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ation, mentions C. Mefurado, C. Monte, Rio Sherbro and Bance Ifland, in Sierra APPENDIX..

• Leona river. "Treatife on the Utility of Commerce and Colonization in both the Indies and in Africa, Stockholm, 1776."-Sir Geo. Young of the Navy has a good opinion of the climate of S. Leona, efpecially (like Dr. Lind) of the higher grounds; and, before the black poor failed in 1787, he gave Capt. Thompson, of His Majesty's floop Nautilus, particular directions where to place the town.-That excellent man, Mr. Harry Gandy of Bristol, who made two voyages to S. Leona, where he remained a confiderable time, writes thus: "Gambia is a much deeper river, yet for want of a harbour near the fea and good water, it is, on these accounts, rather incon venient; and, though fome other parts of the coaft may justly boast of their several beauties, richness and fertility, yet, for want of a good river, a safe harbour and fine water, they can, for colonies, by no means ftand in competition with Sierra Leona; which has alfo this concomitant advantage, beyond a leeward fituation, or any near the line, that being fo far to windward, a paffage from thence, (viz. S. Leona,) to England, might be made in half the time that is commonly done from the Gold and Slave Coafts." See his letter of the 3d Dec. 1788, in the N. Jerufalem Mag. No. IV. -See alfo the opinion of Mr. Woodin in Note B.-Thus it appears, that the gentlemen concerned had very good reasons for chufing S. Leona as a proper place for a new colony; for it is natural to fuppofe, they confulted most of the above authorities, and perhaps others which I may not have seen. But unfortunately, the intem. perance of many of the first colonists, and the hardships fuffered by them all, from the want of proper fhelter and food, were fuch as no human conftitutions could withftand, in any climate whatsoever.

NOTE F. See § 343.

694. The most useful products of that portion of Africa which I have included in the map, as the best adapted for colonization, have been already enumerated. S. Leona is a part of that tract of country; and an abridgement of those paragraphs of the report which describe it's productions, would be little else than a repetition of all or moft of the contents of the fifth chapter, to which, therefore, I beg leave to refer the reader-alfo to Note B B.

NOTE G. See § 335.

profligacy of London.

blacks in

695. The blacks living in London are generally profligate, because uninstructed, Caufes of the and vitiated by flavery: for many of them were once flaves of the moft worthlefs description, namely the idle and fuperfluous domeftic, and the gamblers and thieves who infeft the towns in the W. Indies. There are fevere laws against carrying, or enticing, flaves from the Islands, without the knowledge of their owners. Yet fome of those fellows contrive to conceal themselves, or are concealed by others on board fhips on the point of failing; a better fort come to attend children and fick perfons on board, and others are brought by their mafters, in the way of parade. Many of Gg 2 them,

APPENDIX. them, naturally enough, but perhaps without fufficient reflection, prefer "a cruft of bread and liberty," in Old England, to ease, plenty and flavery in the W. Indies. For, excepting the too frequent exceffes of capricious, tyrannical, or drunken owners, the treatment of fuch flaves is as good as that of the truly useful field-negroes is bad. In London, being friendless and defpifed, on account of their complexion, and too many of them being really incapable of any useful occupation, they fink into abject poverty, and foon become St. Giles's black-birds. Unhappily most of the first colonists of S. Leona, compleatly answered this description, before they embarked; though their original circumftances were different. (See note A.) The Directors, therefore, did right in rejecting a new embarkation of fuch London blacks; and it is to be hoped, they will always adhere to their resolution of strictly examining the characters of those, of whatever complexion, whom they send out as colonists. See 127, et feq. and, above all, § 301.

Firft terms

offered to coJonifts by the S. Leona Co.

NOTE H. See 362.

696. The Directors also published a paper entitled "Terms of the Sierra Leona Company, to all fuch Settlers as fhall fail from England, within three months from the date hereof, in order to go to Sierra Leona." Of this paper, which is dated Nov. 3d, 1791, it does not seem necessary to give more than an abridgment, which I fhall do, by copying its marginal contents.

(1.) "Each fettler to have twenty acres of land for himself, ten for his wife, and five for every child." Mines, &c. referved for the Company.

(2.)

"No rent on the land to be charged till midsummer 1792. A quit-rent of one fhilling per acre to be then paid for two years. A tax, not exceeding two per cent on the produce, to be chargeable for the next three years, and afterwards a tax of four per cent." (See § 193.)

