rounding the Cape of Good Hope, a very remarkable headland, hove to off the Opium Depôt in Namao Strait at 1 P.M.; the masters of the two vessels stationed here came on board, and very superior intelligent men they appeared to be, most anxious to give every information respecting the piratical vessels which swarm on this coast.

The opium traffic is deserving a passing remark. It has been created by the fondness of the Chinese for this intoxicating drug; and though the dealers in it have been held up to reprehension for pandering to a vice so unhappily developed, I cannot myself see that they deserve it more than the manufacturer or retailer of British gin, or gunpowder, or any other compound, that contains within itself the elements of destruction to human life. This is certain, that, were we to give up the trade to-morrow, some nation, less conscientious, would embark in it; and the result, as far as the Chinese are concerned, would be the same. But it would be impossible to put a stop to it, without at the same time almost annihilating the trade between England and China.

McCulloch, in his Commercial Dictionary, (article Canton,) sets down the value of the imports into China, in the year 1845, at 37,062,811 dollars, of which sum the single article "opium" figures for 23,000,000 dollars, exceeding that of all the other enumerated articles put together. The exports he states to be 30,566,426 dollars, the single article tea being 23,203,082 dollars, or above two-thirds more than the value of all the other articles. It thus appears that 'opium" is of nearly the same importance to China as an import article of exchange, as "tea" is one of export, or its importance may be illustrated as follows:

66

A-Has a consignment of cotton goods, which he is instructed to sell, and remit the proceeds in bills to England, say £1000.

B-Has Company's bills to sell, and has been instructed to remit in tea, say £1000.

C-Has a credit on London, against which he is to draw and send home tea, say £1000.

D-A Chinese merchant, has tea to dispose of, say value £2000.
E-Has opium to sell, say value £1000, and remit to Calcutta.
F-Is a buyer of opium with money, say £1000.

Now it must be quite clear that without opium, in this case, no transactions could take place in conformity with the instructions the agents have received from England; but now the chain is complete;

F-buys E's opium, £1000.

E-buys B's Company's paper, to remit in payment of the opium, to his constituent in India, £1000.

C-buys half of D's tea, £1000

D-buys A's cotton goods with the £1000 received from C.

A-buys C's bills on London, to remit for the cotton goods sold, £1000.

B-buys, with the £1000 he has received from E, the remaining half of D's teas.

Thus, by the sale of opium to the extent of £1000, the following operations are perfected, namely:

With these facts staring us in the face it is in vain for philanthropists to declaim against the opium trade, however desirable it may be in a moral, social, and religious point of view, to put an end to so odious a traffic.

The largest houses engaged in the trade, are Messrs. Dent & Co., and Jardine, Matheson & Co., and their establishments at Hong Kong are on a magnificent scale. The opium is distributed along the coast, by fast sailing schooners, commanded by intelligent men, of great experience in this navigation; there are other vessels stationed at different points to receive the cargoes, and dispose of them. The depôts here are the Anonyma, brig, (formerly Col. Greville's yacht,) belonging to Jardine & Co., and the Hong Kong, barque, belonging to Dent & Co. They are moored about a cable's length apart, so as to be able to afford each other assistance in case of need, and are well prepared to repel an attack, the boarding nettings being triced up, and guns, both broadside and pivot, the latter raised on platforms above the bulwarks,— loaded and run out.

The depôt ships at the six islands near Amoy, are Lord Amherst, barque, Dent & Co.; Path-finder, barque, Jardine & Co.; and Royalist, schooner, (formerly Sir James Brooke's yacht,) now belonging to Syme, Muir & Co.

There are also, I believe, vessels stationed at Foo-chou-foo, Woosung, Chinchew, and in the Cap-singmoon passage, near Hong Kong. Besides these the American merchants have several; but I have yet to learn the particulars of the share they take in the trade.

At 2h, P.M., left Namao, passing through the stakes which extend right across the strait for fishing purposes, intervals being left for shipping. Observed a full rigged ship to windward, turning through the straits, which proved to be the Henry Winch, a vessel that sailed from Hong Kong for Amoy, a few days before us. Anchored for the night in Chauan bay, and got the screw up. Away at daylight again, and passed the Henry Winch, still at anchor, in Owick Bay. She was not long after us, however, and, in the day's work-blowing freshshowed herself no bad sailer, although we beat her half a mile an hour dead to windward. Anchored in the evening in Tongsung, a magnificent harbour with shelter for a fleet from all winds; the town is

walled, and seems an extensive place; and the people appear to be accustomed to strangers, as a boat came off with supplies. Away at daylight again, and, having a slant, made a good lay; passed outside Rees Pass and fetched into Red Bay, shortly after dark. The Henry Winch was to windward of us this morning, having kept under way all night, per force, as she had no anchorage at sunset convenient, without bearing up, which must always be a dernier resort.

22nd. Started from Red Bay under steam, as it was nearly calm, and I am anxious (and so is Mr. Stanton) to be at Amoy to-day. Skirted the dangerous shoals (the Merope) and passed close to Chapel island and entered the Amoy river by the southern passage. Passed the Cornwallis rock, at 1h. 30m. P.M., but, being anxious to see everything that is to be seen, ran inside Kulangseu, and anchored off the inner end of the island, with the northern extreme of the city bearing E.b.N., a very snug anchorage, and we are not much exposed to being fouled by the junks, which sometimes are obliged to take this passage.

