Its connection with the latter was principally on account of the saltpetre, which it furnished for making gunpowder.

Out of nearly three millions of pounds in weight of the latter article, which had been exported in a year from this country, one half had been sent to Africa alone; for the purposes, doubtless, of maintaining peace, and encouraging civilization among its various tribes! Four or five thousand persons were said also to depend for their bread in manufacturing guns for the African trade; and these, it was pretended, could not make guns of another sort .-- But where lay the difficulty ?--One of the witnesses had unravelled it.

He had seen the Negros maimed by the bursting of these guns.

They killed more from the butt than from the muzzle.

Another had stated, that on the sea-coast the natives were afraid to fire a trade-gun.
In the West Indian commerce two hundred and forty thousand tons of shipping were stated to be employed.