Narrative of an Expedition to the Zambesi and Its Tributaries - And of the Discovery of the Lakes Shirwa and Nyassa, 1858-1864 #225985

But the main object of the Portuguese. Government is not geographicah It is to bolster up that pretense to power which has been the only obstacle to the establishment of lawful commerce and friendly relations with the native in habitants of Eastern Africa. The following work contains abundant confirmation of all that was advanced by me at the Bath meeting of the British Association; and I may here add that it is this unwarranted assumption of power over 1360 miles of coast — from English River to. Cape Delgado, where the Portuguese have, in fact, little real authority — which per petuates the barbarism of the inhabitants. The Portuguese interdict all foreign commerce except at a very few points where they have established custom-houses, and even at these, by an exaggerated and obstructive tariff and differential du ties, they completely shut out the natives from any trade ex cept that in slaves.