igi Adams's Account of the 



tblerable fortification to defend it, gar- 

 risoned by a motley militia. The popu- 

 lation is cliietly black, tlie major part 

 of whom are slaves. 



MAJUMBA. 



Majuraba, on (lie coast of Angola, 

 lies in latitude 3° 35' soutli, and longi- 

 tude 11° 20' east of the meridian of 

 Greenwich. The anchorage is a tine 

 sandy bay, about two miles deep, and 

 open to the westward. 



We anchored at this place early in 

 October, when the rains had j.nst com- 

 menced, and, on landina:, we were not 

 a little surprised and amused at the -jro- 

 tesque tigures which many of the natives 

 made, who- had on tlieir heiids birgo 

 wigs, made apparently of the bristles of 

 pigs, not a hair of wliicli had a curve in 

 it. and at the extremity of each stood a 

 dew-drop, for it was a mizzling rain, 

 with now and then a dasli of simsliine. 

 At this time the wigs made a very bril- 

 liant appearance; they were of all co- 

 lours, aithongh red and while were the 

 predominant ones, which, contrasted 

 with the blacii visages and naked bodies 

 of the wearers, gave them a most ludi- 

 crous appearance ; they had been pur- 

 posely made and carried to Majuniba 

 on speculation, by a Captain Higgiii, of 

 Jaoudon, au eccentric character. 



MALKMBA. 



That part of Africa Ijing between 

 the river Loanga Duiza and Cabenda 

 Hook, comprises an extent of sea-coast 

 uf nine leagues. ]Malcnd>a is in the 

 centre, and lies in latitude 5° 24' south, 

 and 12*' 20' east, of the mcriilian of 

 Greenwich, and may be justly consi- 

 dered as the Montpelier of western 

 Africa. 



The trading town of Malemba, 

 which is under the dominion of a 

 chenoo or chief, residing in a town 

 about twenty miles from the sea, called 

 Chingele, is built near tlu margin of a 

 clift', that rises abruptly Irom the sea- 

 shore to an elevation of one hundred 

 feef. and is entirely composed of a dusky 

 red argillaceous earth. 



On gaining the summit of this cliff, 

 an extensive and beauiiful plain presents 

 itseli', as far as the sight can reach to 

 tlie cast and south. To the north the 

 country is broken with the windings of 

 the Loanga Luiza river, the margins of 

 which are (inely wooded. The plain 

 is covered with a luxuriant grass, and 

 clumps of trees are scattered upon its 

 surface, having the a]>pcarance of being 

 plautcd by tlic hand of man, to afford 



Country cjctendhg Jrom 



him shelter from tlie sun and rain, and 

 to adorn the lands(^ape. 



The climate of Malemba, when com- 

 pared with that of any other pait of 

 Africa whicli I have visited, is very salu- 

 brious, owing to the dryness of the at- 

 mosphere and soil, and the absence of 

 those deep forests so common in other 

 districts. Masters of vessels, and their 

 crews, trading here, have, in consc- 

 (picnce, almost uniformly enjoyed good 

 health. 



If salubrity of climate, tlien, were the 

 only advantage whi(;h Malemba pos- 

 sessed over other parts of A frica,between 

 the rivers Senegal and Congo, it wouhl 

 well <leserve the consideration of bis 

 Rfajcsty's government, in the evtnt of 

 contemplating the establishment of ano- 

 ther colony, besides that of Sierra 

 Leone, of the negroes captured in ves- 

 sels trading for slaves contrary to law ; 

 whclhur their views might not be advan- 

 tageously directed hither, as a place 

 wiiere the experiment would be more 

 likely to be attended with success than 

 on the Gold Coast ; because it would 

 be here that those Europeans, whose 

 province it would be to watch over an 

 infant colony so composed, would enjoy 

 that state of heallh so necessary to ena- 

 ble them to superintend, and direct 

 personally, and with proper effect, the 

 physical and moral energies of those 

 Ai'ricans committed to their care. 



The Gold Coast is nearly, if not quite, 

 as unhealthy as Sierra Leone; and, if 

 the genllenicn sent out by the African 

 committee to Cape Coast Castle, were 

 lodged, on their first arrival from Eu- 

 rope, one mile in the interior of the 

 country, instead of within the walls of 

 that castle, the fact would too soon be 

 fatally verified. 



'J"hc superior healthiness of the castle 

 itself may be accounted for, by its 

 southern rampart-wall being built on a 

 ledge of rocks which project a little way 

 into the sea, and against whicli rocks 

 the sea beats with great violence, there- 

 by creating at all times a cool and 

 refreshing current of air within the cas- 

 tic. The sea- breeze also blows directly 

 into it, pure as tlie element over which 

 it wings its course ; and, at some sea- 

 sons of the year, this breeze continues 

 blowing days and nights without inter- 

 mission. 



The natives, too, of Angola, and of 



Malemba and Cabenda in particular, 



are a mild, tractable, inotTensive people, 



not at all warlike, and form a striking 



contrast 



