Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1817-11-18

fave market, and our forts and caftlcs
were in the hands of Government, 70
that merchant could receive benefit
from their protection ; the prefent fyf
tenn being incompatible with the interef
Of the feparase and open trader. The
African is very hyperion in intellect and
capacity to the generality of Indians in
North America; they are more focal
and friendly to itrangers and, except
in the vicinity of the European fettle
ments, are Of fms noble race of men.
1t is only in commercial point of view
that think africa worthy our attention.
Agriculture iwould leave to the natives,
who would, if there was an extephvc
trade and confumption or the coast, ioon
find it to their intercf TO cultivate the
ground. am alto persuaded that our
Wet India colonies might foon be fup
piled with abundance Of live flock
WHERE as that profitable trade is at pres
ent in the hands of the Americans our
Government pay an enormous price, and
our iflands are very i'll fupplied. When
we were a, Barbados, no freih beef
could be obtained (though there is an orr
der in favor Of purchaiing for ihlPs from
The coat of Africa and the lquadron on
that itation had not any frefh beef for
fev-ral weeks. To facilitate and protect
cur trade on that coat, would frongly
recommend our obtaining from the Por
tuguese government two iillnds, either
St. Iaso or ST. Nicholas. of the Cape
dc Verd Hands and St. Thomas on the
Equator The frit would not only an
fwer as fafe depot for our merchants
trading to that part of the coat, but
would afford palture for the cattle from
whence they could be transported TO the
Wet India IAandS, and fupply our out
ward bound Hips and weitern cruiiers
with refrefhments 1t would open the
cattle trade TO our merchants, at the ex
penfe of America and would prevent
our enemy making il their haunt in war,
BY which they are enabled to eiudc our
CRITTERS and continue long at fca. Sey
eral American privateers reGttee at thefe
inands, and alto their frigates one OF
which remained at Bravo upwards OF
week, ST Thomas. on the Equator, is
very fine fruitful Iiland, about the Gze.
of the lie of Wight il abouDds in cat
tie, goats, hogs, poultry, and trult OF
every description the fugar cane grows
in the moh luxuriant manner, and the
coffee is very hyperion to the Welt In
dia. There is very good port for mer
chant ve6els, and two good bays tor
lhips of war and it is 10 fituated; that
fhips from the Gold Coat can fetch it
from The cardboard tack, the wind being
in general from S to S. w and il is the
mott defirable part for fnips to fail from
if bound up the coat, to Europe or to
the Wet Indies as by keeping to- the
louthward of the Equator, you have
the wind at fouth, and fometimcs at
S. S.. The lnconftant went from St.
sThcmas's to Sierra Leone, a diitance of
1900 mile, directly TO windward, in / o
DAYS. If vei1el attempts TO keep near
er the coat, fhe gets into the influence
OF the weferly winds, and itrong cur
rent always going to the weitward.
The Brisk sloop of war was ten weeks
going from Cape Fcrmofa to Sierra
Leone, by keeping the coat on board !;
this Ifand i. also well Gtuated for very
profitable trade to the rivers Caborn and
ST, Johns or river Danger. II would
slfo be Superior as a fettlemens for the
captured negroes to Sierra Leone. not
only from its climate, and being an
ifland, but from its being directly in the
vicinity of where the fave Trade is car
lied on; whereas, as | have before ftated,
Sierra Leone is in every refpeG the
mott unfit. and WORT Gtuation, on the
Whole coat.
This Ifand was formerly very fourth.
ing, and in high ftatc of cultivation,
particularly fugar cane, until the Brazil
trade became 70. exteniive, that it induced
all the planters and mott of the principal
inhabitants to leave the iland, and go
over TO that continent.
I beg leave 20 mention one other cir
cumGance, which | think injurious to