OUR COMMERCE WITH AFRICA. 395 



stead of sinking to theirs ; at least the children of 

 these men would be superior in mental capacity 

 to the children of those who had never the ad- 

 vantage of any education. 



Amongst the number, some would, doubtless, 

 leave their fellows far behind ; these should be en- 

 couraged in every way, — finish their education in 

 England, be brought forward as medical men, or 

 civil and mechanical engineers, and be taken into 

 the British service. These men, with British ha- 

 bits and education grafted upon their African con- 

 stitutions, would become our pioneers throughout 

 Africa, and raise the emulation of their brethren 

 by showing them that ability, though covered 

 with a black skin, was appreciated and rewarded. 



The eagerness with which the Africans thirst 

 after knowledge is a very striking feature in 

 their character : on the coast, great numbers have 

 learnt to read writing from the captains of 

 merchant vessels, but cannot read print. The 

 late Duke Ephraim, chief of old Calabar, kept a 

 regular set of books, yet could not read a news- 

 paper. The schools at Sierra Leone and Cape 

 Coast have done most, if not all, the good that 

 has been done. I know an instance now of a cap- 

 tured slave, resident at Fernando Po, who has 



