gulf of Benin, to commence a tour to the regions of the Niger, but he soon fell a victim to the fever of the country.

In 1809, Mr. Burckhardt, an enterprising and accomplished Swiss, sailed from England in service of the Association, and travelled through Syria, Arabia, and Nubia, but died at Cairo, without having performed his projected journey into the interior of Africa.-Such have been the success and the fate of the adventurers employed by the African Association.

In 1816, an expedition was fitted out by the British government with a view to ascertain the course and termination of the Niger. The expedition was divided into two parts, one military, commanded by major Peddie, the other naval, commanded by captain Tuckey. The party under major Peddie proceeded up the river Nunez, but all the leaders fell a sacrifice to the climate before they approached the Niger.

The party under captain Tuckey ascended the Congo 300 or 400 miles, but were seized by a pestilental disorder that proved fatal to the most of them. Thus fatally terminated both parts of this expedition! and so difficult is it to effect the discovery of Africa!

THE SLAVE TRADE.

The leading object of Europeans, in their commercial connexion with Africa, for more than three centuries, has been the prosecution of the slave trade. European nations call themselves civilized and christian; yet it will remain an indelible reproach to them, that for so long a time, their intercourse with Africa, instead of imparting to the natives the blessings of civilization and religion has tended only to destroy their happiness, and to debase their character.

What impressions must the much injured Africans have respecting the religion and humanity of Europeans! The treatment which they have received, has caused them to identify Christianity with perfidy and cruelty; and many years must elapse before their unhappy prejudices will be removed. This abominable trade has cherished among the unfortunate negroes the vilest passions. It has kindled among them intestine wars, which have been made

for the purpose of obtaining captives; and they have learned to betray and kidknap each other. "The best people," says Mr. Newton, who resided for a time in Africa," are those who have had the least intercourse with the Europeans; they are worse in proportion to their acquaintance with us; and when charged with a crime, will say, "Do you think I am a white man?"

The African slave trade was commenced by the Portuguese in the latter part of the 15th century; the Spanish, English, French, and other maritime powers of Europe, soon followed the example, and established factories on various parts of the African coast, for the purpose of collecting slaves. The number of these unhappy beings, annually forced away from their native shores, has, in some years, exceeded 100,000.

The slaves are divided by Mr. Clarkson into seven classes. The most considerable, and that which contains at least half of the whole number transported, consists of kidknapped people. This mode of procuring them includes every species of injustice, treachery, and cruelty. The second class consists of those whose villages are set on fire and depopulated, for the purpose of obtaining them. The third class comprises those who have been convicted of crimes; the fourth, consists of prisoners of war, being either such as are the produce of wars that originate from common causes, or from wars made solely for the purpose of obtaining them; the fifth, such as are slaves by birth; the sixth and seventh, such as have sacrificed their liberty by gaming or by debt; these last, however, are very few in number.

Having lost their liberty in one or other of these ways, they are conveyed to the banks of the rivers or to the sea-coast; some from places near, others from afar, sometimes even from the distance of 1,000 miles. Those that come from a distance, over land, march in droves, or caufles, as they are called. They are secured from running away by pieces of wood, which attach the necks of two and two together; or by other pieces, which are fastened by staples to their arms.

When the slaves are conveyed to the shore and sold, they are carried in boats to the different ships, whose captains have purchased them. The men are immediately confined, two and two together, either by the neck, leg,

or arm, with fetters of solid iron. They are then put into their apartments; the men occupying the fore-part, The the women the after part, and the boys the middle. tops of these apartments are grated for the admission of light and air, and they are stowed like lumber.

Many of them, whilst the ships are waiting for their full lading, and whilst they are near their native shore, from which they are separated forever, have manifested an appearance of extreme depression and distress, insomuch that some have been induced to commit suicide, and others have been affected with delirium and madness.

In the day-time, if the weather is good, they are brought upon deck for air. They are placed in a long row of two and two together, on each side of the ship: a long chain is then made to pass through the shackles of each pair, by which each row is at once secured to the deck. In this state they take their food, which consists chiefly of horse-beans, rice, and yams, with a little palm oil and pepper. After their meals, they are made to jump for exercise, as high as their fetters will let them, on beating a drum; and if they refuse, they are whipped till they comply. This the slave merchants call dancing!

When the number of slaves is completed, the vessels weigh anchor, and begin what is termed the middle passage, to carry them to the respective colonies. The vessels in which they are transported are of different dimensions, from 11 to 800 tons, and they carry from 30 to 1,500 slaves at a time.

When the vessel is full, their situation is truly pitiable. A grown-up person is allowed, in the best regulated ships, but 16 inches in width, two feet eight inches in height, and five feet eight inches in length; not so much room, as Falconbridge expresses himself, as a man has in his coffin. Whether well or ill, they lie on bare planks, and the motion of the ship often rubs off the prominent parts of their body, leaving the bones almost bare.

So wretched is their condition from the heat, the pestilential breath, and the corrupted air, that sometimes, when they go down at night apparently in health, they are brought up dead in the morning. Nearly one fourth of them die, from the time of being put on board to the time of their being disposed of in the colonies; and almost as many more lose their lives during the first two

years of servitude, which is called the seasoning," the time requisite to inure them to their new situation.

The ships, having completed the middle passage, anchor in their destined ports; and the unhappy Africans are prepared for sale. In disposing of them, the nearest relations, as husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters, are separated without any consideration, and if they part with mutual embraces they are severed by the lash! Some are consigned to brokers for sale; others are sold by auction; and a third mode of selling them is by the "scramble." In this case, the main and quarter-decks of the ship are darkened by sails, which are hung over them at a convenient height. The slaves are then brought out of the hold, and are made to stand in the darkened area. The purchasers, who are furnished with long ropes, rush, as soon as the signal is given, within the awning, and endeavour to encircle as many of them as they can. These "scrambles" are not, however, confined to the ships, but are frequently made on shore.

Nothing can exceed the terror which the wretched Africans exhibit on these occasions. A universal shriek

is immediately heard. All is consternation and dismay. The men tremble. The women cling together in each other's arms. Some of them faint away, and others have been known to expire. If any thing can exceed the horror of such a scene, it must be the iniquity of valuing a part of the rational creation in so debased a light, and of "scrambling for human flesh and blood!

The poor negroes are then subjected to a state of servitude the most merciless and hopeless. They are doomed to labour under the lash-to work hard and fare hard, with no hope of reward, and for no other object than to enable their inhuman oppressors to live in idleness, and riot in luxury.

Such are a few of the many horrors of the slave trade; a trade long sanctioned by the most civilized and enlightened nations of Europe-nations professing the Christian religion, one of whose leading principles enjoins us 66 to love our neighbour as ourselves, and to do unto all men as we would that they should do unto us!"

The persevering and godlike benevolence of Clarkson, Wilberforce, and others, men whose names will be cherished with affection as long as any generous feeling ex