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IV.

where the black mould is found, the vegetation is luxuriant CHA P. to a degree unknown in the most fertile parts of Europe, and the trees are of valt dimensions.

48. I have observed that the mountains from Cape Verd Bafaltes. to Gambia, are generally compofed more or less of regular bafaltes, exhibiting evident remains of volcanoes, the eruptions of which add greatly to the fertility of the foil around them. Hence the lower parts of the mountains and high grounds at Cape Emanuel, Goree, Cape Rouge, and other places lower down, are in general very fertile.

account of the foil

Nunez.

49. M. Adanson, a celebrated naturalist, who was sent to Adanfon's Africa in 1753, at the request of the French Academy of Sciences, observes that the foil from Cape Blanco to the down to Rio Gambia, though by no means bad upon the whole, is not to be compared in fertility with that of the country from that river to Rio Nunez, which is equalled by few foils, and excelled by none, on the face of the globe *. His obfervations apply, not only to the coast, but to very extensive tracts of of the inland countries, as the reader will perceive by confulting my map, in which I have traced his lines of feparation between the more and lefs fertile tracts; and which are as accurate as the nature of the thing will permit. The evidence given before the Privy Council abundantly confirms the observations of M. Adanson, my fellow travellers and myself, and proves that the large extent of land, just mentioned, wants nothing but skilful culture to render it more than commonly productive of every tropical article.

50.

The coaft and the banks of the rivers are in many Rice

* When at Paris in 1787, I had daily opportunities of converfing with that reSpectable old philofopher, and obtained from him many interefting communicaLions, which were extremely useful to me on my arrival in Africa.

Grounds.

places

IV.

CHA P. places interspersed with marfhes and favannahs, which, in their present ftate, are unfit for any other crop than that of rice, which forms a confiderable part of the food of the na tives. But their fertility in this article does not compenfate for their infalubrity; and unfortunately the Europeans have fixed all, or most of, their habitations near them. Yet in almost every part of the coaft, far more healthful fituations might eafily have been found; especially on the dry and elevated banks of the Rio Grande. But, frange as it may appear, health is, with those men, an object of lefs confideration, in the choice of a refidence, than trade, for which the fituations of their factories are generally well adapted.

Comparative qualities

waters.

WATER.

51. Rain-water, I believe, is allowed to be the lightest and of different fimpleft of all waters. Next in order, is fpring water, which varies in purity with the nature of the foil through which it percolates. That which iffues from among rocks, gravel, or chalk is generally accounted the best. Similar to this, is the water of draw-wells, the quality of which de pends much on the ftrata at or near the bottom, and it generally improves by expofure to the open air. But of all was ters, that which ftagnates in ponds, ditches, and moraffes, is the most unwhole fome.

52. The waters at the mouths of the large African rivers, which glide flowly through a level country, being mixed with thofe of the fea and of the marfhes which it overflows, are impregnated with falt, and rendered turbid by various impurities; yet some of them require but little preparation to make them fit for common use, and the natives often use them without any preparation whatever. Dr. Lind had `famples of those of the rivers Senegal, Gambia, and Sierra

Leona

IV.

Leona fent him sealed up in bottles. Although he found CHA P. them all putrid, especially that from the Senegal, he could not discover any animalcules in them, with a good microscope, nor any uncommon contents, by chemical analysis. All of them, after being expofed fome time to the open air, became perfectly fweet and good. Hence he concludes that the most effectual way of destroying the ova of animalcules, and of the Guinea worm* (if it be generated, as fome Guinea suppose, in water) is first to let the water putrify, and then to pass it through a series of veffels placed under each other, having fmall holes in their bottoms; fo that it may fall from one into another in drops, like a gentle fhower-a process which, he affures us, will render it quite pure and wholefomet.

