practice of slavery in his colonies. When about to issue an edict, by which all Africans on coming into his colonies were to be made slaves, he discovered some reluctance and apprehension, until he was assured that it was for the good of the negroes' souls, and for the glory of God, this being the only way of converting them to christianity. Deceived by this hypocritical representation, the monarch gave his consent.

The importation of slaves from Africa was first practised by our own countrymen in the reign of queen Elizabeth. The name which is consigned to everlasting disgrace for introducing it, is that of capt. John Hawkins, afterwards sir John Hawkins. Knowing that the Spaniards and Portuguese had found it a profitable speculation, he obtained the assistance of some wealthy persons in London, in the year 1562, and having fitted out three ships, sailed to the coast of Africa, and then fell on the defenceless negroes sword in hand, burned and plundered their towns, and seizing on 300, sailed with them to Hispaniola, where he sold them, and returned to England with other articles of merchandize, the price of blood. Queen Elizabeth seems to have had strong misgivings of the nature of this traffic, and the evils to which it might lead; for though it was represented by those interested in this traffic, that the Africans were taken away voluntarily, and transported to the Spanish colonies as labourers, and not as slaves, she expressed her concern lest any should be carried off without their own free consent, in which case she declared it would be detestable, and call down the vengeance of Heaven upon the undertakers. Hawkins having promised to comply with the queen's injunctions in this

respect, was appointed to one of the queen's ships, to proceed on the same route; but he did not keep his word, for when he went to Africa again, he seized many of the inhabitants, some by stratagem, and some by force, and carried them off as slaves, spreading destruction and misery wherever he went.

"Here," says the historian, "began the horrid practice of forcing the Africans into slavery, an injustice and barbarity, which, so sure as there is vengeance in Heaven for the worst of crimes, will sometime be the destruction of all who allow or encourage it." That such a trade should be suffered to continue under a queen who had so solemnly and properly expressed her abhorrence of injustice and cruelty, must be attributed to the pains taken by those interested, to keep her in ignorance of the truth. During the succeeding reigns of James, and Charles I. and II., British settlements were forming on the West India islands; and the shameful traffic in human beings once begun, proceeded and gathered strength from day to day; every where the colonists commenced plantations and stocked them with slaves. Britain did not take the lead in commencing the slave-trade, but having once followed the example of other nations, and embarked in it, she threw into it all her accustomed energy, and soon outstripped all the rest. From 1700 to 1786, the number of slaves imported by Britons into the island of Jamaica alone, was 610,000; the total import into all the British colonies, from 1680 to 1786, was about 2,130,000. In one year, (1771, when this abominable traffic was at its height,) there sailed from England to Africa, 192 ships provided

for the importation of 47,146 negroes. At a later period, (1793,) the whole number annually imported by all the European powers amounted to 74,000, of which 38,000 (or more than half) were imported by the British. These numbers are not overstated, they are given on the testimony of one who had in his possession, authentic lists of the entries, and who was himself averse to the abolition of the slave-trade. Who that reads this statement, “and having human feelings, does not blush and hang his head to think himself a man ?” Who that boasts the name of Briton, does not weep to think of the atrocious deeds of oppression and blood that stain the page of British history?

But now a thoughtful and intelligent young reader of the foregoing pages, may be supposed to start several questions:

1. How were all these slaves procured ?—were they captives of war, of crime, of debt, or of poverty, each of which has been assigned as a source of slavery?

2. How have they been employed, and how have they been treated, in their state of slavery?

3. Are their children free? and if not, whence arises the necessity of continuing to import fresh slaves every year?

The answers to each of these questions will furnish a distinct section.

1. How were the slaves procured?

It appears to have been among the barbarous customs of the African states, to retain for their own use, or to sell as slaves, captives taken in war. The Moors, who occupy the northern part of Africa, were among the most powerful and

formidable nations, and most frequently took captive the natives of neighbouring states. Hence Morocco was early resorted to as a mart for slaves. As the demand increased, and the captives of war did not afford a sufficient supply, condemned criminals were disposed of in like manner. Neither poverty nor debt have been assigned as causes of negro slavery, for exportation, though they some→ times became the causes of vassalage among themselves. How then has a supply for the astonishing demand been kept up? Could war and criminal judgments constantly stock the slave market with its annual tens of thousands ? Alas! when the heart of man is so hardened by avarice, as to receive a price for his fellow-man, it is not likely to stumble or scruple at the guilt of any measure which may be deemed requisite for extending his lucrative traffic. Like the tiger, which, brought up on milder food, may appear harmless and gentle, but let him once taste the warm blood of a victim, and his cruel ferocious propensities break out beyond all bounds-nothing can restrain, nothing can satisfy him, but a constant repetition of his horrible repast:-so the heart of man once rendered callous by the sale or the purchase of a human victim, still cries "Give, give:" neither avarice nor cruelty knows a bound. When white men, bearing the christian name, found that a profitable commerce might be carried on by procuring slaves in Africa, and exporting them to the newly-formed colonies of the west, methods were easily devised for procuring a sufficient supply. Agents were stationed at different places along the coast, whose business it was to establish communications with the interior country, and to kidnap the unwary

natives, sometimes enticing them with a few paltry beads, or spirituous liquors, or gunpowder, and then abusing the moment of confidence, or of insensibility, to seize and convey them on board a slave ship; sometimes fomenting quarrels between different villages or states, in order to seize on the captives; sometimes bribing the negroes themselves to betray their neighbours, friends, and kindred; sometimes, without the shadow of a foundation, charging the head of a family with witcheraft, or some other crime, and by false accusation, and mock trials, condemning himself and all belonging to him to slavery; sometimes burning whole villages and towns, in order to surprise the helpless fugitives, while attempting to escape from the flames: these, and many other most inhuman atrocities, were constantly resorted to by those interested in maintaining and extending the accursed traffic. Its advocates, indeed, attempted to deny or palliate these statements, and even to prove that the slavetrade was a system of mercy, to men whom the ferocity or superstition of their countrymen had devoted to a terrible death; but investigation has uniformly confirmed the most horrible statements, and even brought new atrocities to light, on the part of the European slave-dealers. On the testimony of eye-witnesses of the first respectability, and who had conversed with the princes of Africa, we are assured that the wars between the states were entered upon wholly at the instigation of the whites, and for the purpose of procuring slaves. Tempted by the offers of European commodities, and especially by that curse of both hemispheres, spirituous liquors, with which the slave-traders and captains plied the petty sovereigns, they waged war