1840, and a Declaration made by Kings Bell and Acqua, on 10th of June, 1840, before Lieutenant R. Levinge, of Her Britannic Majesty's brigantine Buzzard, and Mr. Lilley, resident at Cameroons, yearly, for 5 years, the following articles:-60 muskets, 100 pieces of cloth, 2 barrels of powder, 2 puncheons of rum, 1 scarlet coat with epaulettes, 1 sword; upon a certificate being received that the said laws and proclamations have been enforced, which shall be signed by King Bell. Done at the King's House, Bell's Town, Cameroons River, this 7th day of May, 1841. W. S. BLOUNT, Lieutenant and Commander. his KING BELL, A mark. - British Declaration.—April 25, 1842. I, LIEUTENANT EDWARD C. EARLE, commanding Her Britannic Majesty's brig Rapid, on the part of Her Majesty the Queen of England, hereby make known to King Bell (with reference to the Treaty for the suppression of the Slave Trade, this day ratified), that should it appear at any time hereafter, from the want of the annual certificate (which King Bell declares he will produce), of no Slave Trade having existed in his territories, or from any other circumstances, that Slave Trade has existed, the presents will in such case be discontined, and King Bell will incur the severe displeasure of Great Britain, by whom the Slave Trade will be put down by force. Given on board Her Britannic Majesty's brig Rapid, in the River Cameroons, April 25, 1842. EDWARD C. EARLE, Lieutenant and Commander. (10.)—TREATY with King Acqua.-Signed at Acqua Town, Cameroons River, May 7, 1841. WILLIAM SIMPSON BLOUNT, Esquire, Lieutenant, commanding Her Britannic Majesty's steam-vessel Pluto, on the part of Her Majesty the Queen of England, and King Acqua, of Acqua Town, Cameroons, Have agreed upon the following Articles and Conditions: ART. I. It is agreed, and the 2 Contracting Parties hereby covenant and agree, that, from the date of this Treaty, there shall be an entire cessation and extinction throughout the territory of King Acqua, and wherever his influence can extend, of the sale or transfer of slaves, or other persons whatever, to be removed from off the territory of King Acqua into any country, island, or dominion of any other Prince or Potentate whatever; and that King Acqua will * Page 886. make a proclamation and a law prohibiting all his subjects, or persons depending on him, to sell any slave to be transported from his territory, or to aid, or abet, or assist, in any such sale, under penalty of severe punishment. II. King Acqua further agrees, that should any slave-vessels arrive in the river, he will send and inform any of Her Britannic Majesty's cruizers thereof that may be in the neighbourhood. III. And in consideration of this concession on the part of King Acqua, and in full satisfaction for the same, and for the loss of revenue thereby incurred by King Acqua, Lieutenant W. S. Blount, on the part of the Queen of England, does engage, that there shall be paid to King Acqua (according to the Treasury letter dated 20th November, 1810, and Declaration made by Kings Acqua and Bell, on the 10th of June, 1840,* before Lieutenant R. Levinge, of Her Britannic Majesty's brigantine Buzzard, and Mr Lilley, resident at Cameroons), yearly, for 5 years, the following articles :—60 muskets, 100 pieces of cloth, 2 barrels of powder, 2 puncheons of rum, 1 scarlet coat with epaulettes, 1 sword; upon a certificate being received that the said laws and proclamations had been enforced, which shall be signed by King Acqua. Done at the King's House, Acqua Town, Cameroons River, this 7th day of May, 1841. WILLIAM S. BLOUNT, Lieu tenant and Commander. his KING ACQUA, mark. British Declaration.-April 25, 1842. I, LIEUTENANT EDWARD C. EARLE, commanding Her Britannic Majesty's brig Rapid, on the part of Her Majesty the Queen of England, hereby make known to King Acqua (with reference to the Treaty for the suppression of the Slave Trade, this day ratified), that should it appear at any time hereafter, from the want of the annual certificate (which King Acqua declares he will produce), of no Slave Trade having existed in his territories, or from any other circumstances, that Slave Trade has existed, the presents will in such case be discontinued, and King Acqua will incur the severe displeasure of Great Britain, by whom the Slave Trade will be put down by force. Given on board Her Britannic Majesty's brig Rapid, in the River Cameroons, April 25, 1842. EDWARD C. EARLE, Lieutenant and Commander. * Page 886. (11.)-TREATY with Obi Osai, Chief of Aboh, (Eboe or Ibu.)Signed off Aboh, August 28, 1841. THERE shall be peace and friendship between the people of Great Britain and the people of Aboh; and the Slave Trade shall be put down for ever in the Aboh country; and the people of Great Britain and the people of Aboh shall trade together innocently, justly, kindly, and usefully; and Captain Henry Dundas Trotter, Commander William Allen, Commander Bird Allen, and William Cook, Esquire, Commissioners on the part of the Queen of Great Britain, and Obi Osai on his own part, and that of his people, as the Chief of the Aboh country, do make the following Agreement for these purposes: ART. I. The Slave Trade shall be utterly abolished in the Aboh country, and from the signing of this Agreement no persons whatever shall be removed out of the country for the purpose of being treated or dealt with as slaves; nor shall any persons whatever be allowed to be brought through the country, or any part thereof, for the purpose of being treated or dealt with as slaves, by way of exportation or otherwise, nor shall any persons whatever be imported into the country for the purpose of being dealt with as slaves; and no subject of the Aboh country shall be in any way concerned in the exporting or importing slaves, or carrying on the Slave Trade, either within or without the limits of the country. The Chief promises to inflict reasonable punishment on all his subjects who may break this law. II. The officers of the Queen of Great Britain may seize every vessel or boat of Aboh, found anywhere carrying on the Trade in Slaves, and may also seize every vessel or boat of other nations with whom a similar Agreement has been made, found carrying on the Trade in Slaves in the waters belonging to the Chief of Aboh. Upon such seizure and after regular condemnation, according to the provisions of this Agreement, the