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
African Memoranda. 413 death.” Conduct like this may accord with French notions of right, but I trust it will ever be held in detestation in this coun try. Mons. G. it is true, afterwards gives up this plan of con quering ; not from its injustice, but from its infeasibility, and because he conceives that it would be more politic to endeavour to procure their gold by more pacific means. Now one of the many advantages possessed by those countries, which I propose to cultivate, is that there are no gold mines in them, nor any expectation of them. All the riches which it can be hoped to derive from the earth, will depend upon its culture; which to its inhabitants may be productive of happiness and wealth. But gold mines to them would produce neither; on the contrary, they would cause only poverty and misery ; and I should consider it as a great obstacle to cultivation, nay an in superable objection to the undertaking it, in the proposed coun try, if mines of any precious metal were there expected to be found. Besides this traffic in slaves, and taking possession of the natives territory without any ceremony, there are other dif ferences between Mons. G’s. system and mine. With him commerce is the primary object; cultivation, the civilizing the Africans, and exploring the country, being only secondary con siderations, and encouraged only insomuch as they tend to pro mote and increase the former. Now these latter, with me, are the primary objects; as I conceive that they will each have a tendency towards the abolition of slavery, and commerce is left to take care of itself; which, it is supposed, must follow the cultivation of valuable produce. Mons. G. although an advocate for carrying on the slave trade at present, thinks that, if his system were acted upon, it