the Fi'ench Colony. 17 
“colonies” on the West Coast of Africa to their 
only proper use, convict stations, or when, if we 
are determined upon consuming our own crime at 
home, we shall make up our minds to restore them 
to the negro and the hyaena, their “ old inhabi¬ 
tants.” 
At the time of my visit, the Gaboon River had 
four English traders ; viz. 
1. Messrs. Laughland and Co., provision-mer¬ 
chants, Fernando Po and Glasgow. Their resi¬ 
dent agent was Mr. Kirkwood. 
2. Messrs. Hatton and Cookson, general mer¬ 
chants, Liverpool. Their chief agent, Mr. R. B. 
N. Walker, who had known the river for eleven 
years (1865), had left a few days before my arrival; 
his successor, Mr. R. B. Knight, had also sailed 
for Cape Palmas, to engage Kru-men, and Mr. 
Hogg had been left in charge. 
3. Messrs. Wookey and Dyer, general mer¬ 
chants, Liverpool. Agents, Messrs. Gordon and 
Bryant. 
4. Messrs. Bruforcl and Townsend, of Bristol. 
Agent, Captain Townsend. 
The resident agents for the Hamburg houses 
were Messrs. Henert and Bremer. 
The English traders in the Gaboon are no¬ 
minally protected by the’ Consulate of Sao 
Paulo de Loanda, but the distance appears too 
great for consul or cruizer. They are naturally 
1. • ' c 