Temple H. Layton, Esq., is H.M. Consul here, with the following staff: Backhouse, (an old messmate of mine,) Vice-Consul; Winchester, Medico; and Hertslet, First Interpreter; the two latter are married, as well as the consul; there are, besides, two young men bringing up for interpreters, Messrs Morrison and Pedder. The following mercantile firms are established here: Messrs Syme, Muir, and Co.; Jackson and Co.; Tait and Bradley; Priestman; and Milne; the two latter are the agents of Messrs Dent, and Jardine, respectively. The Missionaries residing here, are, Mr Doty, (American,) Strouack, L.M.S. Young, L.M.S.; Dr Hysslop being the medical man in charge of the community. All these missionaries are married, but none of the merchants.

Fresh beef and vegetables are supplied by a Chinese contractor, named Emarr, at 17 lb. for a dollar the beef; and one dollar per picul the vegetables. And water in bulk, the boats containing four tons, at one dollar a boat. It ought to come from Kulangsoo, as the water of

that island is considered the most wholesome.

(To be continued.)

THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE.

We design giving a brief sketch of the present condition of the slave trade on the west coast of Africa. For this purpose we have consulted various authorities, and shall endeavour to furnish a clear, concise, and intelligible view of the extent and means by which this detestable and inhuman traffic is now being pursued, and offer a few observations on the mode of securing its entire suppression.

At Bissao, a Portuguese settlement north of Sierra Leone, slaves are occasionally shipped, but not with the open countenance of the local government. The River Pongas, 120 miles north of Sierra Leone, used to be an extensive slave market. It is now believed to be effectually clear of slavers. This river is navigable for large vessels 60 or 80 miles, and formerly had several slave factories on its banks. Seven slavers have been seen in the river at a time, and about 2000 slaves were shipped every year. At the mouth of the Shebar River, a little south of Sherbro Island, a considerable number were shipped in 1846 and 1847. It is now entirely broken up there. From this place to Cape Palmas, comes that portion of the coast actually in possession, by purchase, of the Liberian government. Along this entire line of seaboard, covering a distance of five hundred miles, once the favourite resort of slavers, it is entirely unknown. The mouth of the Galinas River was long noted as a shipping port. Slavers were almost constantly lying there. No less than eight thousand were annually shipped from this spot. When the Liberian authorities, aided by several English and French government vessels, visited and broke up, in 1849, at a very large outlay, this vile depot, they met with a determined resistance. They found there two large factories, with their appropriate suit of barracoons or outbuildings to house the slaves, as they were sent from the interior by the neighbouring chiefs. These factories were about 120 feet in length, were handsomely fitted up, and elegantly furnished. Both Sugry River and Cape Mount, about 80 miles north of Monrovia, were, at the time of their coming into possession of Liberia, infested with slavers. Cape Mesurado was an extensive slave market before the settlement of Monrovia. The same was true, in a degree, of the mouth of Junk River. Several gentlemen have seen the remains of the slave factory which stood near the mouth of the St. Johns River, before Edina and Bassa Cove were planted. In 1824, previous to the purchase of Bassa Cove by the Pennsylvania Colonization Society, 500 were shipped from that place in a single month! Cestos River is supposed to have been inferior only to the Gallinas in the numbers which it furnished. Cape Palmas also participated extensively in the nefarious business ere its settlement by American colonists.

From Cape Palmas eastward, there are no slave factories for more than ten degrees of longitude. This is generally known as the Gold Coast. For many years several European powers have here main

tained possession of sites by armed force. None of them can be called settlements; they are in reality forts. The first of these is Apollonia. It is one of the smallest on the coast, and is maintained by Great Britain. Next in order comes Fort Anthony, built by the Portuguese. It is about thirty miles east from Apollonia. Dix Cove is a British fort of importance, by reason of its convenient landing. About three miles from Dix Cove is Boutry, where the Dutch have a small fort; and nine miles further east is Taccorary, with a similar establishment. Four miles from Taccorary is Succondee, a Dutch fort. Next is Commenda, belonging to England.

Elmina is the most respectable and formidable possession in this district of territory. It was built by the Portuguese in 1481, and conquered by the Dutch in 1637. Quite a large trade is carried on there. Cape Coast Castle and Acra are the only remaining towns worthy of note. They are both places of consequence, and are regular stopping places for the ships of all nations visiting the coast. They are held by Great Britain.

This brings us to the Bight of Benin. All along this section of the ccast slaves are shipped. Lagos was a widely known mart until its visitation by British men-of-war last December; when the usurping king was displaced, and the old sovereign, who is opposed to the slave trade, placed in possession. In this region resides the notorious king of Dahomey, whose port of outlet is Whydah. Great efforts have been made by the English government to induce the king to cease his connection with the detestable traffic, and to teach him that agriculture and commerce are more useful and advantageous than the stealing and selling of men, women, and children. With this object, Messrs Duncan, Cruikshank, Winniett, Forbes, and Becroft were sent, and have seen and conversed with him. By the latter he sent a letter to the Queen of England, one extract from which will show the measure of his capacity to judge of the motives that induce the people of Christendom to interfere in breaking up the slave trade:

"The King of Dahomey presents his best compliments to the Queen of England. The presents which she has sent him are very acceptable, and are good for his face. When Governor Winniett visited the king, the king told him that he must consult his people before he could give a final answer about the slave trade. He cannot see that he and his people can do without it. It is from the slave trade that he derives his principal revenue. This he has explained in a long palaver to Mr Cruikshank. He begs the Queen of England to put a stop to the slave trade everywhere else, and allow him to continue it. The king begs the queen to make a law that no ships be allowed to trade at any place near his dominions lower down the coast than Whydah, as by means of trading vessels the people are getting rich, and resisting his authority. He hopes the queen will send him some good Tower guns and blunderbusses, and plenty of them, to enable him to make war."

Well informed parties estimate that at least eight thousand slaves