APPENDIX. There appears to me nothing wanting to render this fettlement of national importance, and a truly valuable object to the proprietors, but the obtaining a charter, with a well digefted plan of government. Therefore I hope every exertion will be used towards obtaining the fame. Natives paci fic. 927. "I have also not the smallest doubt but the Papells who live in Bissao, and the Biafaras people, who are both mild and well difpofed, may be readily procured to work on the plantations. "I remain, &c." Climate good. Commercial prospects. Extract of a Letter from Mr. Fr. Donelly, refiding at the Island of Bulama, to 928. "I take up my pen with great pleasure to addrefs you, being, thank God, in perfect good health, fince my first arrival upon the coaft of Africa, except a few days indifpofition, caufed by eating wild plums. In fhort, I find the climate to agree very well with my conftitution.—The prospects of fuccefs entirely depend upon the manly exertions of gentlemen in England. 929." The fituation of our island and lands adjacent thereto, for a central trade, ftands the first of any that I have heard of upon this coaft. The island of Bulama, &c. deferves the particular attention of purchasers; as nothing already recited falls fhort of our profpects of its becoming, in good time, exceedingly productive. The chief trade carried on here, is by trading schooners. I think it may become an object worth attention to send a small floop or good schooner, freighted with goods, well laid in, and chofen particularly in the London market, provided it meets the fanction of your very refpectable friend. Commerce. Extract of a Letter from P. Beaver, Efq. to the Author, dated Bulama, 24th, July, 1793. 930. "We have the beft foil here at Bulama, and it requires only moderate cultivation to make it incredibly rich. Though the primary object of this undertaking is cultivation; yet, in order that the colony fhould flourish, it is necessary that great attention muft alfo be paid to commerce, and here we have the advantage of the S. Leona Colony.-That is a place well known, much frequented by fhips, not only of our own, but also of foreign nations, who participate in their trade both for wax and ivory. This a place little known, not at all frequented, except by Portuguese, and the adjacent coafts are enriched with innumerable creeks, which are navigable for fmall veffels, and which gives us, as it were, all the inland navigation of thefe these parts. The Portuguese then, Sir, are our only rivals. Which of the two APPENDIX. nations will carry moft of the commerce is evident. 931. "The ground on which the block-houfe ftands, I conceive to be elevated Soil. about fifty feet above the high water-mark. I believe that I have not feen any foil on the island but what is very good: at least, thofe feeds which I have lodged in it's bofom, have always come up with great ftrength and vigour. Those who understand better than myself the qualities of the earth, are lavish in its praise. 932. "Cotton, I know, will do here very well; for, in the garden, I have many Produce. very ftrong plants of it; and I have not a doubt of fugar and coffee fucceeding as well. In the driest times we have had fufficient water for our colony; therefore, I searched not for more; but am inclined to think there is plenty on the island. Windwills, I am confident, will anfwer well. I have only to add, that I much wish for that day, when this colony fhall be strengthened by yourself, or any of your friends; for, on your arrival, Sir, the fuccefs of our enterprize. will no longer be confidered problematical," &c. 933. "Return of the Deaths of the Bulama Adventurers, by J. Young, Efq. Child. Abftra&t ac 7 I 6 44 nifts. 3 4 10 5 Died after the ship arrived at her moorings in the river 3 I "Of the 9 perfons who died at Bulama, not one contracted his fever there, but all of them at Bissoa, except those who brought their diseases from England. Of the remaining number, many caught the fever at S. Leona, through intemperance, many others from the relaxation caufed by living fo long on falt provifion, without any thing to correct it's effects; some on board the Calypfo, never having been on fhore from the time they left England, which was 8 months. The coaft fever is of the intermittent kind, and not infectious, APPENDIX. 934. The following Statement I have carefully extracted from Mr. Beaver's Lifts tranfmitted to 87 At Bulama, when the Calypfo failed according to § 544 which agrees with the ... Men Won. Child. 49 13 25 Mortality great, but not peculiary fo. 40 2 Complication of disorders Hooping cough 4 Disorder not specified in Mr. Beaver's lifts. 935. I am forry that I have not been able to procure data fufficient to enable me to remedy the defects of Mr. Y's ftatement, which feems to apply partly to the colonists on board the Calypfo, and partly to the whole colony; nor to bring down the flatement, taken from Mr. Beaver's lifts, to Nov. 29th, 1793, when he evacuated Bulama. 936. I thought it my duty to give a fair abstract of the papers before me, without attempting to conceal the great mortality which they unhappily exhibit; but which, as well as the mortality at S. Leona, is fufficiently accounted for, in the four foregoing (abridged) reports, independently of any peculiar malignity of climate. To prove that neither of those colonial undertakings have been attended with any peculiar fatality, it was my intention (if I had had room, as I have not) to give fome account of the mortality, diforders and difafters which attended the first formation of almost every European colony, both in North America and the W. Indies. I allude particularly to Canada, New England, Virginia, W. Florida, Jamaica, Surinam and Cayenne; fome of which countries, however, are now found to be as healthful as any in the known world.*. That they were not fo to the first colonists See the 1ft Vol. of Winterbotham's View of the United States of America. Dr. Lind's Eff. on the Difeafes in hot Climates, 4th. edit. p. 89, 99. Dr. Blane's Obf. on the Dileafes incident to Sea men colonists, appears to have been principally owing to the following caufes.