SENOR TEXUGO ON THE SLAVE-TRADE AT MOSAMBIQUE.

MOSAMBIQUE is a Portuguese settlement on the Eastern coast of Africa, opposite Madagascar, nominally extending coastwise from the Tropic of Capricorn to the '20th degree of South latitude, and inland to an indefinite distance. Magnificent but decay- ing public buildings remain to attest the former greatness of the Lusitanian power; but at present a few miserable settlements along the line of coast, with the island and port of Mosambique, are the sole survivors in this region of the Oriental empire founded by GAMA and ALBUQUERQUE. Tile place is now used by Portugal as a sort of refuge for the destitute—convicts, mutinous troops, politicians under a cloud, and needy nobles, being sent hither for the purposes of punishment, meeting their end, or mending their fortunes. The little island of Mosambique is of value only for its harbour, being even destitute of spring-water; but the whole of the province on the adjacent continent is said to be rich in na- tural productions ; TEXUGO specifying indigo, coffee superior to Mocha, sugar, tea, cotton, cocoa, rice, dye-woods, iron, copper, and gold, and enumerating generally "all the productions of the Western coast of Africa, of America, Asia, and even China." The present commerce of the colony is, however, confined to. slaves; and Senor TExvoo affirms that in less than a twelve- month, (from the 5th October 1837 to the 22d September 1838) no less than 17,000 were " exported from the province of Mosambique." Upon this traffic, indeed, the colony subsists ; not only by the profit it yields to the dealers in the trade, and the necessary commodities it supplies to the inhabitants, but by the income it furnishes the Government ; a duty of 10?.-, Spanish dollars per head being levied, of .which 7.4 is for the Crown and 3 for the Governor's private purse. Corruption, however, not being confined to the magnate, the slaves are generally reckoned short ; which yields an income to the Customhouse-officers. These slaves are exported to the Brazils, and a few to Cuba. So entirely does the colony depend upon the trade, that whilst Senor TEXUGO found ten or-twelve Brazilian slavers in the harbour of Mosambique on his arrival, only one vessel in a year comes there direct from Portu- gal, and only three small traders from the settlements in Hindostan. Every thing, even correspondence, passes to Europe via Rio Janeiro. And here, leaving for a moment Senor TEXUGO and Mosam- bique at the present time, let us note how an amiable but ignorant enthusiasm has increased the very evil it sought to extinguish. In the earlier part of the century, SALT estimated the annual ex- port of slaves from Mosambique as not exceeding 4,000. We abolish the direct trade to the neighbouring islands of Mauritius and the Isle of France ; yet in 1818, the export, according to Bowmen, had increased to 8,164. We diplomatize the world, not excluding the savage potentate of Madagascar, to destroy slavery ; we expend twenty millions of money, and risk the ruin of our West Indian possessions, and lo ! the exportation of Negroes from the out-of- the-way colony of Mosambique rises to 17,000—being a fourfold increase; whilst Mr. BexToN assures us that the trade has more than doubled on the Western, and to America the more convenient coast.

Returning to Senor TEXUGO, this gentleman appears to have been a Miguelite, or in some way connected with the civil contests of Portugal; for he says, that "having conscientiously followed a 'party whose errors or whose misfortunes at length placed me as an exile on board the Magnanimo," he sailed for Mosambique. At this colony he resided about a twelvemonth; and was appointed to one if not more official situations, by the Governor he sailed with ; the power of reading and writing, to say nothing of higher qualifi- cations, seeming to be scarce in that respectable place. Why or wherefore the Senor came to leave it, does not appear ; but he is now in England, and has embodied the results of his experience in a Letter to Mr. BUXTON. They relate to the present condition of Mosambique, the extent and working of its slave-trade, the capa- bilities of the colony for legitimate commerce, and the author's suggestions for the improvement of the province. In diction, Senor TEXUGO scarcely needs the indulgence he fairly demands ; but his manner is somewhat foreign, his narrative somewhat dis- jointed, and either his views are narrow, his observation limited, or the affairs of Mosambique are rather of the smallest. However, the Letter is the result of actual experience, and possesses the freshness and originality which experience alone bestows. It will, moreover, convey some idea of the government, morals, education, and slave-trade of Mosambique ; all of which, except the latter, are at the lowest ebb.

Corruption is recognized and systematic. We have seen how the Governor and the revenue-officers raise the ways and means from the slave-trade. Smuggling is another source of profit ; being carried on by one class of bribery, and if detected by accident or the higher officials, pardoned by higher bribery. The public stores are disposed of for the private benefit of different persons ; and Senor TEXUGO states that the drugs, &c. of the hospital (the foundation of a better age) were sold to a man who subsequently supplied it with its own articles at a handsome advance. So organized and widely-spread is this evil system, that no individual or individuals have power enough to effect a remedy. The Senor represents the Governor, who gave him his place, as an honest man ; but his efforts only raised an opposition which baffled his attempts, and he " died of a broken heart "—and perhaps of a bad climate.

The effect of one of his self-denials is curious. He really wished, the Senor says, to put down the slave-trade ; but found it impossible, on account of the head-money, without which there would be nothing in the colonial chest. He then declined the perquisite duty of three dollars ; upon which a Council was held, and it was decided that the extra duty should not be levied for the present—to the great gain of the slavers.

In the colony of a Southern nation, and that colony a receptacle for equivocals, it is needless to inquire about the morals ; but at Mosambique matters are carried on in a less veiled way ; and it was here, if our memory deceives us not, that some British officers, landing to wait upon the Governor, were startled to find him re- ceive them in a coat and .shirt, dispensing with the superfluity of smallclothes! The established creed is, of course, the Roman Catholic ; but there is little religion in the province. At Mosam- bique " not ten persons arc to be seen at church during divine service on Sundays, excepting the troops of the garrison," who were obliged to attend. Education is at the lowest ebb ; the office of Chief Magistrate was held pro tempore by a man who could scarcely read or write ; and in " September last there was a law- suit in which this same individual was both a party and a judge."

