The West Africa Squadron used blockade and local support

As commander-in-chief on the West Africa station, Hornby faced a mission in which indiscriminate force could create larger international problems. He identified a local ruler whose power sustained slave trading and human sacrifice, then combined a hard blockade with support for surrounding rulers. The large station existed because it covered a broad area and a politically important anti-slavery mission even in peacetime. Hornby's squadron achieved its immediate object without firing a shot, and the Royal Navy could eventually reduce its presence.