(3.) "A fettler, by depofiting fifty pounds for each ten acres, may have, besides his own proper lot, as far as forty additional acres, and fhall have flores from the Company to the amount of his depofit."

66

(4.) Every fuch fettler to be carried out at the Company's expense. To have three months allowance of provifions, and three month's half allowance, and baggage, if lefs than one ton, to be carried free of freight."

(5.) "Lots to be forfeited, except those of women and children, if one-third is not cleared in two years, and two-thirds in three years. The clearing of lots of women and children, muft, after three years, be proceeded upon, according to the fame rate of progrefs."

(6.) "No one to buy more than 20 acres, in the town district, till three-fourths of his land is cleared."

(7.) "Settlers to give £50 fecurity for their paffage, and to be allowed thereupon, to borrow £30 worth of goods, from the Company's flores."

(8.)." Paf

(8.) "Paffage-money out never to be called for, if the settler ftays 12 months, APPENDIX. nor paffage money home, if the settler or his wife is obliged to return on account of health."

(9.) "The fettler may pay £50 in money, if he pleases, instead of giving a joint bond for it: the £50 fo paid, to be returned him at the end of one year."

(10.) "Bond, or payment of £50 to be difpenfed with in the cafe of artificers and husbandmen well recommended, and in fimilar cafes, at the difcretion of the Di. rectors."

(11.) "Houses to be built by the Company, each fettler paying ten per cent tent, or purchafing his house at prime cost."

(12.) "Settlers to affift jointly in clearing the ground for the town, or to pay a commutation in money."

(13.) "The Company to fell goods to the settlers at a profit of 10 per cent." (14.)" The Company to buy the produce of the fettlers, or to convey it for them. at 24 per cent. commiffion, and cuftomary charges, giving them a credit for two

thirds of the value."

(15.) "No duty on articles imported or exported, ever to exceed 2 per cent."

NOTE I. See § 369
$

697. It gives me no small fatisfaction to find that some attention has been paid to these my very able and worthy countrymen ; especially as I had the honour to introduce them both, as well as the late Mr. Strand, another Swede, to the acquaintance of fome of the Directors; and this I did at their own particular defire. Mr. Nordenskiold and Mr. Strand, while they lived, did the credit I expected, to the character given of them, a character which Mr. Afzelius ftill fupports, with honour to himself and satisfaction to the Company.

NOTE K. See § 370.

698. In the very outfet, the whole undertaking at Sierra Leona was in great Danger of danger of being ruined by the fecret efforts of flave-merchants, and flave-hold- enemies to the colony becom ers, to get their friends into the Direction. Had they fucceeded, they would ing Directors, doubtless have proceeded in a manner very analogous to the too common practice of Mortgagees-in-poffeffion of Weft Indian eftates, and who frequently reside in England. Such a gentleman, by means of a proper agent, has perhaps buildings erected which are not immediately neceffary, and, in short, increasing expense by various methods which I have not room to detail, at the same time, neglecting the crops, he, in a few years, makes an eftate his own; while the unfortunate owner, in an island perhaps where few of the refiding planters can help one another, hath not the means of contending at law with his powerful oppreffor, nor even dares to mur◄ mur, for fear of exafperating him and making things worse. By fuch arts, are moft

of

APPENDIX.

to be avoided

by giving the colonists a fhare in the government.

Ill ufage of black Ameri

can lovalifts.

of the fuddenly overgrown West Indian fortunes accumulated. By fimilar means, would W. Indian Directors have conducted the affairs of the S. Leona Company. They would have appointed proper agents, to make a feint of cultivation and comThese agents would have defignedly failed; and yet would have made it appear, perhaps by witneffes examined on oath, (fee § 185.) that they had in vain exhausted all their ingenuity and industry in the fervice.

merce.

