220. Description ofthe Ageona Countriy, ‘ow the Gold Coast. fOctats - 
slavery in Agoona, is very small; not 
above one person in forty, or perhaps in 
fifty, cau be considered as a slave. - The 
power of the master over the slave is 
absolute, and extends not only to the 
exaction of .whatever labour the slave ts 
capable of performiny, ‘but to life itself. 
The slave is- lable to be seized and sold 
for the debts, of his master, or tor the 
payment of any forfeiture to which the 
sentence of the law may have subjected 
him. In respect, however, to the com- 
mon field labour which they have to pers 
form, there is practically no difference 
between the slave and the freeman. 
Their hours of working are the same, and 
those not strictly regulated ; the forenoon 
only being usually allottea to labour. 
Nor are the slaves ever driven, or other- 
wise compelled to work; what they do, 
they do with wiilingness, There is still 
some slave-trade carried on by the 
Dutch, and lately also by the. Danes, 
who continue to reside on the coast, 
The chief carriers of slaves from the Gold 
Coast, are the Portuguese. Their great 
market, however, is on the leeward, or 
what it called the Slave Coast. Two 
vessels from Cuba carried off cargoes of 
slaves from the Gold Coast, in October 
last. 2 
The continuance of the slave-trade, 
though on a reduced scale, by other 
nations, has greatly impeded the bene- 
ficial effects which might have been ex- 
. pected to follow from its abolition by ~ 
Great Britain; for though the export of 
slaves from the coast be comparatively 
trifling, yet it serves to keep alive there 
many of the mal-practices, which would 
otherwise have ceased. What is want- 
ed, therefore, to give this measure its 
full effect, is an universal abolition of the. 
trade. Even as things are, the natives 
have become more diligent in seeking 
for gold, and in procuring other articles 
wanted by Europeans; and, generally 
speaking, more industrious ; but still, the 
partial existence of the slave-trade, is a 
great bar to industrious exertion. It is 
also true that accusations and condem- 
nations for crimes (as witchcraft, &c.), 
and predatory wars, have been less fre- 
quent than they used to be. Kidnap- 
ping, or panyaring, as it is called on the 
Gold Coast, is not much diminished. 
Fersonal security, however, is, on the 
whole, increased ; and this has manitested 
itself ly increased industry. From these 
partial improvements, may be inferred 
the unspeakable and’ innumerable bee 
nefits. which must accrue to Africa, from 
a total abolition of the traffic in slaves. 
The foregoing observations embrace | 
but a small portion of what. is called the 
Gold Coast; and although there is 
throughout the whole much similarity of 
soil and climate, yet in other respects 
thére are material differences. The 
Anta country, for instance, which hes 
between the rivers Ancobra and Sac- 
condee, is a rich woody country, well 
watered, and well planted. The timber 
here is fit for every purpose, It abounds 
in gold, and other metals, ina greater 
degree than the neighbouring states. The 
cultivation of the soil is more attended” 
to than.in many parts of the coast; and 
it has many very convenient creeks and 
harbours, b Maelo K 
The river Ancobra separates this state 
from the kingdom of Apollonia. © Here 
the country is still Letter watered by 
lakes and rivers: it is more flat, and bet- 
ter adapted for the growth of rice, sugars 
cane, and all those articles which require 
a moist soil, The great disadvantage 
under which Apollonia labours, is, that 
the surf along its coast isso violent, that 
it is impossible to land without dangers 
The form of its government is despotic ; 
a circumstance which certainly prevents 
many of those irregularities and abuses, 
which prevail in other districts. 
- As we recede from the sea, however, 
and advance into the interior, the state 
of things appears to be much more fa- 
vourable. than: it can “be said to be om 
any part of the coast. We witness a 
life of more industry and more happis - 
ness; and a great improvement, not only 
“in these important respects, but im soil,” 
climate, and other natural advantages, _ 
In short, the capabilities of Africa can 
be appreciated but in a very inadequate . 
degree, if we confine our observations ta 
_ the sea-coast, and do not proceed ine 
land, The difference, indeed, 1s visible 
even a few miles from the shore; but it 
is still greater the farther we advance 
into the country. There is no valuable 
article of tropical culture, which might 
not be raised in this country ip great 
abundance; while its population stands 
in need of our manufactures, and is ace 
customed to their use. And when it 1s.) 
considered what the hand of industry 
has done in the West Indies, in the pes~ 
tilential swamps of Guiana, for instance, 
what may not fairly be expected from 
