142 A. D, 1788, 



per *, and valuable gums. They raife tobacco of an inferior quality for 

 their owm ufe : and it may be prefumed, that they might as eafily raiie 

 the beft, if the feed were introduced among them. They have cotton of 

 feveral qualities and colours. The country is covered with a great var- 

 iety of valuable woods ; and gold, ivory, and wax, are found in it. 

 Sugar-canes, and indigo of a fuperior quality, grow fpontaneoufly ; and 

 there can be no doubt, that every production of the tropical countries^ 

 might be cultivated to advantage, though I have only feleded a few, 

 which are articles of eftablifhed commerce f . If the Europeans would 

 conduft their intercourfe with the Negroes fo as to perfuade them that 

 they had their intereft at heart, they would be eafily induced to apply 

 to the cultivation of valuable articles for trade. ' But the flave-trade 

 ' naturally has a tendency to make both the natives and the people em- 

 * ployed in it ferocious if;.' 



in moll parts of the country the kings are abfolute. They make war 

 tipon their neighbours for the purpofe of getting prifoners. Of thefe 

 the handfomeft of the women are referved for domeftic Haves or con- 

 cubines ; and the men and the reft of the women are fold to the flave- 

 traders. It is alfo aflerted, that flaves are bred up for fale, as cattle are 

 in other countries. Formerly murder was punilhed by death, and 

 other crimes by lines of cattle, &c. paid to the party injured : but now, 

 in order to flock the Have market, all crimes, from murder to the moffc 

 petty offence, real or imaginary, are punifhed by foreign flavery |]. Ac- 

 cufations of adultery and witchcraft are often procured againft obnoxi- 

 ous perfons ; and for fuch crimes, or the pretence of them, not only 

 the fuppofed criminal, but alfo his whole family are condemned to 

 flavery. Many are alfo made flaves for debt. When the demand for 

 flaves is briflc, the kings, chiefs, and black traders, make no fcruple of 

 panyar'nig (feizing and carrying off) the inhabitants of whole villages, 

 againll whom no offence is alleged ; and armed men go out fingly, or 

 in fmall parties, to waylay and feizedefencelefs ftragglers. The Europ- 

 ean flave-traders are charged with encouraging thefe enormities: and, 

 I fear, it cannot be denied, that the flaving captains have frequently 

 been guilty of the fame atrocities, for which the Negroes have fome- 



* Some pepper of the produce of Africa was \ Before the Europeans reforted to Africa for 



found fo good, that the Ead-India company were flaves, the people of Guinea lold their cotton to 



alarmed, and objeflcd to the impo. tation of it. the merchants of Bai bary ; they were tolerably ex- 



\ The reader, who wifhes to have a more cop- pert in the ufeful arts; commerce flouriflied in 



ious account of the productions of Africa (which feme degree among them; and thty lived in opul- 



?.re in faft the fame with thofe of the Eall and cnce and abundance. The king of Torabuto (or 



Weft Indies) than my liir.its will admit of, may 7'ombuftoo) was even a patron of literature. 



co\\h\\i tht Report, pari \, vnt!er the head of produce ; Thefe fafts are extrafted from the Account of 



— Mr. /If-zelius's accovnt of the natural produSlons Africa Written by John Leo Africanus in the be- 



vf Sierra Leona, in Wadflroni s Efftiy on colonization, ginning of the fixleenth century. 



p. 272 ; — the fevera! Accounts of the proceed'.njs cf \\ Domeftic flavery among the Negroes is cora- 



the Bffoc\a:i'.n for difc-jvering the interior parts of paratively a mild Hate of fubordination. 

 Africa; — Park's Trawls;— -Broiutte's 7ravett,i^e. 



