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. 47 confusion that reigned among that part of the colonists embarked ^92. on board the Calypso. May ay. On the 30th a war canoe, of the neighbouring isles, was re- soth. connoitring near the place where the ship was, but could not be prevailed upon to approach near her. One of the colonists was deputed to it for that purpose, but without succeeding: it con tained between thirty and forty armed men. The cautious dis tance these people kept from the Calypso, induced the colonists to suppose that they had no friendly inclination towards them ; and therefore those that had been accustomed to sleep on shore returned this night to their ship, leaving their tents, &c. stand ing. The next morning the tents, with several other things, were gone, which had been carried off by the natives in the night. If any thing could have convinced our people of the hostile disposition of the islanders towards them, this, one would suppose, had been sufficient; and it ought to have induced the council to re-embark every body till the island had been purchased, for they had doubtless no business on it. The landing, cutting down of timber, burning, and building, were in themselves acts of hostility on our part. A sense of some degree of danger induced the colonists to sist. unite their labour in erecting, what was ridiculously called, a block-house, but which was nothing more than a shed or hut inclosed with inch plank ; and though no regular armed party was kept in it, or indeed on shore, this was the general recep tacle of all their arms, for every man had been provided with a musquet, bayonet, and cartouch-box from the public store. Till the 3d of June nothing particular occurred, every one June „ did what he pleased, and nothing more. Some of the people again slept on shore, but no attempt had been made to recover