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About Google Book Search Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web at |http : //books . google . com/ d Xod, 1>^,^ r" Digitized'y Google d by Google d by Google d by Google Q I d by Google } 4 d by Google d by Google THE ' BRITISH COLONIAL LIBKARY, COXPRISIVO A POPULAR AND AUTHENTIC DESCRIPTION OF ALL THB COLONIES OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE, History— Physical Geography— Geology— Climate— Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral Kingdoms— Govemment— finance— Military Defence— Commerce- Shipping— Monetary System— Beligion—Population, white and coloured- Education and the Press— Emigration, Social State, dec R. MONTGOMERY MARTIN, RS.S. IN TEN VOLUMES. VOL. X. LONDON : HENRY G. BOHN, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN. MDCCCXLIV. d by Google d by Google HISTORY BRITISH POSSESSIONS INDIAN & ATLANTIC OCEANS; COMPRISING CEYLON, PENANG, MALACCA, SINCAPORE, THE FALKLAND ISLANDS, ST. HELENA, ASCENSION, SIERRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, CAPE COAST CASTLE, &c. &c. R. MONTGOMERY MARTIN, F.S.S. SEAL OF CEYLON. LONDON: WHITTAKER & Co. AVE MARIA LANE. MDCCCXXXVII. d by Google Iryv4 ^0^,3'],^ ^ \::r'r cx[.^:. !-■ ^..nr d by Google CONTENTS. POSSESSIONS IN THE INDIAN OCEAN. BOOK I. CEYLON. CHAPTER I. Geography — Area— General History, &c. . . . p. 1 CHAPTER II. Physical Aspect, Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, &c. — Chief Town — Forts, &c. — Geology — Soil, Climate, &c. — Animal, Vegetable and Mineral Kingdoms — Culti- vation, Stock, &c p. 20 d by Google CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. Population White and Coloured — Castes — Religion — Civilization, &c. p. 55 CHAPTER IV. Civil Government — India Establishments — Military — Defence — Finances — Commerce — Shipping— Gene- ral View of Ceylon p. 87 BOOK IL PENANG, MALACCA, AND SINCAPORE. CHAPTER I. PENANG. Locality, Area, Physical Aspect, History, Population, Revenue and Expenditure, Government, Commerce, Social Condition, and Political and General Advan- tages, &c p. 123 CHAPTER II. MALACCA. Locality, Area, History — Physical Aspect, Climate — Natural Products, &c.— Population — Government — Education — Commerce, &c p. 137 i d by Google CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. SINGAPORE (SINGHAPURA.) Local! ty. Area, Physical Aspect, History, Population, Revenue, and Expenditure, Government, Commerce, Social Condition, and Political and General Advan- tages, &c. p. 1 53 d by Google CONTENTS. POSSESSIONS IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. BOOK III. THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. CHAPTER IV. Locality — Extent — Climate — Soil — Harbours — Pro- ductions, and Advantages to Great Britain . . p. 171 BOOK IV. ST. HELENA AND ASCENSION ISLANDS. Locality — ^Area — History — Physical Aspect, Climate, Geology, and Soil — Vegetation — Population — Pro- duce — Revenue and Expenditure, Shipping, &c. . p. 184 BOOK V. BRITISH SETTLEMENTS IN WESTERN AFRICA, INCLUDING SIERRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, AND CAPE COAST CASTLE. CHAPTER I. Locality — ^Area — History — Physical Aspect — Rivers — Geology — Climate — Vegetable and Animal King- doms — Population — Government — Finances— Com- merce — Social State and Future Prospects, &c. &c. p. 213 d by Google CONTENTS. CHAPTER II. Geology and Soil— Climate — Disease — Vegetable and Animal Kingdom, &c. . . , . . . .p. 259 CHAPTER III. Population of Sierra Leone, Gambia, &c. — Varieties of Races, Character, &c p. 289 CHAPTER IV. Governments and Finances of Sierra Leone, Gambia, &c. — Commerce, Imports, and Exports, Shipping, &c p. 300 BOOK VI. Steam Navigation through the Atlantic and Indian Oceans — Proposed Plan of Post Office Steam Packets vid Madeira, St Helena, Cape of Good Hope, Isle of France, Ceylon, &c. — Advantages and Disadvantages of the Red Sea and Cape of Good Hope Route Balanced — Computation of the Ex- pense of Twelve Steam Packets, &c. . . . p. 339 Appendix. Gold Coast p. 353 CEYLON, &c. d by Google d by Google BRITISH POSSESSIONS INDIAN OCEAN; COMPRISING CEYLON, PENANG, MALACCA, AND SINCAPORE. d by Google d by Google d by Google I vii I I CEYLON, BOOK I. CHAPTER I. GEOGRAPHY — AREA — GENERAL HISTORY, &C. Ceylon (Selan, Singhala, Lanka, Serendib, or Tap- robane), situate between the parallels of 5.56. to 9.50. north latitude, and from 80. to 82. east lon- gitude, is one of the most magnificent islands on the face of the globe ; in shape it is somewhat ovate ; the extreme length is about 270 miles from north to south, with an ^treme breath of 145 miles (an average of 100), a circuit of 750 miles, and a superficial area of about 24,664 square miles. General History. — ^The original Singhalese, or Ceylonese, are probably descended from a colony of Singhs, or Rajpoots (to whom, in appearance, even at the present day, they bear a striking resemblance) 500 years B,C. But the Malabars, it is stated, several times succeeded in invading the island 200 years b.c. Mr. George Tumour in his erudite epitome of the history of Ceylon, derived from Pali and CEYLON, &C. B d by Google 2 Ceylon. Singhalese rec6rds, begins his chronology 543 years before the birth of our Saviour, and names the first king* Wejaya, who landed on the island with 700 followers, and founded a government at Tamana- Bowera; but Mr. Tumour does not state whether the Pali accounts remark if the islitnd was then inhabited. At an early era the island seems to have attracted the attention of the western world; thus Dionysius, the geographer, mentions Taprobane (its ancient and classic name) as famous for its elephants ; Ovid speaks of it as a place so far distant that it eonld be no advantage to have his fame extended thither; Pliny thought it the commencement of another continent, and extolled it for the purity of its gold and the size of its pearls. In the reign of Claudius, a Roman, who farmed (says the Rev. Mr. Fellows) the customs in the Red Sea, was driven in his bark by a gale of wind frcmi the coast of Arabia to Taprobane, where he received a most favourable reception, and so extolled the glory of the imperial city that the sovereign of Ti^robane sent to Rome an embassy of four persons via the Red Sea. We have existing evidence that, in remote ages, Ceylon was an extensively peopled and civilized country (it has now only fifty-eight mouths to the square mUe). Near Mantotte are the ruins of a very large city, con- structed of brick and mortar, and an immense artificial tank, or reservoir for water, the basin of which is sixteen or eighteen miles in extent ; an embankment about nine miles from the tank is formed of huge stones, eight feet long, four feet broad, and three feet thick (these are cemented together by lime), the d by Google GIGANTIC ANCIBNT WORKS. O length of the dam is 600 feet^ the hreadth about sixty, and the height from eight to twelve feet. This gigantic work is said to have been executed by the Hindoos, who made Mantotte the capital of a kingdom which they established over the northern parts of the island. Of an antiquity, however, more remote than the foregoing, are various buildings and works towards the interior, constructed of vast stones, eleganUy cut and dovetailed-like into each other. No mortar has been used in some of the edifices which still exist (as if in defiance of the ravaging hand of time), with visible inscriptions on them, which. 110 existing human being can understand. Among the works of this remote age is the Lake of Kandely, near Trincomalee, which is fifteen miles in circumference, formed by the artificial junction of two hills, which in one part in particular exhibits a parapet formed of huge blocks of stone, twelve to fourteen feet long, and broad and thick in proportion. This parapet is at the base J 50 feet broad, and at the summit thirty feet. By means of this wonderful structure the adjoining high lands are connected. It is also singular that arches are to be found ill the parapet, and over them conduits, similar to those used by the Romans in Italy, and termed condottori. Belonging also to this age is a gigantic pagoda (forty miles south of Batticaloa), the base of whose cone is a quarter of a mile in circumference, sur- rounded by an enclosure one mile in circumference, consisting of a broad wall of brick and mortar, with numerous cells in it, and an entering colonnade of stone pillars ten feet high. b2 d by Google 4 CBYLON. Mr. Brooke, in tracing the course of the Maha Villagunga in 1825, came on the ruined tracks of several very extensive canak, one of which he esti- mated to have been from five to fifteen feet deep, ana from forty to 100 feet wide. The natives told him that this canal was cut by people whose stature was forty feet high! The largest recorded bridge was one in the southern part of the island, stated to be 280 cubits (630 feet) long ; the next in size was 193 feet long, across the Kaloo-Ganga, on the road from Adam's Peak to Bentotte. The remains of a stone bridge exist near the Fort of Kalawo Oya, the stones of which are from eight to fourteen feet long, jointed into one another and laid in regular lines, the upright pillars being grooved into the rocks below; this bridge was built 1500 years ago, and Captain Forbes demonstrated that the Singalese, at that remote period, used the wedge and chisel for splitting and shaping those huge blocks of stone, after the manner which has also been introduced into Britain in the nineteenth century. It is recorded in ancient manuscripts that, Anora- jhapoora, the ancient Cingalese capital, was sur- rounded by a wall sixteen miles square, and indeed a list of streets of the city is still in existence. To the north of the ruins of this place, are six pagodas of immense magnitude, the form being half a sphere with a spire built on it ; the two largest are each 270 feet high, of solid brick-work, once entirely covered with chunam (lime polished like marble), the solid contents of one of the largest is about 456,071 cubic yards, and with the materials of which it is d by Google ANCIENT HISTORY OF CEYLON. 5 composed, a wall of brick might be constructed twelve feet high, two feet wide, and ninety- seven miles long ; the roofs are composed of curiously carved rafters of wood, and the expense and labour emp.oyed in the whole of the structures must have been immense. In the ancient histories of Trin- comalee it is stated by Sir Alexander Johnston that two kings of Solamandelum, Manumethy Candesolam, and his son Kalocarta Maharasa, reigned over the greater part of Ceylon, and over the southern pen- insula of India, about the 512th year of the Cadi Yug, or 4400 years ago, who constructed the great buildings and tanks, the remains of which are yet extant. But we must leave these remote ages and come to some later period. In the sixth century Ceylon was the chief mart for eastern commerce. In the six- teenth year of the reign of Praakrama Baboo the First, (A.D. 1153,) this Singalese monarch sent a fleet of 500 ships, with an army on board, and pro- visioned for twelve months, to avenge the insults offered to the Singalese ambassador and to Singalese merchants by the King of Cambodiae and Arramana. This vast fleet was equipped in six months. In the thirteenth century it was visited by Marco Polo, who pretty accurately narrated the particulars of the island, which he described as ' the finest in the world.' The central situation of Ceylon had led to its port being frequented by ships from China, India, Arabia, &c. by which means Galle and Columbo, from their favourable situation, became intrep6ts for the general commerce of the east. When the Portuguese first d by Google b CEYLON. visited the island, a.d. 1505, they found it had for a long period been declinhig, owing to intestine wars, and invasions from Malabar and Arabia ; the Cinga- lese King availed himself of the assistance of the, Portuguese Admiral (Almeida) for the expulsion of the invaders, promising in return an annual tribute in cinnamon. In 1518, the Portuguese, under Alva- renga, began to fortify themselves in Columbo, Galle, &c., and soon after they obtained complete possession of the maritime provinces, and drove the King of Kandy to such extremities, that he was glad to re- tain even possession of the interior provinces. For a century the Portuguese held their sway, when in 1 603, the first Dutch fleet arrived at Trin- comalee and Batticaloa, and offered to assist the King of Kandy against the Portuguese. In 1632, a strong Dutch armament, acting in conjunction with the King of Kandy's forces, commenced a series of con- tests with the Portuguese, and after a long and san- guinary struggle, which lasted untQ 1656-7, the latter were finally driven from an island, of the sea coast of which they had been masters for nearly 150 years. The Cingalese, however, soon found that they had exchanged masters to no advantage, for from 1656 to 1796, the Dutch were engaged in a series of per- petual hostilities with their mountain neighbours. The conduct of the French republican government to Holland towards the close of the last century, in- duced the Dtttdi to acquiesce in our apparent forcible occupation in 1796 of Columbo, Galle, Trincomalee, &c., but as regards the Kandians, we were not more d by Google DUTCH AND SNOLIdH CONQUESTS^ 7 fortimate tbaD our predecessors, for in 1799, soon after the elevation of a new king to the Kandian throne, we became involved in hostilities, which led to oar capture of the Kandian .capital in 1803^ As this circumstan^ led eventually to our total occupation of the island, it may be satisfactory to give an abridgment of a memorandum on the affairs of Ceylon, prepared from the official documents in Calcutta in 1803, and which I have just now (Sept. 1 837) among the Marquess Wellesley's papers.. A short time after the return from Madras to Ceylon of Mr. North, in Jujy, IJ^d* there was reason to believe that the SMXjrt of Kandy began to entertain suspicions of the intentions of the British government, in consequence of an embassy which it had beea taught to expect, not having been sent to that Court. These siv pic^ons w.ere increased by the measures yrhich were adopted by Mr. North to pjace the Malay corps on a respectable footing, and at last assumed so serious an ap- pearance, as to induce Mr. North to send a confidential native ^ent for the purpose of demanding an explanation from the first Adigaar, or minister of the government of Kandy. In consequence of this communication, the first Adigaar re- quested Mr. North %o grant him an audience at Setaraca, on the frontiers, as he had something to communicate which was of the greatest importance to th^ British government. Accordingly ao interview took place on the $th of January, 1800, between Mr. North and the first adigaar. Previously to this interview Mr. North had reason to think, from the in- tbrmation of the oative ageQt whom be had deputed to Kandy, that the object of the first adigaar was to establish an English mDitary force in Kandy, and to pay for it a tribute in Areka- put, and oth^r productions, to the British government, and that this military force was to protect his own power, together with that of his nominal master the King of Kandy, in whose d by Google 8 CBTLON. name it was supposed the first adigaar intended to continue to govern the kingdom. At the interview however on the 6th of January, 1800, the first proposal made by the adigaar to Mr. North was to depose the reigning king, who had been placed on the throne * by the first adigaar in direct violation of the laws of the kingdom of Kandy. This proposal was rejected in the most positive man^ ner, as Mr, North very justly did not think himself warranted to join in a conspiracy against a prince in perfect amity with the British government, and who had been recognized by Mr. North as the legitimate sovereign, on the grounds of his being in possession of the throne on Mr. North's accession to the government of Ceylon. But although Mr. North did not think himself justified in contributing in any degree to the deposition of the King of Kandy, he was not disposed to insist on that Prince's retaining any large portion of authority in his dominions, and conceived that he provided much more efiectually for the king's security and happiness by placing him under the protection of a British military force, than by leaving him in the hands of a daring and ambitious minister, or of a faction which harl proclaimed him an illegitimate usurper. Mr. North, therefore, felt no hesitation to promise the adi- » This event took place about the year 1798. The account given by the adigaar was, that the country had formerly been inhabited by devils^ who had been expelled by Seredin, From this period a regular succession of kings of the Cingalese race followed for ages. These in return were afterwards expelled by the accession to the throne of Kandy of the race of Malabar kings. About the year 1781, the adigaar's brother, who had also been adigaar, placed on the throne a prince of Malabar extraction ; and in 1798 the present adigaar, in the midst of civil discord, succeeded in obtaining the throne for the reigning prince, although he had no legal pretensions to it, and was, in fact, iUegitimate. Digitized byGoOglf BMBASST TO THE KINO OF KANDT. ^ gaar support ' in obtaining all authority short of royalty in the country, in case he should be able to prevail on the King to a^k for a Bmtish subsidiary force, and to put himself and his country under the British protection.' Mr. North in this conference informed the first adigaar of his intention to send General Macdowall as ambassador to the King of Kandy with valuable presents. General Macdowall was instructed to negotiate the treaty with the King of Kandy which was founded on the principles stated in the conference which took place between the first adigaar and Mr. North, on the 5th of January, 1800, to which the first adigaar had agreed, and which he had promised to carry into effect. Another im- portant object of the embassy was to obtain a perfect know< ledge of the situation of the court of Kandy, which was essen- tial to the improvement of our general interests, as well as to prevent the dangers which it was apprehended would attend the implicit observance, on the part of Mr. North, of the direc- tions of the first adigaar, whose intentions, Mr. North * knew to be atrocious, and such as he could never abet.' General Macdowall arrived on the frontier of Kandy on the 20th of March, 1800, where, according to appointment, he met the first adigaar, accompanied by two officers of inferior rank, and by a great number of followers. On the 8th of April, General Macdowall arrived at Gunarora, and on the 9th had his first audience of the King of Kandy. He was received with every demonstration of respect and kindness, and soon after his audience entered on the subject of his mission. The treaty proposed by General Macdowall, embraced the following objects. J . The preservation of the reigning king. 2. The permanent establishment of a British force in the Kandian territories. 3. The obtaining some commercial advantages. 4. The prevention of immediate bloodshed and future civil war, by the delivery of the chiefs of the persecuted party into the hands of the British government. 