also for establishing an efficient registry of all the slaves in the island of Ceylon.

The accounts received during the last year of the measures pursued by sir R. T. Farquhar, the governor of the Isle of France, for the further suppression of the African slave-trade in that part of the globe, are highly important and encouraging. The directors have good reason to believe (independently of the information contained in the following letter), that the governor has entered into a treaty with the Imaum of Muscat, for the total abolition of the slavetrade in the island of Zanguebar, and all the other dominions belonging to him.

An officer of his majesty's navy, employed in that part of the globe, writes to one of the directors of the institution, under the date of January last, that though the traffic, by a constant vigilance on the part of his excellency, sir R. T. Farquhar, aided by the naval force, has been considerably checked, yet the fear of meeting with British cruisers, and the increased difficulties of carrying it on, have unfortunately increased the horrors of the situation of these poor creatures, in their transport across the seas.

Sir R. T. Farquhar had been for some time occupied in bringing about a treaty with the Imaum of Muscat, for the total abolition of all traffic in slaves in his dominions with any persons whatsoever, from which, most particularly at Zanguebar, it had been carried on to a prodigious extent, and captain Moresby, who was intrusted with its execution, had returned to the Mauritius, having with great diligence and ability finally arranged this treaty with the Imaum of Muscat.

To give effect to all these proceedings, captain Nourse, of his majesty's ship Andromache, sailed with a small squadron under his orders. His first visit was to Bourbon, where he learned enough to convince him, that the slavetrade was extensively carried on in that island, notwithstanding every proper disposition on the part of the governor to check it. His means of doing so were wholly inefficient, and all the landed proprietors in the island being interested in maintaining the trade, the difficulties of the governor were of course greatly increased.

From Bourbon, he sailed for Foul Point, on the east coast of Madagascar; at which place resides Mr. Hastie, the British agent, who has been zealously and usefully employed in bringing about a taste in the natives for agriculture and habits of industry. Towards these objects, king Radama had afforded every assistance; and a village was then rapidly rising at Foul Point.

The natives under prince Rafala, who had been brought from the interior to form this establishment, were mild in their manners, and ingenious in several kinds of manufactures, particularly in that of straw mats, and cloths made of grass as fine as silk.

Mr. Hastie had also encouraged the rearing of the silk worm, for which the country is stated to be very favourable.

He informed the officers of the Andromache, that several offers had been made by persons interested in the slave-trade to the chieftains, for leave to trade on this part of the coast, but that these offers had invariably been rejected.

On leaving Foul Point, the

Andromache sailed for the French island of St. Mary's, off Madagascar. On this part of the coast there was strong reason to believe, notwithstanding the assertions of the French to the contrary, that the traffic in slaves was secretly carried on, though not to any great

extent.

The Andromache also visited the island of Zanguebar, on the east coast of Africa. The meeting will hear with satisfaction, that 15 days before her arrival there, a large ship mounting 20 guns, under French colours, direct from France, which had come thither for slaves, and for which traffic she had been expressly fitted out, had been under the necessity of departing without having been able to procure a single slave.

It was clearly ascertained, that the Imaum had issued the most positive orders to his governor of Zanguebar, to prevent the traffic in slaves with any persons whatsoever; and there was reason to believe that the governor had faithfully fulfilled these instructions.

The letter speaks strongly of the abundance of fresh provisions and fruit to be had at Zanguebar, and states that the climate, though hot, is tempered with genial rains throughout the year: a proof of which was exhibited in the rich verdure which then covered the island.

On the return of the Andromache to the Cape, in passing through the channel, she put into the Portuguese settlement of Mozambique. This settlement was found to be in a very languishing state, arising from the diminished demand for slaves; and, owing perhaps to the perturbed state of the mother country, it appeared to be much neglected.

The governor expressed himself strongly as to the evil tendency of the slave-trade upon the habits and morals of the people of Mozambique.

The directors have not yet received the annual official documents from Sierra Leone, and they are consequently unable to detail the circumstances which have taken place there during the last year. But from such information as has already come to their knowledge, they may state that the colony continues to make a gradual improvement in civilization, in agriculture, and in commerce.

Captain Thompson, who was engaged in the negociation of the treaty which has just been alluded to, lately returned to England; and on his way home collected and brought with him a quantity of seeds of various kinds from India, Arabia, and Egypt: amongst them are, the Mocha coffee, the Teak, and the Mangoe, as well as some others which appear to be valuable. He was kind enough to present them to the institution with a view to their being sown at Sierra Leone, where it is hoped they may be successfully and usefully cultivated: they have accordingly been sent to the care of governor M'Carthy with captain Thompson's own remarks upon the seeds, and upon the best method of raising plants from them, and the necessary precautions for their future care and cultivation.

