846 



WESTERN AFRICA. 



rises in the mountains of Kong, and flows northwesterly into the Atlantic, after a course of 

 about 1000 miles ; and by the Gambia and Rio Grande^ which have the same origin and di- 

 rection, but are inferior streams. On the coast is Cape Verde., the most westerly point of Af- 

 rica. This region is divided into a great number of small slates. The English, French, and 

 Portuguese have some settlements and factories upon the coast ; the greater part of the coun- 

 try is now in the possession of three nations, who have conquered nearly all of the other 

 tribes ; these ruling people are the Jalofs or Yalofs, the Mandingoes, and the Foulahs, or Fel- 

 latahs. Many of the Negro tribes of Senegambia are Mahometans, but there is also a great 

 number who worship/e/ic/(fs, that is, certain natural objects selected as objects of veneration, 

 and there are some idolaters. The J\Jandingoes are {he most industrious and most civilized of 

 the S-enegambia negroes ; tliey carry on an extensive trade wilh the Europeans and Americans 

 on the coast, in gold, ivory, and slaves ; their women weave cotton and stuffs, which they dye 

 with indigo ; and the men are good hunters, and cultivate the earth with some skill. They 

 dwell in villages, and their houses are circular mud huts, with a conical roof of bamboo, thatched 

 with leaves. The Mandingo is ihe commercial language of all this region. The Foulahs are 

 the same race as the Fellatahs of the interior ; they are, like most negroes, gay, gentle, kind, 

 and hospitable ; they raise indigo, maize, rice, &c., weave stuffs of wool and cotton, or pursue 

 the chase ; some of them are wandering shepherds. 



The Jainf states occupy the northwestern part of Seneg^imbia ; they are governed by he- 

 reditary princes ; /Fa//o, Caior^ and Jalof Proper., are the principal stales. The Jaiofs are of 

 a pure black color, with regular features, and they excel the Mandingoes in the manufacture 

 and dyeing of cotton ; they are fearless hunters, skilful horsemen, and brave warriors. 



The Mandingo states lie to the south of the preceding ; they are Kaarta., Bambouk, Saloom, 

 Kaboo., &c., comprising the Soosoos, Biafaras, &c. ; the people of Bambarra, in Nigritia, are 

 also Mandingoes. 



The Foulah or Fellatah slates are a sort of theocracies, being governed by elective spiritual 

 princes, styled almamys^ or chiefs of the faithful. The principal are Foida Toro, Bondoo, 

 Fouta Jallo., of which the capital, Teemboo, has about 9,000 inliabitanls, Casso, and Fouladoo. 



The French colony of Senegal, upon that river, consists merely of several factories or 

 trading posts ; Si. Louis, the principal town, has 6,000 inhabitants ; and Goree, upon the 

 island of that name, 3,000, mostly slaves or free blacks. The English factories are upon the 

 Gambia ; Balhursl, is the principal station. The Portuguese have some slave-trading posts 

 among the Bissagos islands, of which Cacheu is the chief station. The principal articles of 

 tr'ade carried on by the two former settlements are spirituous liquors and tobacco, in return for 

 which, they receive gums, bees' wax, gold dust, and ivory. 



3. Guinea. The country is bounded north by Senegambia and Nigritia, east by unknown 

 countries, south and west by Cimbebas and the Atlantic. It forms a crescent around the 

 Gulf of Guinea, and is intersected by the equator. It is separated from Nigritia and Sene- 

 gambia by the mountains of Kong. The great river J^iger, or Quorra, enters this country 

 from Nigritia, and flows into the Atlantic by several mouths, which intersect a tract of country 

 240 miles in width along the coast. The principal of these mouths are known by the names of 

 the rivers, JVwn, Benin, Formosa, Old and JYew Calabar. The other rivers are the Zaire, or 

 Congo, which flows into the Atlantic by so wide a mouth, and with so deep and rapid a cur- 

 rent, that it was at one time imagined to be the outlet of the Niger. Its origin is not known. 

 The Coanza, which also rises in unknown regions, flows northwesterly into the Atlantic. 



This country is commonly regarded under two general divisions, Upper and Lower Guinea. 

 These have a great number of subdivisions. Upper Guinea consists of the Grain Coast, Liberia., 

 the Ivory Coast, Gold Coast, Slave Coast, or Whidah, Benin, Calabar, Biafra, Gaba, and 

 Calbangos, which are all upon the coast, and Kooranko, Kong, Dagomba, Killinga, Sarem, 

 Buntakoo, Jlshantee, Dahomey, and Eyeos, in the interior. Lower Guinea comprises Congo, 

 Angola, Benguela, Ergoyo, Cacongo, Loango, Mayemba, Selte, and Jlnziko. 



The English colony of Sierra Leone was founded in 1778, with the benevolent purpose of 

 suppressing the slave-trade, and introducing civilization into this dark corner of the earth. But 

 the climate has proved fatal to the Europeans who have been stationed here, and the'colony is 

 now in a declining condition. Freetown is the chief place ; it contains about 4,000 inhabit- 

 ants, several schools, &c. In 1628 a settlement was made on Fernando Po, a fertile and 

 healthy island in the gulf of Guinea, wilh the design of transplanting the colonists thither from 

 Sierra Leone. The Grain or Pepper Coast is considerably frequented for Guinea pepper, its 



