HENRY 
 
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 BUCHER 
 
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 JR 
 
 
 1972 
 
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A 
 
 VOYAGE 
 
 THE RIVER SIERRA-LEONE, 
 
 ON 
 
 THE COAST OF AFRICA; 
 
 COKTATNi:;c AN ACCOUNT OF THE 
 
 TRADE AND PRODUCTIONS of the COUNTRY, 
 
 AND OF THE 
 
 CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS CUSTOMS and MANNERS, 
 OF THE PEOPLE; 
 
 IN A SERIES OF LETTERS 
 
 TO A FRIEND IN ENGLAND. 
 
 By JOHN MATTHEWS, 
 
 Lieutenant in the Royal iVa-vy ; 
 
 DURING HIS RESIDENCE IN THAT COUNTRY 
 IN THE YEARS I785, I786, AND I787. 
 
 WITH ~~ 
 
 AN ADDITIONAL LETTER 
 
 ON THE SUBJECT OF 
 
 THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE. 
 
 ALSO, 
 
 A CHART OF PART OF THE COAST OF AFRICA, FROM CAPE ST. A^S, T» 
 
 THE RIVER RiONOONAS ; WITH A VIEW OF THE ISLAND BA^'A^;AS. 
 
 To WHICH ARE ADDED, 
 £ICHT PLATES OF VIEWS OF THE COUN'TRY, AXD O? IKS T RUiJEST S, 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED FOR B. WHITE AND SON, AT,HORACe's HLWDj 
 TLLET-SlfKEET ; AN D J . SEWE L L, COR N H I LL . I791. 
 
[ "i ] 
 
 The following Letters were originally 
 written from Africa to gratify the curiofity 
 of private friendfhip, and were by no means 
 intended for the prefs. Soon after my re- 
 turn, however, fome of my friends, for 
 whofe judgment I have the utmoft deference, 
 prevailed upon me to fubmit them to the 
 public eye, from a perfuafion they might 
 tend to throw fome light upon the important 
 commercial fubjeft which at that time, and 
 indeed ftill continues to agitate the public 
 opinion. I was the more eafily induced to 
 comply with their requeft from a confciouf- 
 nefs of the truth and impartiality of my de- 
 fcriptions. Had I been pofieiTed of more 
 leifure previous to their publication, I could, 
 from my notes and papers, have made con- 
 fiderable additions in the relation of the 
 A 2 manners 
 
 iI8£ IWrTED PRroTEr:j!! f !ISmH IIBMRY 
 
[ iv ] 
 
 manners and cufloms of the natives, which 
 might perhaps have made them more worthy 
 the public attention. I have, however, taken 
 the liberty to add a few (ketches and draw- 
 ' ings, accompanied with explanatory de- 
 fcriptions, which will, I hope, be fomc 
 gratification to the curious and inquifitive 
 reader. 
 
 Xhe firft plate is a reprefentation of my 
 firft conference with the natives (as defcribed 
 in Letter I. p. 4), on the fpot upon which 
 I afterwards fixed my fettlement. The ftone 
 building to the left was the remains of an 
 old ftore-houfe built by my predecefTor. 
 
 The fecond plate is a view of the entrance 
 into 6ierra~Leone River, defcribed in p. 22. 
 
 The third plate is a view of the high 
 land on the fouth fliore of Sierra-Leone 
 River, taken from Leopard's Ifland, which 
 forms the outer point on the north fide of 
 the river, with a diftant view of the Lland 
 of Bananas. See page 23. 
 
 The fourth plate is a view of Sierra- Leone 
 River and the north fhore (called by the na- 
 tives the 'BuUam fhore), taken from St. 
 George's Hill, where the free black fettle- 
 ment was made in 1787. See p. 23. 
 
 The 
 
 ;im 
 
[ V ] 
 
 The fifth plate is a view of the ead end 
 of the Ifland of Bananas. See p. 84. In 
 the dry feafon fhips anchor on the fouth fide 
 of the ifland, where the veffels' mafts appear 
 over the land, but in the rainy feafon they 
 anchor on the north fide, and off the eaft 
 end, as fliewn in the view. The beft water 
 is found on the north fide, flowing from a 
 fpring in the rocks into a natural bafon, 
 which is always covered with fhrubs that 
 keep it cool and refrefliing, and from thence 
 it runs over the beach into the fea. 
 
 The fixth plate is a view of Ya Ma 
 Cooba's Town, fituated in the bottom of 
 White Man'€ Bay, in Sierra-Leone River, 
 and nearly adjoining my faftory. See p. 113. 
 The country ax ftuck into .the ftump of a 
 tree, and the white rag flying from the end 
 of the pole fet upright in the ground, are a 
 reprefentation of fome of the offerings or 
 charms ufed by the natives ; the wooden 
 mortars, and the peflles lying on the 
 ground, are ufed for beating rice; and the 
 drum is what they ufe in their Cullungees. 
 Ya Ma Cooba is confidered as the queen, or 
 head woman, of the few inhabitants refident 
 in the bay. 
 
 Plate 
 
[ vi ] 
 
 Plate VII. N° I. Is a reprefentation of the 
 banjon, or African guitar, fee p. 105. The 
 body and neck of this inftrument are made of 
 hard wood, which they highly poli(h and cu- 
 rioufly carve; it is hollowed in the infide, and 
 the top covered over with a fheep or goat Ikin, 
 dreffed like parchment, which is drawn very 
 tight, and faftened with pegs on each fide : 
 the firings are made of the hairs of an ele- 
 phant's tail, and the dried gut of a fmall 
 deer, and are faftened to the neck of the in- 
 ftrument : a fmall piece of wood is fixed up^ 
 right in the centre to extend and tighten the 
 firings, which is confined in its place by the 
 twifted cord at the end. It is played upon 
 with the fingers, and the founds proceeding 
 from it are foft and fweet, though they have 
 no kind of notes or variation of tune. 
 
 Reference A, A, A, is the body of the in- 
 ftrument. 
 
 b, b. The neck which fixes into the body 
 at K. 
 
 d, d. The edge of the covering drawn 
 over and faftened to the fide with pegs. 
 
 N° 2. Is a reprefentation of the top of the 
 fame inftrument. 
 
[ vli ] . 
 
 a, ay a, a, Are two flat thin pieces of light 
 wood laid lengthways over the top. 
 
 J", J, Are the founding holes. 
 
 Plate VIII. N° 3, and 4. Are two drums, 
 as defcribed in p. 105, called by the natives 
 dundungee. 
 
 N° 5, and 6. Are a kind of cimbal, called 
 by the natives ba'ba' : they are made of a 
 conical form out of a piece of an iron bar 
 beat thin, and clofed at the edges, except a 
 fmall part at the wide end: they are held 
 between the fingers, and played upon by 
 ftriking them with a fmall iron ring worn 
 upon the little finger, and give a flirill 
 tinkling found. 
 
 N"" 7, and 8. Are the rings worn upon the 
 little finger. 
 
 DIRECTIONS 
 
DIRECTIONS FOR PLACING THE PLATES. 
 
 View of the Ifland of Bananas, to face^jihe Title. 
 
 ^ap of the coaft, - - - , to face page t 
 
 N° r - - - - - • 4 
 
 2 - - - - - 22 
 
 3 23 
 
 4 - - - - - ibid. 
 
 5 84 
 
 6 - , - - - - i'3 
 
 I}- 
 
 105 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 Voyage from England to Africa — 
 TenerifFe — Ceremony of eftablifh- 
 ing a negociation for the purpofe 
 of carrying on the Slave Trade, — i 
 
 PAGE 
 
 LETTER IL 
 
 Geographical defcription of the coaft, 
 rivers, fettlements, and occupations 
 of the natives of Africa* from the 
 Rionoonas to Cape St. Ann, — 9 
 
 LETTER in. 
 
 The feafons, — • — — 26 
 
 LETTER IV. - 
 
 Natural hiftory, — — 36 
 
 LETTER 
 
PAGE 
 
 ( iv ) 
 LETTER V. 
 
 Religion, government, laws, and wars, 64 
 
 L E T T E R VI. 
 
 Perfons of the natives, cuftoms, and 
 ceremonies, — — 91 
 
 letter' vil 
 
 The African Slave Trade, — — 137 
 
 LETTER Vin. 
 
 Additional Letter concerning the trade 
 for flaves in Africa; dating fadls, 
 and inferences to be deduced from 
 them, refpeding the policy of abo- 
 lifhing the trade, — — 160 
 
( I ) 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 Sierra-Leone, Sept. 25, 1785. 
 
 MY DEAR TRIEND, 
 
 I EMBRACE the firft opportunity to in- 
 form you of my fafe arrival at the place of 
 my deftination, after an agreeable paffage 
 of thirty days, in which nothing happen- 
 ed fufficiently interefting to communicate. 
 In paffing between the Grand Canary and Te- 
 neriffe we were fortunate in having fuch a 
 view of the Peak as is feldom feen. 
 
 The top, then covered with fnow, ap- 
 peared far above the clouds in the pure 
 regions of ether; and, from its extreme fum- 
 B ' mit, 
 
2 LETTER I. 
 
 mit, iflued a bright flame. Round the 
 bafe of the mountain, but above the culti- 
 vated country, the clouds gathered in thick 
 darknefs, from whence iflued fl:orm6,. 
 thunder, and lightening, upon the plains 
 below. 
 
 Your letter of the 20th of March did not 
 reach me before my departure from Liver- 
 pool, as I failed on the 2 2d, or I fhould: 
 have fully explained to you my motives 
 for going abroad. 
 
 There is fuch a contran:^ you obferve^. 
 between the glory of naval vidories 
 and the iifelefs fcenes of commercial pur- 
 fuits, that it muft be difficult to reconcile 
 the mind to the fuddcn tranfltion. I con- 
 fefs it is true, but it will be fuflicient for 
 the prefent^ at once to bbferve, that, after 
 ferving as a lieutenant during the whole of 
 the late war in the Weft Indies, and fharing 
 in almoft every aftion during that period, 
 I found. myfelf, at the peace, under a necef-- 
 
 fitjf 
 
 i 
 
LETTER!. ^ 
 
 iity of exerting myfelf fome way or other, 
 to fupport that appearance in life which 
 might not be unworthy a Britifli naval 
 officer. In a commercial country like ours, 
 in which the charader of a merchant is as 
 refpedable and as ufeful an one as any in 
 the ftate, I am free to own, it was with 
 much pleafure I turned my thoughts to 
 trade. I had indeed an additional induce- 
 ment to conned myfelf with gentlemen 
 who traded to the coaft of Africa, becaufe, 
 having before been engaged in that com- 
 merce, I thought myfelf more competent 
 to undertake a fimilar employment. 
 
 I have juft finiihed my negociations with 
 the natives for a convenient fituation to 
 ered ftores and workmen's houles. The 
 fame place was purchafed by a former 
 agent to the fame company by which I 
 am employed, whom the natives murdered 
 in a mod horrid manner j fince which time 
 . B 2 (about 
 
4 LETTER I. . 
 
 (about fourteen years ago) not a white man 
 has dared to put his foot onfiore: and, prior 
 to that period, they had deftrqyed the crews 
 of feveral veffels, and. plundered their car- 
 goes. It was with fome difficulty I could 
 prevail on the natives who refided in the 
 bay to meet me 5 they were apprehenfive I 
 {hould take vengeance upon them for their 
 former cruelty, a fentiment congenial to 
 their difpofiticn ; as they imagine it indi- 
 cates cowardice and want of fpirit to let 
 the enemy efcape when aa opportunity 
 of revenge prefents itfelf. I however took 
 every means to infpire them with confi- 
 dence, and fo far fucceeded, that I con- 
 vened an affembly of the king and neigh- 
 bouring chiefs, and of all the inhabitants of 
 every denomination. Image to yourfelf 
 the jQiore of a little fandy bay covered 
 with black men, women, and children. 
 Under the fhade of a tree fat the king in 
 an arm-chair, drefled ux a fuit of blue filk, 
 
 trimmed 
 
LETTER I. J 
 
 trimmed with filver lace, with a laced hat 
 and ruffled fhirt, and fhoes and ftockings. 
 On each fide fat his principal people, and be- 
 hind him two or three of his wives. 
 
 I began by informing them that all pad 
 afts {hould be buried in oblivion^ that, not- 
 with (landing the very bad character they 
 had, I hoped the confequences of their for- 
 mer crimes, which they had feverely felt 
 in the lofs of their trade, would, in future, 
 make them behave better. I pointed out 
 to them the condition which thofe men 
 had fallen into who had been the chief 
 promoters of their former cruelties^ that 
 though they got immcnfe fpoil, yet nothing 
 now remained of it 3 and that they were 
 punifhed and defpifed both" by God and 
 man. I ftated to them that, by their own 
 laws, they were bound to protedl the 
 ftranger from infult and oppreffiouj and 
 that all white men were ftrangers in their 
 land: and although the place we were 
 B 3 then 
 
6 LETTER I. 
 
 then fitting upon was the property of my 
 employers, yet, to avoid a retrofpeft of 
 the pad, I would again purchafe it. I ex- 
 patiated pretty largely on the power I was 
 capable of exerting, fhould they attempt 
 to deftroy my property or people ^ but that 
 I wifhed to live in peace and amity ^ and 
 gave them the ftrongeft affurances that they 
 might at all times rely upon my word. That 
 if ever they found me guilty of an untruth, 
 J would forfeit every claim to their confi- 
 dence ; and concluded by making a hole in 
 the ground, and faying in this grave I bury 
 all pafl: animofities, whoever opens itihalLbe 
 fubjed to a palaver, Ta^ oh\ ya^ objafee, (a 
 term of approbation) refounded from every 
 quarter, and echoed from the furrounding 
 hills. The king and myfelf filled up the 
 hole, which ceremony put an end to our 
 afiembly. 
 
 In the evening they brought an old man 
 to me bound, and much bruifed with the 
 
 blows 
 
LETTER T. I7 
 
 blows he had received about the head and 
 face: I inquired for what reafon they brought 
 'him to me? they anfwered '* The king order- 
 ed us to offer him to you provided you will 
 promife never to fufFer him to return onfhore. 
 it is this man who has bewitched us, and 
 who is the caufe of all the injury we have 
 formerly done to white men^ if you do not 
 take him he cannot be permitted to return 
 to land/' — I declined the prefent for various 
 reafons; but had I conceived the leaft idea 
 of the intended fate of the poor unhappy 
 vidlim, I fhouid have conudered it as a 
 moft fortunate event in my life, in pre- 
 ferving him from the horrid cruelty of his 
 fuperfiitious countrymen. 
 
 The canoe in which they brought the 
 man put off from my veffel, and hovered in 
 the bay till the fun was fet; they then tied 
 a flone to the neck of the unfortunate 
 wretch and plunged him into the fea, 
 where, in all probability, be^ in a few mo- 
 
 B4 77WlfSy 
 
8 LETTER!. 
 
 merits^ found a living fepukhre in the bowels 
 of a fhark, which abound very much in 
 the river of Sierra-Leone. 
 
 I fliall conclude this letter with an aflu- 
 ranee, that I fhall not be unmindful of my 
 promife to tranfmit you luch information 
 concerning the cuftoms and particular cere- 
 monies of the natives of the country, and 
 the nature ot the African trade, as I can col- 
 le<fl from my own obfervations, or upon 
 fuch authority as I can depend, 
 
 I am. 
 
 Dear Sir, &c. 
 
( 9 ) 
 
 •LETTER II. 
 
 Sierra-Leone, Feb. 20, 1785. 
 
 MY DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 '1 HOUGH I have not hitherto had it in my 
 power to colled much information con- 
 cerning the manners, cuftoms, &c. of the 
 natives of this country, yet, fuch as I am 
 enabled to give you, I fliall from time to 
 time take real pleafure in delcribing, as it is 
 the only means I have now in my power of 
 teftifv'ing my friend (hip and efteem. 
 
 That you may the better underftand any 
 future accounts I may fend you, I think it 
 firfl: ntccifary to give you a fhort geographi- 
 cal defcription of the country in general^ I 
 mean fuch an extent of it only to which 
 Qur connexions in trade reach, with a map 
 of the fea coaft, pointing out the outlines of 
 
 the 
 
 i 
 
lo LETTER II. 
 
 the coaft and the principal rivers, and fitu- 
 ations of the iilands contiguous to the con- 
 tinent. 
 
 The fea coaft from the river Rionoonas, 
 which is the northern boundary to Cape St. 
 Ann, and which makes the fouth fide of the 
 bay of Sherbro', is an extent of fixty-five 
 leagues, ftretching nearly north and fouth, 
 and is indented with many rivers and 
 creeks 3 feveral of which are navigable for 
 veflels of burthen, and all of them for fmall 
 
 craft. 
 
 The river Rionoonas is very broad, and 
 rapid at its entrance into the fea. Its pre- 
 fent name, as well as the names of moft 
 of the other rivers, owe their origin to the 
 Portuguefe, who formed very extenfive fet-» 
 tlements foon after their difcovery of Africa, 
 Part of their defendants remained here fo 
 late as the beginning of the prefent century; 
 and veftiges of their fort, and fome other 
 buildings, are ftill to be feen about thirty- 
 five 
 
LETTER II. " 
 
 five miles up the river. The tradition of 
 the country fays the Portuguefe were 
 driven fr^ th*e ir 1l*lements on this river, 
 for having frequently endeavoured to fub- 
 jugate the ftates round them; and to make 
 all the natives without diftinftion their flaves, 
 by bridling the country with forts; a mea- 
 {„rc which they have fully carried into 
 effea at their principal fettlement of Baf- 
 fou, near Gambia. This river was former- 
 ly a place of great trade for Qaves and 
 ivory, but the Have merchants now take a 
 different route. Ivory is ftiU purchafed in 
 confiderable quantities. - The natives are 
 called Nalloes, and are very ingenious in 
 fabricating cotton cloths, which they fell to 
 their more fouthern neighbours.— The fea- 
 coaft of this country is every where, till 
 you reach Sierra-Leone, low; and in moft 
 parts fwampy and interfefted with creeks, 
 which generally connefl the adjoining rivers, 
 and form an excellent inland navigation. 
 
12 LETTER If. 
 
 At unequal diftances from five to twenty 
 miles, in a right line from the fea, the coun- 
 try rifes gradually, anPffeyond tnlT'diftance, 
 in many places, towers into nigh hills and 
 lofty mountains, which, after a tornado, 
 when the air is pure, may be feen twenty 
 or twenty-five leagues at fea. 
 . From Rionoonas to the Cappatches is 
 about five leagues fouth eaft: this river is 
 broad and deep within, but^ the entrances 
 are all fhallow, formed by little iflands, 
 fimilar to the mouths of the Ganges. The 
 inhabitants are called Bagoes, and are very 
 induftrious in planting rice, making cloths, 
 fait, and in fifliing, and trading for ivory; 
 they alfo raife vaft quantities of poultry. 
 
 From Cappatches to Cape Verges, which 
 is a low point ftretching out into the fea, 
 is S.S.E. two leagues; from thence to the 
 river Riopongeos, which is S.S.E. five 
 leagues. The coaft is formed of a number 
 of fmall iflands called Caxa Iflands — the 
 
 inhabitants 
 
LETTER II. 13 
 
 inhabitants are Nalloes and Bagoes, and 
 employ theinfolves in a fimilar manner to 
 thofe I have juft defcribed. 
 
 The river Riopongeos, though not equal 
 to the Rionoonas in fize, is yet one of the 
 principal rivers for trade in this part of 
 Africa; and, lixke the latter, has many large 
 extenlive branches, where European and 
 native traders are fettled. And it is worthy 
 of remark, that the fame black merchants 
 who vifit Gambia come likewife to this 
 place. 
 
 The natives are originally Suzees, but 
 the principal people call themfelves Portu- 
 guefe, claiming their defcent from the colo- 
 nifts of that nation who were formerly 
 fettled here, though they do not retain the 
 fmalleft trace of European extraftion; but 
 having had a white man once in the family, 
 is fufficient to give them the appellation. 
 They alfo profefs the Roman Catholic reli- 
 gion 5 and are vifited once or twice a year 
 
 by 
 
14 LETTER II. 
 
 by a prieft from the Portuguefe fettlement 
 at Baffou, who baptizes thejr children, and 
 receives their confeffion of faith according 
 to his didtates) yet the moft enlightened of 
 them are merely nominal Chriftians. Their 
 religion principally confifts in repeating a 
 Pater Nojler^ or an Ave Maria^ and in wear- 
 ing a large firing of beads round their neck, 
 with a crofs, or crucifix, fufpended. In 
 every other refpedl they follow the cuftoms 
 and ceremonies of their pagan countrymen j 
 but generally exceed them in treachery and 
 revenge. The black merchants who bring 
 flaves and ivory down to this river, and the 
 adjoining one of Dembia, bring alfo large 
 herds of cattle, goats, and fheep, which 
 form an article of traffic with the neigh- 
 bouring countries. The natives are alfo in- 
 duftrious in cultivating rice, and in making 
 an inferior kind of cloth, mats, and fait. 
 
 From the Riopongeos to Dembia river is 
 fouth-eaft about eight leagues, where there is 
 
 a confiderable 
 
LETTER II. 15 
 
 a confiderable trade -, the natives are called 
 Coobe Bagoes, which is only a difcriminating 
 appellation, fimilar to our counties. From 
 thence to Dania river is fouth-eaft four or five 
 miles, where there is at prefent little trade; 
 the inhabitants are Bagoes, and, like their 
 neighbours at Dembia and the Riopongeos, 
 are induftrious in fifhing, in cultivating rice, 
 and making coarfe cloths, mats, and fait. 
 From Dania the land juts out fouth-weft fix 
 orfeven miles to Tomba Point. Weft from 
 Tomba about three miles lie the Ifles de 
 Lofs, which are feven in number, three 
 of which only are inhabited, the reft are 
 little more than rocks, on the moft eaftern 
 of which are our town and fadory. Thefe 
 iflands, by being detached from the main, 
 are extremely pleafant, and in general 
 healthy J the largeft, which is the weftern- 
 moft, is almoft femicircular, rifing on both 
 fides from the fea by a gentle afcent to a 
 moderate height, covered with good timber 
 
 trces^ 
 
te LETTER It. 
 
 trees 5 and furrounded on all fides, except to 
 the north-eaft, by a rocky {hore. The fac- 
 tory ifland lies almoft north and fouth, with 
 a high wood-crown*d hill at each end ; 
 which when firft feen from fea, makes it 
 appear like two iflands. The road for 
 {hipping is on the eaft fide 5 and, during 
 the dry feafon, is extremely fafe, and plea- 
 fant; but in the tornado and rainy feafon 
 there is no fecurity except in the good- 
 nefs of your anchors and cables. The 
 iflands are called by the natives Forotima, 
 which fignifies White Man's Land^ and were 
 not inhabited forty years ago, except by one 
 fingle Bagoe family; but are now over- 
 ftocked with a mixture of Bagoes, run away 
 Suzee, and Mandingo flaves. 
 
