XI. SIERRALE ONA. ty. When he first landed, he had moft of the peculiarities CHA P. which have been ascribed to the Africans in general. He believed in witchcraft, and had no idea of forgiving injuries. He had even endeavoured, when in Africa, "to make himfelf," as he expreffed it, "as proud as he could." Before he left England, pride and revenge were become odious to him; his belief in witchcraft had entirely left him, and he appeared fearful respecting his own future conduct. His morals were pure; even at S. Leona, he had carefully abftained from drunkenness, and in England he fhewed a strong abhorrence of profaneness and every kind of vice; as appeared, more particularly about the time of his departure, from several striking facts. He paid great respect to the teachers of Christianity, whom he wished much to invite to his country; he had the utmost reverence for the Scriptures, with which he had become very converfant; he discoursed, on religious subjects, with much openness and fimplicity; and was free from enthusiasm. He appeared to be improving, in all respects, when the news of his father, K. Naimbanna's, death, called him fuddenly to S. Leona. The deplorable state of his country, when he left it, with the change in his own difpofitions and views, must have suggefted to his mind many new duties, and have excited peculiar anxiety, when he was on the eve of his return. A few days before his embarkation, he converfed much with fome of his friends, concerning the conduct which it would be his duty to adopt at S. Leona, and it appeared that there was no personal facrifice which, if Christianity required it, he was not prepared to make.—The following extract from the dispatches of the governor and council describe some occurrences during his paffage, and give an account of his death. A fervant CHAP. ONA. The circumftances of his death. A fervant of the Company, who was in the fame fhip, fays, he left Plymouth in perfect health; but, as foon as he reached a warm climate, he began to feel a flight SIERRALE complaint in his throat and occafional pains in his head. He was anxious and uneafy, being evidently difmayed at the profpe&t of the difficulties he expected. Many were the plans which he amufed himself with devifing, for spreading Chriftianity among his rude countrymen; but he seemed conftantly to be tortured by the idea that fomething would obftru&t his defigns, and this dread feemed to increafe as he approached his native fhores. The heat also affected him very violently, and a fever enfued, attended with a delirium. In a lucid interval, he defired the person who gave this account, to aflift him in making his will, by which he entrusted his property to his brother, for the use of his young son, and, in the will, he earnestly requefted his brother to exert every endeavour to put an end to the flave-trade. When he reached S. Leona, he was infenfible. His mother, with fome younger branches of the family, came to the governor's house, where he was laid, and, after a few hours attendance on his dying bed, faw him breathe his laft. The governor and council mention, that nothing could exceed his mother's distress at this event. (§ 14.) Two fons of chiefs now in England. Sum of this report. 519. Thus died this amiable and enlightened African, from whofe exertions, had he lived, the Company might have expected the most important fervices. He has, however, rendered one important fervice to his country: he has furnished a memorable instance of the effect of education on an African, and a most encouraging omen in favour of his benighted countrymen*. 520. Two Africans, the eldest about 18 years old, are now in England, receiving their education under the Company's directions: the one is the fon of the present king of S. Leona, the other of a neighbouring chief. They advance regularly in their learning, and, though their tempers be different, in capacity they appear to be fully equal to Europeans of their own age. 521. The Directors have now laid before the Court all the information they have to offer. They have stated * See § 146, and alfo in the Append. Notes, &c. refpecting S. Leona and Bulama, NOTE Z. briefly XI. SIERRA LE ΟΝΑ. briefly the history of the colony, the expenses of establish. CHA P. ing it, and the general fituation of the Company's funds. They have also spoken diftinctly of the climate, of the progrefs of cultivation, and of the opening profpects of civilization. They have had the fatisfaction of fhowing, that many African chiefs are difpofed to promote the Company's designs; that the Foulah and other nations court a connection; that fome paths into the interior, which the wars had closed, have been opened; that farther discovery is attempting; and that the flave-trade is materially declining, feveral factories having been broken up, and many flaves, returned or withheld for want of a market, added to the productive labourers of Africa. expected from of the flavetrade. 