* As the Guinea worm is attended with great trouble and pain, though feldom with fatal confequences, unless when much neglected or mismanaged, I shall add Dr. Lind's defcription of it-" The lefs dangerous difeafes," fays he, " which attack Europeans in Guinea, are the dry belly-ach and the Guinea worm. This is a white round, flender worm, often fome yards long, lodged in the interftices of the mufcles, commonly in the legs, feet, or hands. When it attempts to escape through the skin, it occafions a swelling, resembling a boil, attended with great pain, until it's little black head appears in a small watery bladder, on the head of the boil. When this bladder breaks, the head of the worm is to be fecured, by tying it to a small roll of linen, fpread with plaifter, and part of the worm is, once or twice a day, to be gently drawn forth with care not to break it, and wrapped round this roll, until it be brought away entire; then the ulcer generally heals foon: but if part of the worm breaks off, the part remaining in the flesh can be ejected only, by painful and tedious fuppurations in different places. Dr. Rouppe obferves that the disease of the Guinea worm is infectious. It may at least be prudent in Europeans, not to lie in the fame apartments, and to avoid toọ free a communication with fuch negroes as are afflicted with them. The dry bellyach and Guinea worm may be observed at any season of the year, and seldom prove mortal." Essay, p. 52.-" The dry belly-ach is the fame disease here as in the Weft Indies; but the Guinea worin feems peculiar to Africa, and a few parts of Afia." 1d. p. 57.

+ Essay on the Diseases of hot Climates p.
F

60.

53. Even

worm.

CHAP.
IV.

To cool and purify water.

53. Even very foul water may be rendered potable, by letting it drain through a wine pipe, or deep tub, half filled with pure fand, with a number of small holes near the bottom, covered on the infide with hair-cloth, or other porous substance, to prevent the fand from being carried through by the water.-These methods may be practised, when a large quantity of clear water is wanted; but an ordinary family is very plentifully fupplied by a drip-ftone, which is one of the most elegant methods of obtaining pure water. If the ftone tranfmit the water too freely, it may be rendered lefs porous, by a mixture of water and lime; if too flowly, it's bottom should be thinned, by rubbing it down with another gritty stone. The fand-tub or dripflone, fhould be placed in the fhade, where there is a free current of air; and the water should drop from the height of two or three feet into an unglazed earthen jar, not hard burnt, but fo porous as to allow the water to tranfude pretty freely; and thus the water will be kept constantly cool, by the evaporation from the furface of the jar. It may be brought to table in small pitchers, of the fame porous texture. The reader will observe, that this mode of keeping water cool depends on the fame principle with that of refrigerating liquors, by covering the bottles with wet linen: cloths, and placing them in a stream of air. All the above methods of purifying and cooling water are practised in hot countries. But all of them, except that of cooling the water, are unnecessary in many parts of Africa, for all the high grounds that I have seen there contain springs of the pureft water.

54. The following simple discovery, for rendering putrid water fit to drink, has been lately made by a Mr. Lowitz. Six ounces of charcoal powder, thrown into five gallons of

putrid river water, and agitated, is fufficient to purify and render it wholesome and drinkable. But the process is rendered ftill more efficacious, if to one drachm of charcoal be added two drops of ftrong vitriolic acid, which is fufficient to make four ounces of perfectly foul water sweet and clear, on being strained through a linen jelly-bag, containing charcoal powder *.

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55.

As the
Α

CHA P. V.

PRODUCE.

never return

to

produce.

wood veffels deal in flaves.

S the flave-ships never return directly to Europe, Slave ships but proceed to the West Indies with their bring little wretched cargoes, it has never been the interest of their owners to bring home much of the produce of Africa. 56. Those called wood-veffels, might be supposed to deal Captains of only in produce. But this has by no means been the cafe. Befides their frequenting those parts of the coast, where the slave-trade is briskest, most of their commanders traffic in flaves on the coaft; that is, buy flaves whom they fell again to the flave-captains. Yet, they have all along brought home some gums and gold, bees wax and ivory in confiderable quantities, a great variety of valuable and beautiful woods, for the use of the dyers and cabinet-makers; and of late, fome palm-oil for the purposes of the sheep-farmers and wool-combers.

* See the Appendix to the Monthly Review enlarged, Vol. 12. p. 606.

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