 To the fouthv/ard of Tomba the land 
 recedes to the eaftward, and forms a deep 
 bay between it, and a point called Matacong, 
 which lies fouth-eaft eight leagues from the 
 Ifles de Lofs. In the bottom of this bay are 
 
 the 
 
L £ T T E R II. 17 
 
 fivers Quia, Porte, and Burria; the former 
 is a very confiderable place of trade, and has 
 many large towns on the different branches 
 of the river, in moft of which are feveral 
 European refidents. The chief trade of 
 the latter is rice. — The natives are Suzees, 
 induftrlous in cultivating rice, and afliduous 
 in trade. 
 
 To the fouthward of Matacong runs Kit 
 fey river, which is large and deep, into 
 which two other rivers empty themfelves 
 from Bierraree and Kiangefa, which, as v/eil 
 as Kiffeyj are confiderable places of trade, 
 and the chief towns of the Mandineoes. — 
 Sama river lies two leagues to the fouth- 
 ward of KifTey, and is alfo a place of trade, 
 having feveral confiderable towns upon its 
 banks. — About fix leagues fouth of Sama 
 are the great and little Scarcies rivers, be- 
 tween which and Kifiey river is the Man- 
 dingo country: the natives are Mahomedans, 
 and as zealous promoters of their religion 
 
 C as 
 
aS L E T T E R IL 
 
 as even Mahomed himfelf could wlfli. — ] 
 They cultivate great quantities of rice, biit ' 
 are too lazy and too proud to attend to- 
 trade, except when in want of what cannot 1 
 be acquired without it. The Scarcies are both 1 
 rivers of great trade for flaves, rice, and : 
 camwood, and for the fruit cola, which ' 
 they fell to the Portuguefe traders from! 
 B^flbu. i 
 
 The natives on the lower parts of the ; 
 river, and between it and Sierra-Leone, are \ 
 Bullams> but higher up, and on the north 
 fide, are Timmanies. — The ravages of time, 
 and the encroachments of the ocean are no -i 
 where more ftrongly marked than along i 
 this coaft. Oflf the mouth of the Scarcies 
 river were many confiderable iilands nearly : 
 adjoining to the continent,, well remembered I 
 by feveral old men nov/ living, which are 
 now entirely overflowed by the fea, and 
 form a fand bank to the diftance of three or i 
 four miles from the fhore, upon which \ 
 
 there ; 
 
LETTER II. >y 
 
 there is about two fathom water. The 
 bank which is called the middle ground in 
 Sierra-Leone river w^as, by the tradition of 
 the natives, formerly jomed to the Bullam 
 fhore^ and I had myfelf an opportunity of 
 obferving that, in one rainy feafon, near a 
 quarter of a mile of the weft end of the 
 north-weft Turtle ifland, in the bay of 
 Sherbro', was waftied away, and that the 
 ifland increafed by an accumulation of fand 
 in an equal or greater proportion at the 
 other end : the natives informed me this was 
 the cafe with all the reft. Indeed it ap- 
 pears to me that they were originally not 
 only all joined in one, but that they alfo 
 were united with the neighbouring ifland of 
 St. Ann; and, that thus united, they pro- 
 jedled ten leagues from the prefent fhore. 
 
 It is, however, highly probable that 
 their feparation has been occafioned by the 
 impetuofity and inceflfant attack of the waves 
 Cz of 
 
2. LETTER IL ; 
 
 ®f the great weftern ocean, urged forward ; 
 by the trade wind upon a flat fhore. ; 
 
 The moll extraordinary circumftance of ; 
 this kind is at the river Gallienas. — The i 
 Portuguefe had formerly a colony there, and \ 
 ereded a fort at the entrance of the river. ' 
 The fpot on which the fort flood has now ^ 
 feven fathom water over it, and is ^iftant | 
 fix miles from the fliore, to which the water i 
 fhoals gradually. Ships frequently lofe their. ; 
 anchors upon it, or bring up fragments of. j 
 the old walls. 
 
 From the Scarcies to Sierra-Leone river Is. I 
 fouth' three leagues. This noble river is at • 
 leaft two leagues wide at its entrance, and.; 
 has a fafe and deep channel for fhips of any, 
 burthen, and affords excellent anchorage i 
 at all feafons. It continues nearly the fame : 
 breadth for fix or feven miles, and then ^ 
 divides into two branches; one of which^ 
 contains Bance ifland, and runs to two^j 
 principal places of trade for'flaves and; 
 
 camwood,! 
 
LETT E R II. 21 
 
 camwood, called Rokelle and Port Logo; 
 the other branch is called Bunch river, in 
 which is Gambia ifland, where the French 
 have a fort and fadory. — - On the north 
 fide of Sierra-Leone river the land is lovy 
 and level, and produces great quantities of 
 rice ; the cultivation of which, and the 
 making of fait, are the chief occupations 
 of the natives, who, on both fides, are called 
 Bullams ; but on the fouth fide it rifes into 
 hills, which, forming one upon the other, 
 towers into lofty mountains crowned with 
 perpetual verdure, — From the foot of thefe 
 hills points of land projecft into the fea, which 
 form excellent bays for fhipping and craft, and 
 convenient places for hauling the feine. — • 
 The vallies near the fea are inhabited; but 
 few or any of the natives reiide in the 
 interior part of the mountainous country; 
 which, if properly cleared and cultivated, 
 ^ould, in my opinion, be equal in falubrity, 
 and fuperior in produ(5lions, to any of the 
 C 3 Weft 
 
22 L E T T E R IL 
 
 Weft India iflands. — In coming in from 
 the fea in the dry feafon few profpeds can 
 exceed the entrance into Sierra-Leone river. 
 Before you is the high land of Sierra- 
 Leone rifing from the Cape with the moft 
 apparent gentle afcent. Perpetual verdure 
 reigns over the whole extent, and the va- 
 riegated foliage of the different trees, with 
 the {hades caufed by the projeding hills 
 and unequal fummits, add greatly to the 
 beauty of the fcene. 
 
 The flopes of the lefTer hills have the ap- 
 pearance of ahigh degree of cultivation, arifing 
 from the trads of land, which had been 
 cultivated for two or three preceding years, 
 but were now covered with thick underwood 
 and rank weeds, that, at a diftance, give it the 
 appearance of pafture or pleafure grounds; 
 particularly as large fingle trees, for which 
 the natives have a veneration, are left 
 ftanding . in different places, while the 
 
 newly 
 
JJi 
 
 !M 
 

 * ^^'^S 
 
 . i 
 
 *9L 
 
 '1 '- 
 
 ' rai^HnT 
 
 ''. ., *■ 
 
 I li^Mi 
 
 kLi^i 
 
 
 II 
 
L E T T E R ir. 23 
 
 newly cleared ground has the appearance 
 of ftubble or ploughed land. 
 
 Between the two capes, which are diftin- 
 guiflied by their projedtion into the Tea, and 
 by fome remarkable trees, is a fine femi- 
 circular bay, with a white fandy beach, 
 €dged with a beautiful grove of palms.— 
 To the right i« a diftant view of the Bana- 
 na's ifle, and on the left is the Ballain 
 ihore, fkirted with a white fandy beach, 
 and decorated with clumps of palms and 
 lofty trees. Several red. cliffs are alfo dis- 
 covered which ferve to break the line of 
 uniformity; while, higher up the river, as 
 far as the eye can reach, the trees feem to 
 float upon the waving furface of the water; 
 or, to a lively imagination, may appear like 
 a fleet of fhips. 
 
 The natives at and about Sierra-Leone 
 
 are not remarkable for their induftry or 
 
 their honefty; they cultivate little more 
 
 rice than is neceflary for their own con- 
 
 C 4 fumption 
 
ij4 I. E T T E R II. 
 
 fumption from feafon to leafonjand, fhould 
 a crop fail, they are frequently reduced to 
 great diftrefs. Immoderately fond of liquor 
 they part with every thing they are poffefied 
 of to acquire it^ and when thofe means fail 
 they purfue the fame which idle drunkards 
 do in every part of the world, rob and 
 plunder their neighbours ^ for few apply 
 themfelves to trade. 
 
 From Cape Sierra-Leone to Falfe Cape 
 is fouth two leagues; from thence to the 
 pleafant ifland of Banana's is ibuth fix 
 leagues ; you then enter the great bay of 
 Sherbro', which is formed by Cape Shelling 
 and Cape St. Ann. Several large rivers empty 
 themfelves into this bay, which are marked 
 in the chart, and which are places of great 
 trade for ilaves, camwood, and rice. The 
 natives throughout Sherbro', as well as in 
 the iflands, are called Bullams, and are in- 
 duftriousin trade and agriculture; and par- 
 ticularly famous for a manufaftory of mat- 
 ting, 
 
L E T T E R II. 25 
 
 ting, extremely beautiful, and made of 
 ftained grafs. 
 
 The Turtle iflands are fituated on the 
 fouth fide, and the Plantains on the north 
 fide of this bay, and were formerly the re- 
 fidence of eminent white and native traders. 
 Having condudled you fo far I fhall clofe 
 this long epiftle. 
 
 And am, 
 
 With the utmoft efteera, 
 Yours, &c. &c. 
 
{ 26 ) 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 Sierra-Leone, June lo, 1786. 
 
 DEAR SIR> 
 
 In my lafi: I gave you a defcription of the 
 fea coaft of this country, pointing out to 
 you the names of the different nations who 
 inhabit it; I fliall in this defcribe to yow 
 the climate and feafons. 
 
 Cape St. Ann lies in latitude 7^ 12' north; 
 Cape Sierra-Leone in 8° 12" north; the 
 Ifles de Lofs in 9° 20"; and the river Rio- 
 noonas 10^ 21', and about 12 degrees or 
 48 minutes difference in time to the weft- 
 ward of London. — An abftradl from my 
 journal for the years 1785 and 1786 will, I 
 conceive, give you a more complete idea of 
 
 the 
 
LETTER III. 27 
 
 the feafons and temperature of the clime 
 than I could otherwife convey, 
 
 January. -^j^hQ\M the middle of this 
 month we had three or four days rainy 
 weather, blowing hard from the fouth-weft, 
 with thunder and lightning. — The reft of 
 the month moderate and variable, land and 
 fea breezes, with pleafant weather; thermo- 
 meter in the (hade; morning 75% noon 85% 
 evening So'', but expofed to the meridian 
 fun from 90° to 100. 
 
 February. — Tolerable pleafant weather 
 the whole of this month, with almoft 
 conftant and regular fea and land breezes; 
 the latter commencing about three in the 
 morning and ending about ten, or fhifting 
 round to the north-weft, which in the courfe 
 of the day veered to the weft or fouth-weft. 
 At this feafon the evenings and mornings 
 are extremely pleafant; but it is very un- 
 wholefome to be out long after the fun is 
 fet or before it has rifen, the dews being 
 
 exceedingly 
 
28 LETTER III. 
 
 exceedingly copious and penetrating. The 
 thermometer generally at the fame height as 
 in the laft month. 
 
 March. — The firft of this month It rained 
 very hard, with light foutherly and variable 
 winds 5 the two following days had a ftrong 
 land wind and thick fog, attended with a 
 dry (harp air. It continued heavy weather 
 from the horizon about 20° upwards, and 
 clear and bright in the zenith the remainder 
 of the month, with moderate land and fea 
 breezes from north-weft to weft and fouth- 
 weftj thermometer during the day in the 
 fliade from 80° to 90'. 
 
 April. — Some rain about the middle of 
 this month, with clofe cloudy weather and 
 foutherly wind^ the middle and latter parts 
 clear and pleafant \ the mornings generally 
 calm, or light airs from the north-weft, 
 which veered to the weft or fouth-weft in 
 the evenings thermometer in the fhade from. 
 
 80° to 86% 
 
 May\ 
 
LETTER III. 29 
 
 May. — Heavy rain the firft three nights 
 of this months all the remainder fair and 
 clear, with regular fea breezes from north- 
 weft to fouth-weft every day. Clofe in 
 fhore, and in the little bays light airs are 
 felt off the land from midnight till nine or 
 ten next morning. Thermometer in the 
 fhade as before, expofed 95° to 100°. 
 
 Jujte. — The beginning of this month fair 
 and pleafant weather : about the 8th it 
 began to blow and rain from the north- 
 ward j on the 13th had the firft tornado i 
 the remainder of the month frequent and 
 heavy rain and foutherly wind from fouth- 
 eaft to fouth-weft. The air raw, moift, and 
 cold ; the thermometer frequently falling to 
 72°, and on the fun's breaking out rifing 
 to 85° and 90^ 
 
 Ju!)\ — During the whole of this month 
 frequent and heavy rain, thunder and light- 
 ning, and violent tornados 5 the wind vari- 
 able. 
 
50 LETTER III. 
 
 able, but chiefly from the northward 3 fre- 
 quently blowing hard for two or three days 
 together from the noith-weft. Thermo- 
 meter variable as in laft month. 
 
 Augujl. — Much rain, but chiefly from 
 evening till morning, with flrong foutherly 
 winds all this month, and dark difagreeable 
 weather. Thermometer generally high, 
 from 80^ to 9o^ 
 
 September. — Frequent (bowers, but little 
 heavy rain during this month. In the firfl 
 part the wind was light and variable, with 
 frequent calms, clofe, hot, fultry weather, 
 and much thunder and lightning. Ther- 
 mometer high as in Augufl. — Towards the 
 middle and latter part had generally mode- 
 rate land and fca breezes j and from the 
 18th had at leaft one tornado every twenty- 
 four hours, which are always attended with 
 violent gufls of wind, thunder, lightning, 
 and exceflive rain j but which greatly purify 
 
 the 
 
LETTER III. 31 
 
 the air, Thermpmeter from 80° to 85° 
 and 90". 
 
 05lober. — From the ift to the loth of 
 this month light variable winds all round 
 the compafs, wit}i frequent calms, thunder 
 and lightning, and very clofe fultry w^eather, 
 the clouds lowering very near the earth, and 
 the weight of the atmofphere fenfibly af- 
 feding both the mind and body of the 
 Europeans and natives. — From the loth to 
 the 21ft had a heavy tornado every day, 
 with ftrong land winds in the mornings 
 from the E. S. E, to E. N. E. which, to- 
 wards ten o'clock, veered to the north and 
 north-weft, and about noon- to the weft 
 and fouth-weft. The reft of the month 
 had variable land and fea breezes, with 
 frequent rain in the night, attended with 
 thunder and lightning, and in general very- 
 hot, the thermometer feldom falling below 
 80° even in the night, 
 
 November* 
 
32 LETTER III. 
 
 November. -— Early in this month thd 
 fmokes began, which are noifome exhala- 
 tions attrafted from the earth by the power- 
 ful heat of the fun, and have the appearance 
 of the fteam arifing from large breweries, 
 covering the whole face of Nature: the 
 weather at the fame time is extremely hot, 
 fultry, clofe, and oppreflive 3 and caufes fuch 
 an extreme laffitude, debility, and violent 
 perfpiration, that the whole body feels, as it 
 were, diifolving. — This is the moft fickly 
 feafon of the year; and even the natives 
 themfelves are net exempt from its banefui 
 influence. Fires and bark are the befl pre- 
 fervatives. — Strong land winds are frequent 
 during the fmokes. — Towards the latter end 
 of the month we had moderate and variable 
 land and fea breezes, with hazy weather, 
 frequent thunder and lightning, and an 
 appearance of fqualls or tornados from every ' 
 quarter of the compafs. We had only three { 
 
 tornados 
 
LETTER III. 33 
 
 tornados this month, but one fo late as the 
 29thj which is rather uncommon. 
 
 December.— TiW the loth the weather 
 continued as in the latter part of the pre- 
 ceding month 3 from the loth to the 18th. 
 an almoft continued gale from the north- 
 eaft, and the fog or fmoke fo thick as to be 
 totally impenetrable to the fun's meridian 
 rays. During this period the air, raw, moid, 
 and cold, is attended with the moft perni- 
 cious efFeds on the human body, totally 
 checking the perfpiration, and caufing a dry 
 and chapt hard fkin; and occafions alfo 
 colds, fevers, and agues. — The birds and 
 beafts feem to droop under its influence; 
 no melody is heard in the woods, even the 
 dove is filent: it has the fame efFedl on the 
 earth as the froft in Europe, and caufes all 
 kind of woods to fhrink in a mofl: aftonifh- 
 ing manner. The thermometer feldom 
 rifing above 75°. — Thefe winds are, by fome 
 writers, called Haramatans, and are frequent 
 D along 
 
 m mm m-m^M m!s^on library 
 
 Jtr n* • » n • .. .- . _- .- 
 
34 LETTER III. ; 
 
 along the African coaft from December to ; 
 March, but generally without the fog. The ; 
 remainder of the month had little wind, ^ ' 
 chiefly from the north and north-weft, with 
 hazy and very hot weather 5 the thermome- < 
 ter in the fhade at noon about 85% expofed 
 to the fun from 105° to 1 10. 
 
 The diftindlion of feafons.here is between 
 the rains and drys, and I think the moll • 
 natural divilion of them compared with 
 our ovvn is as follows: December, January^ 
 February, March, April, May, the fpring 
 and fummer, or dry feafon: ^une^ J^fy* ^ 
 Aiigiijl, September, O&ober:, November, the I 
 winter and autumn, or rains and tornado ' 
 feafon. The tornados generally begin early i 
 in June, and continue till the middle or 
 latter end of July: they commence again ,' 
 about the middle or beginnihg of Oftober, 
 and continue till the latter end of Novem- ! 
 ber. A remarkable circumftance attending 
 them is, that they always happen at or 
 
 about 
 
 
LETTER III. 35 
 
 about the time of high or low water; from 
 which it perhaps may appear they are in- 
 fluenced^ by the fame powers that caufe the 
 flux and reflux of the fea. 
 
 From the foregoing account you will' 
 naturally conceive a very unfavourable idea 
 of the climate; but the rains this year have 
 been much more fevere and longer than 
 they generally are; neither have the dry 
 months been fo invariably fine as they com- 
 monly are; — I mufi alfo obferve that my 
 refidence, where I made my remarks, was at 
 Sierra-Leone, and where the rains are al- 
 ways more fevere than they are any where 
 along the coaft, occafioned by the high 
 wood-crown'd mountains; and though we 
 have, from the fame caufe frequent fliowers 
 in the dry feafon, they are feldom felt from 
 December to March, or April, a league from 
 the coafi:. 
 
 D2 LETTER 
 
( 36 ) 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 Sierra-Leone, July 29, 17S6, ' 
 
 WYDEARSIR^ i 
 
 I HOPE you have received my former let- 
 ters, in which I endeavoured to give you .| 
 fuch a geographical and meteorological ac- i 
 count of this country as my obfervations ^ 
 furnifhed^ I {hall now proceed to defcribe j 
 the appearance of the country and its n^tu- : 
 ral hiftory, : 
 
 The fea coaft, except the peninfula of 
 Sierra-Leone, which is very high and moun- j 
 tainous, is generally a low fwamp covered • 
 with very lofty flraight mangroves, and in- ; 
 terfefted with innumerable little creeks.^ 
 As you approach the habitable and culti- i 
 
 vated ; 
 
L E T T E R IV. 37 
 
 yated part of the country, you find a boggy 
 plain covered with a thin fward, on which 
 grow a few draggling ftunted trees of the 
 ebony kind, without any fort of under- 
 wood. Thefe plains are overflowed by the 
 fea twice a year, at the vernal and autumnal 
 equinoxes, and depofit a mud from which 
 the natives extract fait by a fimple procefs. 
 When the croft of mud left by the inunda- 
 tion is fufficiently hardened by the fun's 
 heat, they colled it together j it is then dif- 
 folved in water in large earthen pots : when 
 the water is fufficiently faturated with fait 
 it is boiled in (hallow brafs pans, and yields 
 an excellent fait, which, although not fo 
 white as that procured from fea water only, 
 by the fame method of boiling, is preferred 
 to it by the natives. Where their fait plains 
 are extenfive they employ their flaves, dur- 
 ing the dry weather, in colleding the mud, 
 leaving a few old ones to boil it during the 
 rainy feafon, 
 
 D3 The 
 
38 L E T T E R IV. ; 
 
 The foil varies according to the fituation* | 
 In the level grounds it is a ftrong loam or 
 ftiff clay3 towards the uplands it is generally 
 flony, but every where exceedingly fertile, i 
 A faponaceous white earth is found iii leve-^ « 
 ral parts of the country, which is of io very . 
 undtious a nature that the natives frequently ' 
 eat it with their rice, as it diffoives like bvit-r 
 ter; they alfo ufe it to white-wafli their ; 
 houles, ' 1 
 
 The face of the country, even where it \ 
 is cultivated, appears woody from letting it j 
 lie fallow fix years out of leven; yet, in the j 
 interior parts, and in fome places near the i 
 fea, there are very extenfive Savannahsj, 
 where the grafs, known in the Weft Indies ; 
 by the name of Guinea Grafs, grows to an , 
 amazing height > and feeds and conceals vaft j 
 numbers of deer, buffaloes, and elephants. \ 
 The fame grafs is ufed by the natives to. i 
 thatch their houfes ; and at the latter end of ; 
 > . the J 
 
LETTER IV. 39 
 
 the dry feafon is generally fet on fire, and 
 when on fire burns with irrefiftible fury. 
 
 No country produces more variety of ex- 
 cellent and beautiful timber fit for every 
 purpofe ; but few, if any, bear the lead affi- 
 nity or refemblance to the woods of Europe. 
 
 The camwood tree is fo very plentiful in 
 the„ interior country about the fources of 
 the rivers, that I am informed the natives 
 frequently burn it for fire-wood. And the 
 tree which produces the gum copal grows 
 in great abundance upon the heights of 
 Sierra-Leone, 
 
 The palm tree, which furnifhes the natives 
 with both wine and oil, flourifhes here in 
 great plenty and perfection. The woods 
 and mountains, as well as the favannahs, 
 are well ftored with wild beafts and game. 
 Lions are faid to be on the heights of 
 Sierra-Leone; but I never yet faw any my- 
 felf, nor have any perfons upon whofe vera- 
 city I could depend; but they have leopards 
 D 4 in 
 
40 L E T T E R IV. ; 
 
 in abundance, equally fierce and rapacious'; 
 
 as the lion. When preffed by hunger in j 
 
 the rainy feafon, they haunt the towns and ; 
 
 villages in the night, particularly towards; 
 
 the duik of the evening, and frequently j 
 
 carry off men as well as animals. If a leo- ; 
 
 pard is fuccefsful in carrying off his prey I 
 
 undifturbed the firft night, lie is fure to: 
 
 make an attempt the fucceeding one 5 they 
 
 are then prepared for him, and he feldom . 
 
 efcapes. — They have likewife elephants, j 
 
 buffaloes, wild hogs amazingly fierce and '. 
 
 large, deer of various kinds, fome very large ' 
 
 and beautiful, others fmall like young ante- ^ 
 
 lopes (the ilefh of all is very dry eating, ^ 
 
 and never fat) : there are mufk cats, and a 1 
 
 great variety of other animals, which the ; 
 
 natives uie for food ; and monkies of lb / 
 
 many cafts and fpecies that, it would require | 
 
 a volume to defcribe them; but there is one j 
 
 peculiarity attends them all, which is, when ■ 
 
 caught and kept only a few days in a houfe -; 
 
 or i 
 
 ,..j 
 
LETTER IV. 41 
 
 or fhip, and then turned loofe, they never 
 return to the woods ; for it is laid their old 
 companions would tear them to pieces. In- 
 deed! have frequently feen the wild mon-r 
 kies CTiafe thofe that had been only a few 
 days caught, out of the llcirts of the wood, 
 v/hen they were fearching for food. 
 