699. In order, therefore, to exclude for ever all forts of enemies to this establishment, enlightened and industrious colonists should be encouraged to go out, and be allowed to take part in their government, and to give their votes at the election of the Directors. For annual elections, by the fubfcribers independent of the colonists, as practised at present, expose the undertaking more or lefs, at every new election, to the machinations of it's enemies, who, in spite of every precaution, may fucceed as laft, and then the ruin of the colony will be fealed. The prefent fyftem lodges the whole power in the Directors, who refide in Europe, and whofe orders the Governor and Council in the colony are bound to obey. The colonists can only petition or remonftrate; and remonftrances are commonly generated in, and feldom fail to increase, ill humour. Having no other means of defence against incroachment and -oppreflion, it appears to me, that the colonists must inevitably be ruined or crushed, if ever a majority of the Directors, (which Heaven avert!) fhould be ignorant of, or adverse to, their real interests. But in my humble opinion, fome fuch conflitution as I proposed at §. 181 et feq. would have greatly tended to fecure the colony from such ferious dangers. Indeed, when I confider, that, befides the dangers juft mentioned, the prefent Directors may be removed by death and other causes, and that it is poffible, they may be fucceeded by persons less disposed, or less qualified, to watch over and promote the interests of the colony-I fay, when I confider these circumstances, I certainly do wifh, and even hope, that the colonists may obtain the exercise of the undoubted right of every free community, to elect their own government; and that this government and the Court of Directors may be incorporated into one body. For, as the interests of the colonists and subscribers, are, or ought to be, the fame, their representatives ought not to be separated. See § 181, 182, 183.

700.

NOTE L. See § 374.

I have already mentioned that, at the peace of 1783, many white, and black American loyalifts were conveyed to G. Britain, the Bahamas, and Nova Scotia. A few alfo went to Jamaica and other W. Indian iflands; and, I believe fome to Canada, and other places. The fate of the blacks who came to England, has been noticed, (Append. Note B.) Their brethren in the Bahamas fared far worse. The laws of those Islands, like the other flave-laws, prefume all blacks to be flaves, unless they can prove the contrary, and admit not their evidence againfi Hence free blacks are very often reduced to flavery, especially in the

white men.

more

more extenfive colonies, by unprincipled whites; for fuch have only to fwear to APPENDIX. their property in any free negro, who cannot produce formal proof of his freedom, and he becomes ipfo facto the flave of the fwearer. Two very notorious inftances

very.

of this practice, in Jamaica, one of them in the cafe of the wife and children of a Iniquitoufly free black loyalift, from Carolina, were ftated in evidence to the Houfe of Com- reduced to fla. mons, by Capt. Giles of the 19th regiment of foot, who humanely interfered, and fucceeded in a public trial, attended with much trouble and expense, the greater part of which, by the way, I am well informed, he never was repaid. In the other cafe, Major Nefbit of the fame regiment, after a fimilar trial, delivered a free woman from a white villain who had feized her as his flave. And, but for the interpofition of those worthy officers, these women and children, though really free, would, like many other free blacks, have been retained in flavery. (Min. Evid. 1791, p. 105.) 701. In Bahama this iniquity was practised by the white loyalifts against the black ones, to such a degree, that the late worthy Governor Maxwell was obliged to take public notice of it, a flep which rendered him extremely unpopular, among the guilty, and was ultimately ineffectual. The white loyalifts carried the fame difpofition with them to Nova Scotia ; but I have not specifically learnt that they proceeded to fuch flagrant exceffes. The difpofition, however, they certainly showed, and even indulged, to a certain extent. In particular, they in several instances, de-· prived the blacks of the houses they had built, and the lands they had cleared; and, at laft removed many of them to an inhospitable part of that inhospitable country, fo very distant from any market, that it was impracticable for them to fell their produce, and to procure neceffaries. In fhort, a Chief Juftice declared publicly from the bench, That the climate of Nova Scotia was too cold for whites to fubfift there without the help of flaves,-a very fignificant hint to the blacks, what they were to expect. The fact is, that men who have once been fuffered to indulge in the practice of flavery, muft ftill have flaves. The W. Indian iflands are too hot, and Nova. Scotia too cold, for them to do without auxiliaries, whom the pride and laziness. generated by flavery, have rendered neceffary to their very existence.

rupts masters.

702. Among other writers, Montefquieu, in his Spirit of Laws, and Dr. Franklin, Slavery ener in his Thoughts on the peopling of Countries, have noticed the tendency of flavery to vates and corvitiate the minds of mafters, as well as flaves. I have been seriously affured, that it is common in the W. Indies to describe the distress of a ruined planter by saying, "Poor man he has but one negro left to bring him a pail of water," an expreffion which, in the phrafeology of that country, fignifies the deepeft diftrefs. And indeed it must be no fmall hardship to be suddenly deprived of the attendance of 20 domeftic flaves, or even double the number, who, Mr. Long affures us, are not unufual in a Jamaica family. Hift. of Jam. Vol. II. p. 281. By comparing account No. 3 in the Privy Council's Report, Part IV. with the Report or Answers of the Barbadoes Affembly, we find that on an average, every white man, woman and

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