128 A. D. 1787. 



to begin the world with. Of 700 negroes, who offered therafelves, only 

 411 failed from Plymouth in April, the reft having deferted, been dif- 

 charged for mutinous behaviour, or died onboard the tranfports by in- 

 temperance and confinement. Along with the negroes there were fhip- 

 ped about 60 white people, moft of whom were women of abandoned 

 charadler. In May they arrived at their deftined port ; and Captain 

 Thompfon, the commander of the fhip of war which convoyed them, 

 made a purchafe of land from the king of the country for their fettle- 

 ment. But thofe negroes, perhaps originally not very fond of labour, 

 had acquired fuch a habit of diflipation in their military life, which 

 was rendered flill more inveterate by their begging life in London, that 

 not even their own prefervation could induce them to work for them- 

 felves upon the conftrudion of houfes and the cultivation of ground, 

 which were declared to be their own property. 



This year the French began to import cotton and indigo from their 

 fettlement at Goree on the coaft of Africa : and Englifh dyers, who 

 have ufed the indigo, have pronounced it equal to that of Guatimala, 

 and fuperior to all other Weft-India indigo. If the Europeans would 

 encourage the Africans to cultivate the valuable produdtions of their 

 own excellent foil, there feems no reafon to doubt, that every article of 

 produce imported from Afia and America might alfo be imported from 

 that hitherto-neglefted quarter of the world, which is nearer to us than 

 either of the others, is even now more populous than America, and 

 would be infinitely more fo, if a trade in produce were eftablifhed in- 

 ftead of a trade in human creatures : and much greater profits would 

 accrue to a manufa6turing nation from the voluntary induftry of free 

 men living happily in their own country, than can ever be derived from 

 the extorted labour of flaves forcibly dragged away from all that is near 

 and dear to them. 



The king of Almamy, a diftrid near the mouth of the River Sene- 

 gal, having in his youth received a better education than moft other 

 African princes, encouraged his fubjeds to cultivate their lands, raife 

 cattle, and pradlife feveral branches of induftry. He entirely prohibited 

 the flave trade throughout his territory ; and he redeemed his fubjeds, 

 when they were feized by the Moors. He rejeded with difdain the pre- 

 fents, offered to him by the flave-dealers in order to corrupt his virtue ; 

 and this year he refufed to allow them to drive their flaves through his 

 country. If the other Negro princes would follow his example, there 

 would be no occafion for European legiflators to deliberate upon the 

 juftice "or expediency of tolerating, or fupprefiing, the flave trade. 



About the beginning of the year 1784 fome of the merchants of 

 Montreal, in order to put an end to the competitions and fquabbles of 

 their agents employed in the trade with the Indians, united their ftock 

 and trade in one confiderable partnerfhip, which was increafed by the 