 The Japanzees, or Chinipanzees, are alio 
 natives of this country 5 and, when caught 
 young, become very tame 4nd familiar 5 ex- 
 tremely fond of clinging to thofe they Jjj^^^ 
 and very feniible of good or ill treatment. 
 I have now a young one in my pofleffion, 
 who very readily comes vi^hen called by his 
 name; but if I pufb him -from me, or 
 flrike him, or even do not regard his ad- 
 vances by fhewing him encouragement, be 
 turns fullen'and fulky^ will not take th« 
 leaft notice if called, or take any thing 
 from mc, till I put him into good hu^ 
 mour. — Their appearance, when they fit, 
 greatly refembles that of an old negro, ex:- 
 
 cept 
 
42 L E T T E R IV. 
 
 cept thrt the hair on their heads is ftraight 
 and black like an Indian's ^ but their form 
 is fo amply defcribed in Brooke's Natural 
 Hiftory, that I muft refer you to it : how- 
 ever, a few other circumftances related of 
 them may not be unentertaining — They 
 generally take up their abode near fome de- 
 ferted town, where the papau tree grows in 
 great abundance, of which they are very 
 fond 5 and build huts nearly in the form the 
 natives build their houfes, which they cover 
 with leaves ; but this is only for the female 
 and young to lie in -, the male always lies 
 on the outfide. — If one of them is (hot the 
 reft immediately purfue the deftroyer of 
 their friend ^ and the only means to efcape 
 their vengeance is to part with your gun^ 
 which they diredlly feize upon with all the 
 rage imaginable, tear it to pieces, and givQ 
 over the purfuit. 
 
 Camelions, and great variety of lizards 
 and fnakes, abound in this country: fome 
 
 of 
 
L E T T E R IV, 43 
 
 of the latter are extremely beautiful, but 
 almoft all of them dangerous. I faw a boy 
 upon the ifland of Banana's, who was bit 
 by a fmall black fnake, about four or five 
 feet long, as he was tending the goats and 
 fheep, who died within two hours after re- 
 ceiving the wound. I examined it immedi- 
 ately after the boy was dead, but could dif- 
 cern nothing more than two little punftures 
 juft above the inftep, but not the leafl ap- 
 pearance of inflammation. I opened a vein 
 in each arm, but no blood ran from the 
 wounds, although the body remained as 
 fupple as when living for feveral hours. 
 
 The moft remarkable fnakes are the tenneS 
 for its fize, and the Jinyacki-amoofong for its 
 pernicious quality .-r^The termeey when full 
 grown, is from fifteen to twenty feet long, 
 and about three feet rounds the colour of 
 the back dark grey 3 the belly fomething 
 lighter and fpotted. It not only feizes upon 
 jipd devours goats, flieep, and hogs, but 
 
 the 
 
44 LETTER IV. 
 
 the wild animals, fuch as leopards, tygers, 
 and deer, are equally their prey where they 
 come within their reach. The natives even 
 aflert that they are fo large in the favanr- 
 nahs, in the interior country, that they will 
 fwallow a buffalo j though they are at no 
 time formidable to man, except they fhould 
 find him afleep. — The manner in which 
 they take their prey is, by firfl feizing the 
 animal with their mouth, and as their teeth 
 are turned inwards, like hooks, the more it 
 ftruggles, the fafter it is held ^ they then 
 throw their tails two or three times round 
 the body of their vidim, and, by a fudden 
 "contradion, break every bone. This, as the 
 tail will not cover the whole carcafe, is per- 
 formed by two or three operations : after 
 which they make a circuit of at leafl: half a 
 mile round to fee that no enemy is near, 
 particularly ants, who are the moft formida* 
 ble to them 3 for, as they are perfedly in-« 
 adive after having gorged their prey, if the 
 
 ants 
 
LETTER IV. 45 
 
 ants find them in that fituation, they fooii 
 difpatch them by entering their mouth, ears, 
 and nofe : but, if the coaft is clear, they 
 then proceed to drefs their prey, (if I may 
 be allowed the expreflion,) by befmearing 
 the whole carcafe with an uncftious kind of 
 faliva ; and at the fame time by licking it 
 into an oblong fliape : after which they take 
 the head into their mouth, and fuck the 
 whole gradually into their ftomach without 
 the lead maftication. When this is finifhed 
 the animal becomes as lifelefs as a log, and 
 remains fo till the whole is digefted ; which, 
 if the prey be large, takes three or four 
 days; during which time it is eafily killed.-*^ 
 I have known an inftance of one being 
 killed a few hours after he had fwal- 
 lowed a large goat with kid, which was 
 taken out whole and entire, except the 
 bones being broken, which appeared as 
 if they had gone through a mill. — They 
 generally frequent the favannahs and fkirts 
 
 of 
 
46 LETTER IV. 
 
 of towns ; and are frequently feen rearing 
 their heads above the grafs, which grows ten 
 feet high, looking round for prey. — The na- 
 tives efteem their flefh a great delicacy. 
 
 The Jinyach-amoofojig is a very fmall 
 fnake, feldom exceeding a foot long, and 
 about the thicknefs of a man's little finger; 
 of a pale green colour, and black fpots. — 
 This deftruftive little creature is pofTeffed of 
 the power of ejeding a very fubtile vapour 
 into the eyes of any animal that approaches 
 it within the diftance of two or three feet, 
 which inftantly occafions incurable blind- 
 nefs, and, for eight or ten days, caufes 
 extreme pain. I have feen feveral people 
 who have fuffered from them. But the 
 moft formidable and deftrudive enemy of man 
 and bead is the ant. Thefe creatures burft 
 forth from their nefts in innumerable my-ii 
 riads : nothing can withftand their ravages, 
 or turn them from their paths, but very 
 large fires or deep water. 
 
 Frequent 
 
LETTER IV. 47 
 
 Frequent inftances are known of their 
 extinguifliing fire made to flop their pro- 
 grefs, by their numbers, and forming bridges, 
 made by the facrifice of themfelves, to crofs 
 {hallow waters which have impeded their 
 route. They frequently oblige the natives 
 to defert their habitations, and deftroy every 
 thing upon the face of the earth, and under 
 the earth, to a confiderable depth. In fliort, 
 nothing efcapes or can withftand their all- 
 devouring rage but metals. 
 
 The different fpecies of them are innu- 
 merable, from an inch in length to be 
 fcarcely difcernible by the naked eye. 
 
 Many kinds burrow in the ground ; fome 
 eredt their habitations of clay, in a conical 
 form, upon the furface^ and others build 
 upon the branches and trunks of trees. 
 
 The termite^ or white ant, called by the 
 natives bugahiig^ is amply and accurately dc- 
 fcribed by Mr. Smeathman. 
 
 There 
 
48 L E T T E P. IV. 
 
 There Is only one kind that I ever obferved 
 to fly, and that only for a ihort time- — they 
 are a red ant, and generally fwarm towards 
 evening and before rain. They do not fly far, 
 and fhed their wings as foon as they alight. 
 
 Wild geefe and ducks, of various kinds, 
 Guinea hens, pheafants, quails, curlues, 
 plovers, fnipes, parrots, and great variety of 
 doves and pigeons, are found in the woods 
 and on the banks of rivers 3 befides an 
 infinite afl^emblage of other birds, chiefly 
 of beautiful plumage, and whofe notes vie 
 with the feathered fongfters of Europe. 
 
 Their domeftic animals are cattle, flieep, 
 Croats, and fmall poultry. — Turkies, geefe, 
 and Mufcovy and common ducks, would 
 thrive here extremely well, and foon ftock 
 the country, v/ould the natives be at the 
 trouble to rear them. And it is not a little 
 furpfifmg that the Guinea fowls, which are 
 real natives of the country, and are foon 
 domefticated, fliould be neglected by them; 
 
 for 
 
L E T T E R IV. 49 
 
 for It is never feen tame but in poffcflion of 
 the Whites, or of thofe who adopt their 
 manners. 
 
 The feas, rivers, and creeks, abound in 
 great variety of moft excellent fifli. The 
 manalie, or fea cow, is frequently taken in 
 the rivers 3 they have alfo three kinds of 
 frefh- water, and three of fea- turtle 5 be- 
 fides feveral kinds of land tortoifes, and great 
 abundance of excellent oyfters, which grow 
 upon rocks, mud banks, and on the roots 
 of mangroves ; and are denominated mud, 
 rock, or mangrove oyfters, from the place 
 in which they are taken. They all are formed 
 in bunches, and not fingie as ours. 
 
 Prawns, fhrimps, and crayfifh, are in 
 great plenty and perfedion > and feveral 
 others, which ferve the natives for food, but 
 are unknown in England. 
 
 Great numbers cf alligators are bred in 
 the creeks and rivers, which frequently carry 
 ^ff fmall cattle, and fometimes the perfons 
 
 E of 
 
50 L E T T E R IV. 
 
 of the natives ; yet fuch is their fuperftition, 
 that, when a circumftance of that kind hap- 
 pens, they attribute it to witchcraft ; and are ^ 
 fo infatuated, that they will not be at the 
 pains to inclofe thofe parts of the rivers- 
 where their women and children are conti- 
 nually waihing, and from whence they are 
 frequently taken. — There are alfo vaft num- : 
 bers of large fharks in the mouths of 
 the rivers, which almoft inflantly feize 
 upon any thing that falls overboard. This 
 circumftance renders bathing, even in (lioal 
 water,' extremely dangerous. Yet even 
 fharks and alligators, voracious as they arei 
 fuppofed to be, are harmlefs where they 
 have not been ufed to prey upon animals. " 
 In the river Gallienas, where alligators, 
 abound as much as they arc faid to do in 
 the Nile, they were never known to touch ' 
 any body ; though the natives were fre- 
 quently fwimming in the river, till a flave ihip . 
 blew up off the mouth of the river a few 
 
 years 
 
L E T T E R IV. 51 
 
 years ago. And at the Turtle iflands, in 
 ^the bay of Sherbro*, an inftance was never 
 known of a fliark attacking any per- 
 fon, although their children are playing in 
 the water all day long. This the natives 
 account for by being particularly careful to 
 bury their dead, and their oiFals, at fuch a 
 drftance from the fea-fide that the fliarks 
 cannot even fmell them. 
 
 The gall of the alligator is reckoned the 
 moft deadly poifon, and in this the natives 
 -dip their poifoned arrows. When an alli- 
 gator is killed, the perfon who deftroys it 
 is obliged to have two witneffes to prove he 
 emptied the gall in their prefence. 
 
 No gold is found in this country : the 
 little the women wear, as. ornaments, is 
 brought from a very great diftance in the 
 interior parts of the country, and is found 
 in lumps waflied dovm by the rains from 
 the mountains. Neither have they any pre- 
 cious ftones that I have yet heard of; but 
 
 E 2 that 
 
52 L E T T E R IV, '\ 
 
 that perhaps may be owing to their igno- : 
 ranee of them in their native ftate. ' 
 
 The loadftone is found in the high lands \ 
 of Sierra- Leone j and, from the appearance j 
 of fome of the mountains, it is highly pro- \ 
 bable they may contain mines. 
 
 In the interior country, fouth of Sierra- ; 
 Leone, they have a v^hite iron, very mal- 
 liable, of w^hich they make knives and ! 
 fabres 5 and efteem it preferable to European ^ 
 iron for every thing but edge tools. How ] 
 they fmelt and refine it from the ore, I i 
 never could learn. 
 
 The beft indigo in the world, if we ^ 
 may judge from the deep indelible blues 
 the natives give their cloths, grows wild ] 
 in every part of the country : and the Portu- ! 
 guefe, when fettled here, had large indi- '• 
 go works in feveral places, the ruins of 
 which are ftill remaining. They have alfo ] 
 the art of dying fcarlet and black in the 
 moft effeftual manner. '1 
 
 Cotton ; 
 
L E T T E R IV. 53 
 
 Cotton is cultivated by the natives, but 
 in no greater quantity than they can ma- 
 nufacture themfelves; but, as it is an article 
 that requires little trouble in the cultiva- 
 tion, I have endeavoured, by encouragement, 
 to induce them to propagate it to fuch an ex- 
 tent as to become an article of European 
 traffic. There are feveral kinds of it which 
 materially differ, not only in quality but 
 colour: particularly three kinds — one per- 
 fedly white, one of a tawny or Nankeen 
 colour, and one of a pale red, or pink colour. 
 
 Sugar canes are a native plant, and grow 
 wild to a fize beyond any I ever faw in the 
 Wefl: Indies; they alfo have fome tobac- 
 co, which is not efteemed, owing perhaps 
 to their want of knowledge in the cultiva- 
 tion. Rice is the chief and ftaple produce 
 of the country, and conftitutes their princi- 
 pal and almoft only food: indeed fuch is 
 their fondnefs for it, that the black failors, 
 who, from their fituation, are fometimes 
 E 3 conftrained 
 
54 L E T T E R IV. i 
 
 c^nftrained to fubfifl a few days upon fait i 
 
 beef and bifcuit, never fail to complain that ' 
 tbey have been fo many days without food. 
 
 Their rnethbd' of cultivation, though at- ; 
 
 ttnded with confiderable trouble, as they j 
 
 lieVer ctiltivate the fa tiie ground more than" ' 
 
 phce-' in ' feven years, is perforriied in a ; 
 
 ve/y aukvvard and flovenly hianne'r. "After \ 
 
 f^i'edlln'g ' 'a! piece fit for- their purpcfc;^ 1 
 
 tRey cut down the trees and buflies, : 
 
 which when dry they fet fire to and barn, \ 
 
 ihe afhes f^rvirig for manure. The large ; 
 
 otd trees ^re always left flanding, fo alfo • 
 
 are the fturnps" of 'the fallen ones ; and the i 
 
 trunks and large branches, unconiumed by i 
 
 the fire, are fufKred to remain as they fell. '5 
 
 This is all the preparation they give the \ 
 
 ground: — The firfl new moon after the : 
 
 rains are well fet in, which here is the \ 
 
 latter end of July, or beginning of Augufl, i 
 
 they fow their rice; after it is fown they ' 
 
 (lightly hoe It, juft fufnciently to cover the . 
 
 grain; \ 
 
L E T T E R IV. SS 
 
 grain: when it is about ten or twelve inches 
 high they weed it, and in about eight 
 weeks it is fit to reap. This is performed 
 bv cutting off the ears with a knife, and 
 making it into fmall flieaves which they 
 ftick upon the branches of the fallen trees, 
 till the weather is.perfealy dry ; they then 
 ftack it exadly as we do our corn. When 
 wanted for ufe they ftrip off the grain by . 
 hand, and boil it a little in water; it is after- 
 wards well' dried, and tliehuflcbeatoffin 
 a large wooden mortar-, and, where pains 
 are taken with it, it is equally as white as 
 Carolina rice, and every way preferable as 
 an article of food. The whole manage- 
 ment of the procefs, after the rice is cut, is 
 performed by the women. The fides of 
 hills are generally preferred for their rice 
 plantations: and I have obferved that the 
 rice which .grows on elevated or Hoping 
 fixations, though fmaller grain, is much 
 ^veeter, and more nutritive, than the pro- 
 
 E 4 ^^^^ 
 
^6 LETTER IV. 
 
 ducQ of low, moid, or level grounds, where 
 the water lies longer on it; for, in Carolina 
 and the Eaft Indies, they overflow their rice 
 grounds. This method indeed is not un- 
 known in this country; for, to the north- 
 ward, about the Riopongeos, they have three 
 rice harvefts in the year ; one crop from the 
 hills, and two from the plains which they 
 overflow. 
 
 To fave labour, which the natives ftudi- 
 oufly avoid as much as pofllble, they plant 
 their caffada, or manioc, amongfl: the ric^ 
 after they have weeded it: it remains about 
 four months in the groundjand is then.fit for 
 ufe. The young roots are very good eating 
 either roafted or boiled, and are next to 
 yams as a fubftitute for potatoes. The 
 Abbe Raynal, in his hiftory of the Euro- 
 pean fettlements in the Weft Indies, fays 
 the manioc is twenty months in the ground 
 before it attains perfedlion; and that it is a 
 ftrong poifon before it has undergone the; 
 
 preparation 
 
L E T T E R IV; 57 
 
 preparation neceffary to make it into bread: 
 but this is by no means the cafe with the 
 African manioc, as it is eaten raw with as 
 much fafety as roafted or boiled. Indeed the 
 children are very fond of it raw, as it is very 
 fweet when young. Whether the Abbe 
 gives us his account of the Weft Indian 
 manoic from hear-fay or experience I know 
 not; but what he advances as the caufe of 
 the black colour of the natives of Africa is 
 utterly without foundation. 
 
 Rice, as I before obferved, is the princi- 
 pal food of the natives, although they have 
 cafTada, yams, eddies, fweet potatoes, and 
 great variety of other roots and vegetables 
 unknown in Europe; particularly two kinds, 
 which grow upon large trees; one very much 
 refembles a fweet potatoe in form and tafte, 
 the other eats fomething like a bean, and 
 has nearly the fame fliape, except only one 
 of the kind grows in a pod, which is much 
 larger than the common bean, and rounder. 
 
 The 
 
^8 L E T T E R IV. 
 
 The Moll ugo, or African chick-weed, which i 
 
 produces a fmall bean, grows in fuch quan- ! 
 
 tides, that, during the rains, or after a flood \ 
 
 in the country, the fliores are covered with ] 
 
 them; and vatl bodies, of feveral acres in | 
 
 extent, are feen floating many leagues out 
 
 at fea; and thefe alfo ferve the natives for ; 
 
 food in times of fcarcity. — Indian corn and^ 
 
 millet both thrive, extremely well, but are ] 
 
 little cultivated. 
 
 The Malagato pepper, or grain of Para- 
 
 dife, is found in the woods ; but it is not fo ^ 
 
 pungent ■ as that which is purchafed from \ 
 
 the natives at Bafl^a and the places adjacent, i 
 
 i 
 The bird and pod pepper is cuitivated in great 
 
 plenty and perfedion 3 and there are feveral 
 kinds of aromatic fruits, which are excel- 
 lent fubftitutes in culinary ufes for the \ 
 ipices of the Eaft. 1 
 
 Moft of the tropical fruits known in ; 
 the Wefl: Indies abound here in the great- i 
 efl perfeftion -, particularly pine - applet < 
 
 orano:es, i 
 
L E T T E R IV. 5^ 
 
 oranges, and limes ; which are in feafon, 
 but not in fhe fame degree of plenty, all 
 the year round. Guavas, tamarinds, aca- 
 jous, or, as the Englifh call them, cafhews, 
 and cocoa-nuts, ~have been planted by Euro- 
 peans, and thrive amazingly. The wild 
 fig-tree grows to the fize of an oak ; but the 
 fruit is (mail, and generally deftroyed by the 
 ants. Nothing can exceed the luxuriancy 
 of the wild vines, which bear amazing 
 quantities of grapes, beautiful to the eye, 
 but of an acrid tafte. If cultivated, how-^ 
 ever, they would, no doubt, be equal to 
 thofe of Europe. Several kinds of plums 
 and other fruits, cooling and" grateful, are 
 found in the woods, which are unknown 
 either in Europe or the Weft Indies. 
 
 But the principal fruit, in the eftimation of 
 the natives, is the coh\ Both the tree and 
 fruit in external appearance very much 
 refembje the walnut. The fruit grows in 
 large clufters, which contain fix or eight 
 
 colas. 
 
6o L E T T E R IV. 
 
 colas. On the outfide it is covered with a 
 thick tough rind, and a thinner white rind 
 on the infide : when this is taken off it di- 
 vides into two parts, and is either of a 
 purple colour or white; but the former is 
 generally preferred. Its tafte refembles the 
 Peruvian bark, and its virtues are faid to be 
 the fame. Thofe who can procure it chew 
 it at all times and at all feafons. It is pre- 
 fented to guefts at their arrival and depar- 
 ture — fent in complipientary prefents to 
 chiefs — is a confiderable article of inland 
 trade, as well as with the Portuguefe from 
 Baffou', and frequently made the token of 
 peace or war. — It grows in the greateft 
 plenty and perfedion in the river Scarries 
 and on the Bullam fhore^ oppofite to Sierra^ 
 Leone. 
 
 Caftor nuts and many others, which pro- 
 duce oil, grow fpontaneoufly almoft every 
 where; and the leaves of the caftor are a 
 
 moft 
 
L E T T E R IV. 6i 
 
 iiioft exxellent application In fwellings and 
 bruifes. 
 
 Water is the only beverage the natives 
 drink at their meals ; nor have they yet 
 found the means of intoxicating themfelves 
 with any thing of their own produce, but 
 palm wine. 
 
 The natives, however, of the Riopongeos 
 are to be excepted j who make a ftrong 
 heady beer from a root called ningee. It is 
 extremely bitter, not much unlike the beer 
 made in Ruffia and Norway. The plant is 
 cultivated, and feems to partake of the 
 nature of the albeftos, in not being altered or 
 confumed by the aftion of fire. — The root, 
 which is the only part ufeful, grows to the 
 iize of a man's leg, and three or four feet 
 long. The preparation of it for brewing is 
 as follows — They dig a fquare hole in thq 
 ground i and firft place a layer of dry man-* 
 grove- wood cleared of its bark, then a layer 
 of the root, which has been previoufly well 
 
 wafhed 
 
61 L E T T E R IV, 
 
 wafhed and dried ; and fo proceed till the 
 place is full, which they cover over very 
 clofe v^ith fods, leaving only a fmall aper- 
 ture at the bottom for the air and fire^ 
 When it is fufficiently burnt, which is 
 known by the wood's being entirely con- 
 fumed, they carefully remove the fods from 
 the top, to preferve the afhes which they 
 make ufe of, and the root is taken out, and 
 again well wafhed and dried. — When 
 wanted for ufe it is pounded with a heavy 
 wooden mallet, and fleeped in water till 
 its virtues are extraded. The water is 
 then boiled, and afterwards put into earthen 
 pots to ferment. ^ When the fermentation 
 is over it is fit to drink.- — The whole pro- 
 cefs takes up about three days. The root, 
 when raw, is fo extremely acrid as to exCo-^ 
 riate the mouth on the flightefl touch j 
 except it be. eaten with the afhes of a former 
 burning, which is a ftrong alkalit 
 
 The 
 
L E T T E R IV. 63 
 
 The beer is a powerful diuretic, and 
 confidered by the natives as a fpecific in the 
 venereal diforder. 
 
 In fhort, my friend. Nature appears to have 
 been extremely liberal, and to have poured 
 forth her treafures with an unfparing hand : 
 but in mod cafes the indolence of the 
 natives prevents their reaping thofe advan- 
 tages, of which an induftrious natbn would 
 poffefs themfelves. 
 
