COLONEL NICOLLS'S DEFENCE OF THE NICER EXPEDITION.

[A letter which we have received from Colonel Nrcor,t,s; commenting on our strictures on the notable " Niger Expedition," that is to put an end to the Slave-trade and convert the continent of Africa into a» English colony, so far exceeds the limits we are compelled to 4w,:seribe to controversial communica- tions, that we are infringing a rule, at considerable inconvenience, in giving in- sertion to it at all, Respect for Colonel Ntcor.t.s, however, and a desire to give the Society fair play, induce its to make a sacrifice of space for this pur- pose ; though in order to accomplish it we are obliged to divide the letter, and postpone the other half, along with any remarks we may see cause to offer when the whole is completed.] TO TIIE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.

Shouter's 11111, September 1.34. Sitt—Being one of your conitant readers, and I can also say an admirer ttr it great deal that I do read in the Speebtlor, I confess I was very much nished and vexed on reading an article headed, " Sir Powell Buxton's Expedition, its Rtal Character and Parentage."

I think, Sir, you, (or I should rather my the gentleman %%dm wrote the article. for 1 do not think ott wrote it.) trot hi have served the purposes of truth. justice, and humanity latter, if you hail not treated the siihjeet so lightly :nal contemptuously as to begin the art Wle with "fimey fair," and conclude it Iv calling the noble and just efforts of honourable men a " lotale." 1 shah therelore go hack to the beginning of this sithject, and tithe its different para. graphs in due order; studiously avoiding any thing in the sliapo of ridicule, disrespect, or contumely to any man; but I shall, on the contrary, endeavour to bring yourself, 11.,. writer of the offensive article, and every honest, humane, and upright peroti, to be of one mind in behalf of the Society for ending slavery and the Slave-trade, hy the introduction of tint Chiblian doctrine, agricultural free labour, and commerce all over Africa. I therefore, as a public advomite for that wretehtd and long-oppressed rave, dennind in their name your useful aid in their cause. 1 hare already publicly written that for the long time of twelve years I have spent on that devoted coast, and the longer period of seventeen years that 1 have been adding toy mite to the exertions of alder friends of Africa, my opinions may have some weight with the puldie. It first asserted in the above-mentioned article in your paper of the 12th instiiit, that notoithstanding the long harangues with which the vote of approbation of the Niger Expedition was prefaced, no explanation or defence of its nature or objects were given. Now, Sir, 1 do think your reporter must hut e been deafened by the thunders of lipid:lose rendered on that glorious oceasion, not to have told you of, first, the letter from our venerable and venerat..t1 champion TliumAs I:LAI:I.:SON, who, after the actions and thought s of :core than three- quarters of a ectitury, most fully approves of our plans--see st hat he says in Appendix 1), page 515 of Sir FowEm. lit.x.rox's last and largest I ! tl Aoo.i. _le Slave 'trade : 41111.1 by my twelve yiears' residence in and my ScrentECII years' connexion with Africa, I declare the whole of Mr. Ca,AlthSoN's letter to be good mid (rue. Ile has read all my papers, journals, :hat I have written about Africa; and it is not alone for the favourable opioi,o he is pleased to express of my humble opinions and exertions in page 52, A ppendix 1), para- graph 12, Of Sir Fow itt, Cs hook, that I at thus particular in calling your attenthin to that letter, or from any miltistt vanity ; but it is that you may think over my plans as at part of those of our Society, and use your own senses in gi‘ tog your future opinions on them. I had marked and numbered the paragraphs of the different speoehos published by our kt.ociety in a piunphlet entitled " Proceedings 01 the First :Meeting of tile Society for the Extinction of tlw Slave-trade and for the Cirilifation of At riva," intending to (liniment on some of the explanations ; but second thoughts made me think that it tedious method. I have, thereliwc, herewith sent yott that pamphlet ; and I would hg to refer you in particular to Dr. 1.11.5111NIETON s speech and the Prospectus cut' the Society at Appendix A. The Niger project wits mentioned, and tthly mentioned, hy 11r. 314 ). re N, in his any moldier ot uutu v Silt: .,11t I dot book published RS far back as 1821. I took that publication to Africa with me in 1822 ; I pondered our it all the time I was in .tfrica. I examined my- self, and I heard the opinions of many of the nati..es ; and their unanitnous prayer was, come and settle among In ; your strengths will give us protection lInd peacc, and your knowlialge wail give us an import unity of becoming civi- lized• When Mr. LAtitu, )1r. (ii.io chi), and .N1r, liccrott came down front 1 listir txpedition up the Niger, they confirmed to me all that Mr. 'Al‘QuEEPt had stated 4n., to the settlements up the Niger—see what 3Ir. 1.man says iti tit:: last two clini,t...rs of his book : therefore, upon all this inforniation, and a great dcal more, did our Committee resolve on Ow propriety of t,ending up this expedition, and it ii 11-I5 rov most hearty. concurrence as the first and. best step to gain a k ledge of Africa and its inhabitants. No step that has been taco liv Fowitt,r, nu x•rox is out of keeping or inetaisistcht with his often-

