Observations Upon The Windward Coast Of Africa

racter of the Natives upon the Windward Coast.-An Account of the requisite Merchandize f

indward Coast of Africa, the merchandize used therein, a general outline of the religion, customs, and character of its natives, and the system I conceive eligible, and consistent with the claims of humanity, by which their intellectual powers may b

ealous advocate of the radical abolition of the slavery of the human kind. The motives by which I am actuated are, a philanthropic feeling for my species, Christian principles, humanity, and justice: however I

and with which they are intimately conversant; but I shall treat of those branches of commerce which have been hitherto confined to local knowledge, and not generally known; submitting to the superior powers of the legislature, the incalculable advantages to be

ry, and eventually to emancipate the African, my design wi

ually exported, upon an average, from the Windward Coast of Africa, &c. from the information ac

ou

er

PLACES A

---- -- -- -

Gamb

. . . 2,000 15

. . . . 600 20

. . . 2,000 30

Sierra

ent R

ss, 3,200 15 20

ve . .

. . . 500 - 20

. . 1,200 - 8

Mou

. . . 2,000 20

-- --- -

40 1,100 150

mwood, D-Rice, E-Bees W

ted with labels below to

umerous plants for staining, cotton in wild exuberance, cocoa, coffee, and aromatic plants, &c. &c. Wild bees are so extremely numerous, that wax forms an important article of trade which might be considerably increased; substances proper for making soap are also to be found in great abundance, raw hides, more especially in the Gambia, and the countries insular to the Rio Noonez and Rio Pongo; gold is procured from Bambouk, and tobacco is found in every direction, which might be greatly increased b

ongo, in the Mandingo country, Sierra Leone, Sherbro, &c. are universally allowed

l adapted to cabinet work and ship building, an

h stripes, fancifully disposed, and is therefore adapted to cabinet work; its qualities for ship building are peculiar, having the virtue of resisting the worm and vermis, so destructive to shipping in tropical climates, and corr

worm in salt water, and corroding iron. It may be procured in any quantity. And, Thirdly, the melley wood, or gris-gris tree, another species of mahogany, abundant in growth, having a mo

the benevolent undertaking, natural history will be much enlarged, and mankind be greatly benefited. The claims of humanity, the distinguished part it has taken in an unnatural and muc

ted to African

hilloes, romals, neganipauts, niccanees, red and blu

as, boats, canvas, cordage, pitch, tar, paints, oil, and brushes, empty kegs, kettles, pans, lead basons, earthenware, hardware, beads, coral, iron bars, lead bars, common caps, Kilmarnock ditto, flints, pipes,

quisite in the African trade, and the different branches to which it is allied, yeilding support to a

ommerce, although they form to themselves an ideal standard, by which they estimate the va

nce to the eastward of Cape Palmas, the computation is in rounds; and on the Gold

4, pieces of 24 sous, and 1 of 6; but at

rticles materially differing in many parts of the coast, and frequently on rivers of a near vicinity; fo

s, will in others fluctuate to 10; hence the trader must form

rable extent of the Windward Coast; but it is to be observed, they are s

baft

chintz &

ite

ramp

hil

juda

ush

y blue

ccan

tracu

a cher

ffet

ttan

n brit

of ban

l of po

ling

urd

er's gu

anier

of cut

rd bl

on b

arang

of point

of moc

ado 3lb

eads,

ry di

ingo k

of har

aso

of s

ne h

o, 6lb

per g

per lb, and escrevals, or pieces

c, their numerical calculations are carried on

bar of merchandize, until the whole is exhausted, when the palaver is finished; and, as they have ve

nd close to the palm, and the other fingers in succession, proceeding to the left hand, concluding the calc

The head man of the party expects to be lodged and accommodated by the factor, and before they enter upon business, he expects the latter to give him service, or a present of kola, Malaguetta pepper, tobacco, palm oil, and rice; if they eat of the kola, and the present is not returned, the head man begins the trade, by m

sent, and if they are pleased with the factor, they march off singi

yet these bills have been provided for in produce by the planters. Politically considered, it will appear, that its regeneration might have been more appropriately the progressive work of

shall next make some remarks on the religion, customs

hy, "they never saw him, and if he live he be too good to hurt them." Their acts of devotion are the consequence of fear alone, and are apparently divested of any feelings of thankfulness or gratitude for the blessing they receive from the good Spirit which they suppose to exist. The Devil, or evil spirit, which they suppose to exist also, claims their attention from the injury they suppose him capable of inflicting, and is worshipped under a variety of forms; at one time in a grove, or under the shade of a large tree, consecrated to his worship, they place, for the gratification of his appetite; a country mess, a goat, or other offering of this nature, whi