 I fhall conclude with wifhing you every 
 happinefs ^ 
 
 And am. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Yours, &c. 
 
 LETTER 
 
( 64 ) 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 MY DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 In my laft letter, which I hope you re- 
 ceived fafe, I endeavoured to give you an 
 account of fuch parts of the natural hiftory 
 of this country as my obfervation furnlfhed. 
 In this I fhall proceed to relate fuch parti- 
 culars as I have been able to colledt, of 
 their religion, laws, government, and wars. 
 
 It is hardly poflible for an European to 
 form an adequate idea of the religion of the 
 Pagan inhabitants of this country; for they 
 have no order of priefts, nor any fixed ob- 
 jefl; of adoration which might be termed a 
 national worfhipj every man fafhions his 
 own divinities according to his fancy: and 
 
 the 
 
LETTER V. 65 
 
 the Imagination can fcarcely conceive the 
 monftrous, uncouth, and ridiculous figures 
 they adore. 
 
 They acknowledgre and profefs their be- 
 lief in a God, who, they fay dwells above 
 them, and made and governs all things. If 
 any circumftance of joy or diftrefs happen 
 ihey very cooly fay God fent it them "(un- 
 lefs they fancy it was caufed by witchcraft); 
 but without having any idea of returning 
 God thanks for a benefit, or, by fubmiffion 
 and prayer, of endeavouring to deprecate his 
 wrath. They make offerings indeed to 
 their devils and genii, who they fuppofe ai;e 
 the executive minifters of the Deity. Their 
 devils, who they imagine reign paramount 
 upon earth, are fmall images of clay, often 
 renewed and made in fome refcmblance of 
 a man: thefe are placed at the foot of a tree, 
 and a fmall (hed of dry leaves is conftru(fi:ed 
 over them: various oflferin^s are m.ade to 
 them of bits of cloth, pieces of broken 
 
 F cups. 
 
66 LETTER V. i 
 
 i 
 
 cups, plates^ mugs, or glafs bottles, brafs J 
 rings, beads, and fuch articles, but I never j 
 obferved any thing of value given to them; i 
 indeed when they want to render their \ 
 devil propitious to any undertaking, they 
 generally provide liquor ; a very fmall liba- ' 
 tion is made to him, and the reft they drink 
 before his altar. | 
 
 Befides thefe devils they have images of ' 
 wood from eight to tv^elve inches long^ | 
 painted black, which are their lares (houfe- 
 hold gods) ; but they feem to pay very little j 
 attention to any of them, except when i 
 they think they ftand in need of their affift- ; 
 ance. 
 
 On every accident which befalls them, | 
 whether trivial or important, they make an | 
 offering to their genii, who they imagine 
 inhabit, and have power, in the air, as the ; 
 devils have upon earth. A brafs pan faC- | 
 tened to the ftump of a tree by driving a 
 country axe through it — a glafs bottle fet ^ 
 
L E T T E R V. 67 
 
 up on the ftump of a tree — a broken bottle 
 
 placed upon the ground with two or three 
 
 beads in it, covered with a bit of cloth, and 
 
 furrounded with ftones— a rag laid upon 
 
 fmall flicks and covered with a broken 
 
 calabafh — and a long flip of cloth, generally 
 
 white, tied to the end of a pole and ftuck 
 
 upright in the ground, are the offerings 
 
 they generally make; and in the eflicacy 
 
 of which, for whatever purpofe they are 
 
 made, they have implicit faith. To remove 
 
 one of them, even unknowingly, is a great 
 
 offence, and fubjeds the aggreffor to 'a />^/^- 
 
 very or adion in their courts of law; who, if 
 
 he be a poor man, and the offended perfon 
 
 be powerful, the crime is often only to be 
 
 expiated by the lofs of liberty. Such are a 
 
 part, for it would be impoflible to defcribc 
 
 the whole, of the ceremonies of a religion, 
 
 if it may be fo termed, in which it is difficult 
 
 to determine which is moft predominant, 
 
 folly or fuperftition. 
 
 F2 The 
 
68 L E T T E R V. 
 
 The Mandingoes who profefs the Maho- ; 
 
 mctan religion, are, in outward appearance, ; 
 
 flridl followers of the precepts of the Alco- ; 
 
 rian^ nor could Mahomet himfelf have ; 
 
 wiilied for more zealous promoters of his '^ 
 
 law. Fully fenfible of what importance it i 
 
 is to have the confcience in keeping, they 
 
 negledt no means of policy to fpread their , 
 
 religious dodrines— -where they are ftrong 
 
 they ufc coercive meafures^ and where they i 
 
 are not in a capacity to exert thofe means, they i 
 
 ufe every art that human fubtiity can fug- i 
 
 geft.' — In the villages of the tribes around '; 
 
 them they ereft fchools, and teach their \ 
 
 youth gratis, to read and write Arabic; \ 
 
 and their miffionaries, by temporizing with] 
 
 the prevailing follies and foibles of the dif- ! 
 
 tant nations which they vifit; by aflumingi 
 
 to themfelves the fandity and authority of; 
 
 the fervants of God j by abftainlng from all| 
 
 ftrong liquors; and, above all^ by pretend-j 
 
 ing to have power over every fpecies of 
 
 witchcrafts : 
 
L E T T E R V. 69 
 
 witchcraft; and, by their trade in making 
 charms, do fo infinuate themfelves into the 
 confidence of the chiefs and principal peo- 
 ple; that I never vifited a town in this part 
 of Africa where I did not find a Mandingo. 
 man as prime minifter, by the name of 
 boohnariy w^ithout whofe advice nothing 
 was tranfadted. 
 
 The religion of Mahomet was propagated 
 in this country by the Arabs and Foolahs. 
 Many of the Arab priefts, or faquins travel 
 not only acrofs the country from the banks 
 of the Nile, but alfo from Morocco to Abif- 
 finia, and are fupported by the charity of 
 the nations through which theypafs. Dur- 
 ing my former refidence in the interior 
 part of the Mandingo country, I faw feveral 
 of them, and gained no little efteem from 
 the natives, by the alms I beftowed upon 
 thofe travelling mendicants, who never eat 
 or fleep in a houfe during their peregrina- 
 F 3 tion. 
 
70 L E T T E R V, : 
 
 tion. By means of thefe people, and the 
 travelling black merchants, the defeat of the 
 Spaniards before Gibraltar was known at 
 the Riopongeos within forty days after the 
 aftion. ^ I 
 
 Circumciiion of male children, whether j 
 a religious or political inftitution, is in ge- : 
 neral, but not univerfally pradlifed all over I 
 Africa : but the circumcifion of females I 
 never yet read or heard of in my country, 
 but among the Suzees and Mandingoes: 
 with them both fexes undergo the operation 
 when they arrive at the age of puberty 5 and i 
 the performance of this Angular rite on the I 
 females is by cutdng off the exterior point ^ 
 of the clitoris. The ceremonies attending ; 
 it are very curious :— Every year during the j 
 dry feafon, and on the firft appearance of a . 
 new moon, the girls of each town who are \ 
 judged marriageable are colleded together]; j 
 and, in the night preceding the day on ; 
 ^hich the ceremony takes place, are con- 
 ducted 
 
LETTER V. 71 
 
 dufted by the women of the village into 
 the inmoft recefles of a wood. Grig- 
 gories, or charms, are placed at every 
 avenue or path which might lead to the 
 confecrated fpot, to warn and deter the ap- 
 proach of the ignorant or defigning, during 
 their confinement, which continues one 
 moon and one day. They are feen by no 
 perfon but the old woman who performed 
 the operation, and who brings them their 
 provifions daily; ftiould flie, through fick- 
 nefs, or any other caufe, be unable to at- 
 tend, the perfon who is fubftituted in her 
 place calls out with a loud voice as fhe ap- 
 proaches, leaves the viduals.at a certain 
 fpot, and retires unfeeing or unfeen; for, 
 {hould any perfon, either through accident 
 or defign, break into their retirements, death 
 is the punifliment annexed. 
 
 It is principally during their confinement 
 
 in the wood, when the body is fubdued by 
 
 pain, and the mind foftened by the gloomy 
 
 F 4 ftillnefs 
 
72 L E T T E R V. ^ 
 
 flillnefs of every thing around them, that 1 
 
 they are taugh the religious cuftoms and ' 
 
 fuperflitionij of their country- for, till that i 
 
 period, they are not thought capable of un- \ 
 derftandipg or pradifing thcni.— -When the 
 
 time deftined for their continuance in th^ 'j 
 
 wood is expired, which is judged fufficient ' 
 
 for the healing their wounds, they are ! 
 
 brought into the town in the night, where ] 
 
 they are received by all the women of tKs \ 
 
 village, young and old, quite naked: in this : 
 
 flate, and in a kind of irregular proceffion, i 
 with various inftruments of national mufic, 
 
 they parade the ftreets till break of day; anci ^ 
 
 fhould any man be found even peeping ! 
 
 during their peregrination, he would imme- ; 
 
 diately fufFer death, or pay a flave. — A pro- | 
 
 ! 
 
 bation of one moon fucceeds their releafe ' 
 
 from the wood; during which they are every ; 
 
 day conduced in procefTion, with mufic, J 
 
 and their heads and bodies covered, to ; 
 
 every principal perfon's houfe in the town, i 
 
 before 
 
L E T T E R V. 73 
 
 before which they dance and fing till they 
 are prefentcd with fome trifling prefent. 
 At the expiration of the month they are 
 releafed from further attendance, and im- 
 mediately given to the men dcftined for 
 their hufbands. 
 
 How thev came to adopt, or for what 
 realon they pradife, this very fingular rite, I 
 never could learn; but the women hold it 
 in fuch veneration, that to be reproached 
 with the want of it, is the moft villifying 
 term they can poflibly ufe; and frequent 
 inftances occur of women in years fub- 
 mitting to the operation, who, though born 
 in other countries, yet, coming to refide 
 where it was pra6lifed, were expofed to the 
 reproach. 
 
 Their government and their laws ap- 
 pear to have been originally of the patri- 
 archal kind, where the elder of every family 
 
 was prieft and judge. Time, that changes 
 
 all 
 
74 LETTER V. 
 
 all things, has made fome change in 
 this alfo. 
 
 At prefent the prevailing form in thefe 
 parts of Africa is a kind of mixed monarchy, 
 dedive, and extremely limited both in ex- 
 ternal and internal power 5 and very much 
 refembles the authority of the mayor of a 
 corporation town in England j for the word 
 mungOy which the Europeans tranflate 
 king^ only fignifies head man; and he 
 is always addreffed by the title oi fafee^ or 
 father. Every feparate diftrid, in the 
 fame nation, has a feparate king, ruler, 
 or chief. 
 
 The Suzee's and Mandingoes, indeed, who 
 are the moft powerful and numerous, ac- 
 .kinowledge fubjeftion to the king of the , 
 Foolahs, whom they reprefent as a power- 
 ful prince, whofe empire is very extenlive, 
 reaching from Gambia to Cape Mount ; 
 but the Bullams, Timaneys, and Bagoes, ac- 
 knowledge no power fuperior to their own. 
 
 The 
 
LETTER V. 7S 
 
 The neceffary qualifications for any per- 
 fcn to afcend the throne are, a thorough 
 knowledge of the local cuftoms of the 
 country; to be a good orator; to have a 
 clear underftanding, or, as they emphati- 
 cally exprefs it, to have a good head ; to 
 be fober, to be at all times ready and 
 attentive to hear the complaints and re- 
 drefs the grievances of the fubjed: ; and to 
 be fufficiently powerful in his own flaves 
 and people, who live under his immediate 
 protection, to enforce the obfervance and 
 execution of the laws. 
 
 Except among the Mandingoes and 
 Suzees, few kings are natives of the coun- 
 tries they govern. So different are their 
 ideas from ours, that very few are felicitous 
 of the honour, and competition is very 
 feldom heard of. 
 
 The reigning prince has the power of 
 appointing a deputy, who, upon his death, 
 fucceeds to all his honours and authority -, 
 
 and 
 
76 . LETTER V. 
 
 and governs, in his name, till they eled a 
 new king. — If the deputy be a man of 
 power and addrefs, he often takes poffeffion 
 of the property alfo of the deceafed king, 
 and fecures it till the new king is elected, 
 who will adjudge it to the right heir. But 
 it frequently happens that if the deputy is 
 found equal to the tafk of governing, he is 
 either confirmed in the dignity of king, or 
 continues to adt under the tide of deputy as 
 long as he lives. 
 
 The prefent ruler of Sierra-Leone, who is 
 in fadl only a deputy, has reigned in that ca- 
 pacity for more than ten years ; and his 
 fubjedts are fo well pleafed with his condudi 
 that they wifh to make him king : but he 
 appears, to be perfedlly fatisfied in ruling 
 w-ith a fubordinate title.— The revenue, or 
 rather the emoluments of his office, arife 
 from the prefents made him on every occa- 
 fion where his affiftance or authority are 
 wanted; and which are always propor- 
 tioned 
 
LETTER V. 77 
 
 tioned to the ability of the giver and the 
 importance of the affair. — From a poor 
 man, for inftance, a baflcet of rice, a couple 
 or half a dozen fowls, or a goat, would 
 be accepted; but nothing lefs than the 
 value of a flave would be taken in an affair 
 of confequence. 
 
 The enfigns of authority of the .kings of 
 Eherbro' are an elephant's tail carried before 
 them ; or, if it be fent by a mefftn- 
 ger, it has the fame obedience paid to it as 
 to the fign manual. But I never obferved 
 any fuch tokens of royalty among the other 
 kings, except what they received from the 
 whites; fuch as a filver-headed cane, or a 
 gold-laced hat. 
 
 Though the executive power and final 
 decifion of all caufes is vefted in the king, 
 yet every head, or principal man of a 
 village, thinks himfelf fole lord within his 
 own town. Neither can the king com- 
 mand, but only intreat, except in matters 
 
 which 
 
78 LETTER V. 
 
 which have been debated and determined 
 upon in full council. For inftance, I 
 wanted fome wood at a diftance from my 
 refidence, and fent people to cut it, the 
 head man of the diftricft prevented them ; 
 I complained to the king; his anfwer 
 (v^hich I found to be true) was, he would 
 fend to the man to defire him to let my 
 people cut the wood ^ but that the place 
 belonged to him, and he had no authority 
 to compel him. 
 
 The family of a deceafed king, or head 
 man, lay no claim to fuperiority over their 
 countrymen from their office, but fill that 
 ftation only in which their wealth or con- 
 nexions place them 5 and it very often 
 happens that the fon of a deceafed chief, 
 a few days after his father's death, is ne- 
 ceffitated to hire himfelf as a gremeta, or 
 failor, to an European trader, for fubfiftance. 
 
 Prefent pofleffion is the only tenure they 
 allow of in the occupying of lands. If a 
 
 xnan 
 
LETTER V. 79 
 
 man quits his fituation, another may im- 
 mediately take pofleffion, provided he is a 
 native 5 for they are extremely tenacious of 
 their rights, and will not fufFer any ftrangers 
 to fettle among them without their confent 
 and approbation. 
 
 Their laws, handed down by traditioa 
 from father to fon, are merely the local 
 cuftoms of the country ; which differ, but 
 not very effentially, in every diftridt or 
 ftate. — All caufes are tried by the king, 
 affifted by the head men, in open burrei^ 
 or court j and there are a fet of men called 
 palaver talkers^ (i. e. counfellors) who plead 
 on both fides. — I have known one of thefe 
 men fpeak for two hours with fuch dig- 
 nity of adtion, force and energy of elo- 
 cution, as would do honour to an Englilh 
 orator. 
 
 Difputes among themfelves, when brought 
 to a falavery are generally decided with 
 equity, according to the evidence produced ; 
 
 particularly 
 
8o ^ L E T T E R V. 
 
 particularly if the parties are equal in power: 
 and the lofing party pays all damages and 
 cofts of fuit before he goes out of court, 
 or is obliged to give good fecurity. 
 
 In their difputes with white men they 
 are not very rigid obfervers of juftice ; and, 
 what is fomething fingular, if a white man 
 {hould fucceed in his fuit, he. reaps no other 
 advantage from it than the honour of being 
 in the right; as they never adjudge any re- 
 compenfe to be made him on any occafion ; 
 and, right or wrong, he muft pay the 
 expences. — I have often afked them the 
 reafon of this conduft; they only anfwered, 
 ** White men get too much money; they 
 *' cannot want their money." • 
 
 All capital offences are pujiiflied with either 
 fine flavery, or death; but the latter is now 
 feldom pradifed, except among the Man- 
 dingoes, who rule by the Mahometan law, 
 and whofe proceedings are always fum- 
 mary; or, in cJafes of murder, when the 
 
 friends 
 
L E t T E R V. 8i 
 
 friends of the deceafed take vengeance be* 
 fore the crime has been publicly judged. 
 
 Witchcraft is flavery inevitable ; but poi* 
 fon, adultery, or any other crime, may be 
 compenfated by fine. 
 
 The method of recovering debts appears 
 to be founded upon the firft principles of 
 jurifprudence, which are generally adopted 
 by all nations. 
 
 Debts are commonly contradled fot a li- 
 mited time ', that is, there is fuch a length 
 of credit given. If the debtor refufes or 
 delays payment when the debt is due and 
 demanded, the creditor applies to the king, 
 or chief, for his afliftance ^ who fends to 
 the debtor, defiring him to pay the debt* 
 If after this notice from the king, he re- 
 fufes to pay it, or to fatisfy his creditor, 
 the latter gets the king's confent to feize 
 the perfon of his debtor, or any of his flaves 
 or people. If this be found impraflicable, 
 by the debtor's living in -another town, the 
 G , creditor 
 
82 L E T T E R V. 
 
 creditor feizes upon any perfon, who refides • 
 
 in the fame town as the debtor, and de- ' 
 
 tains that perfon till the debt is paid, which 
 
 the people of the town compel the debtor . 
 
 to do immediately. ' 
 
 And this is not all ; for v»^hen a man is \ 
 
 thus deprived of his liberty for the debt of \ 
 
 another, he inftantly brings a palaver, or ; 
 
 i 
 adion, againft the real debtor, and generally ' 
 
 recovers confiderable damages, as a com- : 
 
 penfation for the imprifonment. ; 
 
 The mofi Angular law I have yet ob- ; 
 
 ferved in Africa is what they term the ] 
 
 purrah, and is peculiar to Sherbro'. This ! 
 
 wife, political inditution is difleminated 
 
 through the country for the purpsfe of ; 
 
 putting an end to difputes and wars, as \ 
 
 the jealoufy, pride, and irritability of the ' 
 
 natives are fuch as will not fuffer thcrn, \ 
 
 even when cohfcious of being the aggreffors, 
 
 to make conceflions. Any freeman, after j 
 
 a certrain age, (fappofed about thirty) may ' 
 
 become a member of this afibciation. On ' 
 
 his ! 
 
LETTER V. 8^ 
 
 his admiflion into the fociety he undergoes 
 various ceremonies, and is enjoined the 
 ftricftefl fecrely refpeding them, which they 
 preferve as inviolably as the free mafons in 
 Europe do the myfteries of their inftitution; 
 and to which it has fome refemblance in 
 other refpeds^ particularly in having a 
 grand mafter, or head purrah man,- in 
 every diftridt or ftate, and the non-admiffion 
 of females. This law is never ufed but in 
 the dernier refort ; and when it is in force, 
 the crimes of witchcraft and murder are 
 punlfhable by it. 
 
 When two tribes, or nations, are at war, 
 and begin to be tired, or wifh to put an 
 end to it, but are too haughty and proud to 
 make overtures to each other, they apply to 
 the ruler of a neighbouring ftate for his in-» 
 terference as a mediator: if the offer be 
 accepted, he immediately fends ^to the con- 
 tending parties, to inform them he will aft 
 as umpire if they chufe to refer their dif- 
 G 2 - , putes 
 
84 L E T T E R V. 
 
 putes to him ; and that if they do not 
 agree to terminate their differences amica- 
 bly, he will fend for the purrah, as he will 
 no longer look on with indifference, and 
 fee thofe who ought to be friends deftrby 
 each other and depopulate their country. 
 ' Should they, after this meffage, prove re- 
 fradlory, the purrah is ordered out 3 and the 
 grand fundamental article of the purrah law 
 is, that no blood fliall be fhed while it is in 
 force 5 fo that the late contending parties 
 follow their feveral occupations without fear. 
 But rencounters fometime happen, as their 
 vindidlive and revengeful difpofition will 
 feldom fufFer them to let flip an opportunity 
 of gratifying their thirfl of vengeance, even 
 under the terror of this law. 
 
 When the aggrefTors are known to the 
 purrah, they come down in a body of forty 
 or fifty men armed and difguifed. All per- 
 fons, of every age or defcription, fly befqre 
 them \ and if they find any perfon out of 
 
 their 
 
'it- 
 
L E T T E R V. 85 
 
 their houfes, they put them to death, or 
 difpofe of them in fuch a manner that they 
 are never more heard of. This is alfo the 
 fate of all tranfgreffors of the purrah law, 
 when feized by the people of this extra- 
 ordinary afTociation. 
 
 It is impoflible to defcribe the dread and 
 terror this institution (trikes into the com- 
 mon people : they believe the purrah men 
 are poffefled of the power of the devils, and 
 can do whatever mifchief they pleafe with- 
 out being affeded by it themielves. They 
 take away the ftock and provifions, or 
 \vhatever they like, belonging to the na- 
 tives, without the lead interruption or fub- 
 fequent inquiry. 
 
 In defcribins: the cufloms and manners 
 of diftant nations, we are under a necefiity 
 of ufing fuch expreffions and.phrafes as fuit 
 our own idioms. Hence every petty quarrel, 
 when perhaps there is only ten or a dozen 
 combatants on each fide, is in Africa called 
 
 G 3 a war. 
 
86 L E T T E R V. 
 
 a war. It is the fame alfo in fpeaking of 
 their chiefs, or head men, who are all dig- 
 nified by the Europeans with the title 
 of king; 
 
 The vindidive and violent fpirlt of rer- 
 venge which every African poiTeffes when 
 he imagines he is injured or infuked, is the 
 caufe of frequent wars among the natives. 
 When a national war is agreed upon, it be- 
 comes general, and every perfon of each 
 party is equally obnoxious to the other 5 but 
 their petty wars, or quarrels, only involve 
 the particular town, or towns, which are 
 engaged.-— Their expeditions are always of 
 the predatory kind. To furprize and burn 
 a village, and make a few prifoners, is the 
 utmoft extent of their ambition; they never 
 attempt to meet each other in the field, but 
 fculk about in ambufh, and laugh at the 
 folly of the Europeans, when told of the 
 manner in which they fight, and the num- 
 |)ers they bring into the field; as an African 
 
 ahiiy 
 
LETTER V. 87 
 
 army feldom exceeds 500 men, and even 
 that is confidered as a very large one. The 
 young men only go to war; hut they are 
 very indifferent foldiers, and can only be 
 kept together vvirh the hope of plunder, or 
 being well fupplied with liquor. 
 
