africa amounted to twecty six
men-of. war, of light draft This number was kept,
think. for ten years, according to treaty they had
with France, who also kept the same number. In
despite of the presence of these men-ofwar, great
part Of which were steamers, large number Of fac
tories were established in the Blight of Benin. Very
many OF the savers were caught, but very many Also
escaped. The more numerous were the men-of-war,
the faster the ssveTs increased; and such, doubt
would have continued TO be the till now, in spite
OF the presence Of squadron, for TO blockade i've
thousand miles of coast ia impossible had not the En
plre OF Brazil closed its ports to the importation OF
| negroes. The most stringent laws were enacted
a9aI the trade aod the people themselves feeling that
more negroes were wanted, nsured their enforce
ment There were several reasons why the Brazliana
|
| especially so because they brought with them the
African levers, which became epidemic among the old
negroes, destroying probably not less than one hum
| dred thousand.
| The barracoons, which were numerous few yeus
ago at Bissagos Cape Monte, Whidah, and Lagos,
have disappeared, and there not think, barracoon
10 be found DOW for two Thousand miles north Of the
Equators One or two may be yet found at Lagos
Whidah. The Blight of Benin, which formerly was
lined with barracoons, has none now. This know
from personal observation.
1t ia true the SLAYER the coast under various
pretenses and dssuie of legal traffic, but your corres
pondent is wong in saying that of the most
specious blinds is the obtaining Of palm oil. This
may be one of their pretenses, but he errs In
giving the reader to understand that there is no
palm oil. To any acquainted with the Calf Of
Guinea, or the Blight OF BENIN slave coast,
it is easy to that the United States ship
Portsmouth has not been in the place where oil is 70
be got. In bis short soourn upon the coast he has
evidently been unable to gain any correct information,
or he would not have made such assertions.
The truth is, the palm-oil trade is really
in a Highly houTishing condition. Ii is car
ried chiefly by the English; but both Ham,
burg and Bremen vessels are engaged in it, and 80
also the French. Ii is only lately that Americans
have begun to open their eyes to its profitable chsrac-
ter. 1t is, therefore, altogether mistake to suppose
that what to be the palm-oil trade is mere
pretense TO cover up trade in slaves. The state
ments OF your correspondent surprise me, and can
only understand them by supposng him entirely I'M
acquainted with the coast SO far from the trade being
-
two tears, the round voyage from New-York is often
made in nine months; and beside the quanti-
ty imported here to France aud Bremen q 900 tans of
this oil have been sent TO Liverpool in single year.
Even in the Blight of Benin, where few years ago
the slaye-Jade hourished exceedingly, one msy see
dozens of vessels seeking for palm OIL Toeir trade
has in some neasure driven the slave-tnders away.
At st. Panl de Loando, where your correspon lent
writes, il great market for ivory hides and eopsl,
and north Of it is palm oil, gum copal, copper
ore, orselle, barwood, ebony pesuuts lhdisrubber.
This very slave coast has its lawful trade More than
300 eco pounds ofvOry shipped yearly from its shore
-tbousaI de OF tuns of barwood as well as oseswax
eboI and other articles Of There are many
honest merchants from this country who Wish u snare
in this a6e with Africa and are not dis posed 70 leave
il all in the hands of the English. They want the pro-
duchons Of Africa to come TO America ana American
manufactures to reach Africa But they nave no wasn
TO engage in the slave trade.
Western Africa has already large trade. Moro
than 400 COO 600 worth of is productions reach En-
oIard and hundreds Of vessels cad along its from
almost avery mart of the civilized world. This trade
Is yearly gro wing larger and larger, and will in
crease s. help to drive away the men who under vari
Gus pre- enses 90 there for the netaous purpose
of traffic in slaves.
sgree in many points with your correspondent aud,
ike him. acknowledge with shame that this horrible
traffic is carried on mostly by American vessels But
my aim in writing this letter Is to correct the im-
preston that there is other trade with Africa [
feel strong interest in that great eoptiaent with
which have been acquainted for than ten years.
It's increasing trade will gradually open a path to the
interior of country whose are only Begin
ming 10 be known. PAUL Ii. DU CuAIIJT
Nssc. iork, Msrch5.