Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-11-14

"
captur. u, which is generally In the Blight of
Benin and Beaffra the vessels are always
crowded and sichly, and the mortality in MAJ
king the passage exceed Onc-ienil added 20
this, tie climate is detcs.ablc, the rain com
Ilencing the end of April, and continuing TO
the middle OF October; il prsses the grave of
post Europeans who 20 there, and even those
who escape the grave, hnger out painful aud
miserable existence.
Under these circumstances am Of opinion
that Sierra Leone is not 50 we'll calculated Tor
forming settlement for eniancipatcd OF cap
tured negroes as the Gold Coast, which posses
| SEES every advantage; il much more tempe
rate. the sun is more o;scured, and OF course
las less power, ard am certain must be much
more healthy. From the best Information
could collect relative TO the SOIL il is the sea
coast generally light, where Al cotton crop
would be most certain and profitable. At the
distance OF ten or twenty miles inland, il is
r,ch IL The extreme, aud would produce sugar
cane, rice and indigo; coffee aud vegetables
OF every kind are in abundance. | have been
some years IN the West Indies, and though il
was then ia the rainy season, and OF course the
worst time OF the year, Yet declare il is mel
ther SO hot OF unpleasant as the former as Il
proof of which. all the officers and crew o. the
lnconstant complained of the increased heat
on their arrival at BarbadoeS Hurricanes
are not known IN this country, aud the lorna
dues Tot whiChSo much is said are not more
vio'ent than the heavy squads Ia the West In
uies, nor have lSeen ANY so bad there is also
good aud safe anchorage on every part Of Ike
coast. Oar settlements on this coast are in Il
very bad condition, and the people residing in
item little better than prisoners To the neigh
boring Chiefs, who, although they receive pay
from the company, consider il in the light OF
tribute, and make use of our forts and flag TO
awe Their necessitous neigpbors aud subjects,
towards whom they frequently use the most
violent aud oppressive conduct.
Fort Appollonla is completely under the
control OF Yam Sacka, the king of Appollonia
who is most cruel and sanguinary tyrant-
IL wonid be highly desirable Vt we coul obtain
The Dutch Fort OF AXium, situated Il few miles
from Fort Appolona, as il has au excellent
anchorage, and the best landing on any part of
the coaS, there is also tine river navigabie
Tor large boats considerable distance III the
interior and IS III my opinion the best point
to open trade and free Intercourse with the
AShante country, the capital of which believe
might be reached IN the course of ten days.
The Fort of DiNcoye has been useful on ac-
count OF the quantity Of timber growing IN its
ueighbOrhoOd
At Succondee there is a Governor but net
Tier tort nor soldiers il is huwever good
place for trade. Cape Coast Castle is a fine
building, strong towards the sea- but most I'M
properly weak on the land side added to
which, the town has been allowed TO appIoach
within ii very short distance Of the Castle
All the houses have thick mad walls, which are
imper IouS to musketrv, and would afford shell.
ter 10 thousands but the fiI;h which is allow
Ell TO accumulate IN the streets is sufficient TO
bring plague. Neither the country or the
manners OF the people lave been improved
SIuCe II has beeu IN our possession : this ina
CINE ischieIly owing to lie want of proper an.
thOniN; and there is no doubt OF their acaui-
ring tie qualifications necessary To form good
characters, II proper means were adopted to-
wards them. The natives are at present I'M
derno laws bat their own, nor have we the
means at bringing man Ia Justice, even for
murder they are tolorablN honest towards
each other, but consider themselves fully au-
thorised TO plumber white men Ina wing mo dread
OF punishment.
To increase our trade with Africa, enlarge
the knowledge of the natives, and promote
their industry, free intercourse with the in
terror is absolutely necessary-but above all
government must be established there, thar
will secure such property as NAV be acquired
by eXertion: without which, in my opinion Az
RIGA will remain Tor everiu the same barDarous
and uncivlli2ed state.
The people of the coast, called Fantees
have done every thing in their power to pre-
vent the Ashantees, natives of the Interior
from having any communication with it, as bv
excluding them from trade they act as brokers
between the AShantee and the European mcr-
chant-they vile, abandoned set of peo
pie, and rob both one and the other; and what
is more extraordinary, we have countenanced
them IN il, although it is both unjust 10 the
Ashantets, and III direct opposition TO cur own
commercial interests as Il free trade with the
natives OF The interior would be OF great ma
tional Importance, and which the King OF the
Ashantees Is most anNiOns 10 establish.
Alliances with the chiefs, By q sidents in the
principal towns, could easily be formed; a ma
Jor whom saw al Cape Coast Castle, was ON
the point OF proceeding TO the capital of the
Ashantees, VIXEN the then governor general
TOrrane died, and this lauddble undertaking
was relinqushed.
Their present religion has no tendency what.
ever 10 improve their morals, as they consider
the charms they purchase of the FettiShmen
have Sufficient virtue TO keep them from the
most serious evils, and d. az ahsOution for any
4 a tn c1y tf,.,f
the liceutiOus and immoral state ia which mdiv
OF the English in this country live, not onlY
tends to destroy all respect for religion til the
natives, but must give them COntemDttor the
European character IN general. If we eXcept
the Danish castle At AcCra there Is not d place
of worship on the whole coast; nor do the Ia
gliSh SdrrIsons Or settlers ever assemble TO
perform amy religious ceremonies The natives
must have bad opinion also of our military
character, from the specimen they nave Of our
companys sthcerS, who not only lose the cha
ractcr OF Dldiers FOR IL of traders but ire-
qucntly JON the Fantecs IN cheating the Ash
antees, IN consequence OF the latter not being
acquainted with tile Fantee language.
The natives OF the coast who live under one
English fort, frequently insult those living un-
deTanOther, q boast Of the protection they re
ceve from the very ilag they insult thus reiler-
ing our flag SuhserVient TO cruel o. Sdnguinary
warfare; and / must confess that felt paiu 10
know THAT the British flag aud uniform are ev-
eryWhcre dish0nOred in Africa. whilst we
were at Cape Coast Castle,H saw several OF
the Ashantees; they appeared shrewd, active
and intelligent; not the least appearance of
the common negro cOuntenance, butvery much
resembling the hloors, and many of them wore
turbans; two Of them said they had seen white
men In the back country, mCaIug, no Doubt
the shores of the Mediterranean or Red Sea-
aud have no doubt, if tile slave trade was n
polished altogether, that the Africans OH many
parts of the coast might soon be induced TO
hire themselves on board our merchant shiDs
trading there, aud to and from the West IN
dies; ani this would not Ouly be the means of
eiNililios them, but be Of great Importance in