 They are fometimes two or three years 
 preparing and forming alliances with the 
 neighbouring tribes before thev m;ike an 
 attack, which is commonly done juft at the 
 commencement of the rains, when thc^ men 
 are employed in their plantations, at which 
 time they are fure of finding the towns de- 
 fencelefs. 
 
 When two tribes, or nations are negoti- 
 ating, and the final refult mull be peace or 
 war 5 and, when they have made their elec- 
 tion, if for war, two red cold are depofited 
 upon a ftone at the place of meeting; if for 
 peace, one U^hite cold is left at the fame 
 place, which is divided into two parts, each 
 party take one piece, and they then iTu-^et 
 G 4 each 
 
8§ L E T T E R V. -] 
 
 each other without fear to adjuft the par- ; 
 ticuiars. ; 
 
 The iiihabitants of the fea coaft have al^ i 
 moft totally laid afide their national wea- i 
 pons for the fabre and gun ; but the natives I 
 of the inland countries ftill ufe the fpear, ; 
 dart, and poifoned arrow. 
 
 It does not appear that the intcrcourfe ! 
 which has fo long fubfifted between the 
 Africans and Europeans has made any ma- \ 
 terial change in their cuftoms or manners, ^ 
 iexcept giving them a reliih for fociety, and 
 the enjoyment of what they confider as the ] 
 luxuries of life, European manufactories, j 
 I h^ve endeavoured to difcover the caufes of j 
 their wars, and whether the accufation To ^ 
 often made, — that the natives of Africa 
 were excited to make war upon each other i 
 by the Europeans who traded with them-— | 
 was, or was not, founded in fadt. And this, ] 
 f. arn free to declare, never was the cafe ir^ 
 ^ny indance v/hich fell under my obferva- - 
 
 tion I 
 
L E T T E R V. 89 
 
 Hon: and from every account I could colleft 
 it never had been the cafe. 
 
 WI)en I firft arrived at the Ifles de Lofs, 
 I found an almoft gerieral war raged 
 throughout the extent to which we traded. 
 The Suzees, aided by the Mandingo flaves 
 who had revolted from their mafters, were 
 at wir with the Bagoes and Mandingoes; 
 and the people of Sherbro' were at war 
 with each other. The origin of the w^ar 
 between the Suzees and 3^goes, and their 
 allies, arofe from a Bagoe man killing a 
 native of a Suzee town, where he at that 
 time refided: he fled from their refentment 
 among his countrymen, who refufed to de- 
 liver him up to the friends of the perfon he 
 had killed, agreeable to the laws of the 
 country. The war In Sherbro' arofe from 
 a quarrel between two chiefs, and involved 
 the whole country in their difpute. After 
 fixing my eftablilliment at Sierra-Leone, I 
 inade a trip into Sherbro', in a mediato al 
 
 capacity, 
 
po L E T T E R V. 
 
 capacity, to endeavour to terminate their 
 difputes. I vifited both the principals in 
 perfon, and fent to the allies of both par- 
 ties. Reciprocal prefents pafled between 
 usj but fuch was the mutual jealoufy and 
 diftruft of each party, that I never could 
 prevail on them to meet each other on board 
 my veflel, though they feparately vifited 
 me. 1 had however the fatisfadion to lay 
 the foundation of a truce, which has con- 
 tinued ever fince, and is now enforced by 
 the purrah. 
 
 LETTER 
 
( 91 ) 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 Sierra-Leone, Nov. 20, 1786. 
 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 jVIy lad letter conveyed to you the beft 
 accounts I could give of the religion, laws, 
 and government, of the inhabitants of this 
 country 5 in this I {hall endeavour to de- 
 fcribe the perfons of the natives, and fuch 
 of their particular cuftoms and ceremonies 
 which have fallen under my own obferva- 
 tion, or which I have received from perfons 
 upon whole veracity I can depend. 
 
 It is a general remark all along the coafl: 
 of Africa, that.thofe nations bordering upon 
 the fea, or inhabiting iflands, are a much 
 ftputer, better made, a braver, and more 
 
 adive 
 
92 L E T T E R VL 
 
 avflive people than thofe who rcfide In 
 the interior parts of the country. This, 
 perhaps, may be in fome meafure ac- 
 counted for, by the difference of food, thofe 
 upon the fea-coaft living a good deal upon 
 fi/h, and breathing a more falubrious air. 
 
 The Bullams, Timmaneys, and Bagoes, 
 are a flout, adlive, and perfonable race j of 
 a good black, flraight limbs, and pleafing 
 features ^ and rather above the middle fize. 
 The Timmaneys, in particular, are remark- 
 able for an open, ingenuous countenance ; 
 and many of their women are really 
 handfome. 
 
 During my refidence here I have only 
 fcen two deformed people, and their mif^ 
 fortunes were cccafioned by accidents in 
 their infancy. 
 
 The Suzees are of a yellow call:; and in 
 perfon much inferior to thofe I have jufl 
 mentioned 5 though they are generally 
 
 flraight 
 
L E T T E R VI. 93 
 
 ftraight limbed, they have thick lips and 
 flatter nofes* 
 
 The Mandingoes feem to be a diftlna 
 race from any of the others : they are 
 tall and flender, of an indifferent black, 
 and remarkably fmall eyes : they wear 
 their beards like the Jews in Europe, 
 
 The Suzees, Bullams, &c. ihave whik 
 they are young; but, when their hair begins 
 to turn grey, they fuffer their beards to 
 grow; for the filver tokens of age with 
 them d-enote wifdom : and, indeed, fome 
 of their old men, with long white beards, 
 feated in council, make a moft venerable 
 appearance. 
 
 The ftriking difference between the free 
 people I have defcribed, and the appearance 
 of the plantation flavc, is fo great, that I 
 was never mifiaken in my opinion refpedl* 
 ing their iituation even at firft fight. 
 
 The free man, elated by his liberty, 
 walks with dignity and confcious pride, and 
 
 looks 
 
94 LETTER VL 
 
 looks with an eye of confidence on all j 
 around — while the flave, on the contrary, j 
 oppreffed by the confideration of his fittia- J 
 tion, moves on with humble ftep and 
 down-caft eye. 
 
 The perfons of the flaves (except fuch 
 as were born on the fea coaft) are generally ] 
 lefs in flature, and not fo robuft or well 
 made as the native free men, and come 
 from the interior part of the country. . 
 
 The Foolahs, who inhabit the country j 
 on the back of the nations I have dc- i 
 fcribed, appear to be an intermediate race \ 
 between the Arab and the black, and very . 
 like the Eaft Indian Lafcar, having long, /l 
 ftraight, black hair, yellow complexion, ; 
 thin face, and long Roman nofes. They \ 
 are fcridl followers of the Alcoran ; and, by 
 their wars for the propagation of their re- j 
 llgion, furnifh a great number of the flaves ' 
 which are fold in thefe parts. 
 
 Voltaire^ 
 
L E T T E R VL 95 
 
 Voltaire, in his preliminary difcourfe, 
 mentions a race of people inhabiting the in- 
 terior parts of Africa, whom he calls Albinos, 
 and reprefents them as being of a milky- 
 white colour, and diminutive ftature. I 
 have made the moft diligent inquiry of the 
 natives, and travelling black merchants, but 
 never could gain the leaft information that 
 fuch a people exifted. But I have (Qcn 
 feveral white negroes in different parts of 
 Africa of a milky, or chalky whitenefs, and 
 white wool) but thefe do not propagate 
 their likenefs, but have black children, and 
 are only confidered as lufus naturce. I re- 
 member to have feen one of the fame kind 
 in Georgia, South Carolina, and one in 
 England, they were both females. 
 
 The Suzee language feems to be the root 
 from which the Bagoe, Bullam, and Tim- 
 maney is fprung; it is foft, and abounds 
 with vowels and labial founds. The Man- 
 dingo language is, as the people are, per- 
 
 fcSlv 
 
^ L E T T E R VI. 
 
 fedly different from any of the others^ and. 
 appears to me to be a corrupt Arabic, 
 though not the fame as they teach in their 
 fchools, which they term the language of 
 prayer. 
 
 The dirpofition of the natives is nearly 
 Cmilar every where, extremely indolent, 
 unlets excited by revenge, of implacable 
 tempers, full of treachery and diffimulation, 
 where they conceive the leafl: refcntmenti nor 
 do they ever let flip an opportunity of grati- 
 fying their third of vengeance when they can 
 do it with impunity. To their particular 
 friends indeed, they are hofpitable and 
 kind; but are addi6led to pilfering, and are 
 remarkable for the ficklenefs of their con- 
 duft on almofl; every occafion. 
 
 TheMandingoes, from religious motives, 
 hate a Chriftian, and vilify thofe Euro- 
 peans who refide among theiT., and whom 
 they frequently fee drinking and rioting, 
 with the appellation of dog. But when I 
 
 formerly 
 
L E T T E R VI. 97 
 
 formerly refided among them, by purfuing 
 a contrary condudl, and by being enabled 
 to converfe with them on the tenets of 
 their religion, I received fuch treatment 
 from them in the time of the utmoft di(^ 
 trefs, when I was dangeroufly ill, as I could 
 have expeded only from my beft and deareft 
 friends. 
 
 Their methods of falutation are various; 
 when a flave approaches his mafter to pay 
 him obedience he bends the right knee 
 almofl to the ground, and ftretches out his 
 right arm, with the hand (hut, which he 
 fupports with the left hand under the 
 elbow. When two friends, or equals, meet, 
 they put their right hand upon their breads 
 and wifli each other good day; and fome- 
 times embrace, or (hake hands, and fnap 
 the finger and thumb. When a ftranger 
 comes upon a vifit to a friend, no notice is 
 taken of him till he announces his vifit in 
 form, which is often four or five days after 
 H his 
 
9& L E T T E R VI. 
 
 his arrival, during which time he is pro- ; 
 
 vided with every thing neceffary for himfelf : 
 and people, apart from the family: the 
 
 fame cuflom is obferved by their ambaiTa- : 
 
 dors, or public meffengers, upon bufinefs of \ 
 
 importance. When the women meet upon I 
 
 vifits, they join their right hands and curtfy> ; 
 
 but the young and unmarried embrace ! 
 
 with the moft feeming afFedion. When a i 
 
 fon vifits his mother after an abfence, and \ 
 
 the firft falutation is over, he lies at her j 
 
 feet, and, while fhe carefully examines his ] 
 
 head for the purpofe of deftroying vermin, i 
 
 he relates the adventures of his journey. : 
 
 The women are exceedingly clean in i 
 
 their perfons, and are ftridiy attentive to | 
 
 domeflic duties j and none can be more : 
 
 fond or careful of their offspring, or make i 
 
 better nurfes. They never wean their chil- I 
 
 dren till they are able to walk, and to carry : 
 
 a calabafh of water to their mother, which \ 
 
 they inftruft them to do as foon as poffiblei .; 
 
 for, ; 
 
LETTER VI. 99 
 
 for, during the time a child is at the breaft, 
 tht woman is not permitted to cohabit with 
 her hufband, as they fuppofe it would be 
 prejudicial to her milk. Barrennefs they 
 dread as the greateft reproach; and Nature 
 has exempted them from the pain and forrow 
 our fair countrywomen experience in child- 
 birth, as they are feldom confined more 
 than a few hours. In their domeftic amufe- 
 ments they in feme refpedt imitate the good 
 country houfewife in England. In the even- 
 ing the head wife, furrounded by the reft 
 of her hu{band*s women, and her female 
 attendants, is employed in fpinning and 
 carding cotton, while one of the company 
 amufes the reft with telling ftories upon 
 the plan of ^fop's fables : to thefe tales I 
 have often liftened with infinite pleafurc. 
 They have feveral games of chance, at 
 which the men and women play feparatej 
 but both fexes are paflionately fond of 
 dancing, which they never fail to enjoy 
 H 2 when 
 
loo LETTER VI 
 
 when they have a light moon and fair 
 weather, from an hour after fun-fet, till 
 midnight. Befides this, the birth of a child, 
 or the arrival of a friend or relation, fur- 
 nifhes them with an opportunity of enjoy- 
 ing their favourite amufcment of linging 
 and dancing, which they term a culhinjee. 
 When a cullunjee is performed on any great 
 occafion, they introduce dancers dreffed in a 
 grotefque ftyle; on their heads they wear a 
 high cap made of rufhes, ftuck round 
 with feathers, and their faces are painted 
 about .the eyes, nofe, and mouth, with 
 chalk, or white clay, and they wear a petty- 
 coat of ruflies round their waift, which In 
 dancing fpreads in every diredion. In 
 their hands they have pieces of flat wood, 
 which they clap together, and with which 
 they keep time during the dance. 
 
 The death of a child, friend, or relation, . 
 adds no lefs to the enjoyment of this paftime, 
 by performing the wha , or cry : but, from 
 
 the 
 
LETTER VI. loi 
 
 the manner in which it is performed, a 
 ftranger to their ceremonies would rather 
 term it a rejoicing. 
 
 On the eveniug of the day appointed the 
 friends and relations of the deceafed affem- 
 ble together, and proceed, by a flow and 
 folemn movement, to an open fpace before 
 their houfes. Here they begin finging the 
 praifes of the deceafed, and dancing to the 
 mufic of a drum. In the dance they fre- 
 quently vary the figure ; fometimes forming 
 one great circle round the mufic, and clap- 
 ping hands at every period or repetition of 
 their fong. Sometimes one perfon performs 
 the dance, the reft fitting or ftanding round 
 in a circle, joining chorus and clapping 
 hands as before : at other times two, three, 
 or four, will dance together till they are 
 weary, and then are relieved by others; 
 the reft finging and clapping hands. This, 
 with firing of guns, continues from evening 
 till nea,r daylight, without intermiflion^ but 
 H3 they 
 
102 LETTER VI. 
 
 they frequently regale themfelves with liquor ' 
 and tobacco. This ceremony is repeated 
 three nighis fucceffively. 
 
 For people of coniequence, whofe friends 
 can afford it, the cry is repeated once or 
 twice a year for feveral years 5 but the 
 poorer fort are fometimes two or three 
 years before they can procure means to 
 purchafe rum and tobacco fufficient for the 
 purpofe : but whatever time they may be 
 before they are enabled to put it in exca- 
 tion, it is never omitted. 
 
 This may be termed the public mourn- 
 ing after the death of their friends or rela- 
 tions, in which both fexes join, but there is 
 alfo another kind, of a nr.ore private nature, 
 praflifed by the women only, and is pecu- 
 liar to the Bullams and Timmaneys only. 
 
 The mourners wear a v.A^nte linen or 
 cotton cap, which is drawn oyer their eyes 
 in fuch a manner as to prevent their leting 
 any thing, except on the ground, without 
 ti^rning their heads quite up, and leveral 
 
 firings 
 
LETTER VI. 103 
 
 » 
 
 firings of large country beads are faftened 
 round their neck and waift. — If married 
 women, they are ftripped of their cloth, 
 and allowed to wear the timtungee only. 
 
 They are not fufrered to eat or drink 
 with any other perfon, or cook their own 
 vidtuals, but at meal times beat a drum and * 
 dance before the perfon's door who is to 
 give it them ; and nobody is allowed even 
 to eat or drink out of the veflels they 
 make ufc; of. 
 
 The time this kind of mourning con- 
 tinues is not fixed, but regulated by the 
 whim and caprice of the perfon who orders 
 it, who is generally the mother, aunt, or 
 fome elderly relation; and is commonly 
 performed by girls approaching the age of 
 marriage, in order to preferve their chaftity; 
 for {hould any intercourfe between the 
 fexes be difcovered, during the continuance 
 of this ceremony, the woman would be- 
 
 H 4 come 
 
,04 LETTER VI. 
 
 come infamous, and the man be liable to a 
 fevere punifhment. 
 
 A woman alfo, when fhe fuppofes her 
 hufband negleds her, has the privilege of 
 putting his favourite miftrefs into mourning. 
 When this, however, happens, after a fhort 
 probation and a peace- offering, to the wife, 
 of a goat or fix fowls, a jar of liquor, and 
 a little tobacco, to be ufed in a cuUunjee, 
 fhe is reftored to bis arms. 
 
 Indeed this appears no bad policy on the 
 part of the elderly wives, to preferve fome 
 degree of confequence with the men j for 
 during the time the young woman is in this 
 mourning, the hufband is deprived of her 
 fociety. 
 
 They have various kinds of national 
 mufic 5 but the drum feems to be the prin-^ 
 cipal inflrument, of which they have three 
 forts, but they are of different fizes, accord- 
 ing to the ufe for which they are intended : 
 pnp is made of a hard wood, which is hol- 
 lowed^ 
 
FOLDOUT 
 HERE 
 
LETTER VI. 105 
 
 lowed, the ends of it flopped clofe, and a 
 longitudinal opening made on the fide: 
 they beat upon them with two flicks, and 
 the loud and flirill noife thefe drums give 
 are, in a ftill evening, heard to a great 
 diftance, and are ufed to fpread an alarm : 
 the others are made of light wood, hol- 
 lowed throughout, and the ends covered 
 with dried goat or (heep flcin, laced tight 
 over vi^ith cords. Some of thefe are very 
 large, from fix to eight feet lonp;, and two 
 or three feet diameter 5 in others the heads 
 are only two or three inches apart, and 
 fhark's teeth or bits of copper are tied rouad 
 the rim, which make a jingling noife. 
 
 The trombone and tamborine, ufed in 
 England, appear to have been borrowed 
 from the Africans. They have alfo two 
 kinds of ftring inftrumentsj one is a fort 
 of guitar, and is the fame as the bangou in 
 the Weft Indies ; the other is in the form 
 gf a Welfli harp, but not above two feet 
 
 long : 
 
io6 L E T T E R VI. 
 
 long : the firings are made of the fibres of 
 a plant and the hair of an elephant's tail. 
 
 The women and children alfo have fe- 
 veral forts of rattles made of gourds, into 
 which they put fmall hard berries s and in 
 Sherbro' they have a kind of pipe made 
 of reed, with four flops for the fingers j 
 and a horn, or trumpet, made of an ele- 
 phant's tooth. 
 
 The cuftomary food of the natives is 
 rice, which they always boil quite dry, and 
 either eat it with palm-oil poured over it, or 
 a flrong- gravy made of fifh, flefh, or fowl, 
 and vegetables boiled together, highly fea- 
 foned with pepper and fpices, and palm 
 oil. They ufe very little animal food, 
 and in general prefer it fmoke dried rather 
 than frefh -, but are good cooks, and make 
 many favoury difhes. — The men and women 
 always eat apart, and never drink any thing 
 but water at their meals. They eat only 
 twice in the day; the firfl time about ten in 
 
 the 
 
LETTER VI. J07 
 
 the morning, and the fecond about fun-fet j 
 but the principal men who can Indulge, 
 generally enjoy a flight repafl: early in the 
 morning, which is prepared by the favourite 
 of the preceding night. 
 
 The only trades in ufe amongft them 
 are thofe of the carpenter, blackfmith, and 
 griggory maker 5 and their workrrianfliip, 
 eonfidering the tools they ufe, often difplay 
 neatnefs and ingenuity. Every family fpin 
 and weave their own cloth, and make their 
 own clothes 5 the men v/eave and few, and 
 the women fpin and card the cotton. Their 
 drefs is very fimpic and eify. The boys 
 and girls never wear any thing but a tun- 
 tungei^ which is a thin flip of cloth pafled 
 between the legs. The dlfFerent manner 
 of wearing it denotes the fex. The girls 
 have a firing tied rcuivJ their VvMift, and the 
 ends of the tuntungce arc tucked under it, 
 and left to hang down before and behind, 
 with a belt or girdle of beads, or loofe 
 
 firings 
 
jo8 LETTER VI. 
 
 ftrings of them tied round their walft; the 
 boys have the (hort end forward, the other 
 part is brought round their loins, tucked 
 under, and left to hang down behind only. 
 After marriage the women lay afide the 
 iuntungeSy (except among the Nalloes, who 
 never wear any thing elfe) and wear a cloth 
 round their waift, v^hich reaches down about 
 the middle of the leg 5 though they are very 
 fond of wearing it over their breads, not in 
 order to hide them, but to make them flat, 
 which (as it is a fign of womanhood) gives 
 them additional confequence. They are 
 alfo very fond of ornaments, fuch as beads 
 formed into necklaces, bracelets, &c. filver 
 rings, lockets and chains, maniilas, (which 
 are hoops of filver made flat or round to 
 wear on the wrifts), fl:rings of coral and 
 ufe a variety of paints. An African lady, 
 when full dreft, makes no contem.ptible 
 . figure : — over her common country cloth, 
 which we may term her under petticoat, 
 
 ftie 
 
L £ T t £ R VI. io9 
 
 Ihe wears one of red taffity^ a black filk 
 handkerchief tied by two corners round her 
 neck, hangs down before like a child's bib, 
 and covers her bofom; another of the fame 
 colour is tied round her head : fhe has gold 
 earrings in her ears, round her neck a 
 firing of large coral; and a filver or gold 
 locket and chain. On each wrift two or 
 three manillas, and five or fix filver rings 
 on each finger; her forehead is painted 
 with various angles and triangles of white 
 or red, and her hair neatly and curioufly 
 plaited; and fometimes clofe fhaved in fmall 
 circular or crefcent formed fpots. — Behind 
 her follows her waiting- maids, (wha are 
 generally the prettiefl girls fhe can procure^ 
 from ten to fifteen years old), decorated 
 with coral and beads, and a piece of taffity 
 or fine chintz thrown over their left 
 fhoulders like a highlander's plaid. 
 
 The drefs of the men is a loofe fhirt 
 without a collar or wriftbands, and very 
 
 wide 
 
no LETTER VI. 
 
 wide fleeves, with drawers which reach 
 about the middle of the leg, and a hat or 
 fmall clofe cap made of country cloth > 
 though they generally go bare headed and 
 bare footed, except the head men, who 
 imitate as much as they can the drefs of 
 the whites, and the Mandingoes, who are 
 always diftinguifhed by wearing a red cap 
 and fandals, and who alfo ornament their 
 ftiirts and drawers with worded embroi- 
 derys in manufacturing of which they are 
 very ingenious. — The men never go with- 
 out their belmos, which are large ftraight 
 knives, hung in a fheath on the right thigh, 
 exadly like the patou-patou of the Sand- 
 wich iflands, defcribed by Captain Cook> 
 they have two of thefe, one fmall for the 
 purpofe of eating, and the other as a wea- 
 pon of defence. 
 
 The cuftom of tattowingy or marking the 
 body, which is called foccaldy is pretty 
 gener4 all over Africa, and I fancy was 
 
 originally 
 
L E T T E R VI. Ill 
 
 originally intended to diftinguifli the dif- 
 ferent tribes from each other: it is ftill 
 pradifed here on that account, but does 
 not appear to be fo neceflary as it might 
 have been formerly. The back, loins, belly, 
 and breaft, are the parts upon which they 
 carve in this neighbourhood; and the man- ' 
 ner in which it is done not only denotes the 
 tribe, but the condition of the perfon, as a 
 flave is not allowed to be marked in the 
 fame manner as a free man. — The opera- 
 tion of tattowing muft be extremely pain- 
 ful, and is often dangerous; it is performed 
 when the child is only a few months old. 
 Some nations raife the fkin in fuch a man- 
 ner as to make it appear like emboffed 
 work ', others perform it by pundure, with 
 a (harp-pointed inftrument dipped in a 
 liquid, which leaves an indelible mark: 
 but it muft be obferved, that thofe who 
 ufe this method are of a yellow complexion^ 
 In the more fouthern and eaftern parts of 
 
 Africa, 
 
tti LETTER Vf. 
 