5. The procuring the administration of the revenues of the d by Google 10 CBYLON. country, or at least such powers, as might |prevent the eon* tinuance of the wretched system which had hitherto preyailed, to the detriment of its natural resources. The treaty, however, was rejected by the ministers of the court of Kandy, who proposed a counter project nearly similar to one which had been formerly offered to the government of Madras. The general refused to enter on the discussion of this counter project, and demanded his audience of leave. The ministers then consented to the proposed treaty, with the ex- ception of the article which provided for the establishment of a considerable body of troops near the town of Kandy. They wished to reduce this number to 400, but as such a modifica* tion was little calculated to afford security to the British tern* tories, Major-General Macdowall declined the proposal and quitted the town of Kai^dy. The ministers also rejected three modified proposals from Mr. North, and the negociation here terminated. The motives which induced Mr. North to declare war against the King of Kandy are explained in a declaration pub- lished at Colombo on the 29th January, 1803 ; it will there- fore be sufficient to observe, that a force was assembled at Colombo amounting to 1700 men, under the command of Ma- jor-General Macdowall, and anotlier detachment at Trinco- malee, amounting to 1200 men, under the orders of Lieute^ naot'Colonel Barbut. In his letter to Lord Clive of the 30th January, 1803, Mr. North specifically states * that he should not have occasion to trouble Lord Clive for troops, unless he should be obliged to make a second campaign, which consider- ing the force assembled, the moderation of Mr. North's views, and the disposition of the principal head men, and the people in general on the Kandian territories, who were desirous of co-operating with the British troops, or at least of not acting against them, was not (Mr. North trusted) probable.' On the 28th of January, 1803, Mr. North addressed a letter to the King of Kandy, submitting to his Majesty the declara- tion of the causes and objects of the entrance of his troops into the territories of his Majesty, together with the articles of a pacific convention proposed to be concluded between his Ma- d by Google PROPOSBD CONVENTION WITH THE KINO OP KANDY. 1 1 jesty and the nobles of the court of Kandy, on the one part, and the government of Ceylon on the other. This convention stipulated for a compensation for the loss sustained by the merchants of Putelam, as well as for the ex* penses incurred on account of the military preparations, for the security of the payment of which the King of Kandy was immediately to cede to his Britannic Majesty the province of the Seven Corles. By the convention it was also proposed that the King of Kandy should recognise the sovereignty of his Britannic Majesty over all the territories lately occupied by the Dutch in the island of Ceylon, and ceded by them in conformity to the stipulations of the peace of Amiens to his Britannic Majesty ; that the grovernment of Ceylon should be permitted to form a road across the territories of Kandy between Colombo and Trincomalee ; that British troops, with their gfuns and ar- tillery, should be allowed to pass along this road without mo- lestation, and that the government of Ceylon should be allowed to establish resting-places and post-houses along the proposed road ; that the King of Kandy should permit, (for the benefit of both countries,) a communication by water, if practicable, to be made across the island, under the direction of the British government, and allow such measures to be taken as might render the rivers more navigable for the advantage of both parties ; that the King of Kandy should also engage for him- self, heirs, and successors not to enter into any negociation with any foreign power without the concurrence of the Gover- nor of Ceylon ; and that his Britannic Majesty, through the Governor of Ceylon, recognized the King of Kandy, his heirs, and successors, and engaged to furnish a quota of troops when- ever the King of Kandy might require them, on his paying for their maintenance while employed in his service. The remain- der of the convention related to points of internal economy, and do not require to be stated in this narrative. The King having refused to accede to the terms offered to his acceptance in Mr. North's letter of the 28th of January, hosti- lities commenced on the 19th of February, by the attack and capture by Colonel Hogan, of the fifty-first regiment, of two strong posts called Galle Gederah and Geriagamme. On the d by Google 12 CEYLON. same day, Colonel Barbut, of his Majesty's seventy-third regi- ment, advanced with a detachment towards the great Candian river, the banks of which, together with the village of WalJa- poola and the neighbouring hills, were occupied by the enemy in force. A few shots from two mortars and one six-pounder soon, however, compelled the Kandians to retire, and the de- tachment crossed tlie river on the morning of the 20th of February, and took possession of the village of Wallapoola, situated within an English mile and a half of the town of Kandy. General Macdowall marched into Kandy on the evening of the 20th, and found it totally deserted, the King having left it with the adigaar on the 19th February, removed all the trea- sure from the palace, and the inhabitants from their houses. Prior to his flight, the King caused the magazines to be blown up, and set fire to his palace, and to the principal temples. The King, it appears, retired into the distant province of Oora, to the south-west. As he refused to accept the terms offered to him by Mr. North, and did not even propose to ne- gociate with General Macdowall, but after the delay of a fort- night answered Mr. North's letter to him without taking the least notice of the conditions which Mr. North had offered to his acceptance, Mr. North tendered the abdicated throne to Prince Budha Sawmy, the rightful heir, who would have suc- ceeded to it on the demise of the last King, if the intrigues of the adigaar had not intruded the present fugitive prince, in the intention of deposing him to make way for himself. Colonel Barbut was, in consequence, detached soon after the capture of Kandy for the purpose of escorting him to that capital. About this period a dreadful endemial fever broke out in the interior of the island, and deprived the public service of several valuable military officers, and a very large proportion of the European troops employed in the late service. This most fatal malady appeared under the form of a very bad bilious re- mittent, and was attended with nearly the same symptoms in all cases. The extent of the disease will be fully compre- hended by the following facts: — The 6lst regiment, which marched from Colombo 560 strong, lost before its return one d by Google TREATY OP PBACE WITH THE KING OP KANDT. 13 fifth of the men, besides having 170 men sick in the hospital. A detachment of the 65th regiment, consisting of one captain, three subalterns, and eighty men, employed in keeping open the communication with Kandy, and covering a depdt of stores and provisions, lost 27 men, besides having 50 in the hospital : of the four officers, one died, and two returned dang^erously ill. The native troops, however, did not suffer in an equal propor- tion ; and it is a curious circumstance that a journey of eight or ten miles from the sea coast should lead to a country where the source of the endemial disease is so powerful as to affect almost every European constitution exposed to its influence. A treaty was entered into between the new King and Mr. North, for the speedy restoration of peace, and the general security of the inhabitants of the island. By this treaty it was stipulated that restoration should be made to Mootoo Sawmy of the town of Kandy, and all the pos- sessions dependant on the crown of Kandy, then occupied by the British troops, excepting the province of the Seven Corles, the two hill-forts of Geriagamme and Gallegederah, and the line of land across the Kandian territories, sufficient to form a direct road from Colombo to Trincomalee, which province, forts, &c. were ceded to his Britannic Majesty, in perpetual sovereignty. Provision was made for the identification of the interests of the British Government, and of Mootoo Sawmy. The British Government agreed to recognize Mootoo Sawmy as the legiti- mate sovereign of Kandy, as soon as he had assimied that title with the usual solemnities, and consented, under certain sub- sidiary engagements, to maintain, for the preservation of his authority, a British force whenever it might be required. The remaining articles provided for the future intercourse between the subjects of the two states, for the regulation of the internal duties and commerce, the safety and maintenance of the King lately on the throne, and for the residence at Kandy, whenever it might be required, of a public minister, on the part of the British Government. It also appears that, after the conclusion of this treaty, Mr. North determined to hold a conference with the two adigaars d by Google 14 CBTLON. of Kandy, for the purpose of procuring their consent to the establishment of a secure and permanent peace. In conse- quence of this resolution, Mr. North left Colombo on the 28th of April, and reached Dombaderria on the 1st of May. On the 3rd of May a conference took place at Mr. North's bungalo, in which it was proposed that the adigaars and the principal nobles of Kandy should become parties to the treaty lately concluded between the British government and the Prince Mootoo Sawmy, on certain additional conditions, whichi after some discussion, were finally agreed to by the adigaars, and sealed, signed, and delivered by the respective parties on the following day. This convention stipulated that the new King Mootoo Sawmy should deliver ovet ^ the administration of the province belonging to the crown of Kandy to the first adigaar, with the title of grand prince, during the term of his natural life, and that he should reside at Jafifnapatam, or in such other part of the British territories, as might be agreed upon between Mootoo Sawmy and the British government; that the first adigaar should engage to pay an annual sum of 90,000 rix dol- lars for the maintenance of Mootoo Sawmy, and that for the better payment of this slum, as well as for the allowance pro- posed to be granted to the King lately on the throne of Kandy, the first adigaar should deliver to the British government, in the course of every year, a certain gratuity of arckanut (20,000 annually), taken at a specified valuation (six rix. dollars per ammonam), tlie price of which should be paid to the agents of the first adigaar by the British government, in coined copper, or in such other articles as might be agreed upon between the * On account of the inertness of his own character, and the timidity of his friends, Mr. North says, * if he consents by his own signature to exchange a turbulent power which he never could fully obtain, nor securely exercise, for the peaceable en- joyment of high power and an affluent income, we have no reason to oppose his wishes.' d by Google TREACHERT OP THB KAND1ANS< 15 parties, in which case the British govemment agreed to charge^ itself with the payment of the allowances' stipulated for Mootoo Sawmy, and for the King lately on the throne. That the first adigaar should cede in perpetuity to the Bri- tish government the village and district of Gungavelle, now called Fort Macdowall, in exchange for the lull fort of Geria- gamme, which the British government agreed to cede again to the first adigaar. That all Uie princes and princesses of the royal family then in confinement should be set at liberty, and be allowed to re- tire with their property wherever they might think proper, and that a general amnesty should be observed on both sides to all who might have supported or opposed the claims of Mootoo Sawmy in the lat« or any former contest. Finally, that the preceding articles should be carried into effect as soon as the Prince lately on ihe throne of Kandy should be delivered into the hands of the British government, and that until that event should take place, a perfect truce and cessation of hostilities should continue between all the con- tracting parties. ' This truce continued until the month of June, when it was Inroken by the treachery of the Kandians, who, under the first adigaar, did not scruple to avail themselves of the first favour- able opportunity to attack the British garrison at Kandy. The result of this transaction has been differently represented. I'he official account communicated by Mr. North to the Go- ^ The advantage of this arrangement was as follows :— The arcka was to be sold to the British government at six rix dollars per ammonam. That article, however, paid a duty on exportation of ten rix dollars, and sold at Colombo before the payment of that duty at from fourteen to eighteen rix dollars per ammonam. The clear gain to government, therefore, was about twenty rix dollars per ammonam for the whole quantity, viz. 2&,000 ammonams is 360,000 rix dollars, after paying the specified allowance of 40,000 rix dollars. > About 40,000 ri^x dollars. d by Google 16 CEYLON. vernor-General in Council is here stated, and such further re- ports are annexed from private sources of intelligence as may appear to throw any light on this melancholy and almost un- exampled event It appears that Mr. North had already made preparations towards the middle of June for evacuating Kandy, and a de- tachment of Malays was on its march to that place from Trin- comalee with a number of doolies to bring away the sick and wounded. The Governor of Ceylon had also agreed to a pro- posal from the adigaars to evacuate Kandy, provided the gar- rison might be permitted to retire unmolested. Accordingly, Major Davie, commanding the garrison of Kandy. evacuated that place under a capitulation^ with the first adigaar, on the 24th of June. He was permitted to retire with his arms and ammunition, and was promised every mark of at- tention ; but no sooner had he commenced his march, than he was treacherously attacked, a party of his Malays deserted over to the enemy, and the whole of the British troops', with their officers, were most inhumanly murdered'. * The force, in Mr. North's statement of the 7th July, amounted to 40 Europeans in good health, and 200 Malays. General Macdowall, on the 4th of July, states the British force to have amounted to about 200 Europeans and 800 natives ; and Mr. North, in a letter of the 20th July, observes, that the loss may be estimated at 700 effective men. These contradic- tions are probably owing to Mr. North not having included the sick, which by all accounts appear to have been numerous, or the gun Lascars, &c. ^ On the 4th July, 1803, ' not one man had escaped on whom General Macdowall could rely for an authentic account of this melancholy transaction. More than 100 gun Lascars were re- covered in an action with the Kandian army at Hangwelle, on the 6th of September, 1803, and there is every reason to be- lieve that Major Davie and Captains Humphreys and Rumley were not put to death, but were still in confinement at the date of the latest advices from Ceylon.' ' Return of names of those officers who are reported to have d by Google CRUELTY OP THE KING OP KANDY. 17 The garrisons of Fort Macdowall, to the eastward, and of Dombarcia to the westward, of Kandy, refused to capitulate, and escaped from the enemy's country with inconsiderable loss. Until 1815 we retained the maritime provinces, ■while the King of Kandy kept the interior, but in that year the monarch being deposed on account of his repeated acts of oppression and cruelty (one act was making the wife of his prime minister pound to death her own children in a rice mortar), General Brown- rigg was invited by the Kandian chiefs to take posses- sion of the interior, and excepting an expensive and troublesome insurrection, which lasted from 1817 to 1819, Ceylon has ever since had the British sway- established over the whole island. Captains-General and Governoils of Ceylon, whilst IN possession of the Portuguese. Pedro Lopez de Souza, Jerome de Azevedo, Francois de Menezes, Manuel Mascarenhas Homen, Nanha Alvares Pe- been put to death by the Kandians after the capitulation of Kandi, on the 24th of June, 1803 :— Bengal Artillery. — Captain Richard Humphreys. \^th Foot. — Lieutenants M. H. Byne, Peter Plenderleith, Hector Maclain, Ensign Robert Smith, Quarter-master J. J. Brown, Assistant Surgeon William Hope. bXst Foot, — Lieutenant Ormsby. Malay Regiment, — Major Adam Davie, Captain Edward Rumley, Lieutenant William Mercer, Ensigns Robert Barry, Louis Goupill, John Fanthome ; Lieutenant Blackeney of the 19th regiment, commanding pioneer corps; Garrison Surgeon Holloway, Madras establishment. Rx. Mo u bray, Acting Deputy Ac(jt.-Gen. The sick Europeans in hospital had their brains beat out with clubs and stones. d by Google 18 CEYLON. reira, Constantine de Say Noranha, D. George d' Almeida, George d'Albuque, Diego de Melho, Antoine Mascarenhas, Phillippe Mascarenhas, Manuel Mascarenhas Homen, Fran- cois de Mello Castro, Antoine de Sousa Continho, under whose administration Colombo was surrendered to the Dutch ; A. D. Mezely Menezes, last Captain-General, in command of Jafifna and Manar. Governors, whilst in the possession of the Dutch. At Galle. — William Jacobszen Coster, Commander at the surrender of that place ; administration commenced 1 3th March, 1640. Jan Thysz, President and Governor, 1st Aug. 1640. Joan Matsuyker, Ordinary Counsellor and Governor, 24th May, 1646. Jacob Van Kittenstein, Governor, 26th February, 1650. Adrian Van der Meyden, Governor, 11th October, 1653. Colombo. — Adrian Van der Meyden, Governor, 12th May, 1656. Ryklof Van Goens, Governor, 12th May, 1660. Jacob Hustaar, Extraordinary Counsellor of India, and Governor, 27th Dec. 1663. Ryklof Van Goens, Governor, from 19th Nov. 1664. Lourens Van Peil, Commander, President, Go- vernor, and Extraordinary Counsellor of India, 3rd Dec. 1680. Thomas Van Rhee, Governor, 19th June, 1693. Paulus de Rhoo, appointed Governor and Director of Ceylon, 29th Jan. 1695. Gerrit de Heer, Governor, 22nd Feb. 1697- The mem- bers of the Council, 26th Nov. 1702. Mr. Cornelius Johannes Simonsz, Governor, May, 1763. Hendrick Becker, Governor, 22nd Dec. 1707* Mr. Isaak Augistin Rumph, Governor and Extraordinary Counsellor of India, 7th Dec. 1716. Arnold Moll, Commander at Galle,'llth June, 1723. Johannes Her- tenberg, Governor, 12th January, 1724. Jan Paulus Shagen, Commander at Galle, 19th Oct. 1726. Petrus Vuyst, Gover- nor and Extraordinary Counsellor of India, 16th Sept 1726. Stephanus Versluys, Governor and Extraordinary Counsellor of India ; administration commenced 27th Aug. 1 729. Gual- terus Woutersz, Commander of Jafifnapatam, 25th Aug. 1732. Jacob Christian Pielaat, Extraordinary Counsellor of India and Commissary, 21st Dec. 1732. Diederick Van Domburg, Go- d by Google DUTCH AND ENGLISH GOVERNORS. 19 vemor, 21st Jan. 1734. Jan Maccara, Commander of Galle, 1st June, 1736. Guats^ Willem Baron Van Irahoff, Extraor- dinary Counsellor of India and Governor, 23d July, 1736. Willem Maurits Bruininck, Governor, 12th March, 1740. Daniel Overbeck, Governor and Extraordinary Counsellor of India, 3rd Jan. 1742. Julius Valentyn Stein Van Gollnesse, Extraordinary Counsellor of India, 11th May, 1743. Gerrard Van Vreeland, Extraordinary Counsellor of India and Gover- nor, 6th March, 1751. Jacob de Jong, Commander of Jafiha- patam, administration commenced 26th Feb. 1751. Joan Gideon Loten, 30th Sept 1752. Jan Schreuder, Counsellor and Governor of India, 17th March, 1757. Lubbert Jan Baron Van Eck, Governor (under whose administration Kandy was taken on the 19th Feb. 1763), Uth Nov. 1762. Anthony Mooyart, Commander of Jaffnapatam, 1 3th May, 1765. Iman Willem Falck, Governor, &c. 9th Aug. 1765. Willem Jacob Van de Graaf, Governor, &c. of India, 7th Feb. 1785. Joan Gerard Van Angelbeek, Governor, &c. under whose adminis- tration Colombo surrendered to the arms of his Britannic Majesty, on the 16th Feb. 1796. English Governoes. The Hon. the Governor of Madras in Council ; administra- tion commenced 16th Feb. 1796. The Hon. Frederick North, 12th Oct. 1798. Lieut.