eived, or combined with corporeal substances; even the act of devotion itself; or the various charms, incantations, and buffoonery of the priests and fetish makers, who abound among them. In short, it is an incongruous composition of any thing dedicated to the purpose; one kind of fetish is formed of a piece of parchment containing an expression or sentence fr

ession from which the African gris-gris is derived, consisting of exorcised feathers, cloth, &c., short sentences from the Koran, written on parchment,

d chiefs in places where they sojourned as strangers, The religion they profess in common with the Foolahs, Jolliffs, and other Mahomedan tribes, is peculiarly adapted to the sensual effiminacy of the Africans: the doctrines of Mahomet contained in their book I have procured from a

above all, and

ntercede for him; that he is superior to all bein

of the Koran, the belief of God is inseparable from the apostolic character of Mahomet. The fertile and politic imagination of this impostor admirably adapted his tenets to the prevailing and established customs; he tolerates polygamy, &c. and to add to the sanctity of his pernicious doctrines, he represents himself as having been visited by the angel Gabriel, in the cave of Hera, where he communicated to him the precepts of the Koran, in the month of Ramadan, which he enjoins as a fast; he interdicts wine, and inculcates the necessity of praying five times a day, facing the holy city, &c.;

; and a spirit of retaliation is very prevalent and hereditary, descending in succession from father to son. They are extremely jealous of white men, designing, ferocious,

nders cloathing an incumberance, and occasions a carelessness with regard to their dwellings: for the former, they require only a stripe of linen, and their gris-gris; while a build

nut tree mixed with herbs of various kinds. They frequently regale themselves with other dishes, kous-kous, and country

rs, or cultivated fields; and the harvest is distributed by the elders of the community, according to the por

g in great abundance, which they call gingingey, something similar to the sweet potatoe in the West Indies. The distillation is commenced by forming a pit in the earth, into which a large quantity of the root is put, and covered with fuel, which is set on fire, and kept burning until the roots are completely roasted: the roots are then put into paloons, and beat, exposed afterwards in mats to the sun, by which they acquire a taste similar to honey; and are afterwards put into hampers for distillation. This is performed by making a funnel of sticks in a conical form, interwoven together like basket-work; the funnel is filled

are and spin upon a distaff; the thread is woven, by an apparatus of great simplicity, into fillets, or pieces from six to nine inches broad, which are sewed together to any width

the rind of the cocoa-nut, of great beauty, and a fine texture; also cloth, fine mats, basket

ally live cordially together. From this acquisition to his household, he is considered rich; and it is a common expression with the Negro to say, "such a man be rich, he have much woman." When an object excites his desire, he consults his head woman, who, without any apparent s

are gratified without restraint, his soul remains in peaceful indolence and tranquillity, and his life glides on in voluptuou

a palaver; and at the change of every dance, he from whom the proposition originates, makes a solemn harangue over the musical instruments, which is generally descriptive of some warlike action or exploit, when they again give themselves up with rapture to the pleasures of the dance, the females in particular, whose actions and shew of luxuriant pleasure are highly offensive to delicacy, exhibiting all the gradations of lascivious attitude and indecency. At this period of unusual delight, they are applauded by the men with rapturous ardour; but suddenly a feeling of shame strikes the minds of the young creatures with a humiliating sense of their display, and amidst these plaudits they hastily retire to the matrons, who are spectators of the scene, and hide their blushes in their bosoms. So strongly implanted is this ingenuous and amiable modesty in youth, which is frequently laid aside when engaged in the vortex of pleasure, that it is one of the highest charms of beauty; and wretches only, degraded by debauchery and systematic vice, are capable of insulting this sentiment. A scrupulous regard to modesty and truth will not permit me to pursue the description of these amusements farther than observing, that they prepare them for a profound and tranquil sleep on their mats, from whence they arise at the dawn of day cheerful and easy. Thus infancy and youth are singularly happy, a

iew, and contemplate these beings in the most degrading state, absorbed in superstitious idolatry, inhuman customs, and shut out from the civil arts of life, and the mild principles of Christianity. Their customs, their hostilities, slavery, and the mode I have conceived requisite to infran