542 
week to the coast, 7. e. nearly 
5,000 ounces of gold per annum. 
From what has been said, it is 
not to be wondered that the Eng- 
lish have attached much import- 
ance to exploring the interior of 
Africa; and without admitting all 
the reports on the subject to be 
true, it cannot be doubted that the 
precious metal is very abundant, 
andthat the mines may still be con- 
sidered as virgin mines never hav- 
ing been visited by Europeans. 
In the year 1800 a society was 
formed in France for exploring 
Africa, and it soon consisted of 
300 persons: but it received no 
encouragement from the Govern- 
ment, and fell to pieces. For my 
part, I had quitted it previously, 
on being appointed mineralogist 
to the voyage round the world 
under Captain Baudin. 
Certainly, if France will con- 
sent to abandon for ever the odi- 
ous slave-trade, our august sove- 
reign will have it in his power not 
only to promote greatly the wel- 
fare of his own country, but the 
peace and tranquillity of Africa. 
There exists no country in the 
world so susceptible of general 
cultivation: we know that cer- 
tain districts in Africa are fertile 
in corn, and grain of every kind 
grows there intermixed with sugar 
canes lately introduced, and which 
protect the grain from hail. The 
plants of India, Europe, America 
and Australasia, or the fifth por- 
tion of the globe, will flourish 
there in perpetual spring, and 
the animals of all climates can be 
easily naturalized. The Negroes 
whose respect for the Whites is 
extreme, notwithstanding what 
they have suffered from them, 
‘will cheerfully give up their fields 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1815. 
to be cultivated by us. Hands, 
servants, and even slaves will not 
be wanting; and this will be a 
true method of preventing these 
nations from massacring their 
prisoners of war, as the king of 
Dahomet does at the present 
moment. May our feeble voice 
on this subject reach the ear of 
royalty ! 
ACCOUNT OF MURRAY’S ISLANDS 
ON THE EAST COAST OF TERRA 
AUSTRALIS. 
(From Captain Flinders's Voyage.) 
Finding by the latitude that we 
had been set considerably to the 
north, and were out of the paral- 
lel of Murray’s Islands, I tacked 
to the S.S. W.; and at two o’clock 
the largest island was seen bearing 
S. 38° W. about five leagues. 
Soon afterward, a reef came in 
sight to the south-east, extending 
in patches toward the islands ; 
and presently another was distin- 
guished to the westward, from 
the mast head, which took nearly 
a parallel direction, the passage 
between them being about four 
miles wide. We steered along 
the lee side of eastern reef, at the 
distance of a mile with soundings 
from 29 to 24: fathoms, coral sand, 
until four o'clock ; the reef then 
trended more southward, and we 
edged away for the islands, of 
which Mr. Westall sketched the 
appearance. At half past five the 
largest island bore S. 36° E. to 
28° W., one mile and a half; and 
there being more reefs coming in 
sight to the westward, the anchor 
was immediately let go in 20 fa- 
thoms, coarse sand and shells. 