-Gen. Right Hon. Sir Thomas Mait- land, G.C.B. 19th July, 1805. Major-Gen. John Wilson, Lieut-Governor, 19th March, 1811. General Sir Robert Brownr%g, Bart G.C.B. 11th March, 18 J 2. Major-Gen. Sir E. Barnes, K.C.B., Lieut-^Governor, 1st Feb. 1820. Lieut- Gen, the Hon. Sir E. Paget, K.C.B. 2nd Feb. 182a Major- Gen. Sir J. Campbell, K.C.B., Lieut-Governor, 6th Nov. 1822. Lieut-Gen. Sir E. Barnes, G.C.B. 18th Jan. 1824. Major-Gen. Sir J. Wilson, K.S.S. Lieut-Governor, 13th Oct 1831. The Right Hon. Sir Robert Wilmot Horton, Bart G.C.B. 23rd Oct 1881. C2 d by Google 20 CHAPTER 11. PHYSICAL ASPECT, MOUNTAINS, RIVEIRS, LAKES, &C. — CHIEF TOWNS — FORTS, &C. — GEOLOGY — SOIL, CLIMATE, &C. — ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, AND MINERAL KINGDOMS — CULTIVA- TION, STOCK, &C. Favourably situate at the west entrance of the Bay of Bengal, Ceylon is separated on the north west from the Coromandel coast, by the Gulf of Manaar, [in breadth 62 miles,] and 150 miles distant^ from Cape Comorin ; on the south and east its beautiful shores are laved by the Indian Ocean. The interior of the island is formed of ranges of high mountains, in general, not approaching nearer to the sea than 40 miles, with a belt of rich alluvial earth nearly surrounding the island, and well watered by numer- ous rivers and streams. A picturesque table land occupies the southern centre, and thence, towards the coast, is a continuous range of low hills, and elevated flat land extending nearly to the sea- shore. To the west the country is flat, and on the northern shore, broken into verdant rocky islets, and a penin- sula named Jafhapatam. The lofty central division of the island varies in elevation above the level of the sea, from 1,000 to 6,000 feet, but the range of table land may be estimated at from 2,000 to 3,000 feet higher above the sea. The mountains run in general in continuous chains with the most lovely valleys the sun ever shone on between them ; the hills clothed to the very summits with gigantic forests, from which issue magnificent cascades and d by Google PHYSICAL ASPECT. RIVERS. 21 foaming cataracts, that form in the valleys placid rives and babbling brooks fringed with turfy banks, and all the beautiful verdure of the tropics. The heights above the sea, in English feet, of some of the principal mountains, &c. in the interior of Ceylon are (L by levelling ; A by geodesical opera- tions) : — Upper Lake in Kand^, 1678,. L. : Matted Pattanna, the hill above it, 3192, , A; Oorraggalle, the rocky ridge of Hantann6 to the southward of the town, 4310, A ; Hoonassgiria Peak, 4990, A ; * The Knuckles,' a part of the same chain, 5870, A ; Highest point in the road leading through the Kad- dooganawa Pass, 1731, L.; Adam's Peak, 7420, A; NammoonnakooUe, near Baddoolla, 6740, A ; Am- boolluawa, near Gampalla, 3540, A ; Pedrotallagalla, close to the Rest House of Nuwera EUia, 8280, A ; Diatalaw^, near Hangoorankett^, 5030, A ; Alloo- galle, near Amoonapoor^, 3440, A. RxvERs. — ^The rivers, as may be expected, are numerous ; in fact, the whole island abounds with perennial mountain streams, rivulets, and rivers, the latter more numerous on the south and west than on the north east. The principal are — the Maha-Villa- Gunga, which is navigable for boats, and rafts during a great part of the year, from Trincomalee (where it faUs into the sea), nearly as far as Kandy (in the centre of the island), where its course is impeded by a ledge of rocks ; the Calany Gunga, or Mutwal, is not inferior in importance to the former, and is the medium for much internal intercourse for 50 miles from Columbo to Ruanwelle ; the Welawe and Gindora, &c., all of which serve rather the pur- d by Google 22 CBYLON. poses of irrigation than navigation. There is, how- ever, an inland river navigation over 100 miles of picturesque country from Chilaw to Futlam, thirty miles north of Caltura. Lakes. — ^There are a few lagunes on the tahle land, the principal advantage of which is, the ahund- ant supplies of fish which they afford, and in irri- gating the rice lands. In the maritime provinces, pailicularly in Batticaloa, the communication between one district and another is maintained by canals con- necting extensive salt water lakes, which have em- bankments of a stupendous nature, constructed by the Cingalese three centuries before the Christian era. Small vessels from India may land their car- goes at Calpentyn in the Gulf of Manaar, and have them conveyed by canal to Colombo. The ridge called, * Adam's Bridge,' which may be said to connect Ceylon with the Peninsula, consists of a mass of loose sand, with no firm foundation of rock or clay to support it. The sand appears to be trans- ported in great quantities from one side to the other of the ridgfi, according to the direction of the mon- soon ; for, in addition to the action of the surf, which washes it over to the lee side, where it is narrow,*— in other parts, where it is broad, streams of it, in a dry state, are carried across by the wind itself, and deposited there. The channels through the strait are very ehallow, and not more than sufficient for the small country boats to pass ; but it is stated^ in the records of the Dutch government at Ceylon, that a Dutch fieet once passed through the channels of Adam's Bridge to avoid a Danish fieet in chase of d by Google COLOMBO. 23 them. Tt has been justly observed, that if axkch really were the case, the chaxuiels must have been in a very ditiSerent state, as some parts of the ' bridge' are now dry, and a few feet of water is the greatest depth any where on it. The principal channel now used by the Dhonies, and other snail country boats, lies on the western side of the strait, on which channel some curious dams appear to have been formed by the action of the sea on the soft sand-stone. According to the records of the Pagoda of Ramisseram, it appears that this islaad'was, about the dose of the fifteenth century, connected with the Peninsula, at which time, it is recorded, that pilgrims passed over it on their way to the Pagoda. It is proposed to deepen the principal channel, which p-obably mi^it be accomplished for a moderate sum, so as to make it available not only for the coast- ing trade, but for large vessels, by which a great deal of time would be saved. Colombo. — Ceylon may not inaptly be termed the Malta of the Indian Ocean; its commercial capi- tal, Colombo, is situate on the south west coast, latitude 6°. 57'. north, longitude 80°. 0'. east, de- fended by a strong fort (built on a peninsula pro- jecting into the ocean), measuring one mile and a quarter in circumference, having seven principal bas- tions of different sizes, connected by intervening cur- tains and defended by three hundred pieces of cannon. The fortress is nearly insulated, two thirds of the works being almost laved by the sea, and with the exception of two very narrow and strongly guarded d by Google 24 CBTLON. causeways, the remainder protected by a fresh water lake and a broad and deep ditch with a fine glacis. Four strong bastions are seaward, and three face the lake and command the narrow approach from the Pettah, or native town outside the walls. The sea itself is additional strength for the fortress, for on the extensive southern side the surf runs so high on a rocky shore, that any attempt at landing troops would be attended with certain destruction, and on the west side, where the sea is smoother, the approach is completely conimanded by the batteries; &nd a projecting rock on which two compact ba1:teries are placed, entirely protect the roadstead ' ; in fact the fortress of Colombo, properly defended, may be deemed impregnable against any force likely to be brought against it. Trincomalbb. — ^The maritime station of the island, (Colombo is the seat of government) is, in a political point of view, of the most importance, not merely as regards Ceylon, but from being, as Nelson justly described it from personal knowledge, ' the finest harbour in the world.* It is situate on the east shore, latitude 8. 32. north, longitude 81. 17. east, 150 north east from Colombo, (to which a fine road has just been opened) 128 miles, travelling distance from Kandy, and within two days* sail of Madras *. Its physical aspect may be described as a narrow * See large edition for sailing directions. 2 Trincomalee is the port of refuge to ships obliged to put to sea when the stormy monsoon commences on the Coroman- del coast and western side of the bay of Bengal ; the port can be made in any season. d by Google TRINCOMALEB HARBOUR. 25 neck of land or isthmus, connecting the peninsula on which the fort of Trincomalee is built, (which juts out a considerable distance into the sea), to the main land; towards the W. this isthmus gradually ex- pands itself into a plain of considerable extent, which is bounded on the S. E. by a ridge of lofty moun- tains, on the N.W. by low wooded hills, and on the W. at the distance of about a mile from the fort, by the inner harbour. As far as the eye can reach from the fort, excepting in the immediate neighbourhood of the bazaar, the country is covered with wood. The scenery of the spot has been compared to Loch Katrine on a gigantic scale, (the vast harbour appearing land-locked) the grandeur of which cannot be surpassed; the fortifications sweep along the rocky coast upwards of a mile in length, encompass- ing the base of a steep hill on the sides connected with the adjacent land : the town and fort are placed at the bottom of a rock, and joined to a narrow neck of land running out towards the sea and separating the inner harbours from two outside bays, which lie on either shore of a three sided or cornered promontory. ' Dutch ' and * Back ' bays are entirely commanded by the artillery on the south and north side of the fortified rock, and the mouth of the harbour is pro- tected by Fort Ostenberg, situate on a mount three miles west of Trincomalee. No communication can take place with the promontory (the part that pro- jects into the sea being protected by steep rocky cliffs) except through the well- covered gates of the fortress, and the best engineers have pronounced d by Google 26 CETLON. their opinion of its impregnability if the place be wsiU garrisoned. Fort Frederick, where the European troops (con- sisting generally of four companies of a European regiment, a company of royal engineers and artillery^ and detachments of the Ceylon rifles) are stationed, is a fortified neck of land projecting into the sea, separating Back Bay from Dutdi Bay. The ground rises gradually from the glacis to the flag-staff, a height of about 300 feet, and then slopes towards the sea, till abruptly terminated by a perpendicular cliff, from which a plummet may be dropped to the water, a distance of 240 feet. Tlie depth at the base is so great that a line-of-batde ship may pass close to it* None but military reside within the works. The prospect from the barracks towards the sea is only bounded by the horizon, whilst towards the land, the eye ranges over the splendid scenery of the inner harbour. Fort Ostenberg, and a long extent of wooded country. Fort Ostenberg is near three miles from Fort Fre- derick, and is built on the termination of a ridge of hills that partly form the boundary of the inner har- bour. The fort commands the entrance, and its base is washed by the sea on three sides ; it also protects the dock-yard, which is immediately below it. A detachment of the Royal Artillery are quartered there, and a oompany of Europeans. The vicinity of Trincomalee is a wild uncultivated country, abounding with game of all kinds, from a snipe to an elephant. Quail, jungle fowl, moose- deer, and monkeys, are found on the Fort Ostenberg d by Google POINT DK GALLB. 27 ridge. The Mahavilla Ganga, wluch runs past Kandy, empties itself into the sea not far from Trincomalee. It has lately been surveyed by Mr. Brooks, Hie master attendant, who reports favourably of its capabilities. It is navigable for some distance, and he is of opinion, that with a httle expense it mi^t be made so to within 40 miles of Kandy, and thereby open a water*c(mimunication by which the coffee, timber, and other produce of the interior could be brought to the sea-coast. The harbour, beautifully diversified with islands covered with a luxuriant vegetation, is spacious enough for holding all the ships in the world, ac- cessible at all seasons, and the depth of water within the bay of Trincomalee is so great, that in many places, not far from the shore, it is unfathomable, and vessels may lie close alongside the rocks in perfect safety. The 'rise and fall of the tide is not sufficient for wet docks ; mariners prefer Back Bay to Dutch Bay, from its being easier of egress for one half the year. Point db Gallb is another strong fortress and excellent harbour, situate at the very southern ex- tremity of the island, in latitude 6° 1' north, lon- gitude, 80° 10' east, distant seventy-eight miles along the sea-shore, south-south-east from Colombo ; the road, shaded the whole way by magnificent groups of cocoa nut trees, forming a belt from the water's edge to some distance inland. The fort is a mile and a quarter in circumference, on a low rocky promontory, commanding the narrow and intricate entrance leading to the inner harbour ; the extensive d by Google 28 CBYLON. and substantial works are like those of Colombo, surrounded for the greater part by the ocean, and there is every convenience of water, &c. capable of enabling the fortress to stand an extended siege. The outer and inner harbours are spacious, and the inner secure at all seasons of the year *. But if the sea-coast be well defended, not less so is the interior ; every hill is a redoubt, and the passes in the mountains might be defended by a resolute enemy, by rolling the stones off the summits of the heights. Kandy (in 7° 18' north latitude, 80° 47' east longitude *) the capital of the interior (eighty- five miles from, and 1600 feet above Colombo) is 1 Both Monsoons here influence the winds and rains. ^ Latitude and longitude of the principal places : — Basses (Great) latitude 6° 13' 0"; longitude 81° 46' 0'' Ditto, (Little) latitude 6° 24' 30" ; longitude 81° 56' 0". Batticoloa Road, latitude T 44' 0"; longitude 81° 52' 0". Belligam Bay, la- titude 6° 67' 30" ; longitude 80° 33' 20". Calamatta Bay, la- titude 6° 47' ; longitude 81° 2' 68". Colombo, latitude 6° 67' 0" longitude 86° 0' 0". Dodandow6 Bay, latitude 6° 6' 47" lon- gitude 80° 14' 24". Dondra Head, latitude 5° 66' 16''; lon- gitude 80° 42' 60". Foul Point, laiitude 8° 30' 27" ; longitude 81° 30' 12". Galle, latitude 6° 1' 46"; longitude 80° 20' 0". Gandore, latitude 6° 55' 42"; longitude 80° 44' 30". Ham bantolle, ladtude 6° 6' 68" ; longitude 81° 14' 44". Kandy, latitude 7° 18' 0", longitude 80° 49' 0". Thahawelle Bay, latitude 5° 69' 30" ; longitude 80° 62' 15. Thattura, latitude 6° 66' 26" ; longitude 80" 40' T', Nillewelle Bay, latitude 6° T 37"; longitude 80° 60' 21". Point Pedro, latitude 9° 49' 30"; longitude 80° 24' 0". Jangalle, latitude 6° 1' 16" ; longitude 80° 54' 48". Trincomalee, latitude 8° 33' 0" ; lon- gitude 81° 24' 0". Vendelo's Inlet, latitude, 75° 70' ; lon- gitude 81° 44' 0". d by Google PARADEINIA BRIDGE. ROADS. 29 situate at the bead of an extensive valley, in an amphitheatre commanded by forts on the surrounding hills ; the vale has but two accessible entrances, well guarded, and the city within four miles is nearly surrounded by a broad and rapid river, (the Maha- Villa Gunga) filled with alligators. Paradeinia bridge, which, during the past year has been thrown over the rapid and unfordable river Maha- Villa Gunga, consists of a single arch with a span of 205 feet, principally composed of satin wood ; its height above the river at low water mark is sixty-seven feet, and the roadway is twenty- two feet wide. The arch is composed of four treble ribs, transversely distant from each other five feet from centre to centre ; the sum of the depth of these ribs is four feet, which, with two intervals of two feet each, makes the whole depth of the arch eight feet ; the arch beams, with the exception of those next the abutments, are sixteen to seventeen feet long and twelve inches thick, abutting against each other with an unbroken section, secured at the joints by the notched pieces which support the road- way, the latter being held in their position by means of cross ties below and above the arch, and immediately under the road- way : these cross ties, with the aid of diagonal braces, which are also locked into them, serve to give stability and firmness to the whole structure, which has no other material but timber in its construction. The roads in the maritime country are through groves of cocoa-nut trees along the sea coast ; carriage roads extend from Colombo as far as Chilaw to the northward, and from Colombo through Gallee d by Google 30 CBIXON. as far as Matura to the southward. The main road fix>m Colombo to Kandy (the Bimplon of the East, on which there is now a * maQ coach and four') is a work of stupendous magnitude ; hills have been cut away, valleys filkd up, and (near Kandy) a tunnel five hundred feet long cut through the mKDimtain, while rapid and unfordi^le tonrents and rivers^ have had elegant iron and wooden bridges thrown across them ; a capitiJi road has been opened between Trin- comalee and Colombo, and before a few more years have elapsed, every town in the island will be con- ne^ed by roads passable at aU seasons. Gbologt. — ^The island would seem to have been at no very distant period connected with the pen- insula of Hindostan, from which it was probably separated by an irruption of the ocean. Uniformity of formation characterises Ceylon, the whole of the island, with few exceptions, consisting of primitive formations, the varieties of which are extremely numerous ; the most prevailing species is granite or gneiss ; the more Hmited are quartz, hornblende, dolomite, and a few others. The varieties of granite and gneiss are innumerable, passing often from one into another, occasionally changing their character alto- gether, and assuming appearances for which, in small masses, it would be extremely difficult to find appro- priate names. Regular granite is not of very common occurrence; well formed gneiss is more abundant, but sienite is not common : pure hornblende, and primitive greenstone, are far from uncommon ; and dolomite sometimes of a pure snow white, well adapted for the statuarv, occasionally constitutes low hills in 7 d by Google OEOLOGT. SOIL. 31 the interior : limestone is principally confined to the northerly province of Jafhapatam, and the island ap- pears to be surrounded by an interrupted chain, or belt of sandstone, interspersed with coral. The coral of the Pamban banks is not the zoophyte of the Me- diterranean and the South Seas, but a light, porous, crumbling substance, sometimes cut and shaped into bricks by the Dutch ; and more frequently burnt into lime. Of this species of lime the late fort of Nega- patam was built ; and so great is the hardness which it acquires by long exposure to the weather, that when Major De Hav^nd, some years ago, rexpested a specimen of the masonry of the fort to be procured and sent up to him,^ the iron crows and other instru- ments used in detaching the blocks, were blunted and bent in all directions by the soEdity of the chunam, whidi is far more adhesive than that obtained from shells. A stone capable of being converted into so valuable a cement would almost pay the expense of its excavation. Soil. — ^The north division of the island is sandy and calcareous, resting upon madrepore, as it is little elevated above the levd of the sea ; the surface of the elevated lands of Safifragam, and Lower Ouva, is much stronger and well adapted for tillsige ; the granitic soil of the interior produces the most lux- uriant crops wherever there are a sufficiency of hands to call forth the gifts of industry. The soil of the southern plains is ssmdy, resting on a strong red marl termed * cabook,' the base of which is granite, and in the neighbourhood of Colombo the lands are d by Google 32 CBYLON. low, and subject to inundations from the Mutwal River. The foundations of the island are apparently cal- careous, yet the greater proportion of its soil is sili- ceous, in many places (as in the cinnamon gardens near Colombo), the surface being as white as snow, and formed of pure quartz sand. The soils of Ceylon are stated to be in general derived from the decom- position of gneiss, granite, or day, ironstone, the principal ingredient being quartz in the form of ^and or gravel, decomposed felspar in the state of clay, combined with different proportions of the oxide of iron, quartz in most instances being the predomi- nating substance, and in many places forming nine-tenths of the whole, the natural soils seldom containing more than three per cent, vegetable matter. The most productive earths are a brown loam resulting from the decomposition of gneiss, or granite, exceeding in felspar, or a reddish loam ori- ginating from the decomposition of clay ironstone : the worst soils are those where quartz predominate; proceeding from the disintegration of quartz rock, or of granite and gneis, containing a very large pro- portion of quartz. Climate. — Ceylon is under the complete influence of the monsoons, the north-east prevaiUng from No- vember to February, and the south-west from April to September; the intervening or equinoctial months having variable winds or calms. The eastern side of the island is hot and dry. like the Coromandel coast, occasioned by the north-east monsoon ; the opposite d by Google CLIMATE AND WINDS. 