Page images
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

543. It having been alfo deemed expedient to purchase the Island of Arcas, and the adjacent land on the continent, application was made for that purpose to the kings of Ghinala, who very readily, and in confideration of three hundred bars paid them, ceded the fame to His Britannic Majesty, as appears by the deed executed by the faid kings, of which the following is a copy, viz.

(3.) "Deed of Ceffion, the King of Ghinala to the British Settlers of the Bulama Association. "Whereas certain persons, subjects of the King of Great Britain, conducted by Philip Beaver, J. Munden, Charles Aberdein, and J. Reynolds, Efqrs, as a committee to manage their affairs, having arrived upon the windward Coaft of Africa, adjacent to the Rio Grande, and the faid Committee, having invefted Mr. Philip Beaver with full power to treat with and purchase from us certain land adjacent to the faid river, we, the Kings of Ghinala, and the Rio Grande, being fully convinced of the pacific and just difpofition of the faid perfons, and of the great reciprocal benefits that will refult from an European colony established in our neighbourhood; and withal being defirous of manifefting our diftinguished friendthip and affection for the King of Great Britain, and his subjects; do hereby, in confideration of the value of three hundred bars of goods, by us this day received, for ever cede and relinquifh to the King of Great Britain, all fovereignty over our territories lying to the fouthward or weftward of a line extended from Ghinala, Weft N. Weft, until it reach the sea, together with the island, and all other islands whatever, adjacent to the aforefaid territories*; which fovereignty our ancestors have enjoyed from time immemorial: We do further folemnly guarantee to the said persons, their heirs and affigns, against all enemies whatever, the full and peaceable poffeffion of the faid territories and islands aforementioned; and by these presents, do bind ourselves and subjects to aid and affift them against all their enemies whatever; and the fame shall have all the force of a firm and faithful treaty of alliance between the King of Great Britain and ourselves: and, together with the territories and islands aforefaid, we do relinquifh all claim to any future tribute, fubfidy, or composition whatever; and of all the premised conditions, we the two parties do bind ourselves to the mutual obfervance, in the presence of, and in the name of, the Omnipotent God of truth and juftice, and avenger of perfidy: in witnefs whereof, we have hereunto fet our hands this 3d day of Augüft, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two.

[blocks in formation]

* See the large Map at the end of this work.

+ See in the Append. Notes, &c. respecting S. Leona and Bulama, NOTE H H.

544. Pof

XI.

BULAMA.

544. Poffeffion was taken of these purchases, in His CHA P. Majesty's name, and the fhip Hankey and the floop were left at Bulama, with 49 men, 13 women and 25 children, abundantly supplied with provifions, ftores, plantation on tools and goods for the payment of labour.-The whole Brit.Majesty's under the conduct of Philip Beaver, Efq. a lieutenant in the royal navy.

545. Some of the fociety quitted the ship at Biffao, and others went to America and the West Indies. The reft, dreading the rainy season, refolved to return to England, in the Calypfo, and firft to proceed to S. Leona, hoping to find there, accommodation for fome of their number, who wished to return to Bulama, at the ceffation of the rains. But, from the want of accommodation and provifions at Sierra Leona, added to the protraction of the voyage, difease was generated on board the Calypfo, and many deaths took place, which probably would not have happened, had the ship returned from Bulama directly to England*.

ken in His

name.

Different def

tinations of

the colonists.

and home..

546. Of the 275 colonists who embarked, 6 died on Mortality out board the Calypfo and 3 on board the Hankey, in the voyage outward; 8 were killed; 13 died on the coast; and 42 on board the Calypfo, in the paffage home from Sierra Leona. Some of the deaths, on the coaft, were owing to drinking, and the reft to fevers, contracted at Biffao, before the purchase of Bulama; for we are so far happy, as to be able to affert with truth, that not one death can be attributed to the climate of Bulama†.

* See § 390, and the NOTE thereon.

+ See in the App. Notes, &c. refpect. S. Leona and Bulama, NOTE G G No. 1, 9.

547. The

CHAP.
XI.

BULAMA.

war

Ship of all

and aflit the

colony.

Reasons for additional

547. The Calypfo returned on the 14th. Nov. 1792, in 9 weeks, from Sierra Leona, with between 80 and 90 of the colonists. And the truflees, confidering that, from the unparalleled length of her paffage, the colonists remaining at Bulama, would probably be mortified at not hearing from England; and, being informed that a man of war would foon fail for Africa, immediately applied to the Lords of the Admiralty, who were pleased to order Commodore Dod, of the Charon, to visit Bulama, and to give the colonifts every affistance consistent with His Majefty's fervice. 548. The fubfcriptions, it has been already observed, fubicriptions. amounted to near £9000. The amount of the charges is about £10,000; not that there is a balance of £1000 against the concern; for it's effects are much more than adequate to the laft fum; nor would there have been any immediate call for money, fo nearly was the expense of the first expedition estimated, had not the voyages of the Calypfo and the Hankey been unexpectedly protracted. But the truftees had anticipated the want of farther fupplies, (1.) for foliciting an Act of Parliament,-(2.) for conveying to the fubfcribers their lands,—and (3) for future fupport to the colony, and proposed to the General Meeting,

(1.) That a subscription be opened for a participation of the benefits to arise from the Islands of Bulama and Arcas*, and a part of the adjacent coast, at the mouth of the Rio Grande, all purchased by the Affociation; at the rate of £50 for every 200 acres, and not lefs to be fubfcribed.

