194 



THE BEE, OR Feb. 



?«?.- 



Intelligence refpeB'vig Literature^ 

 Africa. 



The good efFefts of patriotic affociations, have been fo 

 Itrongly felt in Europe itfelf, that the inhabitants of Eu- 

 rope begin to introduce them into all thofe regions, where 

 they eftabli'.h themfelves. This affords a happy prefage of 

 growing improvements, and is a bleffed effedl: of that focial 

 I'pirit of freedom, which makes man confider himfelf, not as 

 an infolated being, hicapable of any efforts, beyond the power 

 of his own arm, but as a part only, of a great body, whofc 

 power is irrefiftible, when all its exertions can be direfted to- 

 wards one point only. 



The iiland of Saint Helena, is an infolated rock, far de- 

 tached from all land, rifmg boldly from the fea, about i2co 

 miles weft from the coall of Africa — It feemed at its firft 

 difcovery, a barren rock, incapable of producing any thing 

 that might afford food to man 5 — but being fituated in the 

 tra.R; of ihips, bound to or from the Ealt Indies, it was 

 thought expedient, to fettle fonje people upon it, and try if 

 any frefh provifions could be there reared, to accommodate 

 ftiips with, on their long voyages. — For many years after it 

 was fettled, little could be depended on from thence, but wa- 

 ter, and a few goats, that bronzed on the pointed cliffs of 

 that rocky ifland ; — ^but by degrees, it began to be cultivat- 

 ed in fmall patches, and it now yields more abundant returns. 

 Still the vegetable produdions of that rock are but 

 few. — Some gentlemen, however, who have been ftationed 

 there by government, and other fettlers, having taken a 

 careful furvey of the whole, obferved, that by attention, 

 Ikill and care, the produce of that ifland iright be greatly 

 augmented. — To promote the improvement of that fort, a 

 number of gentlemen in the ifland, with governor Brooks at 

 their head, refolved in the year 1788, to form themfelves 

 into a patriotic fociety, for promoting the improvement of 

 that ifland, each member agreeing to contribute a ftipulated 

 fum annually, to be applied for the purpofe of importing the 

 feeds or plants of fuch productions, as promifed to profper ia 

 the ifland, and be ufeful to the inhabitants j and to give 

 premiums for exciting the indujlry, and awakening the 

 attention of the common people, to thofe important objects. 