33 division of the isle is temperate and humid like the southern Malahar shore under the influence of the south-west monsoon ; the climate, however, of the southern coast is more congenial to Europeans than perhaps any part of the continent of India. On the whole the north and north-east may be said to be dry, and the south-west moist. The south-west wind is more general all over the island, as both at Co- lumbo and Trincomalee it blows for five months in succession, whereas the north-east blows at Columbo only in the months of December and January, seldom beyond them. Among the mountains of the interior, the winds are modified by local circumstances, ac- cording to their proximity to the east or west coast : and the highest and most central land have peculiari- ties of their own. Thus, at Badulla, in Upper Ouva (where there is an excellent hospital and military sta- tion), the wind for three-fourths of the year is from the north-east, and in June, July, and August variable. Owing to its intertropical position the quantity of rain that falls in Ceylon is very great, probably three times that of England. Being less frequent, the showers are much heavier while they last, a fall of two or three inches being not uncommon in twenty- four hours ; the average of the alpine region is about eighty-four inches ; on an average, however, less rain falls on the east than on the west side of the island ; a lofty mountainous ridge often acting as a line of demarcation, one side of which is drenched with rain, while the other is broiling under an unclouded sun. Colonel Colebrook, in his valuable report on this lovely island, justly remarks that, the climate and CEYLON, &c. D d by Google 34 CEYLON. seasons of the north and south districts are strikingly contrasted. On one side of the island, and even on one side of a mountain, the rain may fall in torrents, while on the other, the earth is psurched and the herb- age withered ; the inhabitants may be securing them- selves from inundations, while in another they are carefully husbanding the little water of a former sea- son which may be retained in their wells and tanks. Thus, throughout the southern division, where the rains are copious (owing, probably, to its exposure to the Southern Ocean) canals are not less useful in drain- ing the lowlands, than in the conveyance of produce; and embankments are much required to secure the crops from destruction during the rainy season ; while in the north division of the island, tanks and water- courses are in the greatest request, to secure the in- habitants against the frequent droughts to which those districts are liable. Owing, also, to its insular position, no climate is more favoured than Ceylon, its temperature being moderate when compared with the scorching plains of India. Along the sea-coast the mean annual tem- perature may be taken at 80° Farenheit ; the extreme range line from 68*^ to 90°, and the medium from 75° to 85°. The climate of the mountains is of course cooler, but its vicissitudes greater. At Kandy, which 18 1467 feet above the sea, the mean annual tempera- ture is 78° ; at the top of Mamini Cooli Kandi, 5900 feet high. Dr. Davy found the temperature at eight A.M. 57°. At Columbo (the capital) the mean daily variation of the temperature does not exceed 3°, while the annual range of the thermometer is from d by Google METBOROLOGY. 35 76^ to 86|° Farenheit. At Galle the mean daily variation is 4°, and the annual range 71° to 87°. Jafihapatam, mean daily variation 5°, annual range 70° to 90°. Trincomalee, greatest daily variation 1 7°, annual range 74° to 91°. At Kandy (the capi- tal of the mountain, or table land in the interior), mean daily variation 6°, annual range Q^ to 86°. At Newera EUia, a military convalescent station, mean daily variations as high as 11°, and annual variation from 35° to 80°. CEYLON METEOROLOGY. COLOMBO (SEA SHORE) REGISTER. Thermometer. Barome- ter. Rain* bb 1 'c +i Wind. Guage, o -o % g i inches s § S ^ . § 1 1 1 1 s •s % 1 1^ S 3 S i Jan.... n 81 79 82i 76 29.85 29.80 N. 1.0 Feb.... March 79 80 83 84 81i 82 85 85 76 77 30. 29.90 29.85 29.80 ) N. to N. E. jandS.W. 0.4 8.1 S£f 81 84 82 86^ 80 29.87 29.85 11.7 82 85 82 86 79 29.93 29.80 s. W. 6.6 June.. 81 83 82 86 79 29.88 29. Ditto. 2.3 July... 80 83 81 84 79 29.98 29. Ditto. 10.7 Aug. .. 81 83 82 83 80 29.90 ... Ditto. 3.5 Sept... 82 83 82 85 81 29.90 29.80 Ditto. 8.2 Oct.... 80 83 81 83 78 29.90 29.80 Ditto. 7.1 Nov. .. 80 82 81 83 79 30. 29.90 \ S. W. to N. / and N. E. 7.1 Dec... 80 82 80 84 78 29.90 29.80 18.6 ♦ The rain guage, shewing a total of 84.3 inches, is fo r Kandy (in 1819), in the interior, which shows the average of th« } moun- tain districts; on the sea- shore, as at Colombo, the avej rage an- nualfal lof 1 aini sfroi aa75 to 80 inchc '8. d2 (Continued.) d by Google 36 CBTLON. CEYLON METEOROLOGY. (Continued.) BADULLA (2107 feet above the sea.)* Thermometer. ^ . ^ 1 1 < § P^ bo 1 00 S5 00 w Jan.... 62 72 66 74 55 Heavy rains, and very cold nights. Feb.... 63 74 68 77 55 No rain ; hot. March 62 76 67 80 50 A little rain, and warm. April.. May... 66 78 70 80 65 No rain ; very warm. 68 78 71 83 64 Light rain ; windy. June.. 64 77 72 80 65 No rain ; hot and dry. July... 63 74 71 81 60 Ditto; very hot. Aug... 66 79 71 83 -60 Ditto; hot. Sept... 66 79 72 82 62 Ditto; ditto. Oct.... 66 79 72 83 62 Heavy rains, and cool. Nov. .. 67 75 71 83 62 Ditto, ditto. Dec... 67^ 73 71 75 62 Hot and dry ; very cold nights. ♦ Badulla is situate on a plain, surrounded by hills from 1 to 3000 feet, in a mountainous country, in the south extremity of Ceylon, having the sea at 40 to 50 miles distant on the East, South, and West sides; the elevation above the ocean level of 2107 feet. The climate of Ceylon, where the soil is not cleared, is undoubtedly subject to pernicious miasmata, aris- ing from stagnant marshes, and dank and noisome jungles, and even when the jungles are cleared, it re- quires the sun to act on them for some time before the unhealthy miasmata are dissipated ; at certain sea- sons, therefore, endemic fevers appear in situations favourable to their propagation, but the whole island is becoming more uniformly salubrious as it becomes cleared, and cultivated. The environs of Trinco- malee, which were formerly very unhealthy, have be- d by Google IMPROVEMENT IN CLIMATE BY CLEARING. 37 come much less so by clearing the jungles in the en- virons, and if the salt-water lake (* Snake Island' I think it is termed) to the northward of Columbo were cleared, the maritime capital of Ceylon, though within 8^ of the equator, would be one of the healthiest and pleasantest residences in India. It is true that our troops have suffered much in Ceylon, but it should be recollected, that as com- pared with the Indian army, their wesur and tare of duty is much more severe than the latter, and they have not the facilities of water communication which the Ganges and its tributaries afford ; the one country is in many parts quite unpeopled, and the other com- paratively civilized ; add to which a pernicious sys- tem prevails in Ceylon, of making the troops com- mence marches at midnight, than which nothing can be more injurious. A late intelligent Deputy Inspec- tor General of the hospitals in Ceylon (H. Marshall, Esq.) has drawn up the following comparative table of the health and mortality of troops in India, Ceylon, and Mauritius, but it must be remembered, in the first place, that the data for Ceylon were made some time ago, since which period the country is materially improved, and in order to judge more correctly, we should know the ages of the deceased and invalided, and the tropical servitude endured. I give, how- ever, the table, in the hope that it may induce ftuther inquiry based on more extensive facts ; there are no class of persons better qualified for topographical details than the medical officers of the British army, who have contributed so much to extend the litera- ture and science of England throughout her colonies d by Google 38 CBYLON. Health of Troops in India, Ceylon, and Mauritius. Stations. India : Bengal Army Madras Army... Ditto ditto 17th Dragoons Royal Regiment, 2d battalion 13th Regiment* 34th ditto 45th ditto 59th ditto 65th ditto 69th ditto 78th ditto Ceylon : 19th Regiment 73d dittot 83d ditto Mauritius: 82d Regiment Period. 182; 1808 1815 1809 1807 1823 1803 1819 1806 1801 1805 1797 1796 1818 1818 1820 1826 1809 1821 1822 1831 1829 1823 1830 1818 1822 1820 1815 1819 1820 1820 1831 7976 8717 12592 730 106: 764 895 738 901 971 844 846 837 654 871 534 .-c 5 ^3 -^1 9-7 7-8 92 7-6 133,19-6 691 7-7 63 8-5 69] 7-8 64' 6 5 68 8-5 96 11-3 62' 7-4 184 28-1 78 8-9 20' 3-7 S c 14-5 10-1 10*8 11-5 10- 8-4 10-2 33-4 15*2 8*2 ♦ This gallant regiment suifered much during the Burmese war, and the disproportionate mortality was owing to the unfiealthiness of Ran- goon, &c. t The mortality of this regiment was owing to its great fatigue and exposure during the Kandyan war, and subsequent rebellion in the mountain and jungly districts. Since the first edition of this work appeared I have received the following data, demonstrative of the improvement that has taken place in the healthi- ness of the climate of Ceylon. It will be perceived that the average mortality of the troops, the best criterion that can be referred to, has considerablv diminished, and that the chance of d by Google AVBRAOE MORTALITY OF THE TROOPS. 39 longevity to an European are now very nearly as great as if he resided in a temperate climate. ExtrcKtfrom the Columbo Journal of August, 1832. We publish the returns of the four following regiments, now stationed in this island, the 58th, 61st, 78th, and 97th : — Strength of the 78th regiment on arriving in Ceylon, August, 1826 553 men. Increase h'om various sources 116 Deduct transfer and discharges 44 Died by natural deaths 141 625 Casualties and suicides 13 154, or 24 16-25 per cent, in 6 years. Strength of the 97th regiment on arriving in Ceylon, August, 1825 538 men. Increase from various sources • 158 Deduct transfer and discharges . . -. 40 Died by natural deaths 172 666 Casualties and suicides 6 178, or 27 11-82 per cent in 7 years. Strength of the 6lst regiment on arriving in Ceylon, November, 1828 544 men. Increase from various sources . . . . , 26 570 Deduct transfer and discharges 8 Died natural deaths 92 562 Casualties 2 94, or 16 204-281 per cent in 4 years. d by Google 40 CEYLON. Strength of the 58th regiment on arriving in Ceylon, November, 1828 521 men. Increased 60 581 Deduct transfers, &c 8 Died by natural deaths 59 573 Casualties 4 63, or 1 1 per cent, in 4 years. Strength of the artillery on landing in Ceylon, August, 1828 73 Died 15, or 20 40-73 per cent, in 4 years. Summary, The 78th have diminished by 24 16-25 in 6 years. The 97th 27 11-82 in 7 years. The 61st 16 204-281 in 4 years. The 58th 11 in 4 years. Royal artillery 20 40-73 in 4 years. 100 in 25 years, or 4 per cent, per annum. Statement showing the strength of the service and reserve companies of the 58th regiment, and the numbers of sick in each respectively, on the first day of every month from January to August, 1832. The reserve companies were stationed at Fermoy, in Ire- land. With the exception of the month of January, or rather of December, 1831, the proportion of sick was in each month far less at Kandy than at the dep6t in Ireland ; and in the seven months taken collectively the rate at Kandy was below four, whilst at Fermoy it was above six in the hundred. d by Google RETURNS OF SICK, AND ANNUAL M0RTALIT7. 41 Return showing the Strength and Number of Sick with the Service and Reserve Companies of the d8th Regiment up to August, 1832. Months. Service Companies stationed in Ceylon. Reserve Companies stationed in Ireland. Number of sick on the Ist of each month. Strength on the 1st of each month. Number of sick on the 1st of each month. Strength on the 1st of each month. 1832. 1st of January 26 26 23 19 29 17 16 12 523 521 519 516 514 512 510 506 iO 16 16 14 18 15 18 23 261 268 268 267 269 269 264 272 Ist of February Ist of March 1st of April Ist of May Ist of June 1st of July ■ 1st of August 168 4121 130 2138 Strength of European Troops in Ceylon in the Years 1833 and 1834, and Annual Mortality. Years. Strength. Deaths. 1833 1834 1985 2660 57, under 3 per cent. 70, about 3J per cent. S. Forbes, M.D. Deputy Inspector of His Majesty* s Hospitals in Ceyhn, When Ceylon is cleared and cultivated all over, as our West Indian Islands are, it will be as healthy as England. I have known Europeans and the descendents of Europeans, in Qolumbo, nearly 100 years of age, without scarcely ever suffering pain or sickness. Fogs and mists are rare, except in some of the deep densely foliaged valleys of the interior, and all round the sea-coast there is an unvarying d by Google 42 CEYLON. alternation of sea and land breezes, twice in the 24 hours, which are felt nearly across the island in every direction. A delightful station has been formed at Newera Ellia, south west from Kandy 50 miles, 14 from Fort McDonald, 15 from Maturatte, and 122 from Columbo. The road between Newera EUia and Kandy leads through a wild and mountainous coun- try, the scenery always picturesque, sometimes mag- nificent in the extreme ; at one time, the traveller is surrounded by steep and inaccessible mountains, whose sides are clothed with dense forests : rocks of an enormous size, deep and precipitate ravines, and cataracts rushing with foaming velocity from the heights, diversify the scene. The height of Newera EUia plain (four miles long, and one and a half broad) is nearly 6,000 feet above the sea, and it is surrounded by steep mountains of irregular height (covered with wood to the very summit), one in particular — ^rising almost 2,000 feet above the level of Newera Ellia River, which meanders through lovely banks across the plain. The climate is deli- cious, never approaching tropical heat in summer, and yielding ice in winter ; the mean temperature, by day and night, for the entire year 55° F. The water is so pure as to form a transparent solution with nitrate of silver; several chalybeate springs have been met with. The daisy, buttercup, violet, ribwort, dandelion, barbery, briar, &c. flourish in- digenously; the rose, pink, mignionette, and car- nation, are as fragrant as in England ; delicious strawberries are abundant ; and potatoes, carrots. d by Google VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. CINNAMON. 43 artichokes, peas, beans, salads, cabbages, turnips, parsnips, and in fact every British culinary vegetable, thrive luxuriantly. The soil (in which limestone has been found) is of a deep black mould, resting on a stratum of yellow clay and gravel, numerous varieties of beautiful quartz exist, and the frequenters of a climate within a few degrees of the equator, wiU learn, with astonishment, that a fire is always enjoyed by night, and frequently in the day. Vegetable Productions. — No island on the face of the earth is richer in vegetable productions, than is this famed isle of palm and spices ; I need scarcely allude to cinnamon, of which it may be said to have a monopoly, as China has of tea. This delightful spice grows wild as well as cultivated, in every southern part of the island, whether in the white quartz soil of the gardens on the sea- shore at Columbo, or in the red Cabook hills of Kandy, where- ever, in fact, there is sufficient moisture. A description of the plant and the mode in which the bark is prepared, may not prove uninteresting : — The laurus dnnamonum, although cultivated in many tropi- cal places, has its principal habitation at Ceylon, which is capable of yielding a sufficient supply for every country in Europe ; the tree whence the cinnamon bark is derived grrows to the height of from 15 to 20 feet, with an irregular and knotty stem, branchy and ligneous roots, fibrous and inodorous wood, external bark rough, thick, scabrous, and of an ash colour, inner bark reddish, (the young shoots are often deli- cately speckled with dark green and light orange colours) ; branches umbrageous inclining horizontally and downwards ; leaves oblong and in pairs, from six to nine inches in length and three broad, petiolated, colour dark green ; flowers clus- tered on one peduncle, white, wanting calyx, smell resembling d by Google 44 CEYLON. a mixture of rose and lilac ; fruit an oval berry, larger than a black currant, receptacle thick, green and hexangular. The roots have the pungent smell of camphor, and the delicious odour of cinnamon, yielding camphor by distillation; the leaves have the pungent taste of cloves ; the berries, by boiling, yield an unctuous substance like wax, emitting an agreeable odour, and formerly used as candles for the exclusive use of the Kandian Court. Cattle of every kind eagerly feed on the luxuriant foliage, while pigeons, crows, and other birds, devour the berries with avidity. - To the industry of man belongs the bark, the varieties of which are dependent on the nature of the soil, on the skill in cultivating and peeling, and on the age and healthiness of the plant. About 2,000 acres of land are laid out in regular cinnamon plantations in Ceylon, and about 30,000 persons employed thereon. The peeling of the bark begins with May and ends with October ; the peelers (chalias, a distinct caste in Ceylon) commence the process by striking a sharp bill-hook into a shoot which seems fit for peeling ; if on opening the gash the bark separates gently, it is fit for decortication ; if otherwise, the shoot is unhealthy, the gash is carefully closed, and the sucker left for future examination ; shoots thus found fit (generally from three to five feet long, and three-quarters of an inch in diameter) are then cut down, conveyed to sheds, and there cleared of leaves and twigs ; by means of two longitudinal slits the bark peels off in two semi- circular slips; when a sufficient number are collected, the sections are placed in close contact (as two quill-halves would be laid one within the other) and the whole bundle is firmly pressed and bound up together for twenty- four hours, until a degree of fermentation is produced, which facilitates the re- moval of the cuticle ; subsequently the interior side of each section of bark is placed upon a convex piece of wood fitted to its size, and the epidermis, together with the green succulent matter carefiilly scraped off (if any of the outer pulpy sub- stance be allowed to remain, the cinnamon has an unpleasant bitterness ;) a few hours after the removal of the cuticle, the pieces are again placed in each other, and the bark in drying gradually contracts and rolls itself into a quill-like form. d by Google THE COCOA NUT TREE. 45 During the first day it is placed under shelter on open plat* forms, subsequently it is finally dried in the sun, and made up into bundles of about thirty pounds weight. A plantation re* quires seven or eight years' growth before yielding produce ; the tree is least advantageously propagated by seeds, — layers and shoots, or transplanted stumps, are the best means of extending the growth. The following are the quantities of cinnamon recently imported, exported, and consumed in England : — - Imported. Exported. Consumed. 