57. But I believe the principal caufe why a trade in African produce has never been encouraged, has been the irrefiftible influence of the Eaft and Weft Indian interefts. Those monopolifts, unreafonably thought their commerce would be affected by the introduction of African commodities into the markets of Europe. Thus much is certain, that Mr. Norris, one of the Liverpool delegates for fupporting the flave-trade, and therefore not to be fufpected of partiality to Africa, stated, in his examination before the Privy Council, that he "once faw a quantity of African pepper of the quality of that brought from the East Indies. It was fo good, that the Eaft India company objected to it's importation.' We have before mentioned the formidable oppofition made the Weft Indians to the establishment of the colony at Sierra Leona.

58. By fuch means, has the field of commerce been hitherto narrowed or fhut up in Africa: and inftances frequently occur of valuable commodities rotting on the coast, for want of a fale, or of the means of conveyance, to a foreign market. I myself faw one hundred bullocks hides publicly fold at Goree for about five fhillings and three pence fterling; and on another occafion, four bullocks for about fifteen fhillings and nine pence fterling. I could mention feveral other striking instances of the fame kind.

59. Little as Africa is yet known, I can, from my own knowledge, affert feveral articles to be indigenous in that continent, which have hitherto been brought to our markets from the East and West Indies, at an expense far exceeding the price at which they might be cultivated in, and

* Privy Council's Report, Part. I. Article" Produce" Mr. Norris and his two colleagues enumerated many other valuable productions.

con

veyed from, Africa. What a strange inverfion of natural order, to exile from their native foil, both men and plants; the one to languish as flaves, and the other as exotics; the one to perish prematurely, and the other to fail every third or fourth year*!

ANIMALS.

60. The cattle, in that part of the country of which we Cattle. treat, are smaller than the generality of European cattle, and not so fat as those of England and Holland; but their meat is juicy and palatable, and they give milk in abundance. Their inferior fize appeared to me to be the effect of the careless and unfkilful management of the negroes. They must be raised on the coast, as foreign cattle do not thrive there. Even those from the Cape de Verd Islands, being accustomed to an uncommonly dry climate, do not well bear a tranfition to the continent.- -The horses are of a Horfes. middling size, strong, hardy, and spirited. They are used in great numbers, for riding and carrying burdens, in the country between the Senegal and Gambia, and also on some parts lower down the coaft; but there they are not numerous, and in fome places there are none. -Camels, fo admir- Camels. ably adapted, by the Creator, to affift the labours of man in hot climates, are not fo generally used by the negroes, as could be wifhed.- I have not seen many affes; but Affes. there is an excellent breed at the Cape de Verd Islands, from whence great numbers of them, and alfo of mules and horned cattle, are exported to the West Indies, for the use of the fugar plantations.~ -The whole coaft is abundant- Hogs, sheep,

On the extreme uncertainty of the Weft Indian crops, fee Beskrivelse over. St. Croix af H. Weft-and the Report of the British Privy Council paffim.

&c.

ly

V.

CHAP. ly flocked with hogs, fheep, goats and all kinds of poultry, which propagate with astonishing rapidity.

Game.

Fith.

Whales.

-The

woods afford fhelter to an endlefs variety of game. The most valuable is a species of deer, a very beautiful animal. Of the prodigious shoals, and numerous species of excellent fish, I could have formed no idea, without having feen them. Spermaceti whales, in particular, abound fo much, that, in paffing between Goree and the continent, diftant about five miles, I have often been surrounded by them, and have been under no small apprehenfions of their overfetting my caLower down on the coaft, the Portuguese carry on a confiderable fishery of those whales; and I have been informed that the English have lately paid some attention to the Ambergris. fame object.—That valuable article, ambergris, is found in

Ivory, bees wax, &c.

noe.

fuch quantities on the coast, that I have more than once feen the negroes pay their canoes with it. Till lately, the learned were not certain to which of the three natural kingdoms this fubftance was to be referred; but they feem now pretty generally agreed, that it is the excrement of the spermaceti whale.-Tortoife-fhell may be had in any quantity: and bees wax, oftrich feathers, elephant's teeth, and the still more valuable teeth of the hippopotamus, or river horse, found in particular abundance near Cape Mefurado, already form very confiderable articles of exportation. I do not know that we import ivory from any other part of the world than Africa.