-1ft, The APPENDIX. overbearing spirit of commerce.-2dly, Inexperience in the means of preferving health in new and untried climates.-3dly, The fixing, for the fake of commerce, on fwampy spots, and other improper fituations. See § 75.-4thly, The want of proper food, and of proper framed houses, ready to be fet up when they landed. See $84.--5thly, Exceffive labour, in building houses and clearing lands.--6thly,The unfeafoned colonifts not taking the little care of themfelves which was in their power.7thly, Their disorderly and debauched lives and irregular hours.-8thly, The want of proper medicines, and of medicinal men experienced in the diseases of different cli. mates.--9thly, The want of firmness and unanimity among the immediate leaders, who, of course were incapable of preserving order among the colonists.--10thly, The general inexperience or felfifhnefs of thofe who managed the concerns of fuch undertak ings in Europe. NOTE HH. 1. See543. Ignorance and cient and modern legifa rudenels of an 937. I fear fome people will laugh at the rude fignatures of thefe African kings: for a deed from a black prince having been lately read in a House of eminence, in Westminster; when the reader concluded with “his mark,” a horse-laugh was vociferated by fome individuals to whom that species of utterance is so natural, that on former occafion they could not reprefs it even on hearing a recital, which drew tears from many or most of the audience. For the information of perfons who cannot boast of fuch qualifications, and opportunities of improvement, I fubjoin this quotation."Several charters ftill remain, where Kings affix fignum crucis, manu propria, pro ignoratione literarum (the sign of the cross, with their own hands, because of their ignorance of letters.) From this is derived the phrafe of figning a paper. In the ninth century, Herbaud, Comes Palatii, though fupreme judge of the empire, could not write his name. So late as the fourteenth century, Du Guefclin, conftable of France, the greatest man in the ftate, and one of the greateft men of his age, could neither men. Dr. Mofley's Treatife on tropical Difeafes, and Long's Hift. of Jamaica pafim. From this laft author, I cannot help tranfcribing one paffage which fhows that the mortality which attended fome attempts to colonize certain wafte lands, in that extenfive island, was owing to the very fame causes which unfortunately prevailed at S. Leona and Bulama. "Several poor adventurers," fays Mr. Long, Vol. I. p. 426, "came at different times, from Europe to Jamaica, and among the reft, a colony of Palatines. They had the charge of their paffage defrayed, and were fubfifted till they ar rived on the lands affigned to them, which they found in wilderness, the trees for the most part of flupendous bulk and not one acre cleared. Deftitute of babitations as well as of land prepared for culture, their time was necessarily first taken up with building houfes and felling trees. The labour and hardships they had to struggle with were much too severe for persons just come from Europe. MOST OF THEM DIED, the reft difperfed, and not one of these families (as I am told) fucceeded.” lators. APPENDIX. read nor write. The greater part of the clergy were not many degrees fuperior in fcience to the laity. Many dignified ecclefiaflics could not subscribe the canons of those councils at which they fat as members." Robertfon's Hift. of Charles V. Vol. I. p. 232.—It were eafy to fhow, that extreme ignorance prevailed in many parts of Europe, at a very late period, and that, in several parts of it, extreme ignor ance prevails at this hour. But enough has been faid to prove that the ancestors of the present Europeans were, in no respect, fuperior to other barbarians. E. Indian fub fcribers to the Bulama undertaking. 938. There can be no doubt, but that a number of respectable subscribers will come forward, as foon as a charter fhall be obtained: and I have the fatisfaction to mention that Colonel Kirkpatrick, ftated at the laft General Meeting at the Mansion-house, that he had lately received information from his agents at Fort George, that "they were about to advertise the plan of the Bulama association, in the Madras Courier, for raifing a fum not exceeding £5000, in aid of the subscription; that they meant to give their own names to it; and that, if it did not fill at that prefidency, they would publish it in the Bengal papers, where there could be little doubt of it's fucceeding." Some farther accounts of the Danish colony at Aquapim. See § 599. 939. Since the sketch of the Danish colony, in Africa, was printed off, I have fortunately met with Meff. Moe and Hanfon, who were so good as to communicate to me feveral interefting particulars refpecting that part of the world, moft of which are contained in the following interefting letter from Mr. Moe. SIR, 940. "I fhould have been glad, if I could have answered your queries respecting the Gold Coast, particularly the Danish colony, now established at Aquapim. But having been in Africa yourself, you cannot but know, how difficult it is for persons, unconnected with the Slave trade, to obtain information concerning it. This trade absorbs so much of the attention and activity of the Europeans in that part of the world, that it is only the merchant who can come into it's fecrets. 941. “During a stay of 14 months on the Gold Coast, I had quite different ob. jects in view; and sickness, which never fails to meet Europeans there, took up great part of my time. I have, however, the fatisfaction of acquainting you, that I have been in Aquapim, and have seen the late Capt. Ifert's colonial establishment at that place *. It is fituated on a high and mountainous tract of land; but so dif * M. Moe mentioned to me in conversation, that the late Dr. Ifert was made captain, in confequence of his great exertions to establish the new colony. tant |