'The Slave Trade of East Africa.' [‎46] (55/108)

46
Bartle Edward Frere, Knight, Commander of the Most Honourable
Order of the Bath, and Knight Grand Commander of the Most
Exalted Order of the Star of India, and a member of the Council for
India, who has been deputed by Her Majesty the Queen to proceed
on a Special Mission to your Ijighness, to make known to you the
views of Her Majesty and of Her Government on the question of the
East African Slave Trade, and to invite your Highness to join with
them in framing measures which shall have for their object the
complete suppression of this cruel and destructive traffic.
<< Your Highness cannot but be aware of the deep interest taken bv
the Queen and people of this country in the suppression of the slave
trade, nor of the sacrifices which have been made, both of valuable
life and of treasure, to attain this desired end.
u Not more than twenty years ago the traffic in slaves was carried
on by powerful nations from the West Coast of Africa to a far
greater extent than it now obtains on the East Coast, when as many
as from 60,000 to 70,000 slaves were exported to countries on the
other side of the Atlantic in a single year.
" Her Majesty's Government and people of this country were deter
mined that this traffic should cease.
" They therefore maintained a powerful squadron on the coast
engaged entirely in the suppression of the traffic, and by remon
strating with the Governments of those countries, whose subjects
were engaged, in the traffic, and by making treaties with the
Governments in question, binding them to use their best exertions to
put a stop to the slave trade, and to punish severely their subjects
who might engage m it, the end which Her Majesty's Government
had in view was attained, and they can now point to the West Coast
of Africa, and say that where a few years since slaves were carried
away in tens of thousands, now not a single slave is exported, and
in the place of this inhuman traffic, which was carried on only by
means of wars undertaken in the interior with the sole object of pro
curing slaves, a flourishing legal trade has everywhere arisen, which
the native chiefs and all who were formerly engaged in shipping
slaves now acknowledge is far more profitable than man stealing
and man selling.
What Her Majesty's Government, under most adverse circum
stances, have succeeded in accomplishing on the West Coast of
Africa, it is equally their object to effect on the East Coast; and on
the part of Her Majesty's Government I have therefore to invite
your Highness frankly and cordially to join them in framing
measures which shall effectually put a stop to the illegal export of
slaves from any part of your dominions.
" Should your Highness, as Her Majesty's Government confidently
trust you will, join with them frankly and cordially in carrying out
efficient measures for putting an end to the export of slaves from
your dominions in Africa, your Highness may reckon on the friendship