1^7, lbs. 267444 B59692 14451 1828, 337483 354536 15696 1829, 644225 386108 29720 1830, 464175 535223 Nil. 1831, 225869 504643 23172 1832, 36762 524277 15271 1833, 102402 447855 11073 1834, 221222 222493 11686 The duty on importation is 6d. per lb. From Columbo to Tangalle, a distance of 100 miles along the sea shore, plantations of cinnamon, amidst groves of cocoa nut trees, skirt the whole coast for ten miles from the bordering of the tide, which laves the very roots of those graceful and in- dispensable palms, the cocoa nut, being in reality the most valuable product of the island. In 1813 it was calculated that there grew along the coast between Dondrahead and Calpentyn (184 miles), ten million cocoa nut trees. I recollect hearing in Ceylon an enumeration of 99 distinct articles made from this tree, among the principal were : — 1 . Arrack (the spirit under this name, made from the cocoa nut blossom, is far superior to the Batavian arrack, made from rice), which is distilled from the sweet juice of the incised flower-stock, termed — 2. ' Toddy,* in d by Google 46 CEYLON. itself a delicious wholesome beverage, when drank fresh drawn before the morning sun has caused fermentation to commence. 3. Jaghery, a coarse, strong grained, but peculiar flavoured sugar (well adaped for crystallization, or refining in England), made in abundance from toddy. 4. Vinegar, equal to any made from white wine, also prepared from the toddy, and used in making exquisite 5. pickles , from the young shoots. 6. Coir, or ropes, strong and elastic, and having the peculiar property of being best preserved for use in sea-water (hence their adaptation for mooring, and other purposes, to which they are now applied in Mauritius harbour and elsewhere, as also for running rigging in the India shipping). 7. Brushes and brooms, of various descriptions. 8. Matting of excellent quality. 9. Rafters for houses. 10. Oil of much value, and now used in England for candles as well as lamps. 11. Gutters or water-spouts, or conveyances, for which the hollow stem or trunk is so well adapted. 12. Thatching for the peasants' cottages, the shady broad leaf being admirably suited for the purpose. 13. Alkaline ashes from the burnt leaves, and used by washermen. 14. The roots are sometimes masti- cated in place of areca nut. 15. Baskets of the young shoots. 16. Drums of the crust of the trunk. 17. Reticulated cloth cradles or couches for infants. 18. The terminal buds, used instead of cabbage. 19. Translucent lanterns of the young leaves. 20. Tablets for writing upon with an iron stylus or pen (after the Roman manner), from the leaflets. 21. An -^olian harp of the stripes of the leaf. 22. d by Google COTTON SUGAR-CANE TOBACCO, &C. 47 StuflSng (coir), in place of hair, for conch cushions, mattresses, saddles, &c. To particularise further, would, however, be tedious, suffice it to say, that the natives of the Maldive islands send an annual embassy to Ceylon, the boats conveying whom are entirely prepared from this tree, the persons composing the embassy, clothed and fed on its products, and the numerous presents for the Governor of Ceylon, are all manufactured from this queen of the palms. From Tangalle to Chilaw, a distance of 135 miles, it is nearly one continued grove of cocoa-nut, bread- fruit, and jack-fruit trees, the latter being scarcely inferior in importance to the natives as an article of food, &c. than the cocoa-nut. Cotton grows with the greatest facility, whether Nankin, Bourbon, or Brazil ; the buds are ripe within four months after the seed is put in the ground, and the interior, par- ticularly about Taldeina, contains immense suppHes of the gigantic cotton tree, whose silky pods, when bursting, cover the earth around with their beautiful glossy filaments, which our manufacturers in Man- chester would be so glad to obtain. Every village or hut has its patch of sugar-cane and tobacco ; the latter, in many parts of the island, has a delicious aroma. Cofiee grows luxuriantly, and even without care, of an excellent quality ; when properly attended to it is considered by many supe- rior to Mocha ^ The pepper- vine grows nearly in a * The importation of Ceylon coffee into the united kingdom in 1832, was 2,824,998 lbs. notwithstanding a tax of 9d. per lb. being levied on it in England. Next year, however, the duty will be 6d, d by Google 48 CETLON. state of wildness all over the island. Cardatnom plants are equally plentiful. The much sought after areca-nut is of the finest species, and unsurpassed, nay, even unequalled in any part of the east. The rice of Ceylon has a richness of flavour I have never found in any other country. Teak forests abound, and excellent masts and yards of the largest size are every where procurable. Calamander, ebony, satin, rose, sappan, iron, jack, &c., and every species of the most beautiful cabinet-making woods, are in rich pro- fusion (see the Ceylon cabinet desks, dressing-cases, &c., so much and so justly admired in England). Endianting groves of the Palmyra palms surround the villages in the northward of the island, and like the cocoa palms in the south, are of the greatest value to the peasantry in seasons of drought. The following shows the nature of the crop, and the num- ber of acres under each crop in the island. From what I know of the interior I imagine it can only be an approximation to correctness. d by Google TBOETABI^ PRODUCTIONS. .49 •PUB! pa; -WAppoufl JO 89I3V JO ON 1768661 1694048 1825264 1645594 2130322 1674136 •doio upaiovjo •ON mox 243309 311301 416982 381059 394829 456206 •aiTurea 83248 84422 77705 75887 115315 111430 •ooowjox 5667 7405 7914 10421 10771 6704 •nowoo 205 396 916 764 1184 1230 'TOdj 296 1119 1040 1197 1232 •UJOD UBtpai p^ooo>o>«o •ureio 289 441 386 320 1448 3025 •Vmftnyi i««eo«o»1 — »>. o» •-> — «o t-. e>i eo eia«o '^ :o eo o m CO CO 00 00 O) to eo CO CO 00 04 5-^ — »« >. m 64 O) (S c« ooo : lo ^ C4 (c^ oa oooo d OO CO 60 CO :^ >oc e>oo«oco>oo>-^ Ot» i-i 00 o> o >Q O) CO a> «o u 00 I-I m to. oc c( f-4 eo o> O) O) c oa)>Aeoo>a)0(^ M)»«i^t>.>neo>oeo Oi->oo»oe40f-< 00 Oi-ie>4 eo» e^ «t* lo «o 00'* 04 oo«0'*'*f-ieo*o.»^ a>oot>.o'<^a)-^to CO Vi ^ -^ -^ -^ -^ tCi eo-^t^ooa)Of- a ^"^ ^g = 1^1 ^1§ §^l Ill .S CO CO •2 o» ♦» 5sg • 1| d by Google 58 The foDowing, in some respects complete, view of thinly the island is peopled, there not being in some mile ! The average for the maritime districts is 66, whole island but forty. Census taken in the year 1832 of the population of County or District. Whites. Free Blacks. Slaves. Maritime Provinces Colombo Galle Tangalle Batticaloa Trincomalee Jaffnapatam Manar Chilaw Delft Total.... Kandyan Provinces Uderatte Four Korles Three Korles .... Seven Korles .... Uwa Matele Safira^m Tamankadewe .... Total.... Grand total.... 1472 592 2360 1360 1680 1220 1088 720 28 1746 400 42 197 285 302 117 109 1835 470 26 190 65 322 130 112 1212S6 112068 44355 43459 55282' 50993 151091 13924 7070 5391 74086' 71554 10940 10516 150181 12735 165l| 1592 2 16 10144 27 11 132 5 "*2 18 10359 10520 3198 3150 344797,322262 1128 304 360 3728 4144 2272 1584 624 34541 18231 4727 57698 16931 7525 24327 27560 13498 3530 48671 16672 6708 19759 717 380 82 17 238 210 76 54 425 81 6 206 222 70 43 14144 164669 137205 1051 509466 459467 11616 Population of d by Google 59 the population is highly interesting ; it shows how districts more than foar, five, or six mouths to a square for the Kandyan provinces thirty-one, and for the Ceylon, and of the Births, Marriages, and Deaths. Total. III si Persons employed in §5 If i pq i 1 • 1 S i <** ^1 If 123746 114035 1871 162 61358 6854 10179 7292 2030 5240 47763 43934 161 150 17510 5221 6415 2600 233 1504 55324 51019 207 45 26247 3414 3267 4435 555 4406 15308 14116 21 9009 370 4921 1298 117 351 7371 5474 550 8 1598 954 447 458 133 726 84532 82235 215 136 63493 5393 19829 1036 4182 8876 11084 10702 350 20 4396 450 623 436 698 836 15138 12868 1016 40 6621 941 752 991 210 503 1651 1592 39 117 969 34 7 164 6 83 358317 335975 4819 699 191201 23631 46440 18705 8114 17025 84921 27985 3179 58 21472 2073 586 18313 13579 600 106 11615 325 160 4751 8536 131 23 3601 47 The returns under 57944 48881 400 28 57701 243 these heads must 17141 16894 1281 8 15280 ... 234 be wholly conjec- 7595 6868 809 6 2515 361 ... tural, no registers 24381 19802 28 25000 ... having ever been 689 717 ... 2 680 ... kept referrible to the native popula- 166785 138262 6400 21 112894 2759 1270 tion. 524052 474287 10719 40 304095 26390 47710 Ceylon, 1,009,008. d by Google 60 CEYLON. The following table demonstrates that in the Colombo district, at least, population is on the in- crease ; and it will be observed that the augmenta- tion (except in the fort and pettah) has been steady for the last five years. Population of the District of Colombo. Town of Colombo. Grand Pettah or Native Total. Corles or Total of Town. Divisions. Colombo Years. Fort. District. Within. Without. 1816 657 4894 21664 27215 161286 188501 1826 734 4975 25475 31188 184172 215360 1827 514 4736 23916 29162 192982 222144 1828 499 4006 2'1454 28959 196543 225502 1829 495 4343 24792 29630 198637 228267 1820 465 4500 26990 31955 200768 232723 1831 432 4760 26357 31549 203242 234791 1 1832 237781 The population of the island, although comprising a variety of different nations, may be divided into four distinct classes : — first. The Singalese or Cey- lonese (descended, as some say, from the Sings or Rajpoots of Hindoostan, and by others from the Siamese * ) proper, who occupy Kandy, and the south and south west coasts of the island from Hambantotte to Chilaw. Second, the Malabars, or Hindoos, who invaded Ceylon from the opposite coast, and are in possession of the north and east coasts, and of the 1 Is it not probable that the Jains of Upper India and Rajpoots are one and the same people with the Siamese or Buddhists of Siam ? d by Google THE SINGALESE. 61 peninsula of Jaffnapatam. Third, the Moors or descendants of the Arabs, or perhaps, from Maho- medans of Upper India, who are dispersed all over the island (as the Moslems are over Hindoostan) and in Pultam district form the mass of population. Fourth, Veddas or Beddas, the aborigines of the island, who dwell in the most untutored state (having neither habitations nor clothing) in the great forests which extend from the south to the east and north, and also in the most inaccessible parts of the interior, wild fruits and beasts being their sole sustenance, and the branches of large trees their resting place. There are some Malays, Cafires, and Javanese, a few Chinese, and Parsee traders, and a good many de- scendants of the Portuguese and Dutch, and even of the English mixed with native blood, scattered over the island. In colour the Singalese vary from light brown or olive to black ; the eyes sometimes hazel, but the hair almost always black, long and silky ; in height they are 5 ft. 4 to 5 ft. 7 ; clean made, with neat muscle, and small bone ; the chest capacious, and the shoulders broad; and in the mountainous districts, like most other Highlanders, they have short but strong and rather muscular legs and thighs ; the hands and feet, like those of the Hindoos, are uncommonly small ; the head well shaped, perhaps in general longer than the European ; the features often handsome, and generally intelligent and ani- mated; the beard is unshorn, giving manliness to the youthful countenance, and dignity to that of age. The Singalese women, particularly those of the maritime provinces, are really handsome. The beau 7 d by Google 62 CBYLON. ideal is thus described by a Kandian courtier, wdl versed in the attributes of an Eastern Venus : — * Her hair should be voluminous, like the tail of a peacock — long, reaching to the knees, and terminating in graceful curls ; her eyebrows should resemble the rainbow, her eyes the blue sapphire, and the petals of the blue manilla-flower ; her nose should be like the bill of the hawk ; her lips should be bright and red, like coral, or the young leaf of the iron tree ; her teeth should be small, regular, closely set, and hke jessamine-buds : her neck should be large and round, resembling the herrigodea ; her chest capa- cious ; her breast firm and conical, like the yellow cocoa-nut, and her waist small — almost small enough to be clasped by the hand ; her hips wide ; limbs tapering ; soles of feet without any hollow ; and the surface of her body in general soft, delicate, smooth, and rounded, without the asperities of projecting bones and sinews/ The foregoing may be considered the most general external character of the Singalese, who are rather remarkable for agility and flexibility of fibre than for strength and power of limb. What- ever may have been the extent of civilization in Ceylon at a remote period, at present I cannot say that the Singalese are superior, if indeed equal, to the Hindoos, in the domestic and fine arts ; although many branches of manufactures, such as the weaving of cotton and silk, the smelting of, and working in, gold, silver, iron, copper, &c. ; the cutting and set- ting of precious stones, the glazing of pottery, appH« cation of lacker, preparation of gunpowder, casting of cannon, distillation of spirits, &c. &c. are carried d by Google ADVANTAGES FOB BMIOBANTS. 63 on, it is by the most simple instruments, and with little aid from mechanics, and less from science^ In the fine arts they are scarcely on a par with the Hindoos, and in their structures of a recent period certainly far behind the latter people, or even less advanced than the Burmese. They however possess great capabihties of instruction, and in the neighbour- hood of the principal British stations are begmning to profit by the superior handicraft of the European artizan. It has been justly stated that the peasantry of Ceylon, as weU as of India, generally possess land, from which they derive part of their subsistence. The wages of common labourers vary in difierent parts of the island from 6d, a day in Colombo to Sd. and 4|rf. a day in the country. The government has interfered to fix these rates when requiring labourers ; but higher demands are made to private employers, according to circumstances. Those who possess small portions of land rarely derive their support from them exclusively, but employ themselves in the fisheries, in trades and manufactures, and in the petty traffic of the country ; and from the smaU amount of their individual gains there is reason to conclude, that if they could obtain regular employment near their homes, or even at a distance, from 6d, to 1*. a day would be generally acceptable to them. The wages of mechanics and artizans are propor- tionally higher than those of labourers. The minute subdivision of land has been accele- rated in the maritime provinces by the Dutch law of inheritance. In fields, gardens, and plantations, which are farmed or held in joint ownership, the d by Google 64 CBYLON. interest of an individual proprietor is often limited to such fractional portions as are valued at a few pence. For example, the inheritance of one person will consist, in land, of nine- tenths of a seer of rice.; trees, of five-twelfths of a cocoa-nut tree, and two- thirds of a jack-tree. The attachment of the natives to these possessions is evinced by the fact, that they are often the subject of protracted law suits. There are a few native landholders in the Colombo district who possess about 1 ,000 acres each ; but under the laws of inheri- tance these will in time be subdivided. In the south-western division of the island, the cinnamon, pepper, cocoa-nut and coffee plantations, would claim attention ; . and in the northern division, cotton, opium, and tobacco. By extending the cul- tivation of these and other productions the internal markets for grain would be encouraged ; the cinna- mon gardens planted by the Dutch, which have been abandoned, would be re-occupied, and pepper, which is now imported, would be re- cultivated for expor- tation. The manufacture of cocoa-nut oil, of coir rope and cable, and the distillation of arrack or rum from sugar, would become objects of general speculation, as they are now a source of profit to a few European merchants. Caste, as respects the Singalese and Malabars, is scrupulously preserved, and very widely ramified, almost every occupation having its distinct caste. There are, for instance, the gold and silversmiths* caste, the fishers', the barbers', the washermen. d by Google CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS CASTES. 65 the manufacturers of jaghery (sugar), the toddy drawers', the lime-makers', &c. &c. &c. ; but the highest and most esteemed caste is that of Vellalahs, or Goyas, whose occupations are purely agricultural ; however as land is assigned for the performance of every description of service, the practice of agricul- ture is not confined to this class, but is exercised by persons of all castes for their subsistence. By the Kandyan laws the intermarriage of the high and low castes is prohibited, and many distinctions recog- nized and enforced, by which the latter are degraded and reduced to a servile state, now considered here- ditary. While the Malabars professing the Hindu faith maintain the religious, as well as the civil dis- tinction of caste, the Singalese or Buddhists have abolished the former and retained the latter ; hence, perhaps, the hostilities which prevailed between both sects, whose sacred dogmas are both apparently based on the creed and doctrines of Menii, the great Hindoo lawgiver, an illustration for which will be found by contemplating the parallel of the Ro- manists and Lutherans, the essentials of whose reli- gion, stripped of externals, are for the most part alike. The distinctions of caste in Hindoostan as well as in Siam, Birmah, and Ceylon, had their origin in a superabundant population pressing too closely on the heels of subsistence, and it was perhaps thought that the introduction of a minute division of labour would not only give more extended employment, but also enable each person to learn more carefully his busi- ness ; probably, also, it was politically conjectured that the division of an immense population of so CEYLON, &c. F d by Google 66 CEYLON. many millions into castes or sects, would render the task of government more easy, by keeping every individual in a fixed station in society. Women, as in most parts of the East, are looked on as an inferior race of beings, and not fit to be trusted, as will be seen by the following popular distich translated from the Singalese language : — * I've seen the udumbara tree in flower \ white plumage on the crow, And fishes' footsteps o'er the deep, have traced through ebb and flow ; If man it is who thus asserts, his word you may believe. But all that woman says distrust — she speaks but to deceive.' Buddhist or Singalese Religion. — ^The reli- gion of the Singalese is Buddhism, the early history of which is httle known. Many Hindoo writers agree, that Budh or Boodh, is supposed to be the ninth avatar or incarnation of Vishnu (the second person of the Hindoo Triad, and God of preserva- tion ;) having appeared for the purpose of reclaiming the Hindoos from many abominations into which they had fallen, and to teach them more benevolent forms of worship, than through the means of human and animal sacrifices which they then extensively (and with respect to animals now) practised. These doctrines, says Mr. Coleman, being too simple, and therefore interfering too strongly with the privileges of the Brahminical priests, a religious war ensued between the old and new sects, and the Buddhists were ultimately expelled from the peninsula of India. ^ A species of fig-tree, which never bears flowers. d by Google COMMANDMENTS OF THE BUDDHISTS. 