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XI.

SIERRA LE

ΟΝΑ.

Colonization

arduous.

CHA P. things, had they been more experienced, might have been conducted more frugally and advantageoufly. But many of the occurrences, no human wifdom could have foreseen or controlled; and they attribute many deliverances of the colony, not to the care of those whom the Proprietors have set over it, but to that Providence alone, which has protected it. From paft experience, they may look forward to farther difficulties, impoffible to be provided against; for colonization has, in general, been far more arduous, hazardous and expensive, than the undertakers at first believed. (See § 276 et feq. and 303 et feq.) The Directors, therefore, indulge no expectations of rapid, uninterrupted fuccefs; yet, from the gradual advances of the colony, in the midst of difficulties, they are not without fuch hopes of it's establishment, and future profperity, as encourage them fteadily and chearfully to perfevere; but they are conscious, that, after all poffible attention, the event is at the fupreme disposal of Him who can fufpend, obstruct or frustrate the best schemes of men, or can crown them with the most signal success.

Mortality ftated.

415. The causes of the mortality at S. Leona have been already mentioned. (See § 384, 389.) The following are fome of the particulars refpecting it.-The Company's upper fervants, who went out the first year, were 26, including eight counsellors, a chaplain, feveral medical men, a secretary, (Mr. J. Strand *) an accountant and others, all well accommodated. Of this class, only four have died, and the deaths of only two can be properly charged to the climate. -Of lower fervants, fuch as clerks, overseers, artificers,

* See in the Append. Notes, &c. refpecting S. Leona and Bulama, NOTE S.

&c.

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SIERRA LE

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&c. there went out 59, including their families. Many of CHA P. them were often exposed to the rains; several were intemperate; they were in general ill lodged; and, from the ficknefs of the furgeons, they could have but little medical attendance: hence no less than 29 died.-Of settlers, including their families, there went out 18, and no fewer than 13 died. Some of them were very intemperate, and their situation was, in all respects, worse than the last class.-Of foldiers 16 went out, almost all intemperate, and, circumstanced as they were, in other refpects, it is not furprizing that 11 fhould have died. In all, 119 perfons went out, the first year, of whom 57 died.—The foldiers and white colonists, with their families, having either died or returned home, the whites, in the second year, were reduced to about 40, of whom only 4 or 5 have died.-The deaths in the Company's ships are not here included; for they were not always at S. Leona; nor has any compleat return on this subject been made. But, from information received from most of the ships, between 20 and 30 may have died, on board them all. The feamen employed have feldom exceeded 140 or 150; so that their mortality may have been 7 or 8 per cent per annum*.

N. Scotians.

416. The N. Scotians, who arrived at S. Leona in 1792, That of the were 1131, many of them lingering under the remains of a fever, which had carried off a few of their original number in N. Scotia, and 65 more on the paffage. Of 1131 landed, 40 died in a few weeks after, from the fame fever. The rest then became very healthy, and fo continued till the almost

* From evidence of the fubftance of the mufter-rolls of the Liverpool and Bristol flave-fhips, inferted in the Report of His Majefty's Privy Council, it appears that of 4080 feamen, who formed the crews of 112 fhips, 858, or 21 per cent, died in one voyage. See in the Append. Notes, &c. refpecting S, Leona and Bulama, NOTE T. univerfal

H 2

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CHA P. univerfal fickness of the first rains, when 98 of them died. In the three most unhealthful months of the second rainy feafon, for the account extends not to the whole year, their deaths did not exceed five.

SIERRALE

ONA.

Phyfician's report.

Mortality

able on the Directors.

417. The Company's physician flates, in his report of the 14th Oct. 1793, That though the sickness and mortality this year have been comparatively small; yet that the rainy months have been, as ufual, more fickly than all the preced ing; that the N. Scotians have experienced, in the rains, confiderable indifpofition, but generally with trifling complaints; that they now feem fo accustomed to the climate, that there is little reason to fear any great mortality among them; that there are not many whose health is precarious; that few villages, perhaps in England, can show more fine children; that, in this period, fevers have been pretty frequent among the whites; but that the fick lift is on the decrease, and it is hoped they will all recover; and that the want of flour has, this year, been seriously felt by the healthy, much more by the fick.-The difpatches of the 26th Dec. give a much more favourable bill of health, and ftate the mortality to be as before-mentioned.

418. The greatest mortality having been among the white not charge fettlers, the foldiers, and the lower fervants and artificers, the Directors reflect with fatisfaction, that, inftead of urging any of these to go out, they refufed many of each class, whom they were importuned to fend, and were scarcely prevailed on to carry out those who went-a reluctance which gave umbrage to several who were eager to become African colonists, and partly, perhaps, gave rife to the Bulama Company. Their indifpofition to enlarge the number of foldiers, whofe mortality was next in magnitude to that of the fettlers, caused the refignation of one or two chief

fervants

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fervants, and drew a remonftrance from several gentle- CHA P. men who purpofed adventuring out. Aware also of the probable evils even of their fmall military establishment, SIERRA LE they recalled the soldiers, when affured of the peaceableness of the natives; but the order arrived too late. So fenfible were the Directors of the dangers to which the artificers were expofed (moft of whom, from an accident at sea, were not likely to arrive, till the eve of the rains) that they offered to difcharge many of them in England, to indemnify them for lofs of time, and to add some gratuity. Of this offer, a few accepted, but many, including all who had families, were determined to make the voyage. This detail will not only show that the Directors were far from preffing those to go out, who have run the great risk of their lives; but will also point out the extreme danger, to which persons are exposed on arriving in a tropical climate, unprovided with proper lodging and subfiftence, or who are likely to fall into intemperance.

mate.

419. The Directors, having thus endeavoured to give an Nor the Cliimpartial account of the health of the colony, leave it's character, in this respect, to reft on the fimple evidence of the above facts. They know of no reason why the climate of S. Leona fhould prove eventually worfe, than those of other tropical colonies, of which the healthfulness is now undif puted; for fome of these were more fatal to the first colonifts, than S. Leona has yet proved. It feems therefore very probable, that, as cultivation and accommodation improve, the health of the colony, will gradually amend, as has been always experienced in fimilar cafes *.

* See in the Append. Notes, &c. respecting S. Leona and Bulama, NOTE U.

420. On

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420. On the fubject of trade, the Directors have rather to mention the orders given, and the steps taken, than to report much actual progrefs. Though an affortment of goods for trade was sent out, in the first ships, by advice of the commercial agent, who knew the coaft well, and who took charge of them; yet he made no effort to dispose of them. Many of them remained on board, during the rains. Even many goods intended for immediate ufe, were not delivered out of the fhips, till after this period. And it is feared, that, from this perfon's misconduct, added to the inefficiency of the Council, and the confequent confufion, while many were losing their lives, the Company's property was diffipated. This irregularity was aggravated, by the illness of almost every person employed in the commercial department. The chief store-keeper was obliged, by sickness, to return home; the chief accountant died, as did the chief commercial agent, already mentioned, without rendering up any regular accounts: several inferior store-keepers funk under severe duty; and their fucceffors, the present bookkeeper excepted, were little acquainted with mercantile bufinefs.

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421. Thus the Directors, who did every thing that depended on them to secure punctuality, from the very inftitution of the colony, are deprived of the means of examining into the application of all the first cargoes; and, although one of the Counsellors laboured to establish proper bookkeeping, his efforts were frustrated by the burning of all the most material books of the colony, on board the York. It will not excite furprize, that the Directors were flow in fending out goods for trade, when confusion was known to prevail in the colony, and when the commercial fervants, who had died or returned, were not replaced. The present commercial

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