 Africa, they mark the face as well as the 
 body. 
 
 The fituations which the natives chufe 
 for their towns are generally on the bank of 
 a creek or river, for the benefit of fifhing, 
 and are always diftinguifhed by large pullam 
 trees; which kind of trees are a certain 
 criterion of a dry foil. They never take 
 the trouble to clear more ground than is 
 fufficient to build their houfes upon; as 
 they cannot conceive that cutting down the 
 wood, fo as to admit a free circulation of 
 air, would render it more healthy : neither 
 do they obferve any order in the difpofition 
 of ftrects J but every man chufing a fpct 
 moft convenient or agreeable, erefts a num- 
 ber of fmall houfes, according to the number 
 of his wives and people (for every wife has 
 a feparate houfe); the whole forming a 
 circle, which are inclofed within a trapada, 
 or fence^ made by driving (lakes into the 
 ground j whichj in a few months, (fo quick 
 
 is 
 
\ 
 
 
 fe 
 
LETTER VI. 113 
 
 13 vegetation in this climate) become living 
 trees, and produce a very pretty effedt. 
 
 A number of thefe inclofed buildings 
 erefted near each other form a town, which 
 is generally furrounded widi a mud wall or a 
 ftrong paliiade, and often cover a confi- 
 derable extent of ground. 
 
 When the natives are at war they- have 
 feveral barriers, which are always fliut at 
 fun-fet, and guarded, during the night, with 
 a good watch ; nor are they opened again, 
 upon any occafion, till the fun rifes next 
 morning. 
 
 Their houfes are only one ftory, and are 
 either round or an oblong fquare ; the fides 
 built with upright ports, wattled and co- 
 vered with a ft iff clay. The floors are alfo 
 clayed and beat hard; and the roofs are 
 fupported with long poles, and thatched 
 with grafs. They have generally two doors, 
 on oppofite fides, which caufc a draught of 
 air through; and, together v/ith their height, 
 
 I make 
 
114 LETTER ?I. 
 
 make them very cool in the hotteft wea-^ 
 ther : and they white-wafli the outfide with 
 white clay, which they get in fome particu- 
 lar places from th^ bottom of the river, or a 
 white foapenaceoiis earth found in Sherbro'. 
 Though I have mentioned doors, they 
 very feldom have any in the European 
 manner, except thofe wha imitate the man- 
 ners of the whites > but, inftead of doors, 
 have a mat faftened to the upper end of 
 the dcor frame j when that is dropped 
 nobody prefumes to enter without a previous 
 inquiry^ when it is rolled up that eetemony 
 is unneceffary. The eaves of the roof pro- 
 je<fl fix or eight feet over the walls, and 
 are fupported with ports; the fpace be- 
 tween the walls and the pofts 5s raifed a 
 foot or eighteen inches, which form a kind 
 of piazza, and makes an admirable lolling 
 place, as it fcreens them from the fun^ 
 and rain. 
 
 In 
 
L E T t E R Vi. ii5 
 
 tn the interior parts of the country they 
 build very large houfes of brick baked in 
 the fun, which ftand many years, if the top 
 of the walls are prefer ved from the weather. 
 
 They never have chimnies to their houfes; 
 yet the natives always keep fires in the 
 morning and evening, to drive away the 
 mufquetos. 
 
 The common people, flaves, and chil- 
 dren, fleep on mats or dried fkins fpread 
 upon the ground before the firej but people 
 of confequence have bed places, made by 
 driving four flakes into the ground, with a 
 bottom of fplit cane or bamboo; and mats 
 hung round fupplies the place of curtains. 
 The men's apartments are furnifhed with a 
 cheft to contain their clothes and valuables, 
 a mat or fkin to fit upon, and their arms. 
 The women's contain all their domeftic 
 utenfils, matSj and flools, and never without 
 a looking-glafs, 
 
 i ^ Near 
 
ii6 L E T T E R VI. 
 
 Near the centre of every town there is ? \ 
 circular building, open at the fides, which 
 they term a burree (i.e. court houfe)j 
 where all palavers are talked, and public ; 
 bufinefs of every kind tranfaded. 
 
 In the Mandingo country, where they 
 profefs the Mahometan religion, there is in [ 
 every town a public mofque, from the I 
 top of which the people are called to ' 
 prayers in the fame manner as in Turkey, 
 
 There are alfo feveral fmall burrees, ; 
 which ferve as public fchools 3 where their \ 
 youth -are taught to read and write Arabic. ^ 
 
 Polygamy is allowed and praftifed here ' 
 in its utmoft latitude^ and vi^omen, as in ; 
 more civilized countries, are frequently 
 among the great the bond of peace and i 
 friendihip. If two tribes have been at war, 
 or wifh to contraft a more clofe and in- ] 
 timate connexion with each other, a mutual ] 
 exchange with the chiefs of each others ■ 
 daughters is the bafis of every treaty: it i 
 
 is i 
 
L E T T E R VI. 117 
 
 IS the fame alfo with individuals, and from 
 this caufe is chiefly the reafon of the head 
 men having fo many wives. In order to 
 conned their families together, a female 
 child is frequently given to a man as foon as 
 ffae is born 5 but among the Sufecs the child 
 remains with the mother till of a proper 
 age, which is judged of rather from' the 
 external appearance, than from the age of 
 the party 3 they are then delivered in form. 
 On the day appointed for the marriage, the 
 bridegroom flations relays of people on the 
 road the bride is to come, with liquor and 
 refrefhmentS} for if thefe articles are not 
 plentifully fupplied, the bride's attendants 
 will not proceed a ftep, even though the 
 fupplies (hould fail them in the midway. 
 When they approach near the town, they 
 halt, and are joined by the bridegroom's 
 people, and friends, who make great re- 
 joicing by {houting, drinking, firing guns, 
 And other demonftrations of joy. 
 
 1 3 The 
 
iiS LETTER VL 
 
 The lady is then taken upon the back 
 of an old woman, and covered over with 
 a fine cloth, for from this time fhe is not 
 allowed to be feen by any male perfon, till 
 after confummation. Mats are fpread on 
 the ground, that the feet of the perfon who 
 carries her may not touch the earth ; in this 
 manner fhe is carried to the houfe of her 
 intended hufband, attended by the friends 
 of both parties, (houting dancing, and firing 
 guns. In the evening the bridegroom re- 
 tires to hiS wife's apartment. If he finds 
 room to fufpedl fhe has before admitted the 
 embraces of a man he immediately leaves 
 her, which is no fooner known by her 
 friends than they inflantly abfcond, fhout- 
 ing and howling with fhame and confufion ; 
 but if he is fatisfied, he remains with her all 
 night. Great rejoicings are then made by 
 her friends, who carry the tokens of her vir^ 
 ginity, according to the Mofaical inftitution, 
 in wild proceffion through the flreets. la 
 
 either 
 
LETTER VI. 119 
 
 either cafe he is at liberty to retain her, but 
 iliould he fend her back, he mud fend 
 every thing fhe brought with her. 
 
 Among theBullams, Bagoes, andTimma- 
 neys, they frequently receive their future 
 wives when quite children, and bring them 
 up in their own houfes. On thefe occa- 
 fions, when they receive the child, apre- 
 fent is made according to the receiver's abi- 
 lity, to the child^s parents, which they term 
 drawing wine for her^ but if the child 
 fliould be ill-treated before confummation 
 takes place, her parents have a right to de- 
 inand her on refunding the wine. On the 
 other hand, if the man fends back his in- 
 tended bride to her parents, they mu ft re- 
 <:eive her, but keep the wine. 
 
 From thefe circumftances one would na- 
 turally imagine chaftity was highly valued, 
 but in fad: it is no longer the cafe than to 
 the time of marriage 5 for it is reckoned 
 extremely unpolite and ill-bred for a mar- 
 
 1 4 ried 
 
120 LETTER VI. 
 
 ricd woman to rejedt the offers of a lover; 
 though ihe is fenfible (he is liable to a fe- 
 vere punifhment if difcovered, yet it does 
 not at all affcdt her reputation. Almoft 
 every married woman has, according to the 
 country cuftom, her yangee camee^ or cicif- 
 beo, whom fhe firft folicits. This connexion 
 fhe is at little or no pains to conceal, and 
 her hufband is often obliged to be iilent, 
 as otherwife he would have reafon to dread 
 worfe confequences; for although the laws 
 of the country are fevere againft adultery, 
 it requires the arm of power, even among 
 themfelves, to put them in, force. But 
 it fhould be obferved that it is among 
 the great who keep a number of wives, 
 that this pradice more particularly pre- 
 vails. The common people are in ge- 
 neral contented with one, or at moft with 
 two wives. Yet there is one Angular cir- 
 eumftance which fhould not pafs unnoticed 
 refpefting their women's private amours. ^^ 
 
 They 
 
LETTER VI. 121 
 
 They never attempt to impofe on their huf- 
 bands by introducing a fpurious offspring 
 into his family, but always declare before 
 they are delivered who is the father. But 
 if the hufband wifhes to have children by a 
 favourite woman, he obliges her, though it 
 is fometimes done voluntarily, to make a 
 vow, that fhe will not for a certain time go 
 aftrayi and fhould (he during that period be 
 induced either by force orperfuafion to break 
 her vow, fhe immediately tells her hufband, 
 and both the offending parties undergo a 
 moft fhameful punifhment, and are ever 
 after reckoned infamous, and held in con- 
 tempt. 
 
 They depofit their dead in the ground in 
 the European manner, and generally either 
 in the evening or morning -, but the cere- 
 mony of interrogating the corpfe is curious, 
 and deferves a particular defcription. 
 
 When the deceafed is defigned for inter- 
 |:nent, the corpfe is laid upon an open bier, 
 
 decently 
 
122 L E T T E R VL 
 
 decently wrapped in a white cloth, and born 
 upon the heads of fix young people, either 
 male or female ; for that is a matter left 
 entirely to the choice of the corpfe, who 
 fignifies his approbation or difapprobation of 
 the bearers, by his inclination or difinclina- 
 tion to move (which they firmly believe it 
 is capable of exerting) to the place of 
 burial. This place is always in the huPa 
 out of the town. When arrived there a 
 perfon, who is generally a relation or friend 
 of the deceafed, places himfelf five or fix 
 paces before the bier, with a green bough 
 in his hand, and addrefles the deceafed in 
 this manner-^^" You are now a dead man— ^ 
 «' you know you are no longer alive and as 
 "one of us — you know you are placed 
 ** upon the flicks (i. e. the bier) of God 
 «* Almighty, and that you muft anfwer 
 ** truth."-^And then he afks him what 
 
 made him die— whether he knew of his 
 own death, or whether it was caufed by 
 
 witchcraft 
 
L E T T E R VI. 123 
 
 witchcraft or poifon ; for it is a firm and 
 unlverfal belief among them, that no perfon 
 dies without having a previous knowledge 
 of his death, except his death be caufed by 
 witchcraft or poifon, or the more power* 
 ful charms of another perfon over thofe 
 he wears. 
 
 If the corpfe anfwers in the affirmative 
 to any of the queftions propofed, it is figni- 
 fied by forcibly impelling the bearers feveral 
 paces forward, by a power which they fay 
 they are unable to refift — ^if, on the contrary, 
 it is fignified by a rolling motion, which 
 they alfo fay they cannot pfevent.^— If, by 
 the fign given, a fufpicion arifes that the death 
 of the party was occafioned by poifon or 
 witchcraft, they proceed to queftion him 
 who was the perfon, and name feveral 
 people to whom they fuppofe he was not at- 
 tached in his life time ; but they firft begin 
 with his relations. If it iLould happen to 
 be any of them tjie corpfe remains filent 
 
 fop 
 
124 L E T T E R VI. 
 
 for fome time, as if afliamed to accufe his 
 own kindred, but at laft is obliged to an- 
 fwer. He is then more particularly quef- 
 tioned whether he is certain of the perfon ; 
 if he is, it is requefted that he will ftrike 
 that hand which holds the bough, (the 
 perfon before the corpfe holding the bough 
 up in his hand). Upon this the corpfe 
 immediately impels the bier forwards, and 
 ftrikes the bough. In order to convince the 
 fpeftators, they repeat this two or three times. 
 
 The culprit is then feized, and if a witch 
 fold without further ceremony : and it fre« 
 quently happens if the deceafed were a 
 great man, and the accufed poor, not only 
 he himfelf but his whole family are fold 
 together. But if the death of the de- 
 ceafed was caufed by poifon, the offender 
 is referved for a further trial ; from which, 
 though it is in fome meafure voluntary, 
 he feldom efcapes with life. 
 
 After depofiting the corpfe in the grave, 
 which is hung round with mats, and his 
 
 moft 
 
LETTER VI. I2J 
 
 moft valued clothes and neceflarles put in 
 with him.:^ — They confine the accufcd in 
 fuch a manner that he can releafe hlmlelf j 
 which fignifies to him he has tranfgrefled 
 the laws of his country, and is no longer at 
 liberty. As foon as it is dark he efcapes 
 to the next town, and there claims the 
 protedion of the head man, who is fup- 
 pofed to be an impartial perfon; informs 
 him that the corpfe of fuch a perfon has 
 accufed him of caufing his death by poifon ; 
 that he is innocent, and defires that to 
 prove it he may drink red water. This 
 requefl is always allowed, and the friends 
 of the deceafed are fent for to be witnefles. 
 At the time appointed the accufed is 
 placed upon a kind of high chair, ftripped 
 of his common apparel, and a quantity of 
 plantain leaves are wrapped round his waift. 
 Then in prefence of the whole town, who 
 are always affembled upon thefe occafions, 
 he firft eats a little cola or rice, and then 
 drinks the poifoned water. If it kills him, 
 
 which 
 
126 LETTE R Vt. 
 
 which It is almoft fure to do, he is pro- 
 nounced guihy ; but if he efcapes with 
 life after drinking five or fix quarts and 
 throwing up the rice or cola unchanged by 
 the digeftive powers of the ftomachj he is 
 judged innocent, but yet not intirely fo till 
 the fame hour next day. During the in- 
 terval he is not allowed to eafe nature by 
 any evacuations j and ftiould he not be 
 able to reftrain them, it would be confi- 
 dered as ftrong a proof of his guilt as if he 
 had fallen a vidim to the firft draught. 
 And to prevent the lead poffibility of the 
 medicine's not operating, (hould any remain 
 in the ftomach, they oblige the accufed td 
 join in the rejoicings made for his efcape^ 
 which confifts in finging and dancing all 
 night. — After being fairly acquitted by this 
 ordeal trial, he is held in higher eftimation 
 than formerly, and brings a palaver, or, to 
 fpeak in the profeflional language of my 
 friend, an aftion againft the friends of the 
 
 deceafed. 
 
L E T T E R VI. i27 
 
 deceafed, for defamation or falfe imprifon* 
 ment, which is generally compromifed by a 
 payment adequate to the fuppofed injury. 
 
 But if the deceafed fays he knew of his 
 death, and that it was premeditated; they 
 aik him what induced him to die and leave 
 them, and propofe feveral queftions, liich 
 as, was any one poffefled of a fine gun, of 
 a fine cloth, that he could not acquire the 
 fame; or had any body offended him that 
 he could not be revenged of; but on thefe 
 accounts they cannot bring any palaver 
 againft the objed of his refentment. 
 
 It fometimes happens that the corpfe will 
 accufe a perfon of caufing his death by 
 witchcraft, that they cannot fell on account 
 of their age, or dare not fell on account of 
 their family or connexions, as it leaves a 
 ilain upon the family ; in that cafe, after the 
 guilt of the perfon accufed is proved, he 
 is carried to a field out of the town and 
 obliged to dig his own grave, the people 
 
 who 
 
128 L E T T E R VL 
 
 who are with him as a guard frequently re- 
 viling him, faying '* you deal in death and 
 can make other people die, you muft now 
 tafte of it yourfelf." Not with {landing he goes 
 on with his work with an appearance of the 
 utmoft unconcern, retorting, " 'tis true I 
 did kill fuch a one, and many others, and 
 if I lived I would kill many more," and 
 often during his work meafuring the length 
 and width of the grave, by the dimenfions 
 of his own body. When the grave is judged 
 deep enough, they diredt the prifoner to 
 ftand at the edge of the foot of it, with his 
 face towards it, then a perfon behind ftrikes 
 him a violent blow upon the nape of the 
 neck, which caufes him to fall upon his 
 face into the grave; a little loofe earth is 
 then thrown upon him, and a fliarp ftake 
 of hard wood is drove through the expiring 
 delinquent, which pins him to the earth; 
 the grave is then filled up, and his or her 
 name is never after mentioned. 
 
 Though 
 
LETTER VI. 129 
 
 Though the ceremonies above relate/! 
 are conftantly pradlifed, yet the different 
 tribes have different methods of performing 
 them. The Suzees carry the v^'hole body, 
 but the Timmaneys and Bullams only the 
 clothes the deceafed had on at the time of 
 his death, and the nails of his hands and 
 feet, which they cut off immediately after 
 he is expired, and which they hold to have 
 the fame power to anfwer the queflions 
 propofed, as if the v^hole body was prefent> 
 in which no doubt they are right. 
 
 The collufion between the parties con- 
 cerned in this curious ceremony, is fo ob- 
 vious, that it appears aftonifhing to me the 
 common people have not as yet difcovered 
 it, though it has exifted time immemorial. 
 
 I am told that in the interior parts of 
 the country, they found, fuffering the peo- 
 ple to drink red water upon every trifling 
 occafion, was attended with fuch fatal con- 
 fequences as would in time depopulate the 
 
 K country J 
 
130 L E T T E R Vr. ^ 
 
 country^ and although they could not in- \ 
 ti?ely fupprefs it, as the common people, ; 
 and particularly the women, are ftrongly \ 
 prepcffefled in favour of its infallibility, J 
 they have hit upon a method that has 
 greatly lellbned the pradtice. \ 
 
 When a perfon is to drink red water, the ; 
 friends of both parties affemble armed as ' 
 in a PoII/Ij diety and the inflant the poifon i 
 operates, either in cauiing them to vomit or ' 
 fall down dead, the friends of the accufed '\ 
 immediately attack the other party, either/ 
 to revenge their injured innocence, or; 
 death. '\ 
 
 Though mod unenlightened nations be- 1 
 lieve in charms and witchcraft, yet the in- i 
 habitants of this country are ib much ad- | 
 didted to it that they im^iglne every thing j 
 IS under its influence, and every occurrence \ 
 of life they attribute to that caufe; even 
 the effeds of their fometimes diabolical dif- ! 
 pofition, they will alledge is owing to the 
 
 powers^ i 
 
LETTER VI. iqr 
 
 J 
 
 powers of v/itches over them; an extra- 
 ordinary inftance of which has lately hap- 
 pened within my own knowledge. A man 
 of fome confequencc, but of a mod vile dif- 
 poiition, had taken advantage of his fon-iri- 
 lavv*s ab fence, to commit the moft horrid 
 adts of cruelty on fom.e of his people. ; ap- 
 prchenfive of the confequences on the fon s 
 return, he caufcd fome deleterious poifon 
 to be given to one of his daughters; in the 
 agonies which it threw her into, they pre- 
 vailed on her by promifes of procuring her 
 relief, to confefs fhe had made witch (which 
 is the manner they exprefs it) for her father 
 to fpoil his head, and make him do that 
 bad thing; and he afterwards took care (he 
 fhould not retrad: what fhe faid, by giving 
 her a quietus in a few days after. 
 
 If an allegator deftroys any body v;hea 
 wafliing or fwimming, or a leopard com- 
 mits depredations on their flocks or poultry; 
 if any perfon is taken fuddenly ill, or dies 
 K 2 fuddenly, 
 
132 L E T T E R VI. j 
 
 fuddenly, or is feized with any diforder they I 
 are not accuftorricd to, it is ioimediately at- 
 tributed to witchcraft: and it rarely hap- ^ 
 pens that fome perlon or other is not pointed i 
 out by their conjurors, whom they confalt ' 
 on thofe cccafions, as the witch and fold. \ 
 In the power and efficacy of charms, \ 
 which they call griggorles, they have an ' 
 unlimited faith. — Thefe are made of goat's i 
 fkin, either with the hair on, or dreft like ■ 
 Morocco leather, into various fhapes and : 
 lizes, from the bignefs of a fhlliing to the 
 iize and form of a (heeps heart, and fluffed 
 with fome kind of powder, and bits of paper, ■! 
 on which are written in Arabic fentences *i 
 from the Alcoran j thefe they wear tied ] 
 round their neck, waift, legs, and arms, 
 and in fuch numbers that when a man is ■ 
 properly equipped for the field, the very ' 
 weight of them with his gun is an exceed- 
 ing heavy burthen* 
 
 Every 
 
LETTER VI. 133 
 
 Every griggory is affigned its particular 
 office; one is to preferve him from (hot, one 
 from poifon, another from fire, others from 
 being drowned ; and when a man happens 
 to be killed, burned, or drowned, they only 
 fay his griggory was not fo good as the per- 
 fon's who occafioned his deaths but this 
 muft be underflood when it happened from 
 an enemy: but they pretend not to any 
 griggory that can preferve them from (hot 
 out of great guns and fwivels. 
 
 They tell many wonderful ftories of 
 their griggory men : the relation of one or 
 two of them will fet their amazing credu- 
 lity, in thefe matters, in a ftronger light 
 than any thing elfe can do. — They tell you 
 their conjurers will go into the water with 
 their hair loofe, and continue there half an 
 hour ; that they will come up with it per- 
 fecftly dry, and plaited very neatly after the 
 country fartiion : that in order to difcover 
 theft or adultery they put a quantity of the 
 
 K 3 , bark 
 
 M ysaiEO PRE^VTL':'Afi \mm IIBPA9Y 
 
134 LETTER VL 
 
 bark of a particular tree into a fmall coun- 
 try earthen potj this they fill full of water^ 
 and put upon the fire: after it has boiled 
 fome time, the conjurer drops a fmali ftone 
 into it, which he takes out two or three 
 times with his hand, to convince the fpeda-.- 
 tors that he feels no inconvenience from the 
 heat of the water. He then orders the 
 culprit to take the ftone out 3 if he is inno- 
 cent the water will not burn him; if it does 
 he is guilty; which is generally the cafe 
 when any female" culprits are tried for 
 adultery. 
 