The directors are happy in being enabled to state to the meeting, that after various unsuccessful trials, some vaccine virus, sent out to Sierra Leone by the brig Waterloo, was found to succeed in the cases of two children who were vaccinated from it by Mr. Barry.

From

visited the colony, and many deaths occurred: the last accounts received, state that the American agent himself was reduced to a very bad state of health, and that sickness generally prevailed.

Dr. Lushington has again brought into parliament his bill for the consolidation of all the existing laws relative to the abolition of the slave-trade, which was postponed from the last session; and its provisions are now under the consideration of a committee of the directors, with whom Dr. Lushington has been so obliging as to communicate, in order to render the details of the measure as complete as possible. They trust the bill may be so framed as to be produc tive of important benefits. But the directors cannot conceal their opinion, that, unless it shall prohibit the removal of slaves from one British colony to another, except in the case of domestic slaves, under certain regulations, as well as repeal the 58th Geo. 3rd, cap. 49, which allows the importation of slaves in certain cases, it will stop far short of the object which they have in view.

It has not escaped the observation of the directors, that the Brazilian government having declared itself independent, there may be danger of its flag being used for

the protection of slave ships. Upon this subject, as well as respecting a considerable portion of the African coast, as far as five and a half degrees, or about 400 miles of coast south of the Equator, wherein the Portuguese government have agreed by treaty to abstain from carrying on any trade in slaves, but in which no right of search has yet been consented to, the board has had a communication with his majesty's minister for foreign affairs; and they hope that some measures may be taken to prevent or remedy the evils, which have arisen from these circumstances.

With a view to the further diffusion of information respecting the African slave-trade, particu larly in France, the directors have, during the course of the last year, circulated at Paris, in the Netherlands, and the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal, a large edition of the celebrated speech of the duke de Broglie, made in the French chamber of peers during the last year, and also of Mr. Wilberforce's letter to the emperor of Russia, describing the atrocities of the existing slave-trade; and a considerable number of copies of the last report of this institution have also been distributed in a similar manner.

SPAIN.

Confidential Minute of Viscount Castlereagh on the Affairs of Spain. Communicated to the Courts of Austria,

France, Prussia, and Russia, in
May, 1820.

(Extract.) The events, which have occurred in Spain, have, as might be expected, excited, in

in proportion as they have developed themselves, the utmost anxiety throughout Europe.

The British cabinet upon this, as upon all other occasions, is ever ready to deliberate with those of the allies, and will unreservedly explain itself upon this great question of common interest; but as to the form in which it may be prudent to conduct these deliberations, they conceive, they cannot too early recommend that course of deliberation which will excite the least attention or alarm, or which can least provoke jealousy in the minds of the Spanish nation or government. In this view, it appears to them advisable, studiously to avoid any re-union of the sovereigns-to abstain, at least in

the present stage of the question, from charging any ostensible conference with commission to deliberate on the affairs of Spain. They conceive it preferable that their intercourse should be limited to those confidential communications between the cabinets which are, in themselves, best adapted to approximate ideas, and to lead, as far as may be, to the adoption of common principles, rather than to hazard a discussion in a ministerial conference, which, from the necessarily limited powers of the individuals composing it, must ever be better fitted to execute a purpose already decided upon, than to frame a course of policy under delicate and difficult circumstances.

There seems the less motive for precipitating any step of this nature in the case immediately under consideration, as, from all the information which reaches us, there exists in Spain no order of things upon which to deliberate; nor, as yet, any governing authority with which foreign powers can communicate.

The king's authority, for the moment at least, seems to be dissolved. His majesty is represented in the last despatches from Madrid, as having wholly abandoned himself to the tide of events, and as conceding whatever is called for by the provisional junta and the clubs.

The authority of the provisional government does not appear to extend beyond the two Castilles and a part of Andalusia :-Distinct local authorities prevail in the various provinces, and the king's personal safety is regarded as extremely liable to be hazarded, by any step which might lay him open to the suspicion of entertaining a design to bring about a counter-revolution, whether by internal or external means.

This important subject having been referred to, and considered by the duke of Wellington, his memorandum accompanies this minute. His grace does not hesitate, upon his intimate experience of Spanish affairs, to pronounce, that the Spanish nation is, of all the European people, that, which will least brook any interference from abroad; he states the many instances in which, during the last war, this distinguishing trait of national character rendered them obstinately blind to the most pressing considerations of public safety: he states the imminent danger in which the suspicion of foreign interference, and more especially of interference on the part of France, is likely to involve the king-and he further describes the difficulties which would oppose themselves to any military operations in Spain, undertaken for the purpose of reducing, by force, the nation to submit themselves to an order of things, to be either suggested or prescribed to them from without.