522. The advantages of this temporary declenfion of the Advantages slave-trade, naturally lead to the contemplation of the bleff- the abolition ings which are to be expected from it's abolition. When that happy period arrives; when the peace of Africa, inftead of depending, as now, on the event of the war in Europe, shall be better fecured by the termination of this traffic, fimilar, but far more important, confequences, than those arising from it's suspension, are obviously to be expected: the chiefs, having no other means of obtaining European goods, will resort to regular trade and industry, not partially, as at present, but generally and of necessity; and the European flave-factories, hitherto the greatest impediments to civilization, the chief rivals of the Company, and the principal fupport of the more diffolute kings, will altogether cease. 523. When this æra, which the Directors cannot confider as diftant, shall arrive, the S. Leona Company will probably acquire much additional importance, and the advantages of a British colony in Africa, may prove extremely great. It XI. SIERRALE- CHA P. It will then be the duty of the Directors to embrace the opportunities which will arife of extending commerce, of fuggefting plans of cultivation to the chiefs, and of establishing schools, and promoting Christianity, as far as the Company's influence may reach. Conclufion. 524. The Directors trust that, all the circumstances stated in this report being duly weighed, they shall not be thought to have failed effentially in the requifite exertions, or to have made an improper use of the confidence of the proprietors. The anxiety of the Directors, and indeed their labour, have been occafionally confiderable; but these have been amply compensated by reflections on the magnitude of their cause, and by the continually improving profpect of being able, by the bleffing of Providence, to lay fome foundation for the future happiness of a continent, which has hitherto derived nothing but misery from it's intercourse with Great Britain. (See § 376.) 525. To the Report (of which the foregoing, I truft, will be found a circumftantial and faithful abridgment,) the Directors have fubjoined the substance of two reports of Mr. Afzelius, their botanift, refpecting the natural productions of S. Leona, and which I intend to insert in the Appendix to this work*. 526. I had Capt. Thompson's plan of S. Leona engraved; but on confidering how inceffantly that gentleman, however able, was engaged, during his short stay there, I was induced to prefer the plan published by the Directors, from the sketch of Governor Dawes, which, however, I believe that gentlemen does not authorize as perfectly accurate: And I went to the expense, of altering the plate accordingly. I hope it will now be found an useful auxiliary to the large map, in illuftrating the correfponding parts of this work. 527. When the foregoing Abridgment was nearly printed off, intelligence was received that, in Sept. laft (1794) when the colony at S. Leona was in a very thriv* See Notes respecting S. Leona and Bulama, NOTE A A. XI. ONA ing state, a squadron of French men of war arrived in the river, feized the fhips and CHA P. ftores, and destroyed all the buildings belonging to the Company. I cannot now flop the prefs; neither have I fpirits to enquire into the melancholy particulars; but I SIERRA LEintend to collect them, with all poffible fidelity, and to give them a place in the Appendix *. In the mean time, I shall infert an account of the state of the colony, in May 1794, by my accurate friend Mr. Afzelius, and which, as far as I have learnt, is perfectly descriptive of its remarkable improvement, at a period preceding this most lamentable catastrophe. It will alfo ferve to illuftrate a part of the foregoing abridged report. Extract of a Letter from Mr. A. Afzelius, to Baron Silverhjelm, Secretary to the "I thrive now much better at S. Leona, than I did before. Indeed not only my felf, but the whole colony begins now to flourish, under our fenfible leaders. It's advancement, during my abfence, is aftonishing. We have now a regular town of at least 200 houses, some of them very decent; but, as yet, the streets are somewhat obftructed by the roots of trees. The land is cleared of wood, for feveral miles around the town, and in many places cultivated, which has rendered the climate fo falubrious that, at this moment, there is not one fick in the whole colony, confift ing of 1400 perfons; and the deaths, during my abfence, did not amount to 20. The fame of the colony begins now to spread throughout Africa; and we had lately an embaffy from the powerful nation of the Foulahs, whofe king reigns over feveral millions of subjects, and whofe land flows with milk and honey, &c. Such is the account of two of our officers who were fent to open a friendly intercourfe with this great prince, and who were the first Europeans ever feen in Teembo, his metropolis. I am now so well seasoned to this climate, that I am almost determined, if I live till next year, to undertake an expedition through the whole of this unknown part of the globe, an enterprize which no man has yet performed, but I no longer entertain any doubt that it is practicable." See in the Append. Notes, &c. refpecting S. Leona and Bulama, NOTE BB. Mr Afzelius's account of the colony. |