X. CAPE VERD ISLANDS. groes. But, whether the change has been wrought in these CHA P, defcendants of the firft Portuguese colonists, by the climate acting on their complexion, for nine generations (300 years) or by intermarriage with negroes, Dr. Forster does not decide. He flates, however, the opinion of Canon Pauw, the Abbé Demanet, and the Count de Buffon, that “ the colours of the human species depend principally on the climate *." At prefent, there are no whites in these islands, except 12 or 15 at Santiago. Even the governors and the priests in the other islands are blacks. The better fort wear ragged European cloaths: the reft feem well pleased with the partial covering of a fhirt, a vest, a pair of breeches, or a hatt. Defpotic governors, bigotted priefts and the indolence of Caufes of the court of Lisbon, will always keep thofe people more wretched than any community of negroes in Africa. They are rather inclined to floth; and their situation confirms this habit. Beggary alone can protect them from the gripe of tyrants, to increase whose treasures, would be the only effect of their toil. Add to this, that the dry foil is parched up, when the annual rains fail, and famine inevitably suc. ceeds. From these powerful causes, it is reasonable to fuppose, that the inhabitants are deterred, from marriage *See De Pauw Rech. phil. fur les Americ. T. I. p. 186.-Demanet Nouv. hift, de l'Afr. Fran. T. II. p. 224.-Buffon Hift. Nat. 12mo. T. VI. p. 260.—If I might venture to offer an opinion on a fubject so much controverted among the learn ed, I would give it as the refult of my obfervations in Africa, that a black, or a very dark, complexion would be the confequence of whites living within the tropics, after the manner of the natives. But the whites, except perhaps at the Cape Verd Islands, have hitherto lived in tropical countries, cloathed and lodged, as in temperate climates; and therefore the complexions of them and their defcendants have, in ge neral, undergone but little alteration, especially in individuals not much exposed to the fun. + I have been credibly informed, that Rag-fair in London fupplies the Cape Verd Ilands with great quantities of old cloaths. their wretch edness. X. CHA P. which would only bring misery, and perhaps the horrors of flavery, on their offspring *. CAPE VERD 236. After what has been said, the state of agriculture in these islands cannot be expected to be very flourishing. Agriculture: The valley near Porta Praya fort, however, seems to have some moisture, and is planted, here and there, with cocoanut-palms, fugar-canes, bananas, cotton, goaves and papaws. But the greatest part of it is over-run with brushwood; and another is left for pafture.-But we may perhaps conclude, that the Cape Verd Islands, in the hands of an active nation, might be cultivated to great advantage. The cochineal plant, some spices, and coffee, would thrive particularly well in this hot, parched climate. These would supply the natives not only with the neceffaries, but the luxuries of life, under the influence of a free and equal government, like that of Great Britain. Exports and manufactures. 237. Such is the substance of our learned voyager's ac * In 1773 and 1774,. (as Mr. Forfter was told at the Cape of Good Hope, in 1775) a famine deftroyed multitudes of people, in the Cape Verd Islands. In the midst of this diftrefs, feveral of the natives fold themfelves for flaves to a Dutch captain, who happened to arrive, and who fold them at the C. of G. Hope. But the government there having been informed of it, ordered the captain to redeem them, at his own expenfe, to carry them back to their own country, and to bring a certificate from the Portuguese governor, importing the execution of these orders. From the dates given by Forster, I infer that fome of the members of the government to whom this praise worthy action was to be ascribed, were Baron Joachim von Plettenberg, the Governor; M. Hemmy, the fecond governor; M. von Prehn, the major; and M. Berg, the secretary, gentlemen whom Forfter, on another occafion, (V. I. p. 74) mentions as valuable members of fociety, ornaments to their country and friends to mankind; and he gives the fame character of M. Christophel Brand, commander of the poft at Falfe Bay, and of M. Kerfte and M. de Wit, who appear to be private gentlemen.-While I was at Goree, in 1787, a vessel arrived from the Cape Verd Islands, which brought accounts that they had been without rain for three years.-The W. Indian Island of Antigua once had no rain for 7 years.Privy Council's Report. count X. CAPE VERD ISLANDS. count of the Cape Verd Islands, which being ill watered, CHA P. and their rains uncertain, cannot be ranked among the most fertile parts of Africa. But it is not improbable that he vifited them during a drought; for Mortimer (in his Commercial Dictionary, Art. Cape de Verd Isles) does not represent them as very miserable habitations. He tells us that, though mere deserts when the Portuguese first settled on them, they now produce feveral commodities for trade, as raw and dressed hides, oil extracted from tortoises, honey, wax, falt, Turkey wheat, (Indian corn or maize) oranges, lemons, &c. and fupply veffels with tame and wild fowls. Cattle are in fuch plenty, that several ships are employed in carrying them to Brazil, whither they also convey quantities of fish, caught and falted near Cape Verd.