The Journal of a Mission to the Interior of Africa, in the Year 1805 Part 9

The Gold Coast is about 250 miles in extent, little more than a twentieth part of the whole coast extending from Cape Blanco to Cape Negro.

Previously to the Abolition of the slave trade, the imports into Great Britain from this s.p.a.ce of coast used to consist of

about 20 tons of ivory valued at --- 7500 and about 1000 ounces of gold dust --- 4000 --- 11500

Since the Abolition of the slave trade the imports from this tract of coast have greatly increased; and it may be stated upon the undoubted authority of intelligent persons, perfectly acquainted with the facts, that the importations have amounted, during the last five or six years, to the annual value of from 120,000. to 180,000. The annual import of gold alone is stated to be about 30,000 ounces.

Thus it appears that the importation from the Gold Coast alone, (a s.p.a.ce of 250 miles) into Great Britain since the Abolition of the slave trade, has been double the amount of the importation from the whole slave coast of Africa (an extent of 4500 miles) prior to that event.

A farther example may be taken from the colony of Sierra Leone, where a custom house was first established in May 1812; from whence accounts have been furnished of the imports and exports into and from that colony during the two years ending in May 1814.--The amount of the imports during that period, on which duties were actually paid, was 105,080.

15_s_. 3_d_. being the alleged prime cost of the goods, even without the cost of packages. In order to obtain the invoice price of the goods, one third at least must be added to the prime cost for necessary charges. The amount will then be about 140,000., or, on an average, 70,000. annually.

The exports from Sierra Leone during the same period have amounted to 91,539. 17_s_. 6_d_. being on an average 45,000. annually.

The remainder of imports may be accounted for by the bills of exchange drawn upon this country for the expenses of the civil establishment and commissariat. Hence it appears that from the single river of Sierra Leone the imports into Great Britain were nearly, and the exports to the same river fully, equal to the imports and exports (exclusive of the slave trade) of the whole extent of the Western Coast of Africa prior to the Abolition.

The facts here stated relative to the extent of our innocent and legitimate commerce with the western coast of Africa, must be considered as highly interesting and important; both as shewing how extremely small that commerce was prior to the Abolition of the slave trade, and how much it has increased during the very few years which have since elapsed. This increase has certainly been much more considerable than there was any good reason for expecting, under the actual circ.u.mstances of the case.

If we were told of a country, whose staple article of export trade consisted of its own inhabitants, its men, women and children, who were procured (as must necessarily happen in the case of large and continued exports) by treachery and violence--where the whole population was either living in continual apprehension of captivity and eternal banishment from their native soil, or employed contriving the means of inflicting those evils upon others--we should at once conclude that the very insecurity of person and property, which such a state of society implied, would of itself extinguish all the motives to regular industry, and limit the culture of the soil very nearly to what was required for supplying the immediate wants of nature.

Such in fact were the circ.u.mstances of Africa prior to the year 1808; at which time the slave trade carried on by Great Britain, and the United States of North America having been abolished by those respective governments, and the slave trade of France and Holland being virtually abolished by the war, a considerable mitigation of the prevailing evils took place. A farther improvement was effected about three years afterwards, by means of the article in the treaty of amity with Portugal, which bound Portuguese subjects to confine their trading in slaves to places in Africa actually under the possession of that Government. By this arrangement the whole coast of Africa from Cape Blanco to the eastern extremity of the Gold Coast (with the exception of the Portuguese settlement of Bissao) were in a considerable degree liberated from the operation of the slave trade.

The Spaniards indeed claimed a right of trading within those limits; but it was a right which, in its exercise, did not prove so prejudicial as might have been expected. The slave trade carried on under the Spanish flag, has been found in most instances not to be a _bona fide_ Spanish trade, but a British or American slave trade in disguise; and latterly the Portuguese, being excluded by treaty from the whole to the windward coast except Bissao, have begun to avail themselves of the same disguise. Many slave vessels under these circ.u.mstances, bearing the Spanish flag, have been captured by the British cruizers: and the condemnations which have taken place, have tended greatly to abridge the extent of this trade. Still however the course of improvement in this part of Africa, has been extremely r.e.t.a.r.ded by the right which Portugal has. .h.i.therto retained of carrying on the slave trade from Bissao, and by the trade carried on either by real Spanish s.h.i.+ps or by counterfeit Spaniards so well disguised as to escape detection.

Besides the trade thus carried on, cargoes of slaves have frequently been smuggled by English and American traders, availing themselves of the facilities which the creeks and rivers of Africa afford for such transactions, and taking their chance of escaping the cruizers on the coast. A contraband trade of this kind appears to have been carried on to some extent; by means of which various cargoes of slaves have been transported to the Brazils and the Island of Cuba.

These facts are mentioned for the purpose of shewing that considerable obstacles to improvement, arising from the partial continuance of the slave trade, are still experienced, even in that part of Africa which has enjoyed the greatest privileges and exemptions. Under such circ.u.mstances it would be most unreasonable to look for that progress in the arts of agriculture and peace-commerce which we should have been ent.i.tled to expect, in case the suppression of the slave trade had been complete and universal.