(2.) That the subscriptions remain unappropriated, till a charter, or an A&t of Parliament, be obtained; except a fum adequate to the payment of the balance

Mr. Beaver, in his letter from Bulama of the 16th Oct. 1793, fays, " People should not be taught to believe that the Isle of Arcas is of any value; for, I believe, no water has ever yet been found upon it. Befides it is very small and marshy, and environed with mangroves that extend a great way. The other purchase, I think much more valuable than people are aware of." See the Map, Plate II.

owing on the first expedition, to the fupply of Bulama with ftores, and to the CHA P. XI. folicitation of a charter*.

549. To these propofitions the General Meeting unanimously confented, and a subscription is now opened for £10,000, to prosecute the present plan.

550. In corroboration of the preceding account of the climate and foil of Bulama, and the probability of establishing cultivation and commerce on and near that Island†, the following extracts are adduced from letters, to the trustees‡.

From Mr. Dalrymple's, to the Trufees, dated the 7th of November, 1792. "At Goree, I had frequent conversations with Mr. St. Jean, fon of a former governor, who informed me that his father had often vifited Bulama, and that he, (governor St. Jean) confidered it as the moft eligible place, on the coast of Africa, for a colony; and, in confequence of that opinion, had endeavoured to prevail on the French Senegal company to purchase that island. As at the time I quitted BuJama, none of us had failed round it, I cannot exactly ascertain it's dimenfions; but I fuppofe it to be about 25 miles in length, and 20 in breadth. The middle part of it confifts of small hills, none of which are more than 100 feet above the sea. These hills are covered with very large trees, with little underwood; and yams, edoes, and other tropical roots, grow in great abundance, under the shade.

"The north end of the ifland is one continued Savannah, covered with long grafs, with a few trees interspersed, but without any rocks or ftones. The foil of this plain is deep and rich; and in order to cultivate it, it is only necessary to set

* The disparity between these terms, and the original ones, will not, it is prefumed, be thought greater than is juftified by the difference of circumstances. Originally, even the smallest fuccefs was extremely doubtful. It is now certain, that a valuable territory has been fairly purchased, and taken poffeffion of. In compensation of the advanced price, the right to a lot in or near the town, the right of fending a fettler to have 30 acres gratis, and a share in the neat profits of lands to be fold in future -in short, all the collateral advantages of the first purchasers, are understood to extend equally to new fubfcribers, except indeed a priority of allotment of land in favour of the former, which from some steps already taken, and engagements made, is become unavoidable.—The land purchased appears to be at least 400,000 acres, of which about 110,000 are fubfcribed for.

+ The Island of Bulama is one in an Archipelago, known by the name of the Biffaos, or Biffagos, called by the ancients the Hefperides. Few of these fine islands are inhabited at present, owing to the ravages made by the flave-trade in their population.

↑ I have taken the liberty somewhat to abridge the language of these extracts, carefully retaining the fenfe, and every material circumftance. C. B. W.

BULAMA,

fire

XI.

CHA P. fire to the grafs, after which the plough may be immediately ufed. Horfes are cheap; the best may be purchased at Goree for 11. 10s. a head; and cattle, in any BULAMA. number, may be had, within a few miles of Bulama, at 10 or 12s. a head. Hence cultivation might be carried on at a small expence; especially as the Papels and Biafaras may be hired for a great bar (about 5 or 6s.) per month.

"On the south-eaft end of the island, there is one of the finest bays in the world. The land is here covered with wood, and there are great varieties of excellent timber for cabinet work and furniture, alfo dying woods, &c. There are buffaloes and elephants on the island, and the feas abound with fish."

From a Letter to the Trustees, dated Bulama, 18th July, 1792, and figned by Meffrs.
Dalrymple, Young, King, Paiba, Brodie, Drake, Munden, Reynolds, Hancorne,
Ximenes, Beaver, Aber dein, and Clutterbuck.

"We find the air remarkably falubrious, and the climate of the coast, as far as we have been, beyond expectation temperate: the channel, called the Biffaos entrance, is fpacious and fafe: the harbour in which we live is, in the opinion of our nautical people, the beft they ever faw, and capable of containing the whole British navy: the channel to it being fufficient for the largest ships.

"The people have been employed in fifhing with the feines. This has proved a fuccessful and falubrious labour*. This fituation is admirably calculated both for inland and maritime commerce. The fhore, rifing gradually from the ftrand, extends to a plain that affords a commodious fcite for a town. There is fresh water in the vicinity; whether supplied by the rains or the fprings, remains to be afcertainedt: but from the concurrent teftimony of those who have penetrated into the ifland, it contains many ftreams. The island appears to be between 5 and 6 leagues in length, and as much in the broadest part. The foil, as far as we have feen, is a red loam, and fo luxuriant, that the garden feeds we fowed came up vigorously in two days. The island, we learn from the gentlemen who have explored it, has extensive favannahs of a deep black mould. The animals we have seen are buffaloes, deer, antelopes, wild hogs, monkies, and tigers. We have also seen frequent and palpable vefliges of elephants, and have found the skeleton of one. The Bijugas of Canabac often come over to Bulama, to hunt and cultivate, but there are no inhabitants fettled on it.

"Had we not been unavoidably interrupted, we are perfuaded that we should have been sheltered, and have had our grounds prepared before the rains fet in.

They took at one haul of the feine, as much as fupplied the whole fettlement (three hundred in number, including the fhips companies) with a good and hearty meal.

An entry is made in the public journal of the colony on the 29th of July, that many springs were on that day difcovered, within the diftance of a mile from the ship.

We

« PreviousContinue »