f thwarting the policy and
evading the penalties of our laws. American vessels, with the knowledge,
as there are good reasons to believe, of the owners and masters, are
_chartered_, or rather purchased, by notorious slave dealers in Brazil,
aided by English brokers and capitalists, with this intent. The vessel
is only nominally chartered at so much per month, while in truth it is
actually sold, to be delivered on the coast of Africa; the charter party
binding the owners in the meantime to take on board _as passengers_ a
new crew in Brazil, who, when delivered on the coast, are to navigate
her back to the ports of Brazil with her cargo of slaves. Under this
agreement the vessel clears from the United States for some port in
Great Britain, where a cargo of merchandise known as "coast goods," and
designed especially for the African trade, is purchased, shipped, and
consigned, together with the vessel, either directly to the slave dealer
himself or to his agents or accomplices in Brazil. On her arrival a new
crew is put on board _as passengers_ and the vessel and cargo consigned
to an equally guilty factor or agent on the coast of Africa, where
the unlawful purpose originally designed is finally consummated. The
merchandise is exchanged for slaves, the vessel is delivered up, her
name obliterated, her papers destroyed, her American crew discharged, to
be provided for by the charterers, and the new or _passenger_ crew put
in command to carry back its miserable freight to the first contrivers
of the voyage, or their _employees_ in Brazil.

During the whole progress of this tortuous enterprise it is possible
that neither the American crew originally enlisted nor the _passenger_
crew put on board in the Brazilian ports are aware of the nature
of the voyage, and yet it is on these principally, ignorant if not
innocent, that the penalties of the law are inflicted, while the guilty
contrivers--the charterers, brokers, owners, and masters; in short, all
who are most deeply concerned in the crime and its rewards--for the most
part escape unpunished.

It will be seen from the examinations which have recently taken place
at Rio that the subjects of Her Britannic Majesty as well as our own
citizens are deeply implicated in this inhuman traffic. British factors
and agents, while they supply Africa with British fabrics in exchange
for slaves, are chiefly instrumental in the abuse of the American flag;
and the suggestions contained in th