slaves shall be made free, and the vessels or boats shall be destroyed. III. That in all cases of the seizure of vessels and boats with the slaves on board, under the provisions of this Agreement, the said Commissioners, or those of them who may be present, and in their absence, the Commissioned or Commanding Officer on board. the British vessel making the seizure, or any agent authorised for that purpose, shall, in presence of the Chief, or headman appointed by him, make due examination and inquiry into the case, and shall condemn the said vessel or boat with the slaves on board, if satisfied that the provisions of this Agreement have been thus contravened, or otherwise acquit and restore the same. IV. That from and after the signing of this Agreement, no persons whatever, coming into the country, shall be reduced into slavery, or treated or used as slaves. All white persons whatever, and all British subjects, of whatever colour, at present detained in slavery, shall be immediately set free. V. British people may freely come into the Aboh country, and may stay in it or pass through it; and they shall be treated as friends while in it, and they may leave the country with their property when they please. VI. Christians of whatever nation or country, peaceably conducting themselves in the dominions of the Chief of Aboh, shall be left in the free enjoyment and exercise of the Christian religion, and shall not be hindered or molested in their endeavours to teach the same to all persons whatever, willing and desirous to be taught; nor shall any subject of Aboh who may embrace the Christian faith, be, on that account, or on account of the teaching or exercise thereof, molested or troubled in any manner whatsoever. VII. British people may always trade freely with the people of Aboh, in every article which they may wish to buy or sell; and neither the British people, nor the people of Aboh, shall ever be forced to buy or sell any article, nor shall they be prevented from buying or selling any article with whomsoever they please, and they shall not be compelled to employ an agent; and the customs and dues taken by the Chief of Aboh on British goods sold in the Aboh country shall in no case be more altogether than one-twentieth part of the goods so imported, or their ascertained value; and there shall be no duty, toll, or custom, levied on goods exported. VIII. The paths shall be kept open through the Aboh country to other countries, so that British traders may carry goods of all kinds through the Aboh country to sell them elsewhere; and the traders of other countries may bring their goods through the Aboh country to trade with the British people. IX. British people may buy and sell or hire lands and houses in the Aboh country; and their houses shall not be entered without their consent, nor shall their goods be seized, nor their persons touched; and if British people are wronged or ill-treated by the people of Aboh, the Chief of Aboh shall punish those doing such wrong. X. But the British people must not break the laws of the Aboh country; and when they are accused of breaking the laws, the Chief may detain the person charged with committing any grievous crime in safe custody, taking care that he be treated with humanity; and shall send a true account of the matter to the nearest place where there is a British force; and the commander of such British force shall send for the British person, who shall be tried according to British law, and shall be punished, if found guilty, and a report of such punishment shall be forwarded to the Chief for his satisaction. XI. If the Aboh people should take away the property of a British person, or should not pay their just debts to a British person, the Chief of Aboh shall do all he can to make the Aboh people restore the property and pay the debt; and if a British person shall take away the property of the Aboh people, or shall not pay his just debts to the Aboh people, he shall be subject to the laws of the country for the recovery of the same; provided always that no injury be done to his person. The Chief of Aboh shall make known the fact to the Commander of the British force nearest and to the Aboh country, or to the resident agent, if there is one; the British commander or agent, whichever it may be, shall do all he can to make the British person restore the property and pay the debt. XII. The Queen of Great Britain may appoint an agent to visit Aboh, or to reside there, in order to watch over the interests of the British people, and to see that this Agreement is fulfilled; and such agent shall always receive honour and protection in the Aboh country; and the Aboh Chief shall pay attention to what the agent says; and the person and property of the agent shall be sacred. XIII. It is understood that all British vessels or boats are at liberty to navigate the River Niger and its branches and tributaries, without the payment of any duties, tolls, or customs, whatsoever. The Chief of Aboh promises to use his utmost endeavours to facilitate the conveyance of messengers and despatches to or from British people. XIV. The power of sanctioning or modifying this Treaty is expressly reserved to Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain. XV. Any infringement of this Treaty will subject the Chief of Aboh to the severe displeasure of the Queen of Great Britain, and the loss of the duties herein stipulated for. XVI. The Chief of Aboh shall, within 48 hours of the date of this Agreement, make a law for carrying the whole of it into effect, and shall proclaim that law; and the Chief of Aboh shall put that law in force from that time for ever. XVII. The Queen of Great Britain, out of friendship for the Chief of Aboh, and because the Chief of Aboh has made this Agreement, gives him the following articles:-1 ornamental velvet cap; 1 double-barrelled gun, German silver mounted, flint-lock; 1 pair of pistols, German silver mounted, flint-lock; 1 gilt mounted sabre; 6 yards of cotton velvet; 1 piece of maddapolan; 2 pieces of printed Manchester goods; piece of caricature handkerchiefs; 5 yards of superfine scarlet cloth; 5 yards of superfine blue cloth; 36 bead necklaces, of sorts; 100 flints; 1 case, containing razors, knife, and scissors; 32 small looking-glasses; 1 large lustring umbrella; 1 telescope; 1 serjeant-major's dress, complete; 4 red |