484 
three pence a pound; wine very rea- 
sonable ; spirits dog-cheap ; pigs, poul- 
try, milk, and butter, dear; bread 
abundant and cheap; furniture, wool- 
len clothing, hats, boots, shoes, and 
every article of European produce or 
manufacture, very high; nor are the 
wares of India, notwithstanding this is 
the half-way house, much more mode- 
rate in price. 
Of the new colonies or settlements, 
situated about 600 miles or more to 
the eastward, [ dread to say any thing, 
—for I can say nothing that is favour- 
able in regard to their present state ; 
while it would be gross injustice to 
insinuate that they will not ultimately 
succeed. This, for many reasons 
which it would be tedious to detail 
here, and for which indeed I have not 
time, I firmly believe. There seems 
to be a fatality attending the establish-. 
ment of all new colonies, and these 
have not escaped the common lot. 
The elements have fought against 
them. Nearly three successive sea- 
sons have passed over their heads 
without a crop. Such a thing was ne- 
ver known here before, and probably 
never may again, at least till they are 
better provided against it; and we 
know that such an event in Europe 
would be productive of quite as’much 
distress. As a faithful chronicler, 
however, of what is passing before me, 
T must add, that within the last two or 
three weeks several of the most steady 
and determined tenants of the loca- 
tions have quitted them in despair, 
their money and patience exhausted, 
and come hither for a passage to 
Europe. Many others are daily ex- 
pected. Notwithstanding all this, my 
opinion remains unchanged; the im- 
pulse is given, and the result is 
undoubted,—for I know something of 
these matters; and it is certain that 
the land they occupy, if only mode- 
rately cultivated and favoured with 
rain, is equal or superior to any other 
in the colony. But you have no idea 
what a band of settlers is in a new 
establishment. An assemblage of wild 
beasts let loose from a menagerie is 
just as reasonable, and, I may add, as 
governable. They have never calcu- 
lated on the difficulties, never thought 
upon the privations, incident to their 
new state. Many of these people 
have been cockneys, the most helpless 
and querulous of the whole, and the 
female part, particularly, out of all 
patience, because comforts, the fruit 
Expedition to the Eastern Coast of Africa. 
(Jan. 1, 
of advanced society and long-esta 
blished institutions, aré not at hand. 
The difficulties, manners, and modes 
of life, are all new and strange, and 
uncouth perhaps, to an English far- 
mer ; and what then must they be to a 
delicate or enervated weaver or cotton- 
spinner? 
We proceed hence, in a fortnight or 
three weeks, upon what should rather 
be termed a voyage of discovery than 
of mere survey; for many places on 
the eastern coast have not once been 
visited (except by the Portuguese, who 
keep their knowledge to themselves,) 
since the time of Vascode Gama. An 
immense track of coast lies before us ; 
the difficulties of examination may be 
considerable, but in our eyes seem no- 
thing, accustomed as we are toa life 
of shifts, and a constant contention 
with difficulties. Government has 
liberally supplied us with every thing 
necessary for the service; and the offi- 
cers, in addition, have laid out large 
sums in furthering the objects of 
science. 
The Leven mounts twenty-six guns, 
has a flush deck, three lieutenants, all 
good surveyors, seventeen midshipmen, 
and about one hundred men: Capt.W. 
F. Owen is a smart officer, an able 
seaman, and a very superior mathema- 
tician. The Barracouta is a ten-gun 
brig, a useful class of vessel, sails infi- 
nitely better than the Leven, and is 
similarly provided with expert officers ; 
Capt. Cutfield being a commander of 
some standing. 
There are different opinions as to 
the probable time the examination will 
occupy. Three years is the limited 
time for men-of-war to be away from 
England during peace; but my own 
opinion is, that we shall not be able to 
go over half the ground in that time. 
Nearly the whole of the country in- 
ward from the coast-line, is unknown ; 
and I think the interests of geography 
and commerce require that this should 
be explored to some distance, when- 
ever the temper of the natives, or 
other favourable circumstances, per- 
mit. Many of the rivers which fall 
into the sea on the coast, offer consi- 
derable facilities for this purpose. 
They are not in general very capa- 
cious ; but much more so than is gene- 
rally imagined by those who have not 
paid particular attention tothe subject; 
more than a dozen under my eye, in the 
books at this moment, having from 
three to seven and eight fathoms wa- 
ter, 