 Another method, equally efficacious as the 
 former, is done as follows :-^The conjurer 
 fills a pewter bafon, or brafs pan, full of 
 water; then fets up a flick on each fide; 
 from the tops of the fticks he ftretches a 
 fmall cord, and from the center of that 
 cord fufpends a grain of pepper by a thread, 
 jufi: to touch, but not in the v/ater; he 
 then dips his fingers in the water and flirts 
 
 .^ - . them 
 
L E T T E R VI. 135 
 
 them in the culprit's face; if he is guilty 
 a white film immediately covers his eyes, 
 which deprives him of fight and caufes 
 mofl excruciating pain ; but, if he is inno- 
 cent, it has no etfedl. After the guilty 
 party has made his confeflion the conjurer 
 dips his fingers into the fame water, and 
 fprinkles a little in his face, which inflantly 
 relieves him from pain and reftores him to 
 fight. — Thefe things are always done in 
 open day, and before a concourfe of people; 
 and what is moft extraordinary, it may be 
 performed by proxy. The conjurers alfo 
 pretend to foretell future -events by cafting 
 fand or ftones into the air. 
 
 A capital white trader, v/ho has refided 
 near thirty years upon the coaft, and who is 
 otherwife a man of knfey told me, very 
 ferloufly, he once thought as he fuppofed I 
 did ; but that he had feen fo many fur- 
 prifing inftances of their art he could no 
 longer doubt. 
 
 K 4 in 
 
136 LETTER VI. 
 
 In the accounts of moft uncivilized 
 countries that we read of, we find the office 
 of phyiician is generally annexed to that 
 of prieft or conjurer 5 but here it is carried 
 on by old women, and the cures they per- 
 form are truly aftonifhing; particularly in 
 external wounds, by the ufe of fimples, 
 which their woods and fields afford in 
 abundance; 
 
 The difeafes they are moft fubjeft to are 
 intermitting fevers and the hydrocele 5 the 
 latter is fuppofed to be caufed by the too 
 frequent ufe of palm w^ine, and excefs 
 of venery. The venereal difeafe is fre- 
 quent, but never attended with thofe 
 dreadful fymptoms which too often accom- 
 pany it in Europe, and is always eafily 
 cured; neither can they be convinced that 
 it proceeds from impure coition. The 
 fmall-pox is endemi^l, but is not fo fre- 
 quent on the fea-coaft as in the interior 
 
 country, 
 
 Ifliall 
 
LETTER VII. 137 
 
 I fliall conclude with my beft wlflies for 
 your health and happinefs 3 
 
 And believe me. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Tour's truly. 
 
 LETTER VIL 
 
 Sierra-Leone, February 15, 1787, 
 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 Your laft letter reached me, I prefume, 
 much fooner than you would expedl, as 
 it was only five weeks from the date in 
 coming to Africa, Your pointing out to 
 me thofe fubjedts concerning which you 
 wifli to be informed, is a pleafing and con- 
 vincing proof of your confidence and ef- 
 
 teem. 
 
J38 LETTER VIL 
 
 teem. I fhall make this letter the beft: an- 
 fwer I am able to your lirft inquiry, namely, 
 the prefent ftate and manner of the African 
 trade. 
 
 The Portuguefe were the original difco- 
 verers of the whole coaft of Africa, and 
 moft of the trading places ftill retain the 
 names given them by the firft adventurers; 
 they alfo formed many confiderable fet- 
 tlements, veftiges of which are lliil remain- 
 ing, not more remarkable for the durability 
 of the materials with which they were con- 
 ftrudted, -than the excellence of the iitua- 
 tions, which no doubt were then, and flill 
 are, the beft that could poffibly be fixed 
 upon for trade ; but the only fettlements 
 they now have on the coaft of Africa are, 
 Loanga St. Paul's, and BaiTou, and a fmall 
 fort at Whydah ; from the former, which 
 is their principal fettlement, they fend a 
 great number of flaves to the Brafils. 
 
 la 
 
LETTER VII. 139 
 
 In the infancy of the African trade, gold, 
 ivory, wax, gums, oftrich feathers, and fe- 
 veral fpecies of medicinal, and dye woods, 
 conftituted what might then be termed the 
 ftaple commodities of the country, and which 
 were purchafed from the natives with glafs 
 beads, coarfe woollen cloths, brandy; and 
 and fundry coarfe and cheap ornaments 
 of brafs or iron. Nor was it 'till the 
 Europeans had formed fettlements in the 
 Weft Indies, that flavcs became an article of 
 traffick. 
 
 In proportion as the Weft Indies were 
 cultivated, the demand for Haves increafed, 
 as they were found to anfwer for that pur- 
 pole much better than Europeans, and were 
 alfo procured at a much eaficr expence. 
 The Englifti and French were the firft who 
 began to cultivate the windward iflands, 
 which bad been only vifited by the Spa- 
 niards, their firft difcoverers, and in confe- 
 
 quence 
 
140 LETTER VIL 
 
 quence were the firft who entered into 
 competition with the Portuguefe in the Af- 
 rican trade. The fubfequenj: wars of that 
 nation with the Dutch, and other European 
 dates becoming adventurers alfo, foon dif- 
 poffcffed them of the greateft part of it; 
 but this competition intirely changed the 
 nature of the trade; the natives foon availed 
 tbemfelves of the eagernefs and avidity, 
 with which each adventurer ftrove to out^ 
 vie the other, and their demands incfeafed 
 accordingly. Slaves as well as the other 
 produdlions of the country, which were for- 
 merly purchafed with a few cheap and Am- 
 ple articles, were not now to be bought 
 without a more exteniive and valuable af- 
 fbrtment of cloths, fire arms, ppvv^der, fhot, 
 great variety of beads, and filver ware: and 
 foon after this trade was regulated in much 
 the fame manner in which it is carried on 
 at prefent. — Caflom has authorized what 
 fancy began; in affigning to almofl: every 
 
 feparate 
 
LETTER VII. i^i 
 
 feparate dlftridl in Africa a different choice 
 of goods, particularly in their arms, beads, 
 and cloth, and in affixing different deno- 
 minations of value to the articles of trade. 
 From Senegal to Cape Mount the name of 
 the nominal value given to goods is called 
 bars, from which it is denominated the bar 
 trade; from Cape Mount to Cape Palmas 
 they are called pieces, and therefore the 
 piece trade; from Cape Palmas all along 
 the Gold Coaft to Whydah, they arc 
 termed Ackeys; from thence to Benin' 
 Pawns; and from Benin to Bonny, New 
 and Old Calabar, Camaroons, and Gaboon, 
 Coppers. 
 
 It may be prefumed that the fea-coaft 
 alone at firfl; furniflied the flaves which 
 were fold to the Europeans ; but the con- 
 ftant and increafing demand, which has 
 unremittingly continued from the firft time of 
 their being brought to America, foon obliged 
 the natives to have recourfe to the back 
 
 country i 
 
J47 LETTER VII. 
 
 country; and many of them are now brought 
 from a ^ry great di fiance. 
 
 The modes of dealing and procuring 
 flaves are in moft places extremely dif- 
 ferent; but, as I cannot pretend to defcribe 
 them all, I &all confine myfelf to a de- 
 fcription of the method of trade of thefe 
 parts only. 
 
 When the adventurer arrives upon the 
 coafl with a fuitable cargo — which for this 
 place confifls of European and Indian cotton 
 and linen goods, fiik handkerchiefs, taffi- 
 ties, coarfe blue and red woollen cloths, 
 fcarlet cloth in grain, coarfe and fine hats, 
 worfled caps, guns, powder, fhot, fabres, lead 
 bars, iron bars, pewter bafons, copper kettles 
 and pans, iron pots, hardware of various kinds, 
 earthen and glafs ware, hair and gilt leather 
 trunks, beads of various kinds, fiiver and 
 gold rings and ornaments, paper, coarfe and 
 fine check, and linen rufHed fliirts and caps, 
 Britifli and foreign fpirits and tobacco — 
 
 he 
 
LETTER VII. 143 
 
 he difpatches his boats properly equipped 
 to the different rivers On their arrival at the 
 place of trade they immediately apply to the 
 head man of the town, inform him of their 
 bufinefs, and requeft his proteftion^ defiring 
 he will either be himfelf their landlord, or" 
 appoint a refpeftable perfon, who becomes 
 fecurity for the perfon and goods of the 
 ftrangcr, and alfo for the recovery of all 
 money lent, provided it is done with his 
 knowledge and approbation. This bufinefs 
 iinifhed, and proper prefcnts made, (for 
 nothing is done without) they proceed to 
 trade either by lending their goods to the 
 natives, who carry them up into the coun- 
 try, or by waiting till trade is brought to 
 them. — The former is the moft expeditious 
 way, when they fall into good hands; byt 
 the latter is always the fafeft. 
 
 When the country people come down 
 themfelves to trade with the whites, they 
 are obliged to apply to the inhabitants of 
 
 the 
 
144 LETTER VIL 
 
 the villages where the fadlories are kept, to 
 ferve as brokers and interpreters. 
 
 When a flave is brought to be fold he is 
 firft carefully examined, to fee that there is 
 no blemifh or defed in him ; if approved, 
 you, then agree upon the price at fo many 
 bars, and give the dealer fo many flints or 
 ftones to count with 5 the goods are then 
 delivered to him piece by piece, for which' 
 he returns fo many ftones for each, agree- 
 bly to its denominated value 5 and they 
 always take care to begin with thofe ar^ 
 tides which they judge mod effentially 
 neceffary. 
 
 Exclufive of this method of dealing di^ 
 redtly with the natives, tranfient {hips, or 
 thofe who only come for a fmall number, 
 generally barter with the white traders re- 
 fident on the coaft, or with the fadiories 
 eftablifhed there, who take their whole 
 cargo at once, and deliver them flaves, 
 
 camwood. 
 
LETTER VII. 145 
 
 camwood, ivory, &c. according to their 
 agreement, in a certain time. 
 
 From the great number of flaves which 
 are annually exported, and which, from this 
 place and the parts adjacent, including 
 Sherbro' and the Riomoonas, amounts to 
 about three thoufand annually, one would 
 be led to imagine the country would, in 
 time, be depopulated 5 inftead of which no 
 diminution of their numbers is perceived ; 
 and, from every account we have been able 
 to acquire from the natives themfelves, who 
 travel into the interior country, it is ex- 
 traordinarily populous : but how fuch a 
 number of flaves are procured, is a circurrv 
 ftance which I believe no European was 
 ever fully acquainted with. 
 
 The befl: information I have been able 
 to colledl is, that great numbers are pri- 
 foners taken in war, and are brought down, 
 fifty or a hundred together, by the black 
 flave merchants ; that many are fold for 
 
 L witchcraft. 
 
146 LETTER VII. - 
 
 witchcraft, and other real, or imputed, j 
 
 crimes ; and are purchafed in the country 
 
 with European goods and falt^ which is I 
 
 an article fo highly valued, and fo eagerly i 
 
 fought after, by the natives, that they will \ 
 
 part with their wives and children, and 
 
 every thing dear to them, to obtain it, when 
 
 they have not flaves to difpofe of 3 and i 
 
 it always makes a part of the merchandize ; 
 
 for the purchafe of flaves in the interior | 
 
 country; yet, notwithftanding fait is in \ 
 
 i 
 fuch great demand, the natives of the fea- : 
 
 coaft will not permit the import of it in 
 European vefTels, becaufe it would inter- 
 fere with the only article of their own 
 manufacture, which they have for inland \ 
 trade. ^ 
 
 The prefent cuftom and ancient tradition 1 
 of the country, handed down from father 
 to fon, and from generation to generation, : 
 both teach us to believe that the pradice j 
 of making, buying, and felling flaves, was in 
 
 ule ' 
 
LETTER VII. 147 
 
 ule in Africa long before our knowledge of 
 it. Death or flavery were, and ftill are, 
 the punifhments for almoft every offence. 
 And every prifoner taken in battle was 
 cither put to death or kept as a flave. 
 The fate of prifoners was alfo in a great 
 meafure determined by the feafon of the 
 year, and the occafion they had for their 
 fervices. If they were taken after the har- 
 veft was over, they werefeldom fpared; but 
 thofe who were captured before the com- 
 mencement of the rice feafon, experienced 
 a different fate, as they were referved to cul- 
 tivate the rice-ground 5 and fold, after the 
 harveft, to thofe tribes bordering on the fea, 
 who had no other means of acquiring flaves 
 than by purchafe^ or were kept as labour- 
 ing flaves, and for ever fixed to the fpot. 
 This was the ancient cuftom of the country, 
 and the modern pradice is nearly fimilar, 
 as they feldom difpofe of their new flaves 
 ' till the rice is in the ground, or until it is 
 L 2 cut. 
 
148 LETTER VII. 
 
 cut. Hence, though the Europeans by the 
 eaigernefs with which they pu(h this trade 
 may be cenfurable fo far, as they may fome 
 times, by their competition with each other, 
 excite the avarice of individuals to procure 
 flayes, by means as repugnant to their own 
 laws as any adl of difhonefty is to ours 5 
 yet I believe we may fafely conclude, that 
 flavery can never be aboliflied in a country 
 like Africa, confiding of a prodigious num- 
 ber of fmall independent ftates, perpetually 
 at variance, and under no reflraining form 
 of government, where the people are of a 
 vindidive and revengeful fpirit, and where 
 the laws make every man a flave who is 
 convided of the moft trifling offence. Dur- 
 ing the late war in which England was 
 engaged with France, when the {hips did 
 not vifit the coaft as ufual, and there were 
 no goods to purchafe the flaves which were 
 brousfht down, the black merchants fuf- 
 fered many of them to perifh for want of 
 
 food. 
 
LETTER VII. 149 
 
 food, and faid they fhould not come down 
 again till the fliips arrived. When qiief. 
 tioned what the inland people would do 
 with their flaves? they replied " cat their 
 throats, as they ufed to do before white 
 men came to their country/* And I am 
 credibly informed, however (hocking to 
 relate, that this was, during that period, the 
 cafe with great numbers. To the above 
 account It may be neceflary to add a fhort 
 defcription of the prefent ftate of flavery ia 
 Africa, , 
 
 Among the Suzees, Bullams, Bagoes, 
 and Timmaneys, three fourths at leaf!: of the 
 inhabitants are flaves; and among the Man- 
 dingoes a much larger proportion, — It is not 
 an unufual thing for a head man to have two 
 or three hundred flaves of both fexes, exclu- 
 iive of their dcmeftics who are very nume- 
 rous; and fome of the principal men among 
 the Mandingoes have from feven hundred to 
 L 3 a thouland. 
 
J50 LETTER VII. 
 
 a thoufand, who refide together diftin(5l 
 from their mafters, in what they call their 
 flave towns; — thefe people know and feel 
 their fituation, for they are employed in 
 every fervile and laborious occupation 5 but 
 there is a diftindion to be made between 
 the labouring and the houfe flave, the for- 
 mer is as it were fixed to the foil, and held 
 in no higher eflimation than any other ani- 
 mal that contributes to its cultivation 5 but 
 the latter is in fome refpefl: confidered as a 
 branch of the family, affumes his mafter's 
 name, and calls him father > yet thefe arc 
 hired out as failors or labourers, not only 
 to the Europeans, who are fettled, or gome 
 to trade there, but alfo to each others and 
 their mafters receive the wages of their 
 labour. They are alfo obliged to attend their 
 mafters in their wars and predatory excur- 
 fions, and frequently experience a change 
 ©f them from that caufe. — It is related of 
 the North American Indians, that when 
 
 any 
 
LETTER VII. 151 
 
 any of them are taken in battle, and refcued 
 from death, by being adopted into a family, 
 they immediately confider themfelves as a 
 part of that tribe into whofe hands they are 
 fallen, and would the next day march to 
 attack their former friends with as much 
 zeal as if they had never known them, but 
 had been brought up amongft their new 
 connexions. 
 
 The conduct of the African flave when 
 taken in battle, or fold to another mafter, 
 is nearly fimilar, as inftances are extremely 
 rare of flaves deferting the fervice of a pre- 
 fent to return to that of a former owner, 
 (except in cafes of extreme ill ufage). Born 
 a flave he knows no other fituation^ and it 
 is alike indifferent to him, whether he be the 
 property of this or that man, as long as he 
 is provided with the neceflaries of life. 
 
 It is not to be doubted but the ideas of a 
 flave, when fold to one of his own country 
 and colour, and when fold to an European, 
 
 L 4 ^ ~ are 
 
152 LETTER VII. 
 
 are extremely different. In the firft inftance 
 his fituation, and the cuftom of his country, 
 foon reconcile hirn to the change ; but in 
 the latter cafe, he imagines the white man 
 buys him either to offer him as a facrifice 
 to his God, or to devour him as food; and I 
 have feen lome of thefe poor wretched 
 beings fo terrified with apprehenfions of 
 their expefted fate, as to remain in a ftate 
 of torpid infenfibility for fome time, til), by 
 kind treatment, and making them under- 
 {land for what ufes they were purchafed^ 
 the impreffions of fear were gradually lef- 
 foned V others have obftinately refufed their 
 food, while fome of a bolder conftitution 
 have looked at a white man with amaze- 
 ment, but without fear, examined his fkin 
 and their own, opened his breaft, and felt 
 whether the hair on his head was faft, or 
 not, and frequently burft into laughter at 
 the contraft, and, to him no doubt, uncotith 
 appearance of a white man. 
 
 To 
 
 .._i 
 
LETTER VII. 153 
 
 To reafon from ones own fentiments, we 
 fhould be led to fuppofe that thofe attach- 
 ments which muft in every fituation necef- 
 farily fubfifl between the fexes, where they 
 are together, would make them regret a 
 reparation ; but the facility with which they 
 form new connexions, and the knowledge 
 that their children are the properties of their 
 mafters, foon remove all anxiety on thefe 
 occafions. 
 
 Yet notwithftanding the almoft abfolute 
 power which the mafter has over the life 
 and property of his flave, he cannot fell any 
 who are burn his fiaves, or who, though 
 purchafed, have refided tweh^e months in 
 his poiTeffion, without accufing them of 
 fome crime i but for an accufation they are 
 never at a lofs. 
 
 Witchcraft is the moft general charge; 
 and fuch is the aftonilliing folly and fuper- 
 ftition of thefe people, whether a flave or 
 freeman, that they generally acknowledge 
 
 themfelves 
 
154 LETTER VII. 
 
 themfelves guilty of the crime of which 
 they are accufed; but if a Have fhould 
 plead not guilty, it would little avail him, 
 as, on thefe occafions, the mafter is both 
 the accufer and judge; and, if a free- 
 man, he would be obliged to drink red 
 water, which is a poifoned liquor prepared 
 on the occafion. The analogy between 
 this mode of trial and thofe which formerly 
 obtained in England is very ftriking. 
 
 The Mandingoes, who are extremely 
 cruel in the treatment of their flaves, had 
 carried this pradice to fuch anexcefs, that, 
 in 1785, there was a general infurredion. 
 The flaves took an opportunity, when the 
 principal part of their fighting men were 
 out upon an ejcpedition, to attack their 
 mafters j feveral of whom they put to 
 death, and had their heads carried before 
 them on poles, as enfigns of vidory and 
 liberty; they then fet fire to the rice which 
 was ready to be cut, which reduced theMan- 
 
 dingoes 
 
LETTER VII. 155 
 
 dingoes to the utmofl: diftrefs, who after- 
 wards retreated to their towns, which they 
 fortified in fuch a manner, and fo efFedu- 
 ally flopped every avenue that led into the 
 country fron> whence the Mandingoes could 
 receive afliftance, that their late haughty 
 mafters were under the neceffity of fuing 
 for peace — whether they will return again 
 to their former obedience, or affert their 
 independence, is yet undecided. 
 
 Another method which they make ufe 
 of to difpofe of their flaves is, to put them 
 in pawn either to the fhips and faftories, or 
 the native traders, for a limited time; and 
 if they are not redeemed at the expiration 
 of that lime, they become flaves to the 
 perfon to whom they were pawned : but 
 fliould a pawn be fent off before the 
 time is expired, or even after, without 
 giving notice to the perfon who pawned 
 him, a palaver, or adion, would be brought 
 againft the perfon fo offending. 
 
 It 
 
156 LETTER VII. 
 
 It is cuftomary, indeed, for people of all 
 ranks to put their children out as pledges, but 
 then they are careful either to redeem 
 them in time or to pawn them to the re- 
 fident traders or eftablifhed fadlories; and 
 thefe pawns are generally confidered as a 
 protedion for your property, and are em- 
 ployed in all domeftic offices j but are 
 equally liable to be fent off, if not re^ 
 deemed in due time, as the pawned flave^ 
 And it fhould alfo be obferved, that a 
 perfon, whether ^ flave or the fon of a 
 freeman, if not redeemed at the expira- 
 tion of the time limited for his redemption^ 
 becomes fo much the abfolute property of 
 the perfon to whom he was pawned,, that, 
 fhould he be kept in the country for the pur- 
 pofe of a domeftic, yet it is intirely at the 
 option of his mafler whether he will ever after 
 let him be redeemed, though they fhould offer 
 twenty for one, or he fliould be a fon of the 
 moft powerful perfon in the country. 
 
 From 
 
LETTER VIL 157 
 
 From the public papers you were fo 
 obliging to fend me, I find much has been 
 iaid on the fubjedl of the African trade; 
 particularly refpedling the inhumanity of 
 it ; I mud confefs I do not fee it in that 
 light ; and when you have attentively con- . 
 fidered the particulars which I have related, 
 I flatter myfelf you will join me in opi- 
 nion. — A pretty clofe parallel may be ob- 
 ferved between the African condemned for 
 fome offence againft the laws of his coun- 
 try, to be fold to a white man, and the 
 Englifh felon tranfported to a wild unculti- 
 vated country; for fuch Botany Bay is 
 rcprefented, and whofe diftance for ever 
 excludes the hope of returning. 
 
 Every circumftance of grief or diftrefs 
 which can increafe the afHidion of the 
 African at parting from his native country, 
 very probably may be felt with redoubled 
 force- by the more enlightened European. 
 
 It 
 
158 LETTER Vlt 
 
 It might be urged in fupport of this com* 
 mefce, that the cruelty of the laws in 
 Africa, which punifh with death, is miti- 
 gated by tranfportation, as flavery would 
 undoubtedly be the portion of thefe un- 
 happy people in their native country. This 
 is unalterable ; but if their fituation in our 
 Weft India iilands is fuch as could be re- 
 llored by wife and humane regulations, 
 fuch a plan would redound much to the 
 honour of the Britifh legiflature, and may 
 be confidered as the only efFe6lual relief 
 that, under the prefent circumftances of 
 Africa, can be adminiftered. 
 
 I know it is urged by writers on this 
 fubjeft, that all mankind are by nature free 
 and equal, and that no one has a right to 
 fubjugate the perfon of another to flavery. 
 
 In the writings, however, of many reli- 
 gious and moral philofophers, it is con- 
 tended, that though man, of created beings, 
 
 holds 
 
LETTER VIL 159 
 
 holds the firft link, yet that there are 
 different degrees of excellence in the human 
 race, as there are in every other animal, or 
 defcending link, of the great chain of nature. 
 In Africa experience fully authorizes our 
 affent to this : — Trace the manners of the 
 natives, the whole extent of Africa from 
 Cape Cantin to the Cape of Good Hope, and 
 you find a conftant and almoft regular gra- 
 dation in the fcale of underftanding, till the 
 wretched Cafre finks nearly below the 
 Ouran Outang. 
 