67 [Here we find a striking analogy to the incarnation of our Saviour.] But the Buddhists, in general, will not tolerate the idea of superior antiquity heing vested in the Brahminical faith ; they deny the iden- tity of their deity with the ninth avatar of Vishnu, which they declare was a mere manifestation of his power. They do not acknowledge a creation of the universe, but assert that it has been destroyed many times and by some extraordinary operation as often reproduced. They enumerate twenty- two of these regenerated worlds, each of which was successively governed by Buddhas, and that the present universe has been ruled successively by four, of whom Gau- tama or Gaudama (whose doctrines now prevail in Ceylon, Ava, Siam, &c.) is the fourth ; a fifth, Maitree Buddha, is yet to come, previous to which this world will be destroyed. The commandments of Buddha were originally five (necessary towards salvation) but five others were added, which were meritorious but not impera- tive. The first five are — 1st. Not to kill a living creature of any kind ; 2nd. Not to steal ; 3rd. Not to commit adultery ; 4th. Not to speak an untruth on any occasion ; 5th. Not to use intoxicating liquors or drugs. The meritorious commands are — not to eat after mid-day ; and not to sleep on costly, soft, or elevated beds, (but on clean mats) or indulge sensually. The others inculcate, generally, virtue and benevolence, and the practice of individual ab- stinence. The heavens of the Buddhists are twenty -six, placed one above another ; which together with their p2 d by Google 68 CBYLON. hells * are thus described by Mr. Coleman ; and it will be seen that there is indeed much need of the light of education and Christianity, to remove such ideas from the minds of an otherwise intelligent and fine looking race of human beings : — The heavens of the Buddhas are 26, placed one above another. At the end of the mdha calpi, when the world will be at an end, six of the lower of these celestial abodes will be destroyed by fire, four by storms, and six by water. The four superior heavens will escape destruction ; but what will be- come of the six intermediate ones does not so clearly appear. The Great Hells are 34 ; but besides these there are 120 smaller hells. Those which are hot lie immediately under the earth ; which may possibly account for the many volcanoes, whirlpools, and sundry explosive and other turbulent things that it contains. The punishment for sinners in these hells are as correspond- ingly degrading, as the condition of the good is in the heavens transcendently happy; with this difierence, that in their amended state they contrive to forget (a thing very uncommon in this lower world of ours) what they ascended from : whereas, in their debased situation, their reminiscences are more per- fect ; as we are told of a priestly dignitary, who having, for practices it may be presumed partaking of the nature of the insect, been transformed into a louse, became so absolutely miserable at the idea of his goods and chattels, especially his garment, in which he took great pride (unlike the pious and patriarchal pastors of the western world, who entertain no such proud or selfish feelings, or worldly considerations for rich gar- ments or rich chattels of any kind) being divided among the surviving priests, that his agitation was painfully obvious to ' I have generally found, that the more barbarous the nation the more their religion was one of fear ; and the greater the intelligence and morality, the less the fear and the higher the love.— R. M. M. d by Google THB DBSTRUCTION OF THE WORLD. 69 his old associates, who, with the feeling common to their order towards sentient animals, applied to Gautama to know what to do. The deity desired them to wait seven days (the term of a louse's life,) in which time the miserable insect would be eman- cipated in some way from his then unhappy state. A louse's mental agony is, however, but as the bite of one to some of the infernal punishments of the Buddha's Tartarus. Assura Nat are their Minos and Rhadamanthus, and, as it may be ima- gined, are not very tender in awarding to their opponents their full share of any tortures which their misdeeds may have called for. One of these is, that a man as big as three mountains, and who is always in a hungry state, is tantalized by having a mouth no larger than the eye of the finest needle. The punishments attributed to the hells of the Buddhas assimilate very nearly to those ascribed to the Tartari of the Indus. The destruction of the world will, it is imagined, take place in the following manner. A great rain will, at a future time fall, in torrents ; after which not a drop will descend from the heavens for a hundred thousand years. In this period, plants, animals, and every living thing will perish, the sun and the moon will disappear, and, in their stead, two false suns will arise. Tlie one will succeed the other, rising when it sets. There will then be no night. The heat will be intense, and small bodies of water dried up. A third sun will arise and dry up the largest rivers ; a fourth, and fifth will come and dry up the different seas ; a sixth will rend asunder the 1,010,000 earths, from whose rents will be emitted smoke and flames. By the seventh sun the heavenly mountain Mienmo, and all its celestial inhabitants, will be consumed. The de- stroying fire, having then nothing more to feed it, will expire of its own accord. Future State. — The Buddhas allege that every thing exists from natural causes ; that virtue brings its own reward and vice its own punishment ; and that the state of man is probationary. If he be virtuous, he will, after death, ascend to one of the lower heavens, but will be born again many times : and as he may each time continue virtuous, or according to d by Google 70 CEYLON. the extent of his virtue, he will progressively ascend in the scale of celestial bliss, till he may finally reach the highest heaven, and obtain Nivani or absorption^ not as the Hindus believe, into a supreme being, which would not be in accord* ance with the doctrines of the Buddhas, but a kind of cessation of animal suffering, and exemption from farther transmigra- tion. [In fact nothingness,'] If lie have been wicked, he will, in like manner, descend into the different hells, and will exist again in the forms of different animals, according to the nature and extent of his sins ; but the duration of his punishment is not eternal, and is still supposed to depend upon himself. He may thus, ac- cording to his conduct in the various forms he may exist in, be again elevated to the probationary condition of man; and, although his crimes may have once degenerated him into a lion, or, as just noticed, into a louse, a monkey, a mammoth, or a maggot, he will still, on attaining the state of man, be in a condition to look forward, by the practice of virtue, to obtain at a future period the blissful reward of NivanL [Or Nothing- ness !] If, however, he continue to be wicked in this degraded and degenerate state, he will descend still lower and become a devil, than which nothing can be imagined more base or miserable. Gaudama has enjoined, as a necessary qualification to obtain Nivani or absorption^ the performance of dana, or the bestowing of alms ; and of bavana^ which consists in pronouncing three words : aneizzOf docchaj and anatta. The first is to show that he recollects that life is subject to vicissitudes ; the second, that man is thereby liable to misfortune ; and the third, that exemption from either does not depend upon himself. Priesthood. — The Buddhas do not, like the Brahmins, respect fire; and the rahans (or priests) never kindle one, lest they should thereby destroy the life of an animal^ They 1 A Buddhist priest, on being shown the animalculae in a glass of water, rather than continue to live even on water, is said to have voluntarily starved himself. d by Google PRIESTHOOD OP THE BUDDHISTS WRITES, &C. 71 / consequently do not cook, any food ; though they eat that which has possessed life, provided it be ready dressed ; such, at least, appears to be the case in Ava, but in some places it is said to be different. They commonly subsist on provisions given as alms ; to collect which they issue every morning from their convents, as early as it is sufficiently light for them to distinguish the veins oa their hands. They do not beg, but they stop before every house in a street If food be given to them, they put it into their sabeit or baskets, and pass on without returning thanks : if none be given they go on to the next house in silence. They are clothed in a large yellow mantle, folded becomingly round them, passing over the left shoulder and leaving the right shoulder and breast uncovered. They shave their heads and beards, and go barefooted : are usually clean, but do not wear any ornaments. On receiving the sacerdotal rank, they are enjoined to live in houses built under trees in the woods ; but these injunctions are qualified, so that they usually reside in convents or colleges, which in Ava are described as the best habitations in the empire, built in the most agreeable situations. They are well conducted, kind and hospitable to strangers, and are the best informed men in the Burman empire. Each college has a head, called zara or teacher ; of which, accord- ing to the size of the colleges, or the estimation in which they are held, there are degrees. The head of the colleges is the zarado or royal abbot. Towards the whole of them the utmost respect and attention are shown. They are the gratuitous in- structors of youth, which is considered as a work of merit During their priesthood they must remain in a state of celi- bacy, and observe other strict regulations ; but may, at any time, leave their convent and marry, which is frequently done. The Buddhists do not, strictly speaking, believe in a Su- preme Being ; the Jains, however, (one of the sects of Boodh) do, and also admit of castes, which the former deny ; yet the Jains assert that the Supreme Being has no power over the universe. The dead are generally burned as among the Hin- doos, where the Ganges is not contiguous. d by Google 72 CEYLON. To counteract the effects of this idolatrous system, great efforts are making by various classes of Chris- tians ; and as a specimen of those efforts, as also as an indication of their result, I subjoin the following report of the Wesleyan Missions for 1835. RBPORT OF THE WESLETAN MISSION, SEA COAST DISTRICT, (for 1835). Colombo and Colpetty — Messrs. Clough and Toyne ; John Anthoniexr, Assistant Missionary. Negombo — Mr. Kilner ; Peter G. de Silva, Assistant Missionary. Caltura — Mr. Bridgnell ; Cornelius Wijesingha, As- sistant Missionary. Galk — Mr. M'Kenny ; John A. Poulier, Assistant Missionary. Matura — Mr. D. I. Gogerly; Daniel D. Perera, Assistant Missionary. Moruwa Corle — ^W. A. Lalmon, Assistant Missionary. Ninety-three schoolmasters and nine school-mis- tresses, chiefly natives. More than twenty years have elapsed since the commencement of the Wesleyan Mission in the island of Ceylon. This Christian enterprize for the evan- gelization of an important portion of the eastern possessions of the British Empire commanded, from the first, much public interest, which was heightened by its proving to be the last missionary undertaking of the apostolic Dr. Coke, and by the circumstances of trial and difficulty in which his companions were placed by his unexpected death. The mission had to be reared from its foundation ; difficult languages were to be learned ; and a knowledge of the character of the people and of the country was to be acquired. With grateful acknowledgments to the God of mis- sions it is mentioned, that very much more than d by Google REPORT OP THE WBSLETAN MISSION. 73 could have been reasonably expected has been ac- complished. Ten mission stations, each of them embracing an extensive tract of country, have been formed. The several languages used by the inha- bitants, whether learned or vernacular, have been acquired ; the holy scriptures have been translated ; other valuable books have been composed or rendered into the native tongues ; an extensive school system, affording daily instruction to upwards of 4000 chil- dren, has been established ; several hundreds of the heathen and of professing Christians have been united in religious fellowship; the strongholds of atheism and idolatry have been boldly attacked, and shaken to their foundation ; and the leaven of Christianity is finding access into the remotest parts and most exclusive circles of the island. The committee add with pleasure, that other committees are contributing to the work of evangelizing this interesting land. The Bible Society has with its accustomed muni- ficence sanctioned, year after year, a liberal issue of copies of the sacred volume from the mission press. Some of the Missionary Societies of our own country, and of the United States of America, (for in this cause there is now, happily, a generous fellowship of Christian nations, as well as of the various British churches,) have sent their agents into Ceylon as fellow labourers for its spiritual cultivation ; and it is not doubted that, by the present and by every generation of the inhabitants, the benignant reign of Britain, and the zealous efibrts of the spiritual labourers employed under its protection, will be gratefully acknowledged. d by Google 74 CBYLON. From Point Pedro, in the north of the island, Mr. Stott writes as follows : — ' There is an intense desire among the people of this district to receive Bibles and tracts. When I am on the road they crowd round me, and say, * Give us books.' ' We want to read, and to know the Christian religion : you teach it to us, but we want books that we may read about it in our houses, and teach it to our neighbours.' Sometimes they call after me, ' Giv^ us books, that we may know whether your religion or ours is the better." The farmers in the field say, ' We attend your preaching, therefore you ought to give us books." * Others say, * We were taught in your schools, therefore you should give us books.' Some say, * We have carefully kept those you gave us, give us more.* Others, ' We can read, give us books.' Thus they make many demands on me, and I have given them great numbers of the scriptures and of tracts, but not at all sufficient to meet the wants or satisfy the wishes of the people. These, I think, are pleasing indications, and tokens that the Lord is imparting a desire to know the way of salva- tion by Jesus Christ.' In the south of Ceylon the cause of Christianity is making progress ; several new places of worship have been erected ; many of the villagers have con- tributed materials for these buildings, and others have afforded their labours gratuitously. From the Caltura station Mr. Bridgnell writes — * This day I have preached four times in four villages, have examined and catechised the children of d by Google REPORT OF THE WESLEYAN MISSION. 75 four schools, and distributed during the day several copies of a tract, entitled, ' A Warning to Heathens' — some in crossing the ferry, others to passengers on the road, and others among the retired inha- bitants of the jungle. A greater spirit of curiosity is excited than I have ever seen before. Whether the total number of Buddhist priests is decreasing I cannot tell ; but I know of six priests who, since my appointment to this mission, have thrown off their robes, and whose places have not subsequently been supplied.' In reporting the state of the schools, Mr. Bridgnell says — * I can sincerely affirm it as my full conviction that our mission schools are the most highly im- portant of those auxiliary means by which we endea- vour to teach and preach Jesus Christ. The children make encouraging progress in the knowledge of heavenly things ; and their parents, and other adults attending the public examinations, receive much in- struction by means of the catechisms, and by the reading of the scriptures in the various schools. Many of the children despise the absurdities of idol worship and Buddhism, and refuse to join in heathenish ceremonies. * Out of the mouths of babes and suck- lings God has perfected praise.' ' State of the mission. — Colombo, — * During the past year we have had many trials and difficulties to contend with; however we have reason to rejoice that we have not been without prosperity. Our work in the fort has been of a very pleasing character. Our congregations in general have been too large for the chapel to contain. The word of life has been d by Google 76 CEYLON. received with the utmost seriousness ; sinners have been converted, penitents pardoned, believers built up in their roost holy faith, and a few have entered into their eternal rest. We have now three classes in the garrison, which contain forty- four members, who are walking worthy of their high calling, and labouring to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour. Tlie female class of natives at the new Bazaar con- tinue faithful and stedfast. Our cause at Colpetty is progressive. The class met by the resident preacher consists of ten, all of whom enjoy the saving grace of God. The members of the native class, with one exception, have continued steady; several of its members walk three or four miles every sabbath to attend it. The Singhalese service in the Colpetty school continues interesting ; frequently the school is well filled with children and adults.' * Number in society 84.' Negomi o. — *' The state of our society on this sta- tion is somewhat encouraging. We have eleven classes, containing 164 members, which are met regularly every week either by the superintendent or one of his assistants. Besides the classes, there are upwards of thirty persons who meet together at our small bungalow at Bandarawatee, every Wednesday, for the purpose of being instructed in the principles of Christianity. ' Several deaths have occurred in our little society the last year, amongst whom one of our catechists is numbered. He had been employed in that capacity on the Negombo station since the commencement of our mission there, and on every occasion manifested bis zeal for the more extensive diffusion of our holy d by Google REPORT OP THE WESLEYAN MISSION. 