flattered himself or deceived tiny one, nor has he the least ()suasion to do so, or

pciticiples with regavl to the regeneration of Africa : nor bas he either keep ativ thing in the background itt order to deceive ; tior do I see that it is in the feast difficult to eleerly comprehend the whole of his views and plans, nor was it in the least dangerous to slimy his plans or keep any of them con- : his plans and opinioh,,, I finOW, are all tionet, upright, and useful, as far as we have yet proceeded. This is all 1 bull:tar on paragraph No. 1, l'ott say in paragraph No. 2, " We dissent from the principle of Mr. scheme": you do not give 11 Will tE3' to give you several practical reasons tiff agreeing with Mr. 31.s.li it EN and other theoretical writers on Africa, by my own anti the eviiience of several practical persons who have travelled mid resided its that country. You proceed in parridrapli No. 3 to quote from Mr. 31•QuEn.X.S hook, beginning " &e., and ending " our King an its lord." Now. Sir, I can boldly, jontidently, and I arm sure truly, agree with every word in this paragraph, for the following reasons : the Chief of Binithia came over with nit invitation or asking on toy part, and tendered the sovereignty of his state to his late 'Majesty, and took the oath of allegiance before Commander CuAwroun, of the Brisk brig of war, and several of hi-, it my brother officer:, ; that 1 gave him the British colours to hoist on the island of Bitain ; that I went over there and w ittnissed the acceptance of their allegiance to the King from the assembled people of Biaibia, and the adjacent towns and villages • that 1 was frequently sent for to settle and judge their difference, and that all the Judgments of myself or the magistrstes acting under Me were submitted to ; that on the British brig Lord Byron being wrecked On that part of the coast, and plundered be a multitude of the natives, thee returned tbe plunder when 1 remonsti,,t,:l with them, I havo rea-on to believe more honestly than would have been done on our own coasts; that on some pirates and slave-dealers arid eing at their taco, wit•• had set fire to tutu American vessel and robbed lie r of 10,001) dollars, au..I ha. ring several hun- dreds of the dollars in their poses:don, and being ti•arful, on finding the British colours hoisted there, that the pa, tes-don of the money might betray them, thev threw it into the sea ; that the natives dived for and possessed themselves of the dollars ; and on my di imitating tltem, in order to be given up to the owners, they lione,tly and faithfully gi.ve them up to me; Ott svilich. I pool them the ustial salvage; (the pirates 1 committed, nod sent them to the United Stales, %Aim they were tried and executed); unit no shsving existed whilst we rentaiinal at Fernando Po, or kept the colours flying at Bimbia; and that agriculture and commerce were making rapid strides during that period : the people all living in security mid peace, declared to me they were quite happy; that the Slave-traile recomtnencial :es s as I kit Fernando Po ; that I have no inanner of donbt that the same 1--act territory might he obtained all over :VI vas proved up :he r '■2.- Mr. OLD- FIELD, When ths• Chills pray,-1 -1 y.ytutu Sell.- 3111011g. :IS the only means of obtain:not seem-, v . .1..• dew, Rio del