 LETTER 
 
( j6o ) 
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 
 Liverpool, Feb. 2C, 1788, 
 
 DEAR 81%, 
 
 Vv HEN a fubjed of great national im- 
 portance is agitated, and the minds of men 
 are much divided, it is undoubtedly the 
 duty of every good citizen to communicate 
 every kind of information to the pubhc 
 which his obfervation and experience may 
 furnifh. Upon this principle, therefore, and 
 in compliance v^ith yolir requeft, I fliall en- 
 deavour, in as concife and as perfpicuous a 
 manner as I can, to ftate thofe fads v/hich 
 I have colledled from my refidence at Sierra- 
 Leone, in Africa, and to fuggeft fuch obfer- 
 
 vations. 
 
LETTER VIIL i6i 
 
 vations> as appear particularly to concern 
 the African flave trade. 
 
 To thofe who contend that this com- 
 merce {hould be reprobated as entirely re- 
 pugnant to moral law and the gofpel, this 
 anfwer might perhaps be given — that there 
 are, and necefTarily muft be, many inftitu- 
 tions, confidering the depravity of human 
 nature, and the ftate of fociety in general, 
 equally incompatible with morality and 
 Chriitianity* It might likewife be added 
 that, perhaps for wife reafons infcrutable to 
 us, this fyftem and others analagous to it 
 may be tolerated by Providence. To thofe 
 who infift that no part of mankind hath any 
 right to opprefs, captivate, or wjge war upon 
 any other part, for any purpofes of dominion 
 or interefl:, might it not be obferved, that 
 men are by nature equal, and confequently 
 that in church and ftate there fliould be no 
 fubordination ? thefe two pofitions, or fpe- 
 calative truths cannot be denied. The 
 M thepry 
 
1 62 LETTER VIII. 
 
 theory is admired by the philanthropifl, 
 but the pradice, being attended with infu- 
 perabie difficulties, is rejected by the poli- 
 tician. 
 
 Self prefervation makes it occafionally 
 necelTary to have recourfe to arms, and to at- 
 tack a rival nation without . any apparent 
 provocations and, for the good order of fo- 
 ciety, there mufh be gradations of rank, and 
 a fcale of political dependance. 
 
 I have been farry to remark, that per- 
 sons who have delivered their fentiments 
 againfl: the abolition of this trade, have beer^ 
 branded with the name of hirelings of flavery, 
 and other opprobrious epithets.- There are 
 no arguments in abufey and as I addrefs my- 
 felf only to perfons of enlarged and liberal 
 minds, I have nothing of that fort to ap- 
 prehend. I fhall therefore proceed by ob- 
 ferving, that the fcope cf this letter will be 
 confined to the mode of procuring Jlaves on 
 the coafl: of Africa, and to the impolicy of 
 
 abolifhing 
 
LETTER Viri. 163 
 
 abolifhing a traffic cf fuch eflential impor- 
 tance to the naval interefts of Great Britain. 
 A defcription of the method of procur- 
 ing flaves in the part of Africa where I re- 
 fided, I have, in fome meafure, anticipated 
 in my former letters from Sierra-Leone^ 
 which were written at a time when I had 
 no idea of a defign to abolifh that trade be-^ 
 ing formed, or I fhould have applied my- 
 feif with greater induftry to have acquired 
 a more particular knowledge of the manners 
 and cuftoms of the natives of the interior 
 countries 5 I fhall however • endeavour to 
 combat fuch affertlons as are made ufe 
 of by the advocates for the abolition of this 
 commerce, as my own knowledge and in- 
 formation may fuggeft. That flaves are 
 often captives taken in war, is a pofltion I 
 readily accede to 3 but that thofe wars are 
 undertaken merely for the purpofe of pro- 
 curing flaves is by no means the cafe; for 
 it is jiecefl^ary to obferve, the king, or chief 
 M 2 . «f 
 
i64 LETTER VIII. 
 
 of a tiibe^ has not power to make war upon 
 any other tribe without the confent and ! 
 approbation of the principal people of his : 
 nation; and it can fcarcely be conceived that : 
 fuch confent could be obtained to a meafare | 
 that would draw dov*^n upon them the re- ; 
 fentment of the neighbouring ftates. Nei- ^^ 
 ther is it (as is alledged) in any inftahce I 
 which has occurred to my obfervation or \ 
 inquiries, by the inftigation of the European 
 traders; for, whenever the people on the i 
 fea-coafl. are at vv^ar, it puts an entire flop \ 
 to trade; and I always found it my intereft, I 
 as well as my inclination, to reconcile their 
 differences, and to preferve peace. But - 
 furely no perfon can ferioufly imagine that 
 the Africans are without paffions, or that 
 their difpofitions are fo placid, as to be un- 
 moved by anger or refentment, and excited j 
 to adlion by avarice alone. In my former 
 letters I have defcribed the caufes of the - 
 wars that fubfifted in the countries about 
 
 Sierra- \ 
 
LETTER VIII. 165 
 
 Sierra-Leone when I arrived there j and I 
 believe I may with confidence affert, that 
 fuch caufes are generally the origin of their 
 quarrels. 
 
 In anfvver to the charge of kidnapping 
 flaves, I can only fay that I never heard of 
 fuch a practice, nor do I know a word in 
 their language expreffive of fuch a cuftorn 
 ever having had existence. 
 
 Thofe who vifit Africa in a curlbry man- 
 ner have few opportunities of acquiring 
 any intimate knowledge of the country or 
 its inhabitants, and are very liable to be 
 miftaken in the meaning of the natives, 
 from want of knowledge in their language, 
 or in the jargon of fuch of them as re- 
 fide upon the fea-coaft and fpeak a little 
 Englifli; the European affixing the fame 
 ideas to the words fpoken by the African, 
 as if they Vv^ere pronounced by one of his 
 own nation. 
 
 M 3 A fpecinien 
 
i66 LETTER VIII. 
 
 A fpecimen of the converfation which 
 generally paffes on thefe occafions will elu- 
 cidate this obfervation. *' Welly my friend y 
 " you got trade to day, you got plenty of 
 " JlavesT* ^* Not we mo got trade yet -^ by and 
 ^^ by trade come^ you cant go. *" '* What^ you 
 *' go for catch people^ you go for tnake warV* 
 ^ * TeSy 7ny brother y or my friend y gone for 
 ^' catch people I or they gone for make war T 
 By this converfation nothing more is 
 tneant by the African than that his brother, 
 or his friend, was gone into the country to 
 purchafe flaves from the nations who are at 
 war \ or, perhaps, his own tribe might be 
 at war with fome of the neighbouring ftatesj 
 and as they in general fell their prifoners, 
 (though even now it is not always the cafe, 
 revenge fometimes proving too powerful 
 for avarice) they may wifh the fhip to 
 remain in expe6tation of having more pfH 
 foners to difpofe of. But I muft again 
 
 * By which they mean to fignify their dcfire for 
 the fliip to ftay. 
 
 repeat 
 
LETTER VIII. 167 
 
 repeat :hat the primary caufe of thefe wars 
 is not merely to procure flaves, but arifes 
 from the captious, quarrchbme, and vin- 
 didive, difpofition oF the people. But it is 
 not the prifoners made in the wars which 
 the inhabitants of the fea-coaft have with 
 each other, nor thole whom the laws of 
 their country, in confequence of their crimes, 
 punifli with flavery, that conftitute a tenth 
 part of the flaves who are purchafed by the 
 Europeans ; for, in fad, the inhabitants of 
 the fea-coaft are only the merchants and 
 brokers, and carry the goods which they 
 receive from the Europeans into the inte- 
 rior country, and there purchafe the flaves 
 from other merchants. 
 
 The nations who inhabit the interior 
 parts of Africa, eaft of Sierra-Leone, pro- 
 fefs the Mahometan religion ; and, follow- 
 ing the means prefcribed by their prophet, 
 are perpetually at war with the furrounding 
 jiations who refufe to embrace their religi- 
 
 M 4 ous 
 
i63 LETTER VIII. 
 
 ous docSrines (and I have before fhewn the 
 zeal with which the Maadingoes inculcate 
 their faith). 
 
 The prifoners made in thefe religfous 
 wars furniili a great part of the flaves which 
 are fold to the Europeans -, and would, I 
 have reafon to believe, from the concurring 
 t^ftimony of many of the moft intelligent 
 natives, be put to death if they had not the 
 means of difpoling of them. 
 
 That death would be the fate of their 
 prifoners, the example of the inhabitants of 
 Madagafcar, is fufficient proof; for fincc the 
 Portuguefe have declined dealing with then^ 
 they put all their prifoners to death. ^ 
 
 It is alfo given as a reafon for the abo- 
 lifhing this traffic 5 that the dii1:in6lions of 
 crimes are multiplied, and every tranlgref- 
 
 * The circumftance of the king of Dahomy pjjtting 
 ji!s prifoners to death v/hich he took in the Whydah 
 war, has been made known to the privy council by 
 an eye-witnef^. 
 
 fioa 
 
LETTER VIII. 169 
 
 fion punifhed with fiaveiy, in confequencc 
 of their intercourfe with Europeans. 
 
 Upon this head I fliall obierve, that the 
 eriwies of murder, poilon, witchcraft, adul- 
 tery, and theft, are always confidered as 
 capital, and have been punifhed v/ith either, 
 death or flavery from time immemorial. 
 
 That the punifhment of death, for the 
 eommifiion of thefe crimes, is remitted by 
 their becoming flaves, I believe, in many in- 
 ftances, to be the cafe; yet, furely no one 
 would adduce this circumftance as a proof 
 of its inhumanity. Lefler offences, w^he- 
 ther they refpedt the religious ceremonies, 
 or particular cuftoms of the country, are 
 puniflied by fine -, which, if the defendant 
 is not able to pay, he becomes the flave of 
 the plaintiff till redeemed : nor can he be 
 redeemed without the profecutor's confent. 
 
 Such are, and fuch always have been, 
 from every information I could collecl, the 
 laws and cuftorns of the natives of Africa 
 
 at 
 
170 
 
 LETTER VIIL 
 
 at and about Sierra-Leone. Indeed it has 
 greatly aftoniflied me to find that the long 
 intercoufe they have had with Europeans, 
 and particularly with the Englifh, fhould 
 have fo little aftedted their manners and 
 cuftoms. Several white men, natives of 
 Great Britain, are now refident in the 
 country, who have remained there upwards 
 of twenty years ; but the African born 
 children fpeak no other language than their 
 mothers, and in every refped: follow the 
 cuftoms of the country : and what appears 
 to me as aftrong proof of the little incli- 
 nation they have hitherto Giewn to profit 
 by the knowledge of European arts is, 
 that thofe black and Mulatto children (and 
 there are not a few of them) who are 
 fent to Europe for their education *, on 
 
 their 
 
 ♦ The natives of Africa, In moft parts where the 
 Englifh trade, are defirous of fending their children 
 to England to learn what they call white man's 
 
 booki 
 
LETTER VIII. 171 
 
 their return to their native country immedi- 
 ately reafiume the manner of living, and 
 embrace the fuperflitious cuftoms and cere- 
 monies of their countrymen. The only 
 apparent influence it has upon them is in 
 the exterior decoration of their perfons, and 
 the interior ornaments of their houfes. 
 
 I have, in my letters before alluded to, 
 defcribed the ftate of flavery in Africa, and 
 here it may not be confidered as irrelevant 
 
 book ; a knowledge which they find neceflary for 
 carrying on their trade. There are always feveral 
 of thefe children in Liverpool, who are boarded and 
 educated by the merchants and mafters of fhips 
 trading to Africa. 
 
 Qijery. Might not this plan of educating the 
 African children in England, and inftrucfling them 
 in the principles of the Chriftian religion, be a more 
 Jikely means of civilizing and converting the natives 
 %o Chriftianity, than a fupenfion or abolition of our 
 trade with them; which would for ever leave thern 
 involved in the dark errors of paganifm, or to become 
 cpnverts p the difciples of Mahomet ? 
 
 to 
 
172 LETTER VIIL 
 
 to the fubje(ft to fay a few words on the 
 treatment of them in that country. The 
 labouring flaves go to work before the fua 
 rifes, and continue In the field or wood* till 
 ten o'clock, about which time they take 
 their repaft, and I believe do not exceed an 
 hour before they return again to their la- 
 bour, which continues till fun-fet. Their 
 ^ manner of punifhing the labouring flave is 
 fevere — the offender is ftretched upon the 
 earth with his face downward, and is either 
 held in that pofitlon by men, or faftened to 
 four flakes drove into the ground, and is 
 beaten with rods as thick as a man's finger, 
 at the will of his mafter. The Mandingoes, 
 according to a precept of the Alcoran, limit 
 the number of ftripes to be inflicted for 
 fmall crimes to forty lacking one, and for 
 
 * The cutting down woods for the purpofe of 
 making rice plantations in Africa, is a much more 
 laborious employment than the cultivation of fugar 
 or cotton in the Weft Indies. 
 
 greater 
 
LETTER VIII. ^7s 
 
 greater offences to ninety and nine; but 
 few furvive the greater punifhment. They 
 alfo punifli by confining the feet in wooden 
 flocks, which, though not fixed, are too 
 heavy to be removed by any perfon confined 
 in them. — Whether the condition of a flave 
 in Africa or the Weft Indies is materially 
 different, I muft, from the circumftances I 
 have ftated, leave the public to determine*. 
 The freeman indeed who has felt and en- 
 joyed the (weets of liberty, to him the de- 
 privation of it, though condemned by the 
 laws of his country, or the fate of war, muft ' 
 no doubt be painful: but the man who is 
 born a (lave, who feels no alteration in his 
 circumftances from a change of mafters, 
 and who never even in idea felt the fenti- 
 
 ♦ The flaves who are employed by the white 
 people refident in Afi'ica. as domeftics and failprs, 
 find their fituation fo materially different from ferving 
 their black mafters, that inftances of defertlon arc 
 very rare, 
 
 ments 
 
174 LETTER VIII. 
 
 ments which liberty alone can infplre, as 
 he fufFers not by the comparifon, lb he is 
 not fo great an objedl of our commiferation. 
 But what have we to do with the African 
 laws J may not the rulers in that country 
 inflifl: what punifhments they think proper, 
 they are not our fubjeds, neither are they 
 ever likely to become fo ? The genius of the 
 people, and of that religion, which will in 
 all probability one day prevail throughout 
 that extenfive continent, are equally averfe 
 to the introduction of European manners 
 or European laws. 
 
 But let us fuppofe that the flave trade 
 was abolifhed by every nation in Europe, 
 would it abolifh it in Africa, or would it in 
 any meafure add to the happinefs of the na- 
 tives of that country ? That it would not 
 abolifh it in.Afiica is an incontrovertible 
 truth to thofe who are at all acquainted 
 with the ftate of the interior country, or 
 the commerce that is there carried on. 
 
 The 
 
LETTER VIII. 175 
 
 The troops of the emperor of Morocco 
 are compofed of black (laves purchafed in 
 the more fouthern parts of Africa : and it is 
 not unlikely that other defpotic princes, both 
 in the fouth and eaft parts, may compofe 
 their armies in the fame manner; and I am 
 credibly informed that in the northern and 
 eaftern parts of Africa the Have trade is 
 carried on in large caravans of two or three 
 thoufand flaves and people travelling toge- 
 ther, and are difperfed over every part of 
 Turkey, Perfia, and Arabia : but, inde- 
 pendent of the numbers exported out of the 
 country, either from the Vv^eftern or other 
 parts of the continent, by the Arab or by the 
 European, there is an internal traffic amongft 
 the natives. 
 
 Slaves are the medium, inftead of coin, 
 for the purchafe of every neceflary, and the 
 fupplying of every w^ant ; and every article 
 is eftimated, by its proportion, to the value 
 of a flave. I need not point out to the 
 
 intelligent 
 
176 LETTER Vin. 
 
 intelligent reader the analogy bstween^ thi^ 
 cuftom and that of all countries where coin 
 is not ufed, or where it is a fcarce article; 
 nor is it very material whether a guinea, a 
 iheep, cow, or a Have, are the denomi- 
 nations of value. 
 
 But would the abolition of this trade 
 add to the happinefs of the natives of 
 Africa ? I conceive not ; and for the fame 
 reafon that would attend the abolition 
 of the trade of this kingdom to foreign 
 parts. — For what purpofe do we carry on a 
 trade with the Eaft Indies and other foreign 
 places, but to fupply us with the luxuries 
 (not the neceifarics) of life ? Of the latter 
 our own country affords us abundance -, but 
 were we deprived of the former, we fhonld, 
 from being accuftomed to confider them 
 as contributing to our happinefs, feverely 
 feel the want of them. 
 
 The African is placed in the fame fitua- 
 tion, by his comtnerce with the Europeans, 
 
LETTER VIII. 177 
 
 in fuch produflions as his country affords, 
 and whLh to him" were no new article of 
 traffic j he is enabled to acquire not only the 
 neceflaries, but fuch articles aUb Us add to 
 the enjoyment of life 5 and in the pofieffion 
 of which he places no inconfiderable fhare 
 of his happinefs. 
 
 On the impolicy of aboliihing the African 
 Have trade 1 fhall beg leiive to offer a few ob- 
 fervations, and to point out the moft proba- 
 ble confequences of iiich a determination. 
 
 The French, in the year i/S:\,, in order 
 to encourage the African (lave trade, granted 
 a bounty of torty {hillings per ton upon 
 every veflel empIoyGd in that trade, and 
 a further bounty of near eight pounds fler- 
 ling upon every flave imported into certain 
 parts of their Weft India iflands. 
 
 This bounty has already enabled them to 
 
 monopolize the whole trade of the coaft of 
 
 Angola, and to fhare equally with theEnglifh 
 
 at Bonny and other places -, and has confe- 
 
 N quently 
 
178 LETTER VIII. 
 
 quently caufed an increafe of their {hipping 
 and feamen, and a decreale of ours in the 
 fame proportion. 
 
 If we thus fuffer a diminution in the 
 number of {hips and feamen employed in 
 this trade from competition only, what mu{l 
 be the confequence fhould an abolition of 
 the trade itfelf take place, I leave to every 
 unprejudiced reader to determine. 
 
 But It is not the lofs of the {liips and 
 men employed in the flave trade only that 
 w^ould lefTen our maritime firength, the 
 Weft India trade alfo would foon be anni- 
 hilated^ for whatever vifionary fchemes may 
 be propofed for fupplies of people to culti- 
 vate the fugar iflands, experience, the mo{l 
 unerring guide, has fufficiently proved that 
 no Europeans can ftand the climate when 
 employed in the cultivation of the foil *. 
 
 * Independent of the expence, as no white man 
 can be hired under one dollar per day. 
 
 But 
 
LETTER VIII. 179 
 
 But this is not the extent of the political 
 evil which may arife, not only from a total 
 abolition of the African trade, but is even 
 to be dreaded, fhould any partial or injudici- 
 ous reflridlions be laid upon it. 
 
 Whenever any particular branch of com- 
 merce becomes no longer profitable to the 
 parties concerned in carrying it on, -either 
 from reftraints upon the trade itfelf, or want 
 of encouragement from the government to 
 enable them to meet the competition of 
 rival ftates, or from whatever caufe it may 
 proceed, that trade will confequently either 
 totally fubfide, or fink into infignificance ^ 
 and if it be of fuch a nature that the inftru- 
 ments by which it was carried on cannot 
 be employed in any other way, from a fuf- 
 ficient number being already in ufej and if, 
 at the fame time, rival ftates are ufing every 
 means to pofiefs thole inftruments, in order 
 toincreafe and extend that particular branch 
 of trade, is it not to be apprehended that 
 N 2 ~ ths 
 
i8o LETTER VIII. 
 
 the proprietor of fuch inftruments would 
 difpofe of, or employ tht-m, where he alone 
 could do it to advantage? 
 
 The merchant, his fortune, experience, 
 fadlor's {hips, and the feamen employed in 
 them, are the inftruments by which the 
 African and all other foreign trades are 
 carried on: and there cannot.be a doubt, 
 but that thofe merchants who have em- 
 ployed their fortunes in this trade, under 
 the fancSlion and authority of the legiQature 
 of their country, would (fhould they be 
 deprived of it either in toto or under any 
 leftridtions which would render it unpro- 
 fitable,) immediately remove, with every 
 confequent contingent, to that country where 
 they could find encouragement. And it may 
 not be unnecefTary to mention that France 
 and Spain are at this moment, and indeed 
 long have been, holding out every induce- 
 ment to the Britifli merchants and feamen, 
 experienced in the African bufmefs, to 
 
 enter 
 
LETTER VIII. j8i 
 
 enter into their fervlce. Confidering it in 
 this point of view, it appears a meafurc 
 fraught with the mofl alarming tendency to 
 the naval intereft of thefe kingdoms, and 
 pregnant with fuch confequences (as would 
 inevitably refalt from it) as cannot have 
 been duly reflected upon by the warmeft of 
 its advocates. 
 
 Ic is not for the intereft of the indivi- 
 duals only who are concerned in the Afri- 
 can trade that I contend, it is for the wel- 
 fare of the nation at large; for it is a truth 
 that needs no illuftration, that, for every 
 (hip withdrawn from this trade by the Eng- 
 lifh, France or Spain would have an addi- 
 tional one, as the idea of abolifhing it has 
 never yet, I believe, been thought of in the 
 cabinets of Verfailles or Madrid. 
 
 The confequences which might enfue 
 upon the abolition of the Have trade to the 
 merchants trading to the Weft Indies, and 
 the proprietors of the Sugar Iflands ; the in- 
 fluence 
 
i82 LETTER VIH. 
 
 fluence it would have upon the trade of the 
 Eaft India Company,* and the manufac- 
 turers of this country, I muft leave to thofe 
 who are better informed to lay before the 
 publics but to thofe whofeobjedionsagainft 
 the African trade arife from the fuppofed 
 inhumanity of it, I muft beg leave to fuggeft 
 a few particulars. 
 
 It is, I believe, a generally received opi- 
 nion, that a nation without foreign wars, 
 colonies, or foreign traffic, double it's 
 numbers in the fpace of thirty or forty 
 years; admitting this to be the cafe, when 
 a country becomes over ftocked with inha- 
 bitants whom they cannot employ, how are 
 they to difpofe of their fuperfluous numbers. 
 They muft either follow the example of 
 the Chinefe, and drown the fupernumerary 
 infants as foon as born, or they will enadl 
 fanguinary laws, which punifh alike with 
 death the prifoner of war and the perpe- 
 
 * Eaft India cotton, and fome fillc goods, com- 
 
 pofe a part of every African cargo. 
 
 trator 
 
LETTER Vlir. 183 
 
 trator of crimes. To mitigate the punlfli- 
 ment of death by flavery or baniftiment, is 
 a proof of civilization operating in favour of 
 humanity; and every circumftance which 
 contributes to that end, fhould undoubtedly 
 be attributed to the fame caufe. 
 
 The trade therefore which the Europeans 
 carry on with the natives of Africa for 
 flaves, is probably permitted by Providence 
 as a means of preferving the lives of the 
 many thoufands who would otherwife be 
 put to death, and are thus made ufeful 
 mprnbers of fociety. 
 
 THE END.