The signatories undertook to suppress the slave trade, in Article 2 each authorising the navies of the other signatories to search merchant ships sailing under their flag in the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean if there was reasonable grounds to suspect them of engaging in the trade: In order more completely to accomplish the object of the preset Treaty, the High Contracting Parties agree by common consent, that those of their ships of war which shall be provided with special Warrants and Orders, prepared according to the forms of the Annex A of the present Treaty, may search every merchant vessel belonging to any one of the High Contracting Parties which shall, on reasonable grounds, be suspected of being engaged in the Traffic in Slaves, or of having been fitted out for that purpose ...