Page images
PDF
EPUB

(2)

Moore's Travels into the Inland parts of Africa, § 669, 783.
Mortimer's Commercial Dictionary, § 199, 300

feq.

Muncatter, Lord, his Sketches of the Hiftory of the Slave-trade.

New Account of Afia and Africa, 1785.

New Jerufalem Magazine, No. IV. § 621, 693.

Nordenskiold, (Ulric) afhandling om nyttan för Sverige af handel och Nybyggen i Indierne

och pa Africa, 8vo. Stockholm, 1776, § 693, 977.

Ogilby's Account of Africa, § 693.

Plan of a free Community in Africa, independent of Europe, § 194, 606.
Poftlethwayt's Commercial Dictionary, § 2, 69, 70, 180, 199, 325.

Primatt's Eflay on the Duty of Mercy, &c. to Brute Animals, § 131.

Price on Annuities.

Purchas's Pilgrim, § 693.

Ramfay's Effays on the Treatment, &c. of African flaves, § 704.

Rafk's, Reife beskrivelfe til og fra Guinea, § 974.

Raynal, Hiftoire philofophique et politique, &c. § 99.

Reafons for eftablishing the colony of Georgia, § 107, 180, 195, 196.

Report of the British Privy Council Relative to the Slave-trade, paffim.

Report of the Affembly of Barbadoes Relative to the Slave-trade, §70z.

Robert, Geographie Naturelle, § 269

Robertfon's Hiftory of Scotland, § 339.

Robertfon's History of Charles V. §937.

Robertfon's Hiftory of America, § 4, 579.

Sefitrom's Memoir in the Acts of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Stockholm, § 84.

Sharp on Congregational Courts, 166, 191.

Sharp, Sketch of Temporary regulations for S. Leona, $ 84, 190, 740,978.

Sheffield, Lord, his Obfervations on the Commerce of America, § 268

Smeathman's Account of the Termites (wood ants or bug-a-bugs) in the Philof. Tranf. 1781.

§ 62, 82, 650.

Smith, Dr. A. his Wealth of Nations, § 112, 117, 135, 180.

Smith, W. Efq. his Voyage to Guinea, § 676.

Snelgrave's Account of Guinea, § 676.

Sparrman's Voyage to the Cape of Good Hope, § 300.

Tableau General de Commerce, § 199, 369.

Temple, Sir W. his Obfervations on Holland, § 112.

Tilleman's, Beretning om det Landskab Guinea, § 973.

Treatife on the Trade of Great Britain by an African Merchant, § 70.

Wadftrom's Obfervations on the Slave-trade, &c. § 483.

Walker's Geography, § 741

Water's Newfle Erdkunde, &c. § 269.

Weft's Bridag til Bekrivelfe over St. Croix, $ 46, 59, 976, 980.

Wilfon's Effect of Hot Climates on Vegetable and Animal Bodies, § 635.
Winterbotham's View of the United States of America.

Zimmerman, Profeffor at Brunswick.

ON

COLONIZATION, &c.

СНА Р. XI.

COLONIES ATTEMPTED, OR NOW FORMING, IN AFRICA, ON THE
PRINCIPLES OF HUMANITY,

328. HA

By the British, the Danes, and the Swedes.

TORY RE

MARKS

AVING, in the first part, given brief defcrip- INTRODUCtions of the colonies formed, or attempted by the Europeans in Africa, and it's iflands, on the principles of commerce, I now proceed to offer fome account of those which the British, the Danes and the Swedes have attempted, or are now endeavouring to establish, in that part of the world, on the principles of humanity, for the noble purpose of civilizing the natives. This, I acknowledge, would be to me a pleasant task, if I were provided with all the proper materials, and could promise to describe the rise, progress and present state of those undertakings, with an exactness corresponding to their importance. But, unfortunately, neither my materials, nor abilities, are equal to my inclination, to do justice to a fubject, which has long been dear to my heart. Respecting the Danish colony, my information, though it has both novelty and authenticity to recommend it, is by no means fo full as I could wish; and of the internal history

[blocks in formation]

TORY RE-
MARKS.

[ocr errors]

CHA P. of the British colony at Sierra Leona, and the late attempt XI. at Bulama, I have not been able, with all my affiduity, to INTRODUC- collect fo many authentic particulars as I expected, which have not already been inferted or touched on in the reports of the gentlemen, who respectively prefide over those undertakings. But, of the Swedish attempt, or rather design, I can give a more fatisfactory flatement.-The reports of the Directors of the Sierra Leona Company, and those of the Trustees of the Bulama Affociation, are really instructive and interesting, as far as they go: but, having been chiefly intended to inform the proprietors of the state of their affairs, and of the proceedings of the Directors and the Trustees, we cannot reasonably expect them to contain more of the internal history of those colonies, (my chief defideratum) than was consistent with the principal design. The truth is, that, confidering the various calamities which befel those infant establishments, and which rendered the keeping of regular journals extremely difficult, I am more furprized at the fulness than the brevity of the hiftorical parts of those reports: and their defects cannot I think be fairly attributed to any other causes than those just mentioned. In fhort, it is but too well known, that early misfortunes checked the colony at Sierra Leona, and overwhelmed, but it is hoped not irretrievably, that of Bulama. The fame unhappy events could not fail to obscure the history of both.