, rivers, made

hey, Cametomis, and 51.:1. :•1 ; y the same: the same prayers to toe : ; :As the then, Sir, why not. •7' :1. , ir country Gospel to 'ft., ni, t;.:;;;•:, and subdue its rich s,•,, is 1.1\01111. A

ul,j, et, hut they cannot few of the rnoi.t

,..uted in a good spirit. prevent the titer. I tlic t till: enit it is 'utter as I feel c. rtain that tile It is • • "'y thea,:d:-. At p.n..tgr,i,!• - :oh]: _4 "it ia clear," ill QUEEN and " mode emittesti" I '

MEL': tile • ' ;1111* c. _

.1.,0 Chiefs to pos-

s; and i hitherto to th.it t!

• -• • • , I laugh ti it,-

• 1, II h. Cc :•;,11., the ...minty nit._ r it

,1 ':1' to sting

on a-. much medie,1 the 1 1.., C. till V it .•... corn- , 1, ea',Iy anti

,1 -t : ending with

1 -.

.'• I hi-unties , ii t'u'rior

' 1 I • .., all ; or at 1,

• ! ;root smit rev., .• ' of these tlremlful emil. l' it sy"th 11, .r • :1 !'.1 apils " iviCa rue mosl Ian hostiletic

mi pith

V:(11111 a .1.3 A.!: of the itritis1 y .z., 1 11:1 t all the raw

. goods ...lottli ln•

v.-Itether it be

country it co*. ;t•

:maid he rot fr„ lii -cc • the \\lade Intl. I 1,1\ .• 111..AcES, giOVE1101-;, OE ..;.: IL.lieVe it to be that of .As t(1 ar■graplt 9. '

• " this vountry and Ana, .

pulse of the 11ritish realm, Cotila Ii' mked

:Toml to its 1,,ing

due debt, anti a t,tiilutt .

cited gener.tt ion tit Ii 11W ...y tI therefore, since neither .11r. 31.4Ic

. with

It tin' ex- , f these

it It)

, enlight .',ccstors

--- ence, that our every act, and, I believe, thought, is really and truly calculated to benefit this country and Africa.

In moover to paragraph 10, beginning with " We are told," anti ending with " for an indefinite period," I assert that it is an easy matter to put down the external slave-trade, only give operation to the plan contained in my answers to the printed questions on the Slave-trade sent to me for my answers l'oen our Society : if those plans be complied with, I confidently call all the officers that ever were employed on the coast of Africa to support me in assertiug that we shall soon put down the sea Slave-trade, and that I deem it easy to do so, before the internal or domestic slave .trade be suppressed. The putting down of domestic slavery in Africa must be, I grant, e geadual, but it will be a sure method. They have now no city of refuge to ily te, or a proper force to fall back on Which can and will protect them : them that ad- vantage, and the work is begun and will so ot be successfully ended. When I resided at Fernando Po, I mielit have had the whole slave population of the Portuguese island of Pritteec, the netives of Calabar, Cameroons, and Malemba under me; but I Wit. on the coutrary. ol,'.iged to discourage them, by telling th..an I could not fleet neeive them, mite ithstatal. lag several men and women se:muted crazy open cam,,s to reach Fernando Po through a stormy rough sea ; it them were lost, and but a

few arrived in the most dre.alful state of eellea.tea. fisen famine,—thus,

you can see what risks human deinge Will Van to iTeStilltable bles- sings of libertv end security. There is no don): that the ,lave- owners in Africa, as well as those who call theneelves 1..liristiait, will oil their slaves; but if 1 can ace a free ccdoev st.ttled on the banks of tie Niger, or any othor

part of Africa, not a slave will stay in a neighbouring s!it ve-oolony ; wi:1 all fly to you and sunk ■ieetly down uoder your govern:um t : thus would on go

on wherever you went ell over Africa; and I contra(' ii ou have 110 right, on any pretence, to give up 3 slave that lots lima: reached :t our territory : it should be (indeed I have always acted on utIThel;,!.:) a fundemental law

of all free states never to give up a slave that reftteas in yeur territory. I feel quite co:alma you cannot p: rsnaile :my whether in Africa or

