‘upwards of four thoufand. 
~“ 
inland,, as far as Teembo, the capital of 
the Foulah kingdom; and in conféquence 
a deputation of chie/s came frem the King 
of that country to Sierra Leone, for the 
 purpofe of opening a trading communica- 
tien with the ‘Company. The town of 
‘Teemboo has about eight theufand ibhabi- 
tants, and.another town near to it contains 
The people 
of that part are far more civilized than 
thofe on the coaft. The children learn to 
read and write Arabic. 
_ A faSloiy was in confequence eftablifh- 
ed by the company inthe higher part of a 
river leading to the Foulah country; but 
partly through difturbances- which have 
arifen in that kingdom, and partly through 
other caufes, no great interceurfe with the 
interior has yet taken, place. 
Hopes were about this time enterfained 
that fome of the African chiefs might con= , 
fiderably enlarge their plans of ca‘tiva- 
tion, an interruption, of the demand for 
flaves on the coaft inducing fome of them 
to employ their unftld flaves for a fhort 
time in cultivating the foil; but the revi- 
val of the flave-trade fruftrated that ex- 
ectation.. About the.fame time a neigh- 
bouring flave-faGiary fe: on foot a cctton- 
pientation, by the medium of the labour 
of flaves, which, is ftili continued. 
Inxs O&ober, 1794 the colony was at- 
tacked and taken by a French {quadron. 
All the moveable property of the Compa- 
ny was either carried off cr deftroyed ; 
feveral fhips were captured; and every 
building belonging to the Company was 
burnt. The Company's lols on this oc- 
cali nhas been eftimated at. 2,000, 
‘This calamity, combined with the cir- 
cum#ances of experce already noticed, Lo 
greaily diminifhed the Company’s junds, 
as to lay them under a neceflity of cor- 
tratting their trade, end reducing confide- 
rably the icale of, their efablithment, 
which had been at all times fo limited as 
fearcely.to afford fulicient means of tranf- 
a€ting ‘the bufinels, and atiending to the 
varicus wants ¢fan infant fertlement. In 
confecuence of this redu@tion, and cf the 
fenfe of general infecurity produced by the 
war, and by the.refraétery tenipers of the 
fettlers, it now becanie more than ufually 
aifmcult to induce a fuficient number cf 
Europeans ‘of gosd character, and of the 
requifite abilities, to undertake offices at 
Sierra Leone. A large’ poition. indeed of 
that clafs of men who were mofk adapted 
for the Company’s fervice, were engaged 
"in the army or navy, ard thefe could not 
ebiain leave ot abfence. . , 
maining five or ix months in the colony>_ 
816 Report refpecting the Progrefs, State, and Profpecis, [May }, 
The trade. of the Company appears to 
have been fuccefsful, fuppofing it to have 
been burthened, only with thofe charges 
which were ftriétly commercial, and to 
have been.exempt from thofe very extraor- 
dinary lofles by fre and French. captures, 
which it has had to fuftain. . 
The coaft of Africa has been fo peculi- 
arly expofed during the war, as to make 
the expence of infuring cargces very enor- 
mous, and in fome cales it has been im- 
poffible to effet infurance at all. The 
Company moreover have been. obliged to 
fend out armed veffels to Sierra Leone, 
and-to detain them there for the fake of 
fecuring the fertlement. 
The Company’s expence in fhipping has 
therefore been far greater than any com- 
mercial profits could be expected to com- 
peniate. An gy i 
In the year 1798 the colony had made 
confideratle progrefs, notwithftanding the 
powerful ob#acles to its advancement, 
which fhall hereafter be enumerated. - 
Freetown confitted of about 300 boufes, 
laid out with regularity, and of many 
public buildings. One principal wharf 
had been erested by the Company, and 
two oihers by individuals. The govern- 
ment heule, which fiandson high ground 
about ore third of a mile diflant from th 
water, snd commands the town and har- 
bour, was protected by a palifade, and 
aifo by fix pieces of cannon. 
The inhabitants of the colony were 
about 1200, The heads of families were 
about 300. Of thefe about one-half were 
fupported by their farms; many were me- 
chanics, 2bout 15 were retail fhopkeepers, 
20 or 25 followed the bufinefs of fithing, 
To cr 15 traded in {mail veflels of their 
own, 4 were eneployed as {choelmaiiess, 
12 or 15 as'f-amen, and about zo as la- 
beurers under the Company. A few No- 
va-Scotians refided among the natives, 
and a few aéted -as fervants'or mechanics 
at fiave-fa‘tories. The'number of Euro- 
peans reliding in the celony wés irom 20 to 
30. 
At the period now fpoken.cf, about 3 
or 400 native labourers, called Grumettas, 
worked" in the fettiement for-hire, ‘chiefly 
anithe tarm’s, which wereancreating rapid- 
ly ; fome in the fervice of Europeans, 
fome in that of the Nova Scetiams. Thele 
netive labourers were freemen, whocame © 
from neighbouring parts,. They received 9 
monthly wages, the whole of which was — 
their own. a 
to return home for a fhort time, after ree 
Ti 