-He might have added, that these islands supply the West Indian sugar colonies with great numbers of cattle, affes and mules (See §60) and that, at Santiago, the inhabitants manufacture cloths of cotton and of filk. They are very beautiful articles, and are commonly called in England, "Saint Jago cloths," a name, however, often applied to "Guinea cloths," or those fabricated by the negroes on the continent of Africa. 238. Colonel Bolts who was at the Cape Verd Islands, in 1781, has obligingly communicated to me the following additional and very interesting particulars. 239. In September and October, fhips have often been Harbours. driven on fhore in Porto Praya road. In the dangerous season, therefore, it is best to anchor out in 18 fathoms waso that, in case of a gale, the ship may be sure of clearing the eastern point, called Mulher Branca, or the western, called ter; X. CAPE VERD CHA P. called Tumrofa. Sam Vincent, one of the Ilhas Defertas, has the best harbour in all these islands; and it is capable of ISLANDS. Containing the most numerous fleet of large fhips, safe all the year round. Sam Vincent has the advantage of excellent air and plenty of good water, but it is uninhabited. Curious ftones. People enflaved by the veiro. 240. The island of S. Antam (improperly called S. Antonio) formerly belonged to the Duque Infeliz (de Aveiro.) It was rented by that family to an English gentleman, whose agent, one Stephen Spencer, picked up some stones, washed down from the peak of the island, and sent them to England. The lapidaries gave it as their opinion, that the mountain whence they came certainly contained curious, if not precious, stones. All the Islands contain iron ore, often on the furface. 241. The Duque d'Aveiro had partly peopled S. Antam Duque d'A- with his own flaves; and, in time, he acquired, or ufurped, a kind of property in the perfons of the other inhabitants. The poor, ignorant creatures having fubmitted to his gradual and artful encroachments on their liberties, their children actually came to confider themselves as the flaves of this ufurper and his fucceffors. And fo compleatly were they fubjugated at last, that the English agent exported and fold a great number of them. On the fall of the Averio family, however, S. Antam reverted to the crown: and, not above fix months ago (1781) the governor received an order from the court of Lifbon to liberate these oppreffed people, who are computed to be about 1000.-The famine which afflicted these islands a few years ago (fee § 235, note) appeared first in S. Antam, and was very feverely felt in that ifland, 1000 of it's inhabitants having perifhed by it. In Santiago, 15,000 perfons, or about one half of the inhabitants, loft their lives, in the fame distressing period. X. 242. During the administration of the Marquis de Pom- CHA P. bal, about 10,000 of the inhabitants of the Cape Verd Islands were fent to build the present fortifications at Biffao, ISLANDS. where most of them died. CAPE VERD 243. There are at Santiago fourteen Emgenhos, or fugar- Sugar-mills. mills, worked by oxen; but only two of them are reckoned good. They make very strong spirits there; but, from a defect of industry and ingenuity, and doubtless of encouragement and capital, neither their fugar nor spirits are sufficiently cheap for exportation. ery, Orchella, manufac 244. The late governor, Joaquim Salene Saldanha Lo- Whale-fishbo, had a scheme for fitting out veffels at the Cape Verd Islands, for the whale fishery on the Southern coaft of Afri- tures: ca; and another for extracting from the Semente da purga* an oil which is excellent for burning, and is free from any bad fmell.-The gathering of Orzella, or Orchella, on the coast of these iflands, cofts not 800 reas per quintal. The medium price of that quantity, at Porto Praya, is 3000 reas, and at Lisbon 19,200 reast.-In these islands, they might raise great quantities of very good cotton, and alfo of indigo which grows wild every where. But the inhabitants do not cultivate more of either, than what is neceffary for the cloths they manufacture, for their trade to the continent of Africa. Colonel Bolts has famples of the following kinds, the first of which is in the greatest demand on the continent, and the reft in the order of the numbers. The prices are those at which they may be respectively bought per piece, at Porto Praya.-1. Pano de agulha, all cotton, about 2500 reas.—2. Pano quadrado, all cotton, about 2000 * Ricinus-Pignon d'Inde. It is believed to be the fame plant from which the Caftor oil is extracted in the Weft Indies. +4800 reas are equivalent to a moidore, or about 27 fhillings fterling. U reas. |