Public Sentiment-Fourth of July, Plan for aiding the Work of Colonization, new 252, 284, 382 128 61 25 52 115 [The following article is from the Amulet for 1832, said to have been written by a distinguished British Naval Officer, who passed three years on the African Coast. We omit a few passages which relate less directly to the main object of the article.] THE question of the existence of Slavery in the British dominions is now likely to be tried with all that effect which the voice of the whole community raised against it can give to it.Therefore it may be important, as bearing directly upon the subject, to state what is the present situation of the coast of Africa; that it may be seen how little can be done to ameliorate its condition as long as we sanction by our conduct the existence of slavery elsewhere; and that there is demand to supply the waste of life, which will be supplied per fas and nefas. From Cape Shortel, in 35° N. to Lat. 18° N., the coast is inhabited by the Moors of Morocco and other tribes. With those of the Moors the Europeans regularly trade, as they have a succession of towns on the coast, as far as Wednom, on the river Akassa. From hence there is a constant intercourse with the interior; and a caravan sets out regularly and returns from Timboctoo, to trade in gums and gold-dust. Having passed the coast, to Cape Bojador, is a desert and very dangerous tract. It is frequented by tribes of wandering Moors, who come to the shore on the speculation of wrecks, where they build huts of sea-weeds, and watch the approach of ships. They the swamps, which look like islands in a vast expanse of water. It is every where intersected by the mouths of innumerable rivers, forming uncountable deltas, and communicating together by cross channels. The shores of these rivers are covered with Portuguese establishments; and here commences that traffic in human flesh which has entailed such misery on the African and such disgrace on the European. The principal of those rivers are called the Cassamanza, Cacheo, and Bissao. On these the slave factories are established, which are the great marts where the traffic is supported and perpetuated, by means of their contiguous settlements in the Cape de Verde Islands. The locale of this part of the coast renders it, unfortunately, well calculated for the purpose. It is in vain that His Majesty's cruisers watch the mouths of the rivers: they have certain information, perhaps, that a slave cargo is sailing, and hourly expected down a particular branch of the stream; and they blockade it so strictly that it is impossible for it to escape; but, in the meantime, it passes by a cross channel into another, and so escapes by a distant mouth while the cruiser is hourly expecting it. Just before this coast is situated an archipelago of islands. One of these, named Bulima, was so conveniently circumstanced for watching the debouche of the Rio Grande, and other streams, infamous for slave-ships, which opened in its vicinity, that it was purchased from the native sovereign, and an English settlement placed on it, by the late Captain Beaver. In consequence of some misunderstanding, it was given up, till Captain Arabin again arranged matters; but unfortunately, the swampy coast in the vicinity renders the situation so very unhealthy, that it is probable this important post cannot be re-established or continued. The Portuguese settlements here extend along the rivers, for nearly three degrees of latitude, to Cape Vargos. The country is exceedingly rich and fertile, with a numerous population, particularly along the river Cassamanza, where the Portuguese have factories for one hundred and fifty miles up the river, and they could carry on a most advantageous trade with the Felloops, and other nations, for ivory, aromatic seed, dye-wood, and gold-dust. On the river is a race of people descended from themselves-the offspring of the first settlers, but now hardly to be recognized from the aboriginal Negroes. They raise remarkably fine cotton and indigo, and manufacture from them cloth of a dye and texture highly esteemed in Africa. It is, however, in narrow breadths, about six inches wide, and then sewed together-like the bundles of the linen originally manufactured in Ireland-and it is susceptible of much greater improvement; but the Portuguese, neglecting these advantages and capabilities of a people who have a mixture of their own blood in their veins, direct their attention almost wholly to the traffic of slaves, and sell indiscriminately these ingenious artificers, with their wives and children, wherever they can catch them. The great outlet for slaves at this place is the Cape de Verde Islands, which lie contiguous. The governors of these islands, and the dependencies on the opposite coast, are men of bad character, sent here as on a forlorn hope, to get rid of them; they are generally naval commanders, who are so miserably paid that they engage without scruple in the slave-trade, and are always the principal persons concerned in it. They are not ashamed and do not hesitate to avow the fact, though they know it is the princi pal part of their duty to suppress it. They excuse themselves by saying that they have no other means of living. The flat coast extends from the mouth of these rivers to Sierra Leone; but it is watered by several others equally infamous for the slave-trade. The principal of these rivers are the Pongas and the Nunez. To the former, foreigners trade for rice, ivory, gold-dust, and other articles. Those who principally frequent it are the American blacks from Cape Mesurado, and the British merchants from the Isles de Loss, who have factories established along both rivers. To the influence and example of these two classes of traders, and the lawful and salutary trade they carry on, is to be attributed the fact that there is here no direct traffic for slaves, nor do slave-ships resort to these rivers, as they do to others, expressly for such a purpose. Such, however, is the inveteracy of custom long established, and cupidity long indulged, that it is known a number of slaves are sent annually from hence to other marts on the coast: these are brought from the interior, and dispatched coastwise, in small vessels and canoes; and, more generally, by inland navigation, from branch to branch of the great rivers, to the factories on Rio Grande, and from thence, in larger numbers, to Bissao, and direct to the Cape de Verde Islands. This circumstance is clearly proved by the testimony of such of the poor slaves themselves as have been captured in the Atlantic passage. The Tonircho, Portuguese schooner, was taken by the North Star, with slaves from Bissao for the Cape de Verde Islands. Many of them were natives of the country about the Pongas; they were kidnapped by slavers, or sold to pay for a palaver, or some such frivolous cause. They had been conveyed by land and inland navigation all the way to Bissao, where they were manacled and confined till a sufficient number was collected together to form a cargo, and then they were shipped, under a lawful passport, as domestics! A boat was sent up to explore the river Nunez, and ascended for eighteen days. They saw no vessels or habitations, but one human being, who fled at their proach into the mangroves. No doubt he supposed the boat's crew were slavers on a kidnapping expedition. ap The river Nunez carries on a larger lawful trade with foreigners than, perhaps, any river on the wester coast of Africa. Several European factories, particularly English, are established on its banks, where they derive an extensive traffic for the produce of the interior, and give in exchange rum, tobacco, cloth, and gunpowder. Besides the usual articles of produce, the natives, in this place, manufacture their gold-dust into different ingenious articles, particularly rings, with considerable taste and ingenuity; some are ornamented with clasped hands, which seem as well executed as a similar device by a European goldsmith. The gold is very pure, and the workmanship such as to promise a considerable perfection in the art if properly encouraged, and an earnest of what advancement might be made in the comforts of civilized life, by this despised and oppressed race, if their talents were properly directed in their own country. At the distance of seventy miles from the mouth of the river is Debucka, where the native king, Mamadoo, resides. The boats of the North Star ascended to it; but when the king heard it he was exceedingly anxious, and would not allow the officer to approach his house. The cause of his alarm was soon evident: this river, also, is cursed with the slave-trade, which continually interferes with and impedes lawful traffic: there was, at that moment, a Spanish schooner lurking in one of the creeks, kidnap |