COTTON PLANT. 
1/9 
but the population of this spot having decreased 
considerably since that period, the culture of this 
plant has diminished in proportion, and is now re- 
duced to the annual quantity which we have just 
stated. 
Cultivation of Cotton in Africa. 
The little comparative knowledge we have of this 
vast quarter of the world prevents our saying much 
about its products. Nevertheless it appears certain 
that this shrub is cultivated, not only on the coasts, 
but likewise up the country ; since the caravans 
which annually travel from the interior of Africa to 
Egypt, for the commerce of slaves and gum, carry 
with them cotton stuffs, of which the colour and 
form are sufficient to stamp them of African origin. 
In Senegal, at Sierra-Leone, and in the European 
factories on the coast of Guinea, samples of cotton 
are frequently seen, which have been brought from 
the interior by the negroes, and bartered for other 
commodities. Although this cotton is beautifully 
soft and white, it is less esteemed by the negroes 
than that of a bright yellow colour, which is found 
in the kingdom of Dahomy, where the exporta- 
tion of this precious article is prohibited by very 
severe laws. 
These plants are never raised at the Cape of 
Good Hope ; at least they are not mentioned by 
travellers who have visited that part of Africa; 
which we presume would have been the case had 