The author obliged to a

terials.

329. The reports, I am obliged to compress into a compass bridge his ma- fuitable to my limits. But I mean to retain all the effential circumstances; and to infert in the appendix, the additional ones which I have been able to afcertain, and fuch remarks as the subjects will fairly bear. Thus, a circumftantial and faithful abridgment of the reports will form the basis of what I have to deliver refpecting Sierra Leona and Bulama;

XI.

INTRODUC

and the additions will most probably, after all, more than CHA P. occupy the space gained by abbreviation. By way of ароlogy to the gentlemen concerned, I can only exprefs my TORY REhope that, in confideration of the intention, they will excufe MARKS. the liberty I have been obliged to take in abridging their reports, as well as in differing with them in fome of their opinions. Subjects in their nature controvertible, neceffarily fuppofe and admit diversity of fentiments. But furely men may entertain different opinions of particulars, whofe great, primary motive to action is the fame. The more I confider the fubject, the more I am convinced that the motive of the gentlemen alluded to, is a conscientious anxiety to promote the civilization of Africa; and I am willing to interpret all their opinions and actions, by the fame rule of candour and charity, which I wish to be applied to my own.

330. Before I proceed to abridge the reports, it feems proper to observe, that, as far as I have been able to learn, the late Dr. Henry Smeathman was the person who first proposed a specific plan for colonizing Africa, with a view to civilization *. From his letter to Dr. Knowles, dated July

* I fay, a specific plan; for that great ornament of society and friend of mankind, the late learned Dr. Fothergill, had before "fuggefted the cultivation of the fugar-cane upon the continent of Africa, where it seems to have been indigenous, and thriyes luxuriantly (See § 63;) and that the natives fhould be employed as fervants for hire, and not as flaves, compelled to labour, by the dread of torture." See "Some Account of the late John Fothergill, M. D. F. R. S. &c. read before the Medical Society of London, in 1782, by John Coakley Lettfom." Fothergill's Works, Vol. III.

I cannot omit that Dr. J. C. Lettfom, who was born to an inheritance of flaves, after having trained them, by a long course of kind and beneficent offices, to a due regard for focial and religious obligations, generously declared them free. As far as I have been informed, the Doctor is the only West Indian who has emancipated any confiderable number of flaves; but, in North America, fuch inftances have been nu

[blocks in formation]

Dr. Smeathcolonizing S.

man's plan for

Leona

TORY RE

14ARKS.

Mr. Gran

ville Sharp's exertions.

CHAP. July the 21ft, 1783, (fee § 621, et feq.) it appears, that he XI. conceived this noble defign, in Africa itself, where he reINTRODUC- fided four years. In 1785, he published his " Plan of a fettlement, to be made near Sierra Leona, &c. intended more particularly for the fervice and happy establishment of blacks and people of colour, to be shipped as freemen, under the direction of the Committee for relieving the blackpoor, and under the protection of the British Government." (§ 648, et feq.) The principle and object of this plan were so congenial with the benevolent views of Granville Sharp, Efq. that it could not but meet with his general approbation. Mr. Sharp had for many years, with great labour and expense, maintained the claims and rights of the enflaved Africans. His exertions in the famous caufe of the negro Somerset, are alone fufficient to immortalize him. After a long litigation, Lord Mansfield, in June 1772, delivered the judgment of the Court of King's Bench, the effect of which is, that the inftant a flave lands on the British fhore, he becomes, IPSO FACTO, free: and the judgment itfelf was a noble effect of the British Conftitution, which, fays another learned judge, “abhors and will not endure the existence of flavery, within this kingdom*,”

Mr. Sharp

merous. Indeed the whole fociety of QUAKERS, in that country, have, in confistency with their principles, "let the oppreffed go free." But, fo well had they been prepared for the change, by the care and humanity of their praiseworthy mafters, that they fill, in general, ferve them, and fo faithfully, that, even in a pecuniary view, they have no reason to repent of their liberality.

For a very extraordinary proposal, for civilizing Africa, fee in the Appendix, Notes, &c. refpecting S. Leona and Bulama, NOTE A.

* Blackstone's Comm. If it be asked why slavery is endured within the British colonies? the true answer feems to be, that, like fome other abufes and ufurpations, it fole into thofe diftant dependencies, in unfettled times, when the communi

« PreviousContinue »