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CHA P. lated to an intimate friend of mine by the furgeon of the

III.

hewing that luxury would incite them to agriculture, and open their minds.

fhip who was present at the inauguration.

38. The conduct of the king (formerly grand marabou *) of Almammy, while I was in Africa, appeared to me more interesting; as it seemed to evince the manly and fagacious character of the negroes, when enlightened, even by an African education. His understanding having been more cultivated in his youth than that of the other black princes, he foon rendered himself entirely independent on the whites. He not only prohibited the flave-trade throughout his dominions; but, in the year 1787, would not suffer the French to march their flaves from Gallam, through his country, so that they were obliged to change their route. He redeemed his own subjects, when seized by the Moors, and encouraged them to raise cattle, to cultivate the land, and to practise all kinds of industry. As grand marabou, he abstained from strong liquor, which, however, is not an univerfal rule among that order; for fome who travel with the whites are not very scrupulous in this respect. His fubjects, imitating his example, were more fober than their neighbours.

39. This inftance feems to prove to what a degree of civilization these people might be brought, if this noble enterprize should be pursued with prudence and patience; for it will undoubtedly require a great deal of both. But fome degree of luxury (in my reftrained fenfe) appears to me to be abfolutely neceffary to the fuccefs of any plan of this kind. Indeed, I cannot comprehend how the human understanding can be led on, from it's first imperfect dawn

The marabous ere the chief priests among the negroes, and are the only people I have feen who can read and write Arabic.

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ings, to that state of improvement which is neceffary to the CHA P. formation of civilized fociety, without a relish for the comforts of life. Mere animal instinct impels uncivilized tribes to procure mere neceffaries: wishes for innocent gratifications would ftimulate them to cultivation, which would furnish equivalents for the objects of their new defires. And when they are once brought to beftir themselves, and reconciled to regular, but moderate, labour, the improvement of their understandings will follow of course. For a people who have acquired habits of application, and whose induftry, having secured them from want, affords them leisure for thought, will not be long without a defire for moral and intellectual improvement: or, at least, many individuals will feel, and hasten to gratify, this defire, and will gradually impart a degree of knowledge and refinement to the whole community.

40. To accomplish this magnificent defign, in Africa, let us form agricultural colonies on its coast, which present a variety of fituations, where we shall be little, or not at all, difturbed in our operations. Let us kindly mix with the inhabitants, and affift them in cultivating their fertile soil, with the view of inviting them to participate with us in it's inexhaustible stores, and in the concomitant bleffings of improving reason and progreffive civilization. Let us give them a manly and generous education, which will make them feel the nobility of their origin, and fhew them of what great things they are capable-an education which will teach them no longer to suffer themselves to be dragged, or to confpire to drag others, from their fimple, but improveable and beloved focieties-which will teach them to avenge themselves on the blind and fordid men who chase them, only by becoming more ufeful to them as free

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men,

Agricultural commended.

colonies re

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men, than ever they have been, or can be, as flaves. Thus, on the wreck of tyranny, let us build altars to humanity, and prove to the negroes that the Europeans, become juft from found policy, and generous from a sense of their true interefts, are at laft difpofed to make fome atonement for the irreparable mifchiefs their perverted system of commerce has occafioned in Africa.

41. On principles nearly approaching to these, a colony has already been formed at Sierra Leona, and another attempted at the island of Bulama, of both which fome ac count will be given in the following pages.

CHA P. IV.

CLIMATE, SOIL, AND WATER.

42.

ΤΗ

CLIMATE.

HE climate of Africa, like that of other countries, varies with the nature of the foil, in it's dryness or moisture, it's elevation or depreffion, the comparative ftate of improvement, the height of thermometer, and other circumstances, perhaps, not yet fufficiently investigated. The latitude of a place is by no means a certain criterion of it's climate, as feems to be commonly fuppofed*. Even in the midft of the torrid zone, we meet with all poffible gradations of heat and cold, almost the only circumstances which enter into the common idea of climate. The lofty summits

See an excellent difcourfe on this fubject, delivered in the Royal Academy of Sciences at Stockholm, by B. Ferner, counfellor of the king's chancery.

of

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of the Andes, in South America, though under the equator, CHA P. and the high lands of Camarones, on the coast of Africa, though within between three and four degrees of it, are covered with everlasting fnow.

feafons.

43. In the temperate zones, the year is divided into win- Wet and dry ter and fummer; for spring and autumn may be confidered as transitions from each of these extremes to it's oppofite. But, in most parts of the torrid zone, nature has distinguished the seasons into the wet and the dry. The former is, in Guinea, the season of sickness; but during the greater part of the latter, that country is, upon the whole, as healthful other whatever.

as any

44. From what I have feen, and been able to collect, the rainy feafons follow the paffage of the fun to either tropic, fo as generally to prevail in thofe places where the fun is vertical. Eaft of Cape Palmas, however, they feldom fet in before June, when the fun returns from the northern tropic; but to the westward of that cape, and up up the whole country, thofe feasons generally commence within the month of May, and continue for three or four months. In the beginning of this season, the earth being foftened with rain, the negroes till and plant their grounds; and, after the return of dry weather, they gather in their crops; occupations. which they feldom abandon, even though allured by the most advantageous commerce.

rain.

45. To give the reader some idea of the quantity of rain, Quantity of which deluges Africa during the wet season, I need only mention that, at Senegal, one hundred and fifteen inches in depth of rain were found to fall in four months; a quantity which exceeds that which falls in moft parts of Britain during four years*. Even during the dry feason, the dews are

* See Lind on the Difeafes of hot Climates, p. 43.

fo

.IV.

CHA P. fo copious as to preferve young and ripening vegetables from being scorched by the heat. It may indeed be questioned, whether the rain which falls in fome countries, equal the dews which diftil on most parts of the fertile fhores of Africa. But the magnitude and number of the rivers, which rife and fall, in the wet and dry feasons, are evident proofs that that continent is abundantly watered. In fhort, the notion of the ancients, that the torrid zone was not habitable for want of moisture, is perfectly inapplicable to most parts of the western tropical coast of Africa...

Thermometer and Barometer.

From Cape

Blanco down

Gambia.

46. The range of the thermometer is but in confiderable in the tropical regions; and, what is still more remarkable, the barometer remains almost stationary during those surprifing transitions from dry to wet, and the contrary. In Europe, the mercury rises and falls about three inches; in the torrid zone, seldom half an inch. It is even said to be but little affected by the most violent hurricane *. But M. Weft, in a description of St. Croix, published at Copenhagen laft year, fays that in a hurricane, or violent storm, which happened there in 1791, the mercury in his barometer rose very confiderably t.

SOIL.

47. The foil all along the coaft is very unequal, From Blanco Roven Cape Blanco down to the River Gambia, it is in general very fandy; but the fand contains a very large admixture of broken shells, and is covered, in many places, with a rich black mould. Even the most barren and unpromising tracts of this part of the country, except just on the sea shore, are covered with bushes and grafs of a great growth; and

* Lind ibid. + Bidrag til Beskrivelse over St. Croix, &c.

where

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