1831.] Africafi Tribes.— The Ashantees, Sfc. 421 



have much pleasure in referring such of our readers as may be desirous 

 of further information to JMajor Ricketts' Narrative. 



The climate will always prevent Sierra Leone from being a desirable 

 settlement. " At intervals during the day in the rainy season," says 

 the major, " the action of an intensely hot sun on the earth, covered 

 with a luxuriant vegetation, and saturated with moisture, produces a 

 sickening smell, which is probably one of the causes of the fever that 

 prevails at this period of the year, as persons recently arrived are gene- 

 rally taken ill in July or August ; some, however, have been known to 

 reside in the colony above two years without having been affected by it. 

 If they remain beyond this time they are certain not to escape much 

 longer, and when at length they take the fever, it generally proves 

 fatal to them." The major expressly states, that unless some method be 

 devised to give employment to the greatly increasing population caused 

 by the emancipation of slaves, who are almost daily arriving, it is pro- 

 bable the liberated Africans will relapse from their present state of 

 civilization into their former habits and customs. " There was evidently 

 such a iendencx) when I quitted the colony." JMany secret themselves in 

 the woods, rather than live in villages, especially the Pacongo nation ; 

 " these are cannibals ; and one of them was taken not very long since 

 with a human hand in his wallet !" The original IMaroons still in exist- 

 ence, speak of their former residence Cm Jamaica) with fond remembrances, 

 and sigh to return to it. 



With regard to the slave-trade, which has cost this countiy so many 

 millions of money and valuable lives in attempts to abolish it, " it is 

 carried to a gi-eater extent than formerly, on the neighbouring rivers ; 

 many of the liberated Africans have been enticed from the colony, and 

 others kidnapped by the vagabonds who reside in the suburbs of Free- 

 town : they are re-sold as slaves ; some of them, after a few months, have 

 been re-captured in slave vessels, and brought again to the colony to be 

 liberated," and a second bounty is paid to their captors, out of the public 

 purse ! ! " Slaves are purchased from the natives, on an average, for 

 about four pounds each, and are paid for in gunpowder, arms, tobacco, 

 ardent spirits, &c." which do not originally cost a third of that sum. 

 These slaves, as our readers must know, are carried to the Brazils, 

 Cuba, and the French islands, where they are immediately employed 

 in raising sugar to compete with that which is raised by our civilized 

 negroes, in the British colonies. Instead of trying to check this system, 

 by discouraging the use of such sugars, our wise governors, with 

 humanity on their lips, and stupidity in their heads, are encouraging 

 its consumption — even in this country — to the ruin of our own colonies, 

 and tlie injury of those British negroes whoVn they profess themselves 

 8o desirous to benefit !* 



" Viile note at page 414. 



