British slave-trade treaty programme inaugurated; West Africa Naval Squadron established

The slave-trade treaties were initiated by Britain in 1810 and invariably embodied coercive clauses designed to bring other nations into line with her suppression policy. An essential feature was the right of search conceded to the naval squadron. The squadron was maintained on the West African coast from this date to intercept slave ships. By the 1830s the squadron was conducting regular patrols along the Niger Delta coast.