The Express.
London, England, 1851-09-19 00:00:00

1 CULTIVATION OF COTTON ON TILE WEST

COAST OF AFRICA.

A meeting of the directors of the Manchester
Chamber of Commerce was held yesterday morning to meet
Captain Eilulphus Swinton, a gentleman who had risked
the west coast of Africa, and hear from him some details
respecting the character of the inhabitants and the suita-
bility of tlie climate of that region for the cultivation of
cotton. On the table of the chamber were specimens of
indigenous cotton, which Captain Swinton had gathered on
the west coast of Africa, and also a piece of calico cloth of
native manufacture. The cloth was of about the quality of
the coarse stout fabrics woven in this country, and known
by the name of Bolton shectiugs, but is curiously diveni-
tied by stripes of close and open texture.
Mr. BAZLEY, the president of the chamber, in intro-
ducing Capt. Swinton, said the practicability of a more
abandant and regular supply of cotton, as gentlemen pre-
sent were aware, had received the attention of the chamlier
for some years past. About two years ago the proceedings
which had taken place in the chamber attracted the atten-
tion of Capt. Swinton, and he was induced to address tho
board of directors on the probabilities of Africa being ca-
pable of supplying the raw material of our manufactures
in large quantities and of excellent quality. His communi-
cation was exceedingly valuable, and he (the president)
supplied him with • ;large quantity of cotton seeds, which
he believed the captain would now tell them he had carried
out with him in a recent voyage to Africa, and distributed
among the native chiefs of the western coast who were
disposed to cultivate cotton, that it might be shipped to this
country.
Captain SWINTON then stated that he first went to
Africa in 11437, and in walking along the coast he saw
bushes of the indigenous cotton growing. Ile plucked
some of the pods, and brought them with him to this
country. lie did not at that time know that through the
failure of crops, or the inadequate means of the Americans,
cotton was likely to become scarce, or that the question of a
future supply would become of such deep interest as he had
found it; but he had brought a quantity of it home,
thinking that it was not improbable the cotton grown there
might become an article of commerce. Soon after his ar-
rival in England he saw • notice of the proceedings
of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce on the question of
a better supply of cotton, and was led to put himself in
communication with their president. On since revisiting the
west coast of Africa he had interested himself with the
King of Shcrbro, to induce him to grow cotton, and had
furnished him with see s for the purpose. lie believed
that this prince was disposed to encourage its growth by his
people. As a means oi inducing him to make the experi-
ment he hail promised to take all he could grow at a stated
price. The great thing there was to induce the people to
make the experiment, because, being naturally of a some-
what indolent nature, they required a more than ordinary
stimulus to exertion. lie had travelled upwards of one
hundred miles into the interior of Africa, and wherever he
had gone he had taken with him a hag of cotton seeds,
distributing them among the chiefs, and exacting a promise
that they would endeavour to cultivate the plant. The
specimens of cotton now on the table hail been picked from
the wild native cotton plant, about SO miles from the eta
coast, and close upon the boundaries of the Kousay coun-
try, between the colonies of Liberia and Sierra Leone. The
king of Sherbro, or chief of Bunipey, as he called himself,
had since transmitted him a letter, stating that he had
planted the cotton seeds left with him, and the following
was a copy :
" Bassartu, Ilth May, 1851.
" Dear sir—l have received your cask cotton seeds, and
will not fail to have some of it planted this season, and
have already prepared three farms for it, besides giving a
great deal to many of my people ; and hope next season
when you come out you may reap the benefit of a good
crop. But I must beg you will bring me out more of the
seeds, that I may eatentl its cultivation throughout my coati-
try, wherever the ground is suitable; and hope it will be of
future benefit to both of us. I wish you good health and
passage home. Expecting to see you early next season, I
remain yours truly, friend,
" Caasta BAH Cm; Lusa, Chief of Bompey,
" West Coast of Africa.
To Captain Swinton."
The PRESIDENT said he had examined the specimens
of indigenous tattoo Captain Swinton hail brought with him.
Ono of the samples was of the Nankine description of
cotton, and quite equal in staple to that of India, but not
very likely to be useful here. The other sample was clean
white cotton, and was equal in quality to good Bowed' or
fair Orleans cotton ; if we could receive it in quantity it
would be likely to enter largely into our manufactures. It
was fine in staple, was exceedingly strong, and would be •
great boon to the mariufacturers if it could be supplied in
quantity. Dr. Ayton, the m stionary at Sierra Leone, had
collected about two tons of it, and Captain Swinton would
have brought it, but was taken ill.
The members of the chamber entered into a conversation

