I 81 I 
CHAP. X. 
JllVER OF SIERRA LEON ITS tUSCOVERY&C— EXPEDITION^ 
OF THE EUROPEANS, THEIR PARTIAL ESTABLISHMENTS, 
AND PROJECTS OF COLONISATION. — REVIEW OF THEIR 
RESOURCES AND PROJECTS. — GENP.RAL REMARKS ON 
THE ESTABLISHMENTS WHICH MIGHT BE FORMED, AND 
THE MEASURES TQ BE TAKEN FOR PROMOTING TBE 
PROSPERITY COMMERCE IN THAT PART OF THE 
WORLD. 
The last French establishment on the western coast of Africa 
is on the river of Sierra Leone, so named on account of the 
mountains and lions which are found in the country. The river 
is situated in 8°. 30'. lat. and J 5°. 7'. long. ; it was first discover- 
ed by the French, who were succeeded by the Portuguese ; and 
these people formed several factories upon it, of which there 
now remain only the ruins, though a great number of their de- 
scendants may be found on both their banks, where they are natu- 
ralised, and are scarcely distinguishable from the natives. 
The other Europeans have confined themselves for a length of 
time to the making of separate expeditions for the trade of slaves, 
and this is the market to which the Americans still resort for the 
«ame traffic. 
Several individuals have established themselves in this quarter, 
and have resided here for various periods; they all succeeded 
more or less, and have left striking traits of their industry as well 
as of their crimes; amongst the rest was an Englishman, named 
Ormond, who was employed as a cabin-boy about thirty years 
ago in a ship engaged in the trade, and contrived to remain as au 
assistant in the factory on the river of Sierra Leone : here he af- 
terwards formed an establishment on his own account in a dis- 
trict more to the northward ; and though he ceuW neither read 
nor write, he became so clever in his own way, that he amassed 
a fortune of about c£30,000 sterling. 
This example clearly proves the coaseqi-ences of private indus- 
try; but the history of the man in question shews hov; dangerous 
it is to abandon it to itself: for the cruelties which he commit- 
ted exceed all belief. It is asserted, that to get rid of his slaves 
for whom he could not find a sale, he tied stones to their necks, 
and threw them at night into the river. At another time he 
caused one of his servuiita to be tied, and gave him with his own 
DUR AND.] i, 
