any real authority.---" P. 76. Presuming a contract would be a modification, but the liberty must be absolute.” The acts of parliament for the encouragement of the African flave trade superfede the neceffity of a contract.---“ P. 77. Modification is most oppreffive by removing a negro to a place where flavery will again attach upon him with all its original feverity. P. 80. Negroes though under contract cannot be fent out of the kingdom, yet Englishmen agreeing to go beyond fea are compellable thereto." I congratulate the Africans on the fuperiority here planned out for them, but the free-born Briton will tell Mr. Hargrave and the Africans, that neither can they enjoy, nor he beftow fo unaccountable a privilege; that foreign flavery cannot introduce domeftic, nor the Britons catch it from the Africans, as if it was a contagious disorder: Mr. Hargrave has proved too much in one fenfe, and too little in that which was effentially neceffary to his cause; for he has mistaken his point and snapped the ftring of his argument by overstraining it in endeavouring to prove the unlawfulness of what is ratified by acts of parliament, by ancient ufage, by religion, by justice, and by true humanity. Government will undoubtedly ftill fupport itself and its commerce by a timely act of parliament, and a fteady refolution to adhere to it; and not let flip the advantages flowing from fo extenfive a trade, and fuch an immenfe length of coaft, of which I will now give a fhort description, that we may more fully understand any fubfequent remarks upon it.

CHAP.

CHA P. III.

A brief DESCRIPTION of the AFRICAN COAST, within the Limits of our TRADE.

TH

HE extent of that part of the African Coaft, to which all fubjects of Great Britain are free to trade, reaches from Port Sallee in Barbary to the Cape of Good Hope, both inclufive: that is, from about the thirtyfixth degree of north latitude to the thirty-fourth degree of fouth latitude, including the long coaft that runs east and weft.

From Port Sallee to Cape Blancho being about fix hundred leagues of coaft and within the limits of our African trade, it seemed strange there should be no harbour; yet such was its character, till captain Glafs found one, and was affifted by a merchant in obtaining a grant of an exclusive trade; and having a fhip of two hundred and fifty tons fitted out at a great expence, with which he entered the port in about 31 degrees of north latitude, he procured from the natives a ceffion of it to the crown of England, which is now at the board of trade, with an exact plan of the harbour, named by him Port Hillsborough. He was there in the year 1764, and went from thence with fome goods unfaleable there to one of the Canary iflands, where he was feized and imprisoned by the Spaniards for twelve months, notwithstanding some spirited remonftrances fent from England to Spain. His people in the

mean time traded with the natives; but whether from their treachery, or their own want of conduct, were attacked by them, several murdered and a few escaped in the longboat, who defcribed the country to be healthy, the cattle good and plenty, and that they were conftantly supplied with fresh meat. The merchant, who fitted out captain Glafs, finding himself not fo ftrongly fupported as he expected against the Spaniards, and difcouraged by captain Glass's tragical death on the Irish coaft, dropped all further pursuits of that trade.

Another captain made a very fuccessful voyage to the Rio del Oro, latitude 23. 30. but whether he had contented himfelf, or had made a stroke, as the term is; that is, fraudulently brought off fome free people, he would neither

go

there again, or give any information to others of what might be done there.

Arguin is the next port in about 20 degrees north latitude, where the Dutch once had a fort, which the French took in 1677, and which was afterwards ceded to them, but after fome time they abandoned it, as it was fo far from their gum forefts.

Port Anderic lies about 20 leagues to the fouthward of Arguin, where great quantities of gum were fometimes. bought, though the risk of getting it on board was very great from the high sea, that rolls at the landing place.

The province of Senegambia, now in the hands of the British government, includes the river Senegal, which

5

*See letter [E.] in the Appendix.

opens

opens into the western ocean in nearly 16 degrees, and the river Gambia nearly in 13 degrees north latitude; between which near cape Verde lies Goree, ftill in the hands of the French.

Up the river Senegal is the island of the fame name, called alfo St. Louis, where the governor of the province refides, and from whence we fhip all our gum. At the seasons for purchafing it our traders go up to Podor and Galam, two settlements made by the French when the river was in their poffeffion, the first of which is now repairing, and the latter has proved fo deftructive to Europeans, that probably no fettlement could be made to advantage by them. The only means, that feem eligible, are to breed up fome young Africans in England, teach them our language and the mechanic arts of mining and other trades, which might turn to great account, if we made a fettlement with them at Galam; the country round being efteemed rich in gold mines, but the natives not knowing how to work them.

In the river Gambia is Fort James in the hands of the government under a lieutenant governor, fubject to the governor of Senegal. This river is navigable for veffels of two hundred tons as high up as Fatatenda, which is about fix hundred miles. The trade of both these rivers might be greatly improved, and the society of merchants, now trading to Africa, have laid before the lords of trade fome particulars, of which no doubt they will avail themselves properly, to the mutual advantage of the private fair trader and

the community; and should any abuses arise here, similar to thofe on other parts of the Coast, most probably will apply the remedies they may on experience find effectual there.

It may also be worth their confideration, whether the French factory at Albreda in the river Gambia, within a mile and a half of Fort James, is not an improper encroachment. Goree would be of little ufe to the French, if they had not this factory to be supplied from it. By this they rival us in trade, in open violation of the tenth article of the treaty of peace in 1763, which is, "his Britannic Majesty "shall restore to France the island of Goree in the condition “it was, when conquered; and his most Christian Majesty “cedes in full right, and guarantees to the king of Great "Britain the river Senegal, with the forts and factories of St. "Lewis, Podor and Galam, and with all the rights and dependencies of the faid river Senegal.”

The English were in poffeffion of the river Gambia, and had a fort there in 1627. The French had no fettlement in Senegal till 1673, when they built a fmall fort there, and in 1677 took the Dutch forts at Arguin and Goree; and when the Dutch ceded them by the treaty of Nimeguen, they became dependencies of Senegal; and they and Albreda were always under the command of the governor of the river Senegal: Therefore even if the French had once a right to a fettlement there, (which they could not have) that right by the exprefs letter of the treaty is now given up. They were kept out of the river till 1730, when the English company,