one,

and sometimes several of the African chiefs: by which means not only the rights of the English have been given up, but the very governors themselves have been flogged by the negroes in their own forts. Is it to be fuppofed, that the dignity of the British empire can be fupported by those, who through private intereft tamely fubmit to fuch infolent treatment? Or can they protect the traders, who are in such abject subjection themselves? Accordingly every trader finds he has only himself to depend upon, is obliged to find room where he can for his goods, and thinks himself happily off, if the governor of the fort does not openly prevent his trading. This is too common a case, and paffes not only uncensured, but is often rewarded by the committee. Mr. Miles, governor of fort * Appolonia, not only prevented feveral captains from trading there, but publicly declared he would not permit one of them to purchase even an ounce of gold. An affidavit being made of this he was recalled, but is now by the favour of the committee reinftated in his government, and gone again to take poffeffion of that fort, in which he behaved in defiance of an abfolute act of parliament, and to the detriment of the fair trader, whom by his duty he was bound to affift. A ship of Mr. Mill's, one of the committee, carried him out this last August, and he will doubtless be true to his benefactor's intereft, and act as he did before. This is the way indeed to encrease the fpirit of trade in the

governors

*This fort itself was not only unneceffary, but difadvantageous, having the worft landing place on the Coaft; and indeed of the eleven forts at least fix may be difpenfed with, and the remaining five answer every proper purpose, for at present they are merely factories to Cape Coast Castle and Annamaboe.

governors of the forts; though fome have by no means been fo deficient as to want any encouragement, for they have carried it fo far as to trade with the French and the Dutch, when they could reap any advantage by it, in preference to their own countrymen, and to dispose of their gunpowder, till they had none left to defend themselves. Dixcove in 1750 by this means was reduced fo that it must have been taken by the Dutch, had not a French veffel come in with an Irish captain, who afforded them a supply.

In fhort, the committee have in every particular acted directly contrary to the trust reposed in them, and contrary to the true intereft of the nation: and muft, if continued, entirely destroy that trade on the Gold Coaft, which has been ever judged the most important of any on the whole coaft of Africa, and confequently moft effentially neceffary to the prosperity of the British commerce, and the support of her Colonies.

From this account of the prefent management of the committee on the Gold Coast, where only their jurisdiction operates through their trufty factors, the governors of the forts, it is very clear that nothing has preferved them from the cenfure of the legislature, but these facts not having appeared properly before the government. The length of time before complaints can be heard, the deaths of the injured perfons, the evafions of their oppreffors, the fortunes they have raised as bulwarks round them, there being no magiftrate on the Coaft to take cognizance of crimes, or administer affidavits, and many other accidents contribute to confuse, if not totally ftifle the truth. It has

now

now appeared pretty plain though by no means exaggerated, as will be manifest from the many stubborn evidences of obstinate facts in the Appendix, at the letter [H.] and may be further proved by the united testimony of many witnesses of reputation now in England, and ready to declare the whole truth, when properly called upon to do so.

As at the beginning of this enquiry into the management of the committee, an obfervation was made, that the encrease of the African trade in general was held forth by their adherents, as their fole merit, though that under their particular care languishes daily'; fo here a distinction of a fimilar nature arises: "Forts, say they, must be supported, for with

out them we could have no trade : now we support the forts, and therefore support your trade there." This fpecious plea like the former foon falls to the ground on the bare approach of real information and common understanding. It has indeed been the universal maxim of the British legiflature, and the unanimous defire of the merchants, that forts and castles should be kept up in those parts of Africa, where other nations have forts, but it was always added on a re-' Spectable footing, and for the benefit and protection of the free traders. The deficiency in the firft particular is abundantly a fufficient plea to take them out of those hands, in which they are contemptible; especially when inftead of answering the fecond requifite, they are evidently injurious to it. Yet whenever the committee has been cenfured, the neceffity of forts, and the general encrease of the African trade have been two points, that have been harangued upon with a fort

of

*

6

of triumph; as if neither forts or trade could fubfift without them, though they are daily degrading the former and diftreffing the latter.

If I am apprehenfive of an attack, I wear a fword, as a neceffary weapon for my defence; and where I expect several antagonists, I fhould be glad my fervant had another; but I should be mad to have my own fo rusty in the fcabbard that it could not be drawn; or to truft him with one, if I not only suspected but knew he would turn its point against me instead of my affailants.

IT

CHAP. VI.

Propofals for IMPROVING the AFRICAN TRADE.

T remains now to point out fome remedy for the abuses of the present manner of management, and for the inconveniencies the African trade labours under from it.

All companies are and must neceffarily be composed of individuals, who from obvious motives purfue interefts diftinct from and often in oppofition to thofe of the company they belong to: hence it is that we fo often fee rich directors and bankrupt companies; and therefore such bankruptcies are not to be imputed to the trade itself, but to fome wrong first principle of, or to the improper measures pursued in, the management of it. The failure of two African companies, though composed of the richest and most powerful members of the state, plainly fhews that the attempt of monopolies on fo extenfive a coaft, among in

habitants

habitants of fo many different nations, laws and cuftoms,' and confequently of as many various interefts and inclinations, cannot poffibly be attended with fuccefs. The foundation' being defective, no folid fuperftructure could be built upon it; for had it mifcarried folely from errors in the management, the second company had their predeceffors example to guide them to the acquiring all their advantages, and to enable them to see their mistakes, and to fteer clear of those shelves on which they were wreckt: but with all these lights, with all the power of the legislature to affift, and the profits of trade to support them, they were incapable of paying their debts. As to the management of their fucceffors then, what has the nation to expect from that? the present committee is not only a monopoly, but one of the most detrimental fort other monopolies are fupported at the expence of the monopolifts; this at the expence of the publick, to the manifeft injury, if not the utter ruin of the free trader ; for if they are continued in power, that confequence must naturally enfue. A private merchant may fometimes monopolize a trade, and that undoubtedly is an injury to the publick; but it can be only a tranfient injury, as there are three things, any of which muft inevitably foon put a stop to it; his death, his bankruptcy, or his making a fufficient fortune: the first muft happen in a courfe of years; the second often attends unfair attempts; the third follows from superior addrefs, or good luck in the trade wherein he engages.. Here are three chances to terminate his views; but in a monopoly fupported by the publick, these chances are

all