• America tocast off his inieu:taes tr:de: you must try every honest tool proper means oferushing the evil v lem v, r it maybe found ; and if it !remote a smuggling- trade, which I think it i iou present, we liatn‘t work the harder to at it down ; our doing slit will net :rake it a whit t!te more oppresive or demoralizing; it is now as much so as it ever is is. Yon say the only way to put an cod to slave. 'trading is to pat est end to :-leve:ry. We ail know that to be true, but some of

our opponents will not admit 7.0.0ritlg the ouly true means of putting the proper mode into eseetiii,m. ..:it there must be always a very great advantage of having fore le Ielaewers. I have hatt good practical

Rroof of this in Africa. e : ii., ; a free-labour market is cstal,hshed,

trom that mono et I think all British freemen should urge, and etrori:y i•:•pose prohibitory duties on all slave- labour produce ; t,t t 11. Illy, so as not to hurt or lessen the ualitv of our me.m.• e • wouli not lav a duty on American s are-labour cottoe, :.:-t , i aid get a sufficient quantity front our own colonies in At'. :e,1 the Evil and West Indies ; and by en- couraging the growth it e .•. on the banks of the Niger, we should create thousands a . is . our manure( tures in payment of their raw mat . tie? : cotton-cl4 ne■e!,!

nucleaned t!.,2

very artieles : sure, and pre:It.:• would he a be:•:it t: sad state if a war no other del-at:de: dependsnce on could not be 1.•. can have any vast quantity er . as gold, pairtl-i•i!. bad in vast Brit:zit • perp,_tti-.7 .1 :•,.. At plra4r may r(:..r.

instaet. .

JAM • book,

and ol,t.eH bet wete t Africa. If not d•)ii at the - e••• Quit:. and s ing, : no tat wad and : 7 1.3 Ve7:. !••. of slava: quantit:.

the,. .1 ••,

our t:.. melt it ci• pave'.. ..s.

the • e I

natiTe.. t its

CAL: ,, • t it h•e •:• Vrht-r.

:sad Air:'ee 51,4 r at, d • s tattle, at: st •

tir.et te, in vars,ee:;.•. f

is • ; .

.:.:..e company erect sugar-nulls and : canes front the natives and the : tlem for their labour with those 1,eth parties wouhl he eenstant, jury to MIT present colonlec, it earent state. We should be in a t country and America, if we had

• , e, what we got from them: therefore, et'd he our colts:taut aim. Our Colonies cotton in the West Inthhi:We evth of in Afriet, le•side the in the West Indies, stieh e.e.; all of which are to he • 4.1 be alone paid for with tic slavery would not "be ,...crease rapidly every hour. .•;. 'the cGpious extracts front the market of the world," I ..11,ruing Chronicle of the 8th a Sufficient an“ver to Mr.

• • ' made to Mr. 3N:11:Ens's I there for having positions 7. I no comparison

tl. . shall obtain in rl:r very reason why we shall th:nk, very wrong that any re:'.;:nty and be merchants thing now: the 1.-tvc the th:Th:, tin th.fht- in Africa,

ar, I•1 to be

,,i1 ,• wanta at which -et1 state ',1st the ci Ii,

,t•

• it .tt 1. -,-•, rt that Mr..1smri hy the pr, t' a try Vr.at letth .:; the rat-tent ninth., it will COri- .‘st'i whet .1/41e.

it tic: nf ti. r

• If : f tl,at the ;I. ti.• ;!r• et. i,u'tuui-

it ni fifty 1011,4 or (:apital Inc as