CHA P. came to Freetown, profeffed the utmost confidence in the governor and council, XI. and defired them to take another fon under their caret. SIERRA LE ON A. Ridiculous fuperftitions. (2.) It is not easy to conceive how their imaginations have been filled with ridiculous extravagancics. They believe that one of the islands in the river would fink, if the king of the neighbouring fhore were to land on it. It is fuppofed, that another island higher up, is the habitation of a legion of devils, and that if any man carry off from it the leaf of a tree, his boat would fink, and he would be drowned t. 511. The following quotation presents a lamentable picture of extraordinary fuperftition and ignorance in the headman of a neighbouring town. Popish black I waited on him and found him at dinner, along with a chief of the upper counchief offers to try, and a Mahometan prieft, who is now making grifgris (charms) for him and promote Christianity. the neighbouring chiefs, and affifting at their facrifices to the devil. After dinner the headman produced his mafs-book, and prayed devoutly fome time. He expreffed great concern that he had not met with a popifh confeffor for fome years; but told me that he had left orders, that at his death, two of his flaves fhould be fent to St. Jago, to urge the Romish prieft there to smooth his way to heaven. He doubts no more of the power of an abfolution, than of his exiftence, and he appears well acquainted with all the Romish fuperftitions; but his tenets are ftrangely disguised with the idolatory of his country. He expreffed much anxiety to promote the gofpel in Africa, offering to engage in any plan that would promote it, and proposed to give a house and land to a schoolmafter, and to protect him. He fhowed a confcioufnefs of the criminality of the flave-trade. "What more, faid he, have I to do with the flave-trade: it is time that I fhould leave it off, and fettle my account with God. I am old, and ought to think only of heaven." Mandingo la- W. Indian 512. The fucceeding extracts will confirm fome points already touched on, and will show the desire of instruction which prevails among the natives, and the good understanding between them and the Company. (1.) The mulatto lady enquired much, when at the colony (§ 456 (3,) about the ftate of the flaves in the W. Indies, and was much affected at hearing that flavery defcended to the children of the flaves fent from Africa. She added "you must + The Directors wish not fail in acknowledging any inftance of friendly conduct in the slave-factories towards the Company. They are therefore defirous of remarking, that, on occasion of the injurious charge against their captain, they were befriended by the agent of the neighbouring British slavefactory; and they take this occafion of adding, that they have in general experienced every civility, from the proprietors of flave-factories refident in England. See in the Append. Notes respecting S. Leona and Bulama, NOTE Y. think me very bad; for I have just taken two flaves to the factory, where I have left CHA P. them; but I wish I could give up the trade altogether." XI. It appears that the travellers who went to the Foulah SIERRA LEcountry, profited much by her civility, their route on returning having lain through her town. She is learning the Arabick language, in order to extend her influence. ΟΝΑ. (2.) Some of the chiefs who came to Freetown, to the palaver (see § 510) were Chiefs encou carried to the schools, and were much pleased at so novel a fight as 3 or 400 child. rage (chools. ren, at their books. A headman of fuperior information, began immediately to treat with one of the teachers to go up the country, to inftruct the youth of his town. Some other applications, almost exactly similar, are mentioned. (3.) Three or four N. Scotians, fettled up the river, have large plantations of Colonists, rice, land having been given them gratuitoufly by the natives. One of them can the river. plant land, up read, and a native, who came down to Freetown, has been taught by him to read a little alfo. 513. The following extract from the official letter of the governor and council, fhows the measures they have taken to inftruct the natives. children to (1.) You will fee, by the directions given to the masters of our vessels, that we Chiefs fend have miffed no opportunity of inviting all the chiefs of the neighbouring coaft, to Freetown fend their fons hither for education, and the invitation has been uniformly well re- school. ceived. A chief in the Rio Nunez has already fent his fon hither, and several others only wait the approaching dry season to accept our offers. In the towns of the chiefs, in this river, with whom we are connected, there are few children fit for school; these few are with us, and fome of them confiderably improve in reading. We are promised many more from the chiefs in the Bunch and Kokelle, the upper branches of this river, and who are to come, the next dry season. We had anticipated your advice refpecting a school at the plantation on the Bullom fhore, a teacher refides there with his family, both as miffionary and schoolmaster; and the labourers already univerfally abstain from work on Sunday. children. The Directors understand, that there are now in the Above 40 schools at Freetown, about 20 native children in all, many of them fons of chiefs. Above the fame number of native children R XI. CHA P. children are under inftruction, on the Bullom fhore. 514. The following very unhappy incident, fhows the remarkable confidence of one of the natives, in the Company. SIERRALE ONA. A chief's fon Soon after the war with France commenced, fome fhells were preparing for the accidently acting engineer, who ordered a N. Scotian, working under him, to dry them by the fire. killed. The father's good Having done thus, the man proceeded in the surveyor (or engineer's) absence, to load fenfe and re- them, and a spark having got into one of them, it burst as he was filling it, and killed fignation. him, and the fon of a neighbouring chief, left but a few days before for education. His father was fent for, who, though affected, was quite refigned. Some of his words are faid to be nearly thefe.