with a brief notice of the neighbouring tribes, soil, productions, &c. and some observations on the facility of Colonizing that part of Africa, with a View to Cultivation; and the introduction of letters and religion to its inhabitants: but more particularly as the means of gradually abolishing African Slavery relative to an attempt to establish a British Settlement on the Island of Bulama, on the Western Coast of Africa, in the year 1792
with a brief notice of the neighbouring tribes, soil, productions, &c. and some observations on the facility of Colonizing that part of Africa, with a View to Cultivation; and the introduction of letters and religion to its inhabitants: but more particularly as the means of gradually abolishing African Slavery relative to an attempt to establish a British Settlement on the Island of Bulama, on the Western Coast of Africa, in the year 1792
Preface. remain quietly drudging at pen and ink ; and all my papers were re-conveyed to their old musty box there to remain to the end of the war. However, the summer of 1804 having passed without any attempt on the part of the enemy to put his vain glorious threat of invading us in execution, and no chance remaining of seeing them on this side of the water, and my official situation not being the most active in the world, I again drew forth my African papers, to give me a little employ ment in the winter, in arranging them for publication. And I the more readily give them to the world, as it affords me, ere too late, an opportunity of expressing m^ opinion of the danger to be apprehended from French influence and in trigue ; if, when peace arrives, they are suffered to retain such places, on the western coast of Africa, as will enable them to put in execution the projects of Mons. Golberry. Of the sources whence these Memoranda are drawn it may be proper to give some account. Most of those preceding the 19th of July 1792, were written by myself as the cir cumstances occurred ; those relative to the Calypso, after her separation from us, are given from the narration of those of that ship who remained behind with me on the island of Bu- lama; as well as from their journals, particularly that of Mr. Aberdein; all of which came into my hands, after their decease. And some are supplied by the correspondence, and the minutes, of the council; all of which, together with every document and. paper relative to the expedition, from the first meeting of its proposers, to the final evacuation of the is-