II.

CHA P. Africa for a fupply of labourers, in form of flaves. Here commenced the Slave-trade, that scourge of the human race, which has kept down a great part of the Africans in a state of anarchy and blood, and which, while it's nefarious exiftence is tolerated, will prove the grand obftacle to their improvement and civilization. Early in the fixteenth century, this traffic had affumed an appearance of fyftem; for we find that, in 1517, the Emperor Charles V. granted a patent to certain flave-merchants for the annual fupply of 4000 negroes to the islands of Hifpaniola, Cuba, Jamaica and Porto Rico. It has fince been cherished with as much care, as if the very existence of legitimate commerce depended on it, and as if, in principle and practice, it perfectly accorded with the feelings and fentiments of it's patrons.

The Weft Indies derive

ance from

Africa.

5. Without undervaluing the Weft Indian fugar colotheir import- nies, we may venture to observe, that their importance, nay, according to the planters themselves, their very existence, depends on Africa. That continent fupplies them with flaves, whom they call by the foft name of "Negro labourers," and who alone confer a value on their property. Some affirm, with much probability, that they also owe to Africa the very object of their labours. Certain it is, that the sugar-cane grows fpontaneously in Africa; but whether it be a native of the West Indies, is a controverted point. Be this as it may, it was furely fomewhat preposterous to drag the Africans to the West Indies, there to drudge amidst whips and chains, in cultivating a commodity which, had they been prudently and humanely dealt with, they might have been induced to 'raise, as an article of commerce, upon their own foil, and that much nearer to the European markets than the nearest of the West Indian

iflands.

I.

iflands*. But the very vicinity of Africa, which fhould CHA P. have recommended it to the Europeans, may have operated to it's disadvantage; for mankind generally fet the greatest value on things diftant and difficult to be obtained. Diftance, like a fog, confuses objects, and lends them a magnitude that does not belong to them; and thus fascinates and mifleads men of warm imaginations, often to their injury, fometimes to their ruin.

merchants

6. But the flave-trade, as carried on in Africa, not only Oppofition of impedes the progrefs of the natives in the arts of induftry and planters. and peace; but also now prevents the European merchants concerned in it, or in the fugar colonies, from countenancing the colonization of that continent, from an ill founded apprehension, that such new establishments may interfere with those in the Weft Indies. It is indeed well known, that the Sierra Leona Company experienced very great oppofition from the selfish and ungenerous African traders, and West Indian merchants and planters. In justice, however, to several of the more liberal individuals of those bodies, we must observe, that, difregarding vulgar prejudices, they faw no cause of alarm from fuch establishments. They probably confidered, that self-interest is always, in the end, best promoted by liberality; and that as all the cotton pro

* Voyages from England to the nearest of the West Indian islands are performed, on an average, in about thirty days; to the moft diftant, in about fix weeks---A voyage to Sierra Leona occupies about twenty days; but Mr. Falconbridge once arrived there from England in feventeen days. Voyages home both from Africa and the Weft Indies, are longer than thofe to them, from the oppofition of the trade winds; and homeward bound fhips from Jamaica, St. Domingo, Cuba, and the Bahamas are farther interrupted by the gulph ftream.---In 1782, a French frigate arrived at Senegal from Breft in thirteen days, and returned in fifteen.-.-The Chevalier de Boufflers told me that he arrived at Senegal from Havre in twenty days, and that the veffel returned to Havre in the fame time.

I.

CHA P. duced in the British islands is quite inadequate to the demand of the British manufacturers, fo the confumption of fugar being rapidly increasing, in Europe and America, and capable of indefinite extenfion, the time may not be very diftant when all the fugar that can be produced on the West Indian plantations already settled, may be equally inadequate to the fupply of the European and American markets. I fay on the Weft Indian plantations already fettled; for it is the opinion of persons well acquainted with Weft Indian affairs, that those plantations cannot, on the present system, be profitably extended.

Objections againft colo

nizing Africa

anfwered.

7. Befides the foregoing obstructions to the colonization of Africa, several well meaning people have stated some objections which ought to be answered.-First, "They fear that the colonization of Africa would introduce, among the fimple and innocent natives of that continent, the corrupted manners of the Europeans."-I anfwer, that the flave-trade has already introduced, into those parts of Africa where it prevails, the manners of the most corrupted of the Europeans; but that a colony of fober, honest and industrious people from Europe, who will of course fix their residence where there is little or no flave-trade, and who will support themselves by agriculture, and not by commerce, need not excite any alarm whatever on this head. "But the Europeans, it may be faid, corrupted the aborigines of North America, though neither party dealt in flaves." This is unfortunately true; but it is equally true that this corruption was the work of European traders, and not of Europeanfarmers. The genius of commerce unfortunately prevailed, more than it ought to have done, in the first establishment of the European colonies, in the new world. Of the confequences of this unhappy afcendancy of commerce over agriculture, many

melan

I.

melancholy instances might be given, were this a proper C HA P. place. Suffice it to observe, what will scarcely be denied, that the object of the European traders in America (as traders) was not to civilize the natives; but, like the white flave dealers in Africa, to turn their rude propensities for European liquors, gunpowder and baubles, to their own immediate profit, without looking forward to the advantages, to legitimate commerce, which, fooner or later, would have refulted from their civilization. Nor have governments feemed to be fufficiently fenfible of those advantages; for while they ftrictly regulated the commerce of their subjects with civilized nations, they left them to push their trade with the uncivilized in any direction, and by any means, their own blind avarice fuggested. Hence followed "deeds unjust-even to the full fwing of their luft." In the Portuguese colonies, indeed, of Grand Para and Maranhao, a Directorio was established in 1758, for regulating the dealings of the whites with the native Indians, who are there defcribed as " uncivilized and ignorant," and "univerfally addicted to debauch in liquors, furnished them by the whites." It does not appear what effect these regulations have had in eradicating the evil habits which had been previoufly fostered in the Indians by the Portuguese pedlars. But they have, in fome degree, civilized the native Africans in their fettlements on the coaft; and the progrefs of the Jefuits in Paraguay clearly proves that uncivilized nations may be improved, instead of being debauched, as hath too often happened, by an intercourse with the Europeans.

8. Secondly. It is objected, that "Colonies in Africa would prove the means of perpetuating, and not of destroying the flave-trade." This objection would no doubt have fome force, if commerce, and not cultivation, were to be

I.

CHA P. the primary object of such establishments; or even if cultivation were to be carried on by human labour only, unasfifted by the labour of cattle. But commerce and human labour are both very capable of limitation and regulation ; and in this work I hope to prove that it is very practicable fo to limit and regulate them in Africa, as to check the hurtful predominancy of the one, and to prevent the oppreffive tendency of the other.

9. Another objection is "That the defence of colonies in Africa would, like that of most of the American colonies, be burdensome to the European governments, which should favour their establishment." To this it may be answered, that, if according to the plan I mean to propose, the colonists cultivate, from the beginning, an amicable coalition with the natives, they will, like the above-mentioned establishment of the Jefuits in Paraguay, foon acquire fuch a degree of ftrength as to fecure them from all wanton aggreffion.

10. It seems unnecessary to say more in this place, to fatiffy objectors who, upon the whole, wish to promote the civilization of Africa, if they clearly faw how it could be effected: for one great end of this work is, to remove their confcientious fcruples; moft of which, however, appear to me to deserve attention, more on account of their motives, than of their strength.

CHA P.