77 religion. Although his path had been darkened for many years in consequence of constant domestic trials^ over which he had no control, and which con- tinued to the day of his death, yet the conversations which I had with him during his affliction afforded me sufficient evidence that he possessed an enligh- tened confidence in God his Saviour, and that his prospects of future happiness were clear and distinct. As in life, so in death, the arm of the Lord sustained him. ' Several members of the Mukelangam class have lately begun to hold prayer meetings in the houses of the people in that neighbourhood. This is a new thing amongst them, and will, I trust, be the means of inducing many to embrace the truth as it is in Jesus. At the school of this village a very interest- ing juvenile class has been lately formed, as also at Bandarawatee, of twelve members. We cannot but hope that the means which are now in regular and active operation on this station will soon prove effec- tual to the pulling down of the strong holds of hea- thenism which yet remain. Number in society 164, children 21 ; total 185.' Caltura. — * Number in society 64, children 98 ; total 162." Galle. — * We have a good English congregation on the Wednesday evenings in Galle, as many of the inhabitants understand English, and attend regularly : and among the few who are united with us in church feUowship there are several decidedly pious and holy persons. Their attachment to the public ordinances is deserving of notice. The Lord has given testi- mony to the word of his grace — many are raised up d by Google 78 CEYLON. as witnesses of the power of God to save, and, having felt the blessedness of religion in their own sonls, are desirous that others should be made partakers of Uke precious faith. We have recently adopted a plan of visiting the people from house to house, to speak to them individually on the concerns of their souls. The time we have fixed upon for these visits is two o'clock every sabbath afternoon, which, although the hottest part of the day, yet, being the time when we are most likely to find the people in their houses, we judged the best. The subjects of our addresses to the people during these friendly visits are personal and family religion, and especially the necessity of the observance of the Christian sabbath. The bene- fits resulting from this plan soon appeared, and con- tinue to be manifested in the numbers who attend our public ministry, and the desire for religious know- ledge that is awakening amongst the people. * A new version of the Ceylon-Portuguese scrip- tures is now passing through the press. The New Testament is already pubhshed, and it is delightful to see the eagerness with which it has been read. Many have declared the satisfaction they will feel, and the comfort with which they will die, if they are spared to read the Old Testament scriptures in a lan- guage th6y understand. ' Many of the natives also are induced to read our scriptures. Numbers of children are from time to time going from our schools with their minds par- tially informed on religious subjects, and with their prejudices in favour of the religion of their fore- fathers considerably weakened. A small number come to the native service in the chapel in the fort d by Google REPORT OP THE WESLBYAN MISSION. 79 on sabbath mornings; and in one of our schools "where we preach on Thursday evenings, besides Sun- days, we generally have a small congregation of adults, and intend to form a native class. * In our other schools, in which we have service, there are a few who attend regularly ; but listlessness and unconcern about the things of eternity charac- terize the bulk of the people. * Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live !* ' Number in society 48. Matura. — " This circuit presents an extensive and interesting field of usefulness among the natives. The work is great but the labourers are few. And I fear that this circuit may have suffered for want of more labourers. However we have still enough to ex- cite our gratitude, and to encourage us to persevere. Number in society 64." MoRUWA CoRLE. — ' Our congregations in private houses, in the villages, and in the school here, are on the increase, but their attendance is not regular ; it depends altogether upon the state of the weather, and the times which they are not employed in their cultivating business, &c. However, upon the whole it appears that the light of the gospel is now diffusing in these parts, and much solemnity is apparent in our assemblies. I cannot but observe that there is already a visible reformation among several of the people here. Some once notorious drunkards and quarrelsome men are now soberly and industriously employed in providing for their families ; some, who leaving their families were always in the gambling 7 d by Google 80 CBTLON. places, are spending their time now in better occupa- tion ; others who lived profligately are now ashamed, and confess it with sorrow. The common coolies re- prove each other, when they hear any one cursing or swearing. Number in society 30, children 17 ; total 47.' Total members in the Singhalese District 590. Schools. — Colombo. — Pettah English School, — ' For a time we were obliged to suspend this school, ilowever, we have procured two teachers who are equal to their work, and have re-opened it. 21 boys and 3 girls have been received. 2. ' Colpetty School has prospered and given much satisfaction during the past year ; at present it con- tains 64 children, 6 of whom are girls. In this In- stitution both English and Singhalese are taught by the same master, who is laborious in the discharge of his duty. 3. New Bazaar. — * The discontinuance of a Ba- zaar in that part of Colombo has occasioned the re- moval of many native families, and altogether altered the character of the place ; 26 children attend, 7 of whom can read the scriptures. 4. Nagalgam. — 'This school continues to be in- teresting and prosperous. The school contains 66 children, 22 of whom are girls. Both Singhalese and English are taught. In this school divine ser- vice is held every Sunday, and a native class met by the preacher after service. 5. Kehelwatte School — * contains at present 36 boys, 9 of whom read the scriptures with considerable accuracy. d by Google RBPORT OF THE WBSLETAN MISSION. 81 6. Kaloboville School — * contains 65 boys, 24 of whom can read the scriptures, write on paper and olas, and repeat a good part of the Catechism. 7. Dehewella, — * This village contains a numerous population of low caste people, who appear to value in some degree the instruction and improvement of their children; 57 attend the school; 21 can read the scriptures.* Negombo. — * On this station there are 16 schools in various degrees of efficiency, some of them very useful. They are under the care of 23 male and 2 female teachers, and contain 542 boys and 100 girls ; total 642.' Caxtura. — * Seventeen schools in connection with this station are taught by 27 male teachers and 1 female. They contain 834 boys and 69 girls ; total 903.' Gallb. — * The schoolmasters of this circuit ge- nerally have afforded satisfaction during the past year. The children of two of the nearest schools attend divine service in the Chapel in the Fort, and are regularly catechised after preaching. In all the other schools divine service is held once and in some twice on the Lord's day.' 1 . Fort School, — ' This school continues in a prosperous state. At present the number on the books is 54 boys and 14 girls. 2. Kalegane. — * The number of children in this school is 12. 3. Mahamodera School. — * contains 43 boys and 8 girls. d by Google 82 CEYLON. 4. Dungederah School, — ' The state of this school is encouraging, and it at present contains 52 boys and 15 girls. The girls sew plain work neatly. A num- ber of the boys read the Testament, and most of them repeat the Catechism, Creed, and Ten Command- ments. 5. Unuwattune School * is suspended for the pre- sent. 6. Bopey School, — * The average attendalice is 33. 7. Dawatue School,-^* The number of children is 72 ; the master is an active, intelligent man. 8. Wewelle School, — * The number on the books 74 boys, 28 girls, of which number 19 read in the Testament. 9. Tottagamey School * contains 50 boys; 16 read the Testament, and 20 know the Catechism, &c. 10. Malhwerme School, — ' This school contains 44 boys. 1 1 . Amhldmgoddey School.*^ * At one part of the year the country fever prevailed in this village. The number on our list at present is 42 boys, of whom 16 read in the Testament, 24 repeat the Prayers, Catechism, Ten Commandments,' &c. Matura. — ' The masters of the circuit are met by our assistants at Matura every Saturday forenoon, for the purpose of receiving religious instruction, that they may be better qualified for the discharge of the duties of their office. The meetings are opened and closed with prayer, and the plan of the Sunday d by Google REPORT OP THE WESLETAN MISSION. 83 services is made known. Any complaints which are to be made regarding the public conduct of th6 masters are then preferred against them, and their characters are investigated. If the charge of open sin, of the neglect of duty, or of their attendance on any heathen ceremonies, is substantiated, they are dismissed from their situation : if no decisive evidence can be obtained, they are suspended for a time until the fact is ascertained. 1 . Matura English School. — * The number of boys who attend is 40, many of whom are the sons of the most respectable natives in the neighbourhood, who read well in the Bible, and are considerably ad- vanced in arithmetic. All the boys learn the second part of the Conference catechism, and commit hymns to memory. Tracts are frequently distributed amongst them, and much good may be expected to result. 2. Matura Singhalese ' school contains 43 boys. 3. Pittacatua ' school is in a flourishing state, and some of the boys are very promising. The village in which this school stands is very populous, so that we have preaching here on Sabbath mornings and Wed- nesday evenings. The attention which the boys manifest during divine service is truly pleasing. By the blessing of God we hope to see much good done in this village : the number of boys in the school is 55. Weradura ' school has revived during the past year ; several girls have been added, who are taught to read and to write ; and a woman is employed to teach them to sew, who is paid by the masters. G 2 d by Google 84 CEYLON. There are at present 28 boys and 20 girls who at- tend the school. Dondrah * school 1st. has been suspended until we can obtain for it more suitable masters. When this school was discontinued it contained 18 boys who read in the Testament, 17 who repeated the Catechism and Prayers, and 20 who could write. Dondrah " school 2d. contains 61 boys, of whom 20 read in the Testament, 46 can repeat the Lord's prayer, the Creed, the Ten Command- ments, and the morning and evening prayers. The second master of this school is an active young man, who was himself taught in one of our schools, and the children under his care increase in the know- ledge of divine truth. At one of the public exami- nations, — it having been observed that the scriptures teach us that all things were created by God, but that Budha says, every thing was made of itself, — an appeal was made to the boys, who they thought spoke the truth, Jehovah or Budha, when a little boy about eight years of age boldly cried aloud, that God spoke the truth, for he made all things ; but that Budha told a lie. This saying much surprised many of the worshippers of Budha who were witnessing the examination. Naurunna ' school is situated about* eight miles j&om Matura, and contains 34 boys and 10 girls. Weregampitte * school contains 36 boys and 23 girls, many of whom are newly admitted; 14 boys and 2 girls however read in the Testament. Tudawa School, — * The village in which this d by Google REPORT OF THE WBSLBYAN MISSION. 85 school is sitoated is thinly inhabited, land I fear we shall be obliged to .discontinue it at the end of this year. Nupey School. — 'There are 50 boys in this school: 15 read well in the Testament, and a very con- siderable part of the children who attend can repeat the Ca,techisin, the l ^ JO 3 o 1 1 i s '3 1 c as 1 3 1 a 1 5 5 1 5 o C/3 to < 9 & S CG E 1 25th Jan. 1816 J 5 6 41 59 37 445 121 6169 1817 1 5 9 46 75 49 4 5 5 9 442 123 6103 167 1818 2 4 6 44 85 48 4 5 5 9 394 122 5943 158 1819 1 7 9 58 114 34 4 4 3 20 654 182 8219* 191 1820 5 C 41 66 29 4 5 5 6 425 lis 3330 207 1821 6 7 46 68 40 6 6 6 6 363 136 6679 |197 1822 7 6 35 55 29 5 5 4 4 333 113 6387 208 1823 ... 5 6 27 40 26 1 2 3 4 270 85 5423 154 1824 7 35 40 25 2 2 3 4 268 80 5196 145 1825 *3 6 34 37 21 2 4 3 3 268 80 4886 201 1826 4 6 37 40 21 4 3 4 2 281 73 4990 219 1827 7 4 41 60 17 5 5 4 6 308 83 5205 261 1828 7 4 39 64 20 4 5 4 7 304 83 5351 289 1829 8 5 45 63 30 4 5 5 6 304 82 5587 271 1830 7 6 41 61 30 4 5 5 6 305 80 5461 261 1831 7 7 42 60 29 5 5 5 7 300 81 5465 251 1st Jan. 1832 7 6 41 57 25 4 5 5 6 304 81 5196 253 1833 7 6 39 62 26 4 5 5 6 277 81 4822 246 N.B. Ceylon Light Dragoon s, an d Gun and Pione er La scars are included in the above numbers , but which are not bom e on the Army Estimates. * Including a For ce de tached from Benga I. CEYLON, &C, H d by Google 98 CEYLON. Scale of Island allowances paid by the Colony. Regimental. — Colonel, 45/. 9*. per month; Lieu- tenant Colonel, 32/. 2*. ; Major, 23/. I9s, ; Captain, 13/. 16*. ; Lieutenant, 8/. 5s,: Second Lieutenant or Ensign, 6/. 6s, ; Paymaster, 13/, 16*. ; Surgeon, 17/. 105.; Assistant Surgeon, 12/. 10^.; Adjutant, 10/. 4^. ; Quarter Master, 8/. 5*. Additional allowances to officers in command of corps, — Colonel, 5/. 4^. per month ; Lieutenant Colonel, 51. 4s. ; Major, 8/. 3^. ; Captain, 10/. 4s. ; Lieutenant, 5/. 11*. Additional allowances to officers in command of gar- risons, with the exception of Colombo, Trincomalee, Kandy, and Galle, — Colonel, 29/. lis, ; Lieutenant Colonel, 8/. 18*. ; Major, 61, I4s, ; Captain, 3/. I9s, 6d,; Lieutenant, 2/. 14s.; Ensign, 21, 6d. The allowance for the commandants of Kandy and Trin- comalee is fixed at 37/. 10s. each ; of Colombo at 29/. 1 15. ; and of Galle at lOs. a day. General and Medical Staff, — ^Medical Greneral on the staff. 275/. 18*. 4^d, ; Deputy Quarter-Master- General, being Lieutenant- Colonel, 16/. Is. 6d, ; Assistant Quarter-Master- General, Major, 11/. 19^. 6d. ; Deputy Assistant Quarter-Master-General, Lieu- tenant, 41, 2s, 6d. ; Deputy Adjutant-General, Lieutenant-Colonel, 16/. I8s. ; Deputy Assistant Adjutant- General, Captain, 61. I8s, ; Assistant Mili- tary Secretary, ditto, 6/. 18s. In addition to regimental allowance being regulated where the ranks of staff officers do not correspond with the table, by d by Google MILITARY ALLOWANCES, &C. 99 making the addition equal to one-half of the regimental allowances to officers. To aid-de-camp, if subaltern, the staff and island allowance of a captain are gpranted ; being the difference of island allowance between a surgeon and an assistant-surgeon. The general as well as military reader will be gratified by the following account of military allow- ances, expenses, amusements, and annoyances, as detailed in a letter from Ceylon, dated July, 1833: — "The barracks in Colombo fort are small detached ones, not holding more than a company, built by the Dutch so immediately under the ramparts as to ex- clude the breeze which is so necessary in this climate. The mortality occasioned last year by the cholera has attracted the attention of government to the accommodation of the troops, and measures are now in progress that will add considerably to their comforts. The hospital is not good, the wards are not suflScient to allow a classification of the diseases, and there is not a proper place for convalescents. The officers hire houses in the fort; they seldom contain more than four rooms, with accommodation for servants. Bath and stabling, and very good quarters, may be got for 21, 5s, per month, in some situations for 1/. 10^.; in the principal street, where the houses are very superior, 3/. 15^, to 61, is paid. Officers find their own furniture, but that is of little im- portance where all the articles for comfort or luxury are to be bought on terms that would astonish a London upholsterer. Six arm-chairs, with rattanned seats, cost about 21, 5s. ; a pair of couches, 21. ; H 2 d by Google 100 CBYLON. tables, varying from 10^. upwards, but a good one to dine four, may be purchased for that price ; they are all made of jack wood, which is handsome, and takes a high polish. No European servants are allowed, two natives are sufficient for a bachelor, — a head servant at 1 /. per month, a boy at 9*. ; if you keep a horse, a servant to attend him, and ac- company his master on foot when he goes out, will cost 155. a month. They support and clothe them- selves. To meet these , extra expenses the island allowance monthly is, for lieutenant- colonel, 32/. ; a major, 23/.; a captain, 13/. 16^.; a lieutenant, 8/. 5^. ; an ensign, 61. ; a surgeon, 1 7/. ; assistant- surgeon, 10/. ; quarter-master and adjutant, 10/. ; 5/^ extra is allowed for the commandants of corps. This is to cover all expenses of house rent, servants, fuel, candles, and marching money. The allowance of the subs should be 10/., to enable them to meet the extra expenses they are put to by those who are paid more liberally. Messing is about 2^. a day, but 6d. more may be added for contingent expenses. The dinners, particularly in Colombo, are good ; — every variety of poultry, excellent fish, venison, and game, are to be bought reasonable. Madeira and light French claret are the usual wines, and are drunk at 3*. a bottle. Sherry is getting much in vogue, but many of the messes on ptranger-days sport champagne, hock, and Carbonnel's or Sneyd's best claret, to the great detriment of the finances of the junior members. The duty in Colombo is a subaltern's guard. The captains assist the field d by Google RBVBNUE. 101 officers in doing the garrison duty. There is a garrison field-day every Monday morning, and regi- mental parades once a day. The society of Colombo is composed of the families of the military and the gentlemen holding the civil situations under govern- ment. It is sociable and agreeable ; there are numerous private parties, and a public ball once a month ; the messes frequently invite their friends to evening parties. The style of living is good, and combines more both of comfort and luxury than is usually found in the same class of society in Europe. " There is a subscription library, supplied with a large assortment of newspapers and ever}* publication of interest, and standard works. Each regiment (Colombo is the head- quarters of two European regiments) has its own billiard-table ; it is very rare indeed to hear of high play at them : they are a source of amusement in a place where the heat will not admit of exposure during the day, and, as it is unattended with expense, has not been productive of evil consequences." Revenue. — ^The gross aggregate revenue of Ceylon has for some years averaged somewhat more than 330,000/. per annum, but from the great expenses attending the realization of some of the principal branches of revenue, and from the changes which are now taking place (the cinnamon monopoly, for instance, being abolished) it is difficult to state the net or even precise revenue of the last year ; it may be averaged, however, at ^ve shillings a head per annum. d by Google 102 CEYLON. The following Items formed the Revenue of Ceylon for 1832. Land Rents £21,300 Cinnamon 147,649 Salt . . 24,653 Pearl Fishing 3,887 Fish Rents 6,986 Licences 29,179 Sea Customs 65,176 Land ditto 4,176 Lands and Houses 195 Steam-engine 1,127 Stamps 2,729 Judicial Receipts 10,46] Fines and Forfeitures 979 Commutation Tax 3,008 Premium on Bills 3,976 Post Offices 1,549 Stud of Horses' Sale 608 Auction Duty 215 Interest of various Monies 2,740 Tribute from Wedderate 104 Sale of Government Gazette 437 Sundries . 