Before noticing the slave-trade, we will take a few quotations in- dicative of Portuguese politics.

A MODEL FOR POLITICIANS.

In Dom Miguel's time, he (a high functionary at Mosambique) was a flaming Miguelite, and in the habit of celebrating bis patron's successes by parties and balls, if balls they could be called. As a further proof of his devotion, this ob- sequious patriot had Dom Miguel's picture suspended in his drawing-row but the day on which the accounts were received of Dom Pedro's having gaineci the ascendancy, he equally invited tib people to a ball, professed to be a urea Pedroite, and turned the painting to the other side ; when, to the surprise of every one, a portrait of Donna Maria appeared. He had, in fact, a portrait of each competitor, to use as circumstances might require, and he still preserves them as a testimonial of his ingenuity.

A COLONIAL GOVERNOR.

M. Sebastian Xavier Botelho, after serving as Governor of Madeira, petj. tinned for the Governorship of Mosambique ; and when he went to kiss the King's hand on receiving the appointment, D. John the Sixth said ta him " Now you see I am your friend, make money, and take care of yourself."

appears that he strictly followed the King's advice, as he retired from the com- mand with an immense fortune, which he is now enjoying in Lisbon. At Mosambique the high public functionaries, even to this day, speak in raptures of his government; saying, Comia e deisava comer—he lived and allowed others to live.

As regards the slave-trade, we have already seen that 17,000 Negroes were exported from Mosambique within the year, and not one of the vessels concerned in their transport was interrupted by a British cruiser. Two small ships of war called at Mosambique, and for a short time prevented slave-ships from leaving the harbour; but one of them, the Leveret, was so slow a sailer that most of the slavers would easily beat her. The traffic itself, in its semi-autho- rized form, though bad enough, is carried on with much less brutality and more regard to the slave, than on the Western coasts- a fact which tends to confirm the opinion we have more than once hazarded, that the Abolitionists would have acted a wiser part in regulating, inspecting, and improving the condition of the slave, instead of hurrying to a premature emancipation.

As we wish to suppress nothing of the horrors of slavery, we will quote a terrible scene, a counterpart to the black-hole of Calcutta; remarking, however, that it arose from the obtuseness of incom- petent responsibility.

The sailing of the last vessel was accompanied with some remarkable cir. cumstances. Though the supercargoes do not like to take passengers or slaves from different people, such generally being the orders from the owners, circum- stances forced the supercargo to infringe this rule, and he took on board both passengers and slaves. Amongst the first was Mr. Joni, Octavian°, natural son of the Marquis d'Aracaty, an officer belonging to the garrison of Moans. bique ; and also Captain Antaume, with his ninety-six slaves. Although the regular freight for a slave to Rio de Janeiro is about one hundred milreis Bra- zilian currency, to justify himself with the owner of the vessel for acting against his orders, the supercargo charged him one hundred and twenty-fire, but his own passage and that of his servant free.

The captain and supercargo, Leite, the mate, Joni') Baptista Boisson, a Frenchman, and Captain Antaume, slept on shore the night of the 17th of May, only going on board in the morning. I then witnessed a scene, the very recollection of which makes me shudder. Fearful that the Negroes by night might swim on shore, or cause some mutiny on board, the mate shut thcm all down under the hatches, not allowing, as is customary, the boys to be upon deck, and the others to come up in a certain number at a time to take the fresh air.

This brute was deaf to the groans and entreaties of seven hundred of these unfortunate beings, asking for a drop of water, or to be allowed to breathe a little fresh air, as well as to the remonstrances of the crew and others on board, When the hatches were opened in the morning, the scene was horrible. Sixty. eight of the Shiest and fattest Negroes, of both sexes, and covered with filth, were found suffocated, and thrown overboard into the harbour. Many others were in so dangerous a condition that they must lamve died on their passage. The sight of the deck, the filth and stench, were so unbearable, that those per- sons who had gone on board to wish their friends a good voyage, instantly left the vessel, unable to endure such a scene of barbarity.

PORTUGUESE AND SPANISH SLAVERS.

I am sorry to be under the necessity of avowing that the Brazilians twat their Negroes much worse than the Spaniards. The latter have always S medical man on board, and feed them well, both on shore and at sea. Perhaps this better treatment is owing to their obtaining higher prices for their slaves in Havanna. The Brazilian slavers, on the contrary, never have any medical men on board, and all the assistance which these unfortunate beings receive is from the mate. They also feed them badly and scantily.

The captains take out passports for the Negroes as Portuguese colonists. When they arrive at their destination, this is the method they adopt to land their cargoes, the slave-trade being abolished by Brazil.

The slave-vessels going to Rio de Janeiro have fixed places on the coast, agreed upon for the landing of the slaves, and only known to the supercargo, or captain ; and they are also provided with a private signal-flag. When the owner expects his vessel, he has persons on the look-out. and the moment the Signal is perceived, hoists are sent out to receive the slaves. As soon as they are landed, they are kept in places prepared for time purpose ; which expense is generally calculated at eighteen to twenty milreis, Brazilian currency. The buyers on receiving notice come there to make their bargains, and those slaves only who cannot be disposed of are dressed up and sent to towns as old residents. The ship again goes to sea after a few days, during which time the vessel is washed, painted, and cleaned ; when she proceeds to port, and enters at the customnhouse in ballast. This is the reason why all the vessels entering the ports of Brmvpil from the coast of Africa, either East or West, as well as from the Cape de Verd Islands, are reported as in ballast. To cover the fraud of the passports, they keep two log-books.