Submission to the tyranny of weakness may be carried too
far. We do not feel sure that it has not been carried too far already in the case of Portugal, when we consider the account given in Thursday's Times of the obstacles she is throwing in the way of the English on Lake Nyassa in their struggle with the Arab slave-hunters. The letter, dated "East Africa, August 20th," recounts how a gallant attempt was made by a party of natives, led by Englishmen, to carry an Arab stockade, and how the attempt failed owing to the want of proper armament. The Portuguese on the coast impede and delay in every possible way the passage of the arms and ammu- nition needed by the English, and absolutely forbid the entrance of a field-gun, without which it is impossible to check effectually the barbarity of the slave-catchers. The conduct of Portugal is in strong contrast with that of the Sultan of Zanzibar, who does all in his power to help the English settlers. We do not wish to impute any motives whatever to the Portuguese, but the effect of their action is directly to support and encourage the Arabs in murdering our traders and mis- sionaries, and harrying the natives with every species of atrocity. It may be necessary one day, if this kind of secret favour to slavery goes on, to occupy Goa as a material guarantee that it shall cease.
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