with Contain Swinton on various topics connected with th;
capabilities of the west coast of Africa, particularly as re-
garded labour. Captain Swinton said in answer to various
questions that the pay of labourers in Bombay was 94. to
Is. per day, which was gladly taken in such goods as our
manufactures. He did not see any cotton grown from the
seeds he took out, but he saw some of the plants above
ground three days after planting. He did not think very
large quantities of the native cotton could be gathered at
present. Ile saw the plants everywhere along the coast,
but they were irregular and scattered. The people were
much disposed to adopt European customs, and no doubt
their wants would be large. He had no reason to suppose
the people would know bow to treat the cotton plants they
were cultivating, and probably they might neglect to
weed and properly tend them. They were not accus-
tomed to hard or regular work, but they cultivated
the ground nut in large quantities, and the French,
who expressed from th ese nuts a de.crintion of oil, mule
them an article or commerce. Thu getting and carrying
of timber was, no doubt, a heavy and laborious employ-
ment, but the "people engaged in that were of a different
race. Their way of carrying timber was very laborious.
They, in fact, rolled it along parallel lines of timber laid
across the country for miles, somewhat in the form of our
railways. It would take ten to fifty of them to roll a
log oftimbre five miles a day, according to the nature of
the country.
In the course of the proceedings the president stated that
Lord Palmerston had promised to send out a cotton clean-
' ing machine to Africa. Captain Swinton had promised the
natives 4itl. per lb. as an inducement to grow cotton, in the
unclesned state, which was above the market rate; but he
(the president) bad been informed that up the Niger the
women collected it and carried it in baskets on their heads
to the coast, to sell it at id. per lb.
A vote of thanks was given to Capt. Swinton for his in-
teresting communication.

CLERICAL.

The Rey. B. W. Disney to the Gtancry or Armagh.
Rev. J. E. Gladstone, to Long-acre Chapel, St. Martin-
in-the-Fields, London.

lie,. J. Bill, to be lecturers at St.
Martin Carlin., Oxford: patrons, corporation of Ozford.
IL W. H. Hugall, to Haverthwaite Perpetual Curacy,
Lancashire ; value 531.: patron, the Perpetual Curate of
Colton.

kW; S. H. Jacob, to Stowerpaineurr, Dorset.
Rev. H. W. Jermyn, to the Deanery end Moray,
Scotland.

Rev. W. Johns, to Ilelgrave Chapel Curacy, London.
Rev. S. Lane, to Chilfrome Curacy, Dorset.
Rev. W. Mills, to East and West Slower Curacy, Dorset.
Rev. M. Palliser, to Norton Curacy, Durham,
Rev. W. Wright, LL D.. to the head-m istership of Col-
chester Grammar School, Rue:: patrons, the corporation.,
VACANCIES.
Deanery, of Emly, Ireland; Very ltev. B. W. Disney, pro-
meted. _

Chancellorship of the diociesnof Bath and Wells; patron,
the Bishop of Bath and, Wells; lion. and it.,. W. T. Law,
resigned.
Canonry of Barton St. David, in Wells Cathedral ; patron,
Bishop of Bath and Wells; Hon. and Rev. W. T. Law, re-
7of Stackallan, Ireland, diocese of Meath; patrons,
the Crown and Bishop of Meath; Very Rev. B. W. a
Dis-
, ey, promoted.
I Vicarage of lhaborne, Staffordshire, diocese of Lichfield;
value, 6241., with residence ; patrons, Dean and Chapter of
Liehfield ; and Rey. W. T. Law. resigned.
Perpetual curacy of Stanley, Yorkshire, diocese of Ripon ;
value, 1601., with residence; patron, Vicar of Wakefield;
Rev. C. d'Oyly Aplin, deceased.
Donative curacy of Baddesley, Hants, diocese of Chi-
chester ; patron, J. Weld, Esq. ; Rev. 11. C. Michell, de-
ceased.

Mastership of Brentwood Grammar School, Essex; Rev.
o.:TuffneU, resigned.

THE ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS.—In accordance with
an Admiralty summons, Captain Sir Edward Parry, Caps
lain Botchy, and Captain Bir James Clark Rom attended at
the Admiralty yesterday, in order to meet the board and
their hydrographer, Rear-Admiral Sir F. Beaufort, and to
consult on the proceedings of Captain Austin and Captain
Penny, in the late search for Sir John Franklin.

THE OVERLAND MAIL FOR INDIA, VIA MARSEILLES,
will (we learn from a Peet-office order issued this morning)
in future be made up and despatched from I.ondon on the
evening of the Bth if each month, instead of on the evening
of the 7th, as at present, except when the Bth of the month
lath on a Sunday, and on those occasion. the mail will be
despatched on the evening of the following day.

- -
VISCOUNT PALMERSTON.—It iu now generally un-
derstood that her Majesty's Foreign Secretary will pay his
eonstituents a visit within a week or ten days. Arrange-
ments are already making to invite his lordship to a public
dinner, when he will probably enter fully into the subject of
the present position, recent acts, and future intentions of
her Majesty's advisers.—Sherborne Journal.
EARL GRET.—We learn that Earl Grey arrived
here last night from London. He is to start this morning
by railway to Perth, and will meet Lady Grey at Taymouth
Castle, where he is expected to atop a day or two. He will
then proceed direct to Balmoral, as the Secretary of State
in attendance upon her Majesty. His lordship, we under-
stand, is to remain with the Queen until her return to
the south, and will accompany her part of the journey.—
ScoPsvian.

DEATH OF COLONEL M. RAMSAY, EAST INDIA
COMPANY'S SERVICE.—?OIOIIO Ramsay, the colonel of the
2ith Bengal Maim Infantry, died at Edinburgh on the
15th instant.