But even under much more favourable circ.u.mstances than we have reason at present to expect, it would by no means follow that the mere removal of that great obstacle to regular industry and commerce, would in any very short s.p.a.ce of time produce considerable or extensive improvements. The ignorance, the profligacy, the improvidence and the various other moral evils, which necessarily accompany the slave trade, will, it is to be feared, long survive the extinction of that traffic which produced and fostered them. The whole history of mankind shews that the progress of civilization is always extremely slow during its earliest stages; and that the first steps in the career of improvement are constantly the most painful and difficult. Hence, we may be justified in drawing the most favourable conclusions from the comparatively great increase which has already taken place in the commerce of Africa during a very short period, in consequence of a partial removal of those evils, which previously had almost excluded the very possibility of improvement.

_The following_ African Words _occurring frequently in the course of the ensuing Journal, it is thought proper to prefix an explanation of them_.

_Bentang_, a sort of stage erected in every town, answering the purpose of a town hall.

_Slatees_, free black merchants, often traders in slaves.

_Caffle_, a caravan of slaves or of people travelling with any kind of merchandize.

_Dooty_, the chief magistrate of a town or province.

_Palaver_, A court of justice, or public meeting; some times a parly or negociation.

_Bar_, nominal money; a single bar is equal in value to about two s.h.i.+llings sterling.

_Kowries_, small sh.e.l.ls which pa.s.s for money in the Interior of Africa.

_Barraloolo_, a fowling--piece.

_Arrangoes_, a large kind of bead.

_Baft_, blue cloth of East Indian manufacture, much used in the African Trade.

_Pagne_, a kind of cloth, also much used in the same trade.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Map]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Map]

JOURNAL &c.

Chapter I

Departure from Kayee--Arrival at Pisania--Preparations there, and departure into the Interior--Samee--Payment to Mumbo Jumbo--Reach Jindey; process of dying cottons at that place--Departure from Jindey--Cross the Wallia Creek--Kootakunda--Madina--Tabajang--Kingdom of Jamberoo--Visit from the King's son--Tatticonda--Visit from the son of the former King of Woolli--Reach Madina, the capital of Woolli--Audience of the King; his unfriendly conduct--Presents made to him and his courtiers--Barraconda --Bambakoo--Kanipe; inhospitable conduct of its inhabitants--Kussai --Nitta--trees; restrictions relating to them--Enter the Simbani Woods; precautions thereon, and sacrifice and prayers for success--Banks of the Gambia--Crocodiles and hippopotami--Reach Faraba-Loss of one of the soldiers--Rivers Neaulico and Nerico--Astronomical observations.

CHAPTER I.

April 27th, 1805.--At ten o'clock in the morning took our departure from Kayee. The _Crescent_, the _Was.h.i.+ngton_ and Mr. Ainsley's _vessel_ did us the honour to fire a salute at our departure. The day proved remarkably hot; and some of the a.s.ses being unaccustomed to carry loads, made our march very fatiguing and troublesome. Three of them stuck fast in a muddy rice field about two miles east of Kayee; and while we were employed in getting them out, our guide and the people in front had gone on so far, that we lost sight of them. In a short time we overtook about a dozen soldiers and their a.s.ses, who had likewise fallen behind, and being afraid of losing their way, had halted till we came up.

We in the rear took the road to Jonkakonda, which place we reached at one o'clock; but not finding Lieutenant Martyn nor any of the men who were in front, concluded they had gone by New Jermy, &c., therefore hired a guide and continued our march. Halted a few minutes under a large tree at the village of Lamain-Cotto, to allow the soldiers to cool themselves; and then proceeded towards _Lamain_, at which place we arrived at four o'clock. The people were extremely fatigued, having travelled all day under a vertical sun, and without a breath of wind. Lieutenant Martyn and the rest of our party arrived at half past five, having taken the road by New Jermy.

On our arrival at Lamain we unloaded the a.s.ses under a large Bentang tree on the east side of the town. The Slatee (or master of that district of the kingdom of Kataba, called Lamain) came to pay his respects to me, and requested that I would order the bundles and a.s.ses to be removed to some other tree; a.s.suring me that if we slept under it, we should all be dead before morning. I was for some time at a loss to comprehend his meaning; when he took me by the hand, and leading me to one of the large notches in the root of the tree, shewed me three spear-heads which appeared to have been tinged with blood, lying with their points amongst bone-ashes, and surrounded with a rope half burnt. I now ordered the bundles to be removed to another tree, presented the Slatee with a keg of liquor, and received in return a small bullock. Here we were forced to purchase water, the wells of the town being nearly dry. Slept very comfortably under the tree, and at day-break,

April 28th, set out for Pisania. We pa.s.sed two small Foulah towns and the village of Collin, and reached the banks of the Gambia at half past eleven o'clock. Halted and gave our cattle water and gra.s.s: we likewise cooked our dinners, and rested till three o'clock, when we set forward and arrived at Pisania at sun-set. Here we were accommodated at Mr.

Ainsley's house; and as his schooner had not yet arrived with our baggage, I purchased some corn for our cattle, and spoke for a bullock for the soldiers.

April 29th.--Went and paid my respects to Seniora Camilla, who was much surprised to see me again attempting a journey into the interior of the country.

[Footnote: See Park's Travels, p. 31, 357.]

April 30th.--Mr. Ainsley's schooner arrived, and we immediately began to land the baggage and rice.

April 31st.--Gave out the a.s.s saddles to be stuffed with gra.s.s, and set about weighing the bundles. Found that after all reductions, our a.s.ses could not possibly carry our baggage. Purchased five more with Mr.

Ainsley's a.s.sistance.

May 1st.--Tying up the bundles and marking them.

May 2d.--Purchased three a.s.ses, and a bullock for the people.

May 3d.--Finished packing the loads, and got every thing ready for our journey.