Vegetables and fruits.

VEGETABLES.

61. The grafs is thick, and grows to a great height. The natives are often obliged to burn it, when dry, to prevent the wild beafts from harbouring near their habitations; but it foon fprings up again, and affords very luxuriant pafturage

V.

Millet, rice, maize, potatoes, yams, and a great variety of CHA P. other excellent roots and vegetables, are cultivated on the coaft with little trouble, and often in a profusion perfectly aftonishing to an European. There is also an abundance of the most whole fome and delicious fruits; articles not lefs prized by the natives, than those just mentioned. Such indeed is the plenty which prevails on that division of the country, of which we are speaking, that all the European fhips are victualled, without the smallest inconvenience to the inhabitants; and if the demand were increased, doubtlefs the production would keep pace with it.

62. It ought to be observed, that two fpecies of rice are Rice of two produced on that part of the coaft, and I believe much far- fpecies. ther down; one which, like that of Carolina, grows in fwamps, and another which loves the dry foil of hills and floping grounds. The hufk of this laft is reddish; but the grain is beautifully white. Though not quite so productive as the common kind, it bears a much higher price, and is every way preferable, as an article of food, not only to the other species, but to every kind of grain I know*.

63. The fugar-cane grows fpontaneously in many places, wild fugarwith a luxuriance which promises great advantages to those cane. who may hereafter undertake it's cultivation. At prefent the natives, ignorant of it's value, make no other ufe of it,. than by occafionally regaling themselves with it's juice, of which they partake in common with the hogs, cattle and elephants, which are all extremely fond of it.

64. Several species of cotton are also the spontaneous produce of this excellent foil. One of them is naturally of a nan-

* See Dr. Smeathman's Letters to Mr. Knowles, in the Appendix, also the evi dence of Captain Hall, in Minutes of Evidence, 1790, page 523,

keens

V.

CHA P. keen colour, and another parts with the feeds fo freely, that it may be spun almost without any preparation. The naWild cotton tives manufacture it into durable, though narrow, cloth of of feveral fpecies. various degrees of fineness. I have in my poffeffion one fpecimen of it, of fo fine a quality, and fo good a fabric, that fome excellent judges, to whom I fhewed it at Manchester, declared that it would not disgrace their best workmen. Some cotton, which I gathered in it's wildest state at Dackard, was fent by order of the Right Hon. the Privy Council of Great Britain, to Mr. Hilton of Manchester, whose report concerning it is in these words-" The fample of cotton, from Senegal, is very good and fine, as your lordships will fee by the specimen inclosed, which is spun after the rate of one hundred and forty hanks, (each hank 840 yards) twist cotton yarn to the pound, and it is thought fuperior in quality to any of the Brazil cotton, and nearly equal to the East India*." It is worthy of remark that, cæteris paribus, the cotton of large islands is preferable to that of small islands, and that the cotton raised on continents is better than that produced on islands.

Wild indigo.

65. Indigo of different kinds also grows wild, and in such quantities, as to be a very troublesome weed, in the rice and millet fields. English dyers, who have tried the Afri can indigo, affirm that it is fuperior to any imported from Carolina, or the West Indian islands, and equal to that of Guatimalat.

* Privy Council's Report, Part I. Article "Produce." See alfo Chap. X. Ar

ticle "Bourbon."

+ The first confiderable exportation of cotton and indigo, from Africa, as far as I have been able to learn, was made by a Frenchman of Goree, while I was there, in 1787.

66. Gums