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
26 African Memoranda. ' s and children of the labourers, stood in great need of them ;* May 5. and we should, at the same time, be completing our water, which would render it unnecessary for us to stay long at Tene- riffe, whenever a favourable wind might enable us to get there. With this view then we brought too a fishing boat, hoping to procure a pilot from it, but were much surprized at all the persons in it refusing to pilot us to an anchorage ; as we cer tainly were not gaining ground, and might be driven further off, if the wind increased, while the majority of the colonists were living on salt provisions only, which if continued would be doubtless very prejudicial to their healths, it was an object of magnitude to anchor where we could procure for them the necessary refreshments ; it was therefore determined to stand well in with the land, and then send the jolly boat on shore to endeavour to procure a pilot. This task, like all others, de volved upon me. I had witnessed in the West-Indies and in South America, in two remarkable instances, to what acts of injustice towards British seamen Spanish governors had been led by the narrow policy of their jealous government. I knew not whether the same rigorous policy was adopted in these islands towards foreigners, as in their more western colonies; but I certainly expected to be imprisoned if I landed, and said so before I left the ship. However, as it was absolutely requisite for the pre servation of the healths of the colonists, that we should get into I * The labourers, having no fresh stock of their own, lived entirely upon salt pro visions, of which they were allowed exactly the same quantity as seamen in his Ma jesty’s navy. Women were allowed the half of a man's allowance—children under 7 years of age one fourth—those between the years of 7 a.nd 12 the allowance of a woman, and above that age the allowance of a man.