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Memoir relative to the Captaincy of the Rios DE Senna, 

 a Portuguese Settlement, on the Soidh-East Coast of 

 Africa. By the late Governor Terao.* 



Preliminary Discourse. 

 Statistics is a science which teaches the origin, the distri- 

 bution, the use, and administration of the productions, riches, 

 and force of a state ; and is a sort of inventory or table in 

 which is collected all the means and power a nation can use 

 to augment the public prosperity. Population, and the means 

 of subsisting it, are the two essential bases' of this science ; 

 hence it may be observed, that agriculture, commerce, in- 

 ternal and external navigation, industry, the arts as well as 

 public education, the rents of the state, and the troops, are 

 other elements, and become essential points in the combina- 

 tions of statistics: — by an analysis of all these articles, it will 

 be found whether a country derives from them every advan- 

 tage of which it is susceptible — its situation and fertility being 

 considered ; this, therefore, is the science of public men and 

 ministers of state. 



The Captaincy of the Rios de Senna, from the back- 

 wardness and infancy of all its different branches of adminis- 

 tration, furnishes but insufficient data for a complete statistical 

 account, which proves the necessity of examining its actual 

 state, that the source of such evils, together with the remedy, 

 may at once be found ; and the causes of its backward condition 

 be known and obviated. But since the nature of those 

 circumstances, of which I am about to treat, does not permit 

 me to enter into detail, I shall resume each separate article 

 whenever it is possible; touching, transiently under their 

 proper heads, upon the existing abuses, and the means of 

 avoiding them; finally, I shall make a comparison of the 

 actual state of the Colony, with what it might be under a 

 different Constitution and Administration, and under a new 

 order of things. 



For the sake of simplicity and clearness, I shall divide my 

 subject into different sections, treating 1st of the extent and 

 limits of the Captaincy; 2ndly, of its population; 3rdly, of 

 its agriculture, and productions in the three kingdoms of 

 nature ; 4thly, of its commerce and navigation ; 5thly, of its 

 industry and system of public education ; 6thly, of the ground, 

 rents to Government ; 7thly, of its military force ; and lastly, 

 of the administration. 



* Tins gentleman was governor of the Captaincy, and a young man of much 

 promise, but was, shortly after writing' the "Memoir" in 18-20,- stabbed l>y 

 One of his own officers. The Portuguese manuscript was obtained by Cap- 

 tain Owen, of H.M ,S. Lcvcn, while surveying the South-East Coast, ami to 

 the liberality of that gentleman we are indebted for the translation, a copy of 

 which has been kindly furnished us by Mr. Jardine.— ( Eds, J 



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