-Gentlemen, he was my only fon. I thought to have had him with you for his good; but God hath thought otherwife. I fee it was an accident; I do not blame you. Be not concerned about it's happening here: had God wished him to live, he would have lived. To fhow you that I feel no ill will, I fhall fend you my daughter, to be educated. 515. A very fatisfactory proof of the friendship of the natives to the Company, shall now be added. Two strange veffels, fufpected to be French, having appeared in fight, the fame king or chief who caused the difperfion of the first colony, and also set on foot the palaver which impeded the former establishment of the prefent, fent a party to affift the governor and council, with a meffage that he was following with a further force, and that, if neceffary, he would raise the country in the colony's defence. When the veffels were found friendly, being French prizes, the natives departed, faying, Well, your friends are our friends, and your enemies our enemies. The Directors have the fatisfaction of adding, that the Company have hitherto been on very friendly terms with the furrounding natives in general. 516. To the preceding information, respecting the general disposition of the natives, the Directors will join some obfervations on the character of an African who was, for 18 months, under their care in England.-The late John Henry Naimbanna*, fon of the former king of S. Leona, when * I understand, he affumed the name of Henry, as a lasting remembrance of the gratitude he owed, both on his own account and that of his country, to Henry Thornton Efq. M. P. the worthy, liberal and disinterested Chairman of the Court of Directors. C. B. W. at XI. SIERRA LE ONA. at the supposed age of 24, was induced, by the fuggeftions CHA P. of one of the first black colonists from London, to determine on coming to England for education; intending to commit himself to the liberality of an English gentleman, to whom that free black owed fome schooling. (see § 339.) He was on the point of agreeing to give three slaves to a flave-captain, for his paffage, through the W. Indies hither, when a ship sent out by the Company, to explore the country, arrived in the river. Being brought by this ship to England, he was placed under the care of two clergymen fucceffively, who have furnished most of following information concerning him. ter. ter. 517. A defire of knowledge predominated in his charac- His characHe continually urged his teachers to prolong the time of instruction. He was grateful to every one who affifted him in his ftudies, regretted the being led into any company which interrupted them; and, when left to himself, he read not lefs than 8 or 10 hours of the day. Though the disadvantages of the long neglect of his mind were apparent, he poffeffed very good natural fense. He had also the faculty of diftinguishing characters, and his mind, as might be expected, readily received impreffions from those of whom he had a good opinion. With few advantages of perfon, his manners were uncommonly pleafing, courteous and even delicate, and his difpofition was kind and affectionate. All his feelings were quick, and his temper occasionally warm. A degree of jealousy also entered into his character. In particular, he was indisposed to answer the questions of strangers, refpecting his own country; for he suspected they meant to draw unfavourable comparisons between England and S. Leona. He XI. SIERRA LE ONA. CHAP. would therefore, turn the converfation by remarking, that the attainments of a country, so neglected as S. Leona had hitherto been, was not to be fuppofed worthy of conversation in G. Britain.-The following anecdote will show his extreme fenfibility, when the honour of his country was touched, and will account for his peculiar jealousy on that head.--A perfon having been mentioned, who, he underflood, had made a public affertion very degrading to the African character, he broke out into fome vindictive language against this perfon. Being immediately reminded of the Chriftian duty of forgiving his enemies, he answered nearly as follows, His patriotilm. His im provement "If a man," faid he "fhould rob me of my money, I can forgive him; if a man should shoot at me, or try to stab me, I can forgive him; if a man should sell me and all my family to a flave-ship, so that we should pass all the rest of our days in flavery in the W. Indies, I can forgive him; but (added he, rifing from his feat, with much emotion) if a man takes away the character of the people of my country, I never can forgive him." Being afked why he would not forgive those who took away the character of his countrymen, he replied, "If a man should try to kill me, or should fell me and my family for flaves, he would do an injury to as many as he might kill or fell; but if any one takes away the character of black people, that man injures black people all over the world; and, when he has once taken away their character, there is nothing which he may not do to black people ever after. That man for inftance, will beat black men, and fay, O, it is only a black man, why fhould not I beat him? That man will make slaves of black people; for when he has taken away their character; he will say, O, they are only black people, why should not I make them flaves? That man will take away all the people of Africa, if he can catch them; and, if you ask him, But why do you take away all thefe people? he will fay, O, they are only black people, they are not like white people, why should not I take them? That is the reason why I cannot forgive the man who takes away. the character of the people of my country." 518. His improvement in England was in all respects morals, &c. confiderable. Though, when he arrived, he knew but little English, he learnt, in the 18 months he passed here, to read very fluently, and to write a letter, without much difficul ty. |