THE SLAVE TRADE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2215, 9 February 1886, Page 2

THE SLAVE TRADE.

A Parliamentary Blue Book has been published containing correspondence with British representatives and agents abroad and reports from naval officers relative to the slave trade in the year 1884-85. The ' countries dealt with are Brazil, E D 'ypt, Morocco, Persia, Portugal, Turkey, and Zanzibar. The accounts from Brazil show that both slavery and the sale of slaves were greatly on the decrease. It was reckoned that in April last year the numbejr of slaves was 1,200,001),' and'this was continually decreasing, chiefly by means of emancipation or ransom. In Egypt, as Sir Evelyn Baring informed Lord Granville, up to the end of January, 1884—the period in question appears to begin with our occupation—the, total number emancipated was 8989. jjfcim Morocco Sir J. H. Drummondipiay a very painful story. The number of slave sales had in the early par)} of 1884 actually trebled in Morocco,' and complaint was mad.6 that some ,of the slaves were mutilated in a barbarmanlier, from which numbers of them perish in horrible agony. The authorities decided, simply that the abolition otA slaves could not be effected. ' Some?*

months later, however, the Sultan put * stop to the public sale' of slaves. Qu the 17th of April of last year Sir J. D, • Hay informed Lord Granville that with the exception of the FrenQh Minister, 'no foreign diplomatic' officer hadtakehsteps, to, prevent those under their protection {row holding or dealing in slaves. Before tjf\e povrespondence is concluded we find, feat tho Banish and British agents had warned the subjects of their respective countries against the traffic Complaint is made of the existence of slavo trade between the Portuguese possessions in East Africa and the Comoro Islands.