60 whites, the latter of whom, however, were by no means 
of the best description. These were embarked on board 
transports furnished by government, provided with arms, 
rovisions, and agricultural implements, and conveyed to 
ierra Leone, where they arrived on the 9th of May, 1787. 
In consequence of Dr. Smeathman’s death, the formation of 
the colony devolved on Captain Thomson of the Nautilus. 
The purchase of a piece of ground about 20 miles square, 
was effected from king Naimbanna, and his vassal chiefs. 
A proper site for a town was immediately chosen, on a rising 
ground fronting the sea, and a distribution of land was 
made among the colonists. Unfortunately their habits and 
character very ill qualified them for the arduous situation in 
which they were now placed. Their indolence prevented 
them not only from the requisite cultivation of the ground, 
but even from the erecting huts to secure them against the 
rainy season. A dreadful mortality was the consequence, 
which soon reduced their numbers to 276. Lastly, in No¬ 
vember, 1789, the town was plundered by an African chief, 
the colony dispersed, and its inhabitants obliged to seek re¬ 
fuge in Bance island. Such, however, was the zeal felt at 
home for the civilization of Africa, that in the beginning of 
1791, Mr. Falconbridge was sent out with a supply of 
stores, to collect the dispersed colonists, and form them 
anew into a regular settlement. That gentleman found the 
colonists extremely willing to resume their former situation; 
and the only dithculty was with the native chiefs, who, how¬ 
ever, were at length persuaded to cede afresh the former terri¬ 
tory. A new site was chosen at Granville town. Meantime, 
the original association for the improvement of Africa, was 
incorporated by act of parliament, and under the title of the 
Sierra Leone Company, received a charter for 31 years, 
•commencing 1st July, 1791. Besides sending out immedi¬ 
ately five vessels with stores, articles of trade, and some 
new settlers, their activity discovered a new mode of recruit¬ 
ing the numbers. In consequence of the American revo¬ 
lution a number of free negroes, who adhered to the loyal 
standard, were obliged to take shelter in Nova Scotia. Here 
they were destitute of property or means of subsistence, 
while the white society refused to treat them as on a footing 
with themselves. They most cheerfully agreed, therefore, to 
the offer made of being transported to Sierra Leone; and 
1200 were embarked by Lieutenant Clarkson, and arrived 
in March, 1792. Operations were now carried on with in¬ 
creased vigour; Freetown, the original position, was again 
made the capital of the colony; Nordenskiold and Afzelius, 
two able botanists, were sent into the interior to search after 
plants which might be useful for culture and trade. This 
prosperity was interrupted by many disasters and discontents, 
especially after the departure of Mr. Clarkson. The Nova 
Scotians at one time presented a formal petition to the court 
of directors, complaining of the promises made to them 
not having been fulfilled, of the low wages of labour, and 
the high rate of the company’s goods. After these discon¬ 
tents had been appeased, the colony was exposed to a dread¬ 
ful external disaster. In September 1794, the town was 
plundered and entirely destroyed by a French squadron, this 
causing at once an immense loss of property, and throwing 
the colonists into the most destitute condition. Even this 
disaster was repaired by the active exertions of the company; 
. the settlement resumed its prosperity, extended its survey 
over the neighbouring coasts, and received embassies even 
from remote' African states. The company, however, ex¬ 
hausted by its losses, and by that profusion to which such 
.establishments are liable, finally found it expedient to make 
an arrangement with government, by which Sierra Leone 
was placed under its immediate jurisdiction, like other colo¬ 
nies. About the same time, the African institution was set 
on foot by a number of excellent and distinguished indivi¬ 
duals, for the purpose of devoting their efforts to the general 
improvement of this great continent. Sierra Leone ap¬ 
peared the most advantageous centre from which their efforts 
might emanate; and it was therefore placed under their 
entire management. The character of the members was a 
Vol. XXIII. No. 1564. 
sufficient pledge for the purity of that zeal with which they 
would pursue every object tending to the improvement of the 
colony, and the general benefit of Africa. This, is more¬ 
over, fully evinced in the successive reports which they have 
published on the subject. Yet in these they candidly admit 
the obstacles which have obstructed the full accomplishment 
of the objects in view. The volatile and turbulent disposi¬ 
tion of the native powers renders them always prompt to 
take offence, and to embark in hostilities; and this un¬ 
friendly disposition is increased by the abolition of the slave 
trade, to which they were accustomed to look as the chief 
means of purchasing European luxuries. It has thus been 
found impossible to avoid repeated ruptures, the effects of 
which were always pernicious to the interests of the colony. 
One mode of recruiting its numbers was derived from the 
negroes captured on their way to the West Indies, by the 
vessels destined to put a stop to the slave trade; but the dis¬ 
posal of these was attended with considerable difficulty. The 
first plan was to make them purchase their liberty by a 
temporary bondage, under the name of indenture; but it 
was naturally objected, that this was running into the very 
evil which the colony was established to prevent; and the 
practice has been properly discontinued. Still, to preserve 
the requisite order and propriety among such a motley popu¬ 
lation left at full liberty, has not been found an easy task. 
The introduction of the forms of English law, a measure in 
itself so salutary, seems to have produced rather injurious 
effects upon this African race. It has inspired them with an 
unbounded rage for litigation, and called forth innumerable 
petty suits for assault and defamation, in which it appears 
that the female sex are usually in the proportion of four to 
one. Lastly, the distance from Britain, the unhealthy na¬ 
ture of the settlement, and the very moderate amount of the 
salaries, render it very difficult to procure respectable and 
duly qualified persons to fill the different official situations. 
Notwithstanding all these disadvantages, a gradual but de¬ 
cided improvement has taken place, and is becoming more 
sensible, as experience teaches the best modes of administer¬ 
ing such an establishment. Within the last eight or nine 
years, both the extension and improvement of the colony 
have been particularly remarkable. With the efforts of the 
institution have been combined those of the church mission¬ 
ary society, who have introduced, with great advantage, the 
British system of education. Its first establishment was in the 
country schools; and in Freetown, where a different method 
had been originally employed, there occurred considerable 
obstacles to its introduction, from the murmurs of the pa¬ 
rents, and the disinclination of the children. At length, 
however, the plan was completely successful, and the schools 
contain now 350 boys and girls, and 180 adults. In con¬ 
sequence of the great increase of population from disbanded 
soldiers, and still more from captured negroes, a number of 
new towns have been founded in different parts of the 
territory. The principal of these is Regent’s town, which 
was found in 1816, by Mr. Johnson, the missionary teacher, 
in a state of the utmost barbarism. It contained 1100 cap¬ 
tured negroes, belonging to 22 nations in all different parts 
of the continent, without any tie to each other, and many 
of them separated by deadly-enmity. Some would live in 
the woods, apart from society; others, particularly those of 
the Eho nation, subsisted chiefly by thieving and plunder, 
stealing fowls and eating them raw. One of them having 
stolen a litter of nine pigs, was traced by the owner, who 
found that the animals had been all thrown alive, into a pot 
of boiling water. Another having lost a dog and pot, dis¬ 
covered the thief, and found the dog boiling in the pot for 
dinner. It was some time before any impression could be 
made on this savage population ; but at length the labours 
of the excellent missionary, seconded by those of some in¬ 
telligent negroes, produced the happiest'effects. In the 
course of the few years which have since elapsed, an en¬ 
tirely new scene has arisen. The town itself is laid out with 
regularity; nineteen new streets are formed and levelled, with 
good roads round the place ; a large stone church- rises in the 
3 E midst 
