rTO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECT.A.TOR."f
SIR,—I have read with much interest the correspondence on slave-grown cocoa that has appeared from time to time in the Spectator. I was twelve years in Angola, and have travelled over most of the country many times, crossing the great slave route which ends at Catumbella. During my wanderings I encountered hundreds of slave caravans and saw all the incidental happenings, and can confirm all Mr. Nevinson has written on the subject in his book, "A Modern Slavery." There is no such thing as recruiting labour in Angola, as we understand the meaning of the word "recruiting." Any one who knows anything of the Angola native is perfectly well aware that a lifetime could be spent in trying to persuade the natives to volunteer for service on the cocoa plantations of San Thome and not succeed in getting one single native to leave Angola. Personally I cannot imagine any more un- profitable occupation than to be a bond-fide recruiting agent in Angola. The Portuguese Government know that -if they stop the traffic in slaves it practically means the ruin of two of their most prosperous islands, and this is the great difficulty they have to contend with. Let the Portuguese Government make it a penal offence for any one to take or give money or goods in exchange for a human being, and take measures to enforce the law, and the traffic will die a natural death. The Portuguese Government by recognising the so-called recruiting agents encourage the traffic in slaves.—I am, Sir, &c., • Biversdale, _Dominica, B.W.I. G. W. PENRICE.
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