1,000 Receipts in aid of Revenue 25,234 Arrears of Revenue in former Year s 12,346 Making an aggregate income of . 370,000 The land assessment is trifling as regards the re- ceipts of treasury, and collected under a bad system, namely in kind, and by speculators who farm it out from the government. The grain, when collected by government, is stored for the use of the troops and for sale. Every attempt at a permanent set- tlement on the land has hitherto failed, and owing to the quantity of waste land, and that held only by d by Google BXPBNDITURB. 103 service tenure, the difficulties in the way of such a de^rahle measure have hitherto been found imprac- ticable. In the land-rents are included the duties levied on cocoa-nut trees, and it affords a singular view of the importance of that palm to the people, when we find that while the tax on rice lands does not yield a larger revenue than 21,000/., the revenue derived from the cocoa-nut tree amounts to 35,573/.^ The premium upon biUs drawn by the colonial government upon its agent in London, amounting to 4800/. aryear, is included in the colonial receipts, though it can scarcely be considered a source of re- venue. As the whole of the revenue system of Ceylon is now under the consideration and modification of the government, it would be unnecessary to particu- larize further. Expenditure. — ^Prom the time of our acquisition of this island, its revenue has been inadequate to meet the expenditure, whether wisely or unnecessarily in- curred. Certainly much of the expenditure arose from causes which now cease to operate, namely, in- ternal war with the Kandyans, and in consequence of hostilities in Europe or British India ; even at this moment a larger military force is kept up at Ceylon than is required for the mere protection of the island, * Schedule of duties levied on cocoa-nut plantations : — Distilling of arrack £3,644 Exports of jaghery £162 Retail of ditto . 24,975 Ditto of copperas 1,539 Export of ditto . 3,136 Ditto of cocoa nuts 1,551 Ditto of coira or rope 153 Ditto of cocoa-nut oil 413 d by Google 104 CBTLON. in consequence of its being the Malta or Gibraltar of our eastern possessions. The foUoving abstract was laid before the Finance Committee of Parliament in 1828*:— ^ I found the following statement among the Marquesa Wellesley's papers : — Receipts in Ceylon. Pagodas. 1796-7 304,162 1797-8 about.... {f««;708 842,860 Charges in Ceylon, Pagodas. ^7967 \,^^l 1797-8 78,799 130,51G Pagodas. 1795-6 about 9,000 Add amount of receipts 842,860 851,860 Deduct charges 130,516 Remains 721,344 Exclusive of the receipts for the pearl fishery since 30th April, 1798. The amount of the pearl fishery, since 30th April, 1798, though not stated in the above extract of the account in gene- ral, received from Mr. Webbe, has yielded to the Madras trea- sury, according to the best information I could obtain, the sum of 150,000 pagodas ; therefore, Pagodas. The amount of the pearl fishery, since 30th April, 1798 150,000 Added to the balance in favour of Ceylon, as above 721,344 Makes 871,344 As the above extract does not specify the particular charges, it is probable that the greater part of the military disburse- ments constitute no part of the charges. d by Google NBT RBVSNUS AND BXPBNDITITRE. 105 Net Revenue and Expenditure of Ceylon for Fourteen Years. Tears. Net Revenue. Expenditure. Excess of Expenditure. 1811 1812 1818 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1828 1824 £ 801758 271210 320806 352416 876757 340020 859595 842375 404128 870497 818142 286862 297945 £ 411249 370801 491776 409369 511434 450502 416491 454496 478940 476054 410126 369038 404480 893548 £ 109491 99091 170070 56958 134677 105656 76471 94901 186565 71981 89629 55896 117618 95608 4652352 6047804 1362552 We perceive from the foregoing, that notwith- standing the heavy expenses incurred by the Kandyan war, and the necessity for occupying a large extent of the interior, which for several years could not be expected to meet the charges requisite for its main- tenance and peace, yet the excess of expenditure in the latter years had considerably diminished ; but a more agreeable prospect of the finances of the colony is presented to us in the Ceylon Almanac for 1834, which gives the revenue and expenditure from 1821 to 1832 thus— d by Google 106 CETLON REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE. 6 9 «§ •s| >J 1 i §1 « £ £ £ £ 1821 459699 481854 22155 1822 473669 458346 15328 1823 476242 _- 120836 1824 387259 441592 _ 54333 1825 355320 495529 _ 140209 1826 278358 394229 _ 115879 1827 264785 411648 _- 14691 S 1828 805712 339516 — 38894 1829 389534 844757 44777 _ 1830- 403475 347029 56446 ._ 1831 420170 356565 73605 _ 1832 Total 369437 338100 31337 — 4362824 4885407 221493 639219 Under a recent revision of the government offices and retrenchment, the following scale of salaries has been established : — Civil Offices, of the yearly Value of 300/. and above. — Governor, 7000/.; Colonial Secretary, 2000/.; Assistant ditto, and Clerk to the Executive and Le- gislative Councils, 600/. ; Treasurer and Commis- sioner of Stamps, 1500/. ; Auditor General and Comp- troller of Revenue, 1500/. ; Civil Engineer and Sur- veyor General, 800/. ; Postmaster General, 300/. ; Harbour Master at Colombo, 700/. ; ditto Galle, 500/. ; Collector of Customs, 1000/. ; Government Agent at Colombo, 1 200/. ; Assistant ditto at ditto, 300/. ; ditto ditto at Caltura, 400/. ; Government Agent at Galle, 1000/. : Assistant to ditto at Matura, 400/. ; ditto at Batticaloa, 400/. ; Government Agent at Trincomalee, 1000/. ; ditto at Jafiha, 1200/. ; As- d by Google CIVIL AND JUDICIAL OFFICES. 107 sistant ditto at ditto, 300/. ; ditto at Manaar, 400/. ; ditto at Chilaw, 400/. ; Government Agent at Kandy, 1200/.; Assistant ditto at Kuninegalle, 400/.; ditto at Ratnapoora, 400/. ; — 24,900/. Being an average decrease of 2233 per cent, upon the existing esta- blishments, and 3887 per cent, including the offices established. Civil Offices of the yearly Value of 500/. and under, per annum, — Superintendant General of Vaccination, 450/. ; Five Assistants at 90/. each, 450/. ; Harbour Master of Trincomalee, 400/. ; Assistant Engineer and Surveyor, 300/. ; Superintendant of the Botani- cal Gardens, 250/. ; Supervisor of the Pearl Banks, 500/.; Assistant Agent at Badulla, 400/.; ditto Alipoot, 400/.; ditto Ruanwelle, 400/.; ditto Ma- telle, 400/. ; ditto Fort King, 400/. ; ditto Madawa- latenne, 400/. ; — 4750. Being an average increase of 1463 per cent, exclusive of the six last mentioned officers. Judicial Offices of the yearly Value of 500L and above, — Chief Justice, 2500/. ; Senior Puisne ditto, 1500/. ; Queen's Advocate, 1200/.; Deputy ditto, 1000/.; Registrar of the Supreme Court, 600/.; District Judge of Colombo, 1000/. ; ditto Galle, 1000/. ; ditto Trincomalee, 1000/.; ditto Jaffiaa, 1000/.; ditto Chilaw and Putlam, 500/. ; ditto Kandy, 1000/. ; ditto Ratnapoora, 150/. ; — total, 12,450/. Being an average decrease of 2966 per cent. Judicial Offices under 500/. per annum, — Fiscal of the Western Province, 350/.; Private Secretary to the Chief Justice, 270/. ; ditto Senior Puisne ditto, 180/.; District Judge of Batticaloa, 250/.; ditto d by Google 108 CBYLON. Manaar, 200/. ; Sitting Magistrates of Caltura, 135/. ; ditto Pantura, 225/. ; ditto Negombo, 225/. ; ditto Amblangodde, 225/.; ditto Matura, 225/.; ditto Hambantotte, 135/. ; ditto MuUetivoe, 225/. ; ditto Point Pedro, 157/.; ditto Mallagam, 225/.; ditto Kaits, 157/. ; ditto Chavagacherry, 225/. ; ditto Kur- negalle, 150/.; ditto Badulla, 150/.; ditto Alipoot, 150/.; ditto Ruanwelle, 150/.; ditto Matele, 150/.; Fort King, 150/.; Nuwera Ellia, 150/. ;— 4460. Being an increase of 2676 per cent, exclusive of the seven last-mentioned offices. Offices newly created. — Civil. — ^Assistant Agent at Negombo, 400/. ; ditto at Galle, 300/. ; ditto at Hambantotte, 400/. ; ditto at Kandy, 300/. Judicial, — Second Puisne Justice, 1500/. ; Private Secretary to ditto, 180/- ; District Judge of Nuwera EUia, 150/. Ecclesiastical, — College Professor (deferred), 300/. Total, 3530/. These salaries are not high, compared with those of the other functionaries of the island, nor in refe- rence to the tropical nature of the climate, and the necessity of paying dignitaries vested with high authority salaries placing them above the reach of temptation ; for no policy can be more short-sighted than inadequately remunerating the servants of the state. When the Dutch had Ceylon, for instance, the salaries of their officers, from the governor down- wards, were not one-fifth of our servants, but amends were made by the former plundering the people in every possible shape, and by the institution of trading monopolies in the hands of government, from the d by Google EDUCATION. 109 melancholy effects of which the island is still suffer- ing. By an important document presented to Par- liament near the close of the last session, showing a reduction in colonial expenditure, prospective and immediate, Ceylon is thus therein noted down : — Charge when reduction commenced, 190,570/. ; im- mediate saving, 30,732/. ; prospective saving, 27,378/. ; total retrenchment, 58,110/. There is a civil pension fund in Ceylon, hy the rules of which the subscribers are entitled to pensions after twelve years actual service and subscription ; the amount of pension being regulated according to the salary received by the officer during the last two years previous to his retirement. The pensions now paid by the fund amount to 12,000/. a-year. It would be well if Great Britain had a similar institu- tion or institutions for the different departments of the service, by which the future dead weight of the expenditure would be materially relieved, and it would be most desirable that every colony had a pension fund formed after the plan of Ceylon. Education. — According to Baldseus, when the Dutch obtained possession of this island, they pur- sued the plan of enlightening its inhabitants by edu- cation, as a means of christianizing the natives. The following most interesting statement of the churches and schools established in Jafnapatam and Manaar in Ceylon, is given by Baldseus, in his ac- count of Malabar and Ceylon, printed at Amsterdam, in 1672:—- Jelipole, August, 1 658, church established. d by Google 110 CBYLON. January 12tb, 1661, sacrament first administered to twelve communicants of the natives. 1665. 1,000 scholars, 2,000 auditors ; Mallt^m, 200 scholars, 600 auditors ; Mayletti, 750 scholars, 1,600 auditors; Achiavelli, 500 scholars, 2,000 au- ditors ; Oudewill, 600 scholars, 1 ,000 auditors ; Bate- cotte, 900 scholars, 2,000 auditors; Paneteripore, 600 scholars, 1,300 auditors; Changane, 700 scho- lars, church filled ; Manipay, 560 scholars, 700 au- ditors ; Yanarpone, 200 scholars, 600 auditors ; Na- lour, 590 scholars (the people here still incline to Paganism) ; Sundecouli, 450 scholars, 400 auditors. Thus far of the Province BeUigame and its churches, unto which belong Copay and Pontour, containing about 800 scholars and 2,000 souls. The second Province of Jafhapatam is Tenmarache, containing five churches and the villages thereto belonging : — 1st, Navacouli, 400 scholars, 800 auditors ; Cha- vagatzery, 1,000 scholars, 2,500 auditors; Cathay» 550 scholars, 1,200 auditors; Haranni, 800 scholars, 2,500 auditors; Illondi Matual, 650 scholars, 1,200 auditors. The third province is called Waddemarache, hav- ing three churches : — 1st, Catavelli, 600 scholars, 1,205 auditors; Ure- putti, 690 scholars; 900 auditors; Paretilure, 1,000 scholars, 3,000 auditors. The last and furthermost Province called Palchia- rapalle has four churches and as many schools : — 1st, Poelepolay, 300 scholars, 600 auditors ; Mo- d by Google EDUCATION. Ill gommale, 450 scholars, 500 auditors ; Jambamme, 500 scholars, 900 auditors ; Mulipatto, 215 scholars, 350 auditors. Several of these schools continue; others have been discontinued, or have merged in similar estab- lishments formed in their neighbourhood. The government schools are in number about 100, (rf which the far greater part are in the Singalese or maritime districts ; they were originally established by the Dutch , and, according to Colonel Cole- brooke's report, the numbers educated have been as follows : — Protestants 83766 Mahomedans 14847 Roman Catholics . . 38155 Boodhists 78602 Total .. 121911 Total .. 93449 The expenditure amounts to about 3600/. per an- num ; and it is to be hoped it will be extended to the Malabar and Kandyan districts. The school- masters receive a small stipend of 6/. 6s. per an- num, and they derive further emolument from fees received for registering native marriages, a duty which the government are very properly careful in attending to. The following return for 1 831 gives the statistics of the state of education, of the churches, chapels, and gaols in Ceylon. d by Google 112 CBYLON. < 5 s Isii 5^ « pi I O M8i •s BBdu^aiS JO Bsrao 'pd/Coidmiun siaaosiij JO 'oa •inoqrr pi«H ?« »2a3[ uaao8|jij JO 'OK III Is lis r4 lis ^0* a '8mu.ya%vui0 jo siqvdva ajv ^aq; Mdao8{jj JO '0|{ 'laoifij JO iaqain|{ d by Google EDUCATION. 113 A more detailed account of the present state and progress of education is afforded' by the following tabular view of schools in 1831, separated into sta- tions and establishments, &c. The number of mis- sionary institutions (among which those of the Ame- rican missionaries are highly deserving commendation) will be examined with mach gratification. I cannot omit any opportunity of earnestly entreating all who have the welfare of their fellow creatures at heart, to support the efforts of Missionaries in our colonies ; those only who like myself have witnessed their enthusiastic devotion to the ennobling pursuits which occupy their whole livies, can adequately appreciate the value of their labours. In Ceylon, education and improved habits of society will be, I trust, the prelude to the permanent establishment of Chris- tianity. Let every thing be done in due order, not too rapidly hastening on the good work ; but let the soil be cleared of weeds ; the ground well ploughed and harrowed, good seed sown, and providence will complete all. d by Google 114 CBTLON. Return of the Number of Schools in Ceylon in 1831. DUtricU. DiTisions. Colombo\ Pt.de Galle ...^ Matura...\ ChUaw ... ■[ Kandyan / Provinces \ 4 Gravets of Co- lombo Aloetkoer Korle Salpitte Korle... Hina Korle .. HapitigamKorle Hewagam Korle Raygam Korle . Pasdaem Korle. Walalawitty Korle.. 4 Gravets of Galle Walalawitty Korle , GangeboddePat too , Talpe Pattoo.... Weuabodde Pat too , 4 Gravets of Matura , BeQigam Korle . Moruwa Korle.. Girreway Pattoo GangeboddePat too Batticaloa , Trincomalee .... Jaffiia Manar ChUaw Calpentyn Delft Total.. Kandy, &c Komegalle, &c. Grand Total.. * Included in the Private Schools. d by Google MISSIONS. 115 Church Mission. — Schools established in 1818, and occupying four stations, has schools 53, contain- ing 1554 boys, 254 girls, and 61 adults; total, 1869. Employs 83 native teachers and assistants, and has printing and bookbinding escablishments at Cotta and Nellore. The number of boys in the Cotta in- stitution is 16, of whom 11 are Singalese, and 5 Tamulians. Wbslbyan Mission, established in 1814, and oc- cupying 7 seven stations, has 65 schools in Singa- lese, or southern, and 21 in Tamul, or northern districts, thus : — SINGALESE. TAMULIANS. ii 1 1 1 1 s 1 Colombo 7 12 6 16 11 13 1 384 376 152 806 514 548 30 29 83 nt 124 35 413 459 156 917 638 583 30 Jaffh^ ..t.,.... 6 5 4 6 238 401 no 189 Point Pedro Trincomalee Seven Korles Caltura Gallee Total Matiira 21 938 Total 65 2810j 386 3196 The return for 1832 shows, in the South Ceylon district, an aggregate of 69 schools, with 2896 boys, 427 girls, and 104 male and female teachers ; in ad- dition to which, the Wesleyans employ 15 salaried catechists, who assist in the superintendence of the schools, and conduct public worship on the Sabbath days. The mission has had a printing establishment and two presses at Colombo since its formation. Ambrican Mission has five stations and a high I 2 d by Google 116 CETLON. school or college at Batticaloa, containing 10 stu- dents in Christian theology, and 110 students in English and the elements of sciences, and 22 in Tamul, all on the charity foundation, besides six day scholars. A female central school at Oodooville, with 52 girls on the foundation, and 76 native free schools, with 2200 boy^ and 400 girls. Baptist Mission, instituted in 1812, has two sta« tions and 16 schools, containing about 800 children, instructed in English, Portuguese, Tamul, and Singa- lese, by 20 teachers : four are female schools ; the annual expense of this mission (160/. per annum) is almost exclusively borne by the parent society in England. Roman Catholic Mission, established in 1687, occupies 12 stations, presided over by 12 pastors. Of its schools or progress I could learn no information, either in Ceylon or in England. The Press. — Little can yet be said on this impor- tant subject ; until lately there was only a govern- ment gazette in the island; recently, however, a Colombo Observer has been added, and I trust it is but a prelude to extended intelligence and public spirit. Commerce. — The trade^ internal and maritime, of this rich and beautiful island, has been materially checked by the pernicious system of government mo- nopolies, introduced origiijally by the Dutch gover- nors, to enable them to ma|:e up the deficient salaries allotted them by the home government ; that system is now, however, in the course of total abolition ; and Ceylon will doubtless again resume that position among the commercial emporiums of the east, for d by Google SHIPPING. 117 which nature seems so admirably to have fitted her. There are no documents at the London Custom House to show the extent and value of the trade of this island, as given in my other volumes. The greater part of the following returns I obtained in manuscript from the Colonial Office. I proceed, therefore, to show — 1st, the shipping employed in the trade of Ceylon (it has no tonnage of its own worth mention- ing) ; 2nd, value of the commerce carried on ; and. 3rd, the nature and quantity of the staple exports of the island. Shipping, Inwards and Outwards, of Ceylon SHIPS INWARDS— FROM i Great British Foreign Total 1 Britain. Colonies. States. Inwards. No. Tons. No. Tons. No. Tons. No. Tons. 1825 7 2631 779 26316 9 2579 795 31526 1826 12 4609 1119 32765 53 5528 1264 42898 1827 6 2336 1552 57427 164 12009 1722 71772 1828 23 8756 1137 41682 154 9631 1314 60069 1829 13 4857 988 56826 156 8229 1157 69912 1830 11 3911 878 60157 169 129H2 1058 77030 1831 7 2547 1044 48339 171 12847 1222 63833 1832 13 4603 1186 47911 212 13514 1411 66096 SHIPS OUTWARDS— TO >J Gr eat British Foreign Total Bri tain. Colonies. States. Outwards. No. Tons. No. Tons. No. Tons. No. Tons. 1825 8 3002 1643 54668 10 2489 1661 60169 1826 9 3525 1096 33122 53 3176 1158 39823 1827 10 4182 1475 58756 47 3999 1532 66937 1828 9 3551 1048 41890 38 3185 1095 48626 1829 13 4869 1098 56936 36 2564 1147 64369 1830 11 8769 1176 63494 47 2624 1234 69887 1831 7 2429 1040 53149 28 2256 1075 57884 1832 14 4768 1259 66742 32 1807 1305 73317 d by Google 118 CEYLON. Imports and Exports of Ceylon. JS IMPORTS FROM Great British Foreign Total Britain. Colonies. States. Imports. £ £ £ £ 1825 23440 264499 3362 296301 1826 21262 250219 38266 309747 1827 16800 299974 26535 343309 1828 29984 269518 24431 323933 1829 89290 272654 28256 840200 1880 40777 274576 34228 349581 1831 28599 227150 27278 282988 1832 47792 263372 40058 351223 1833 60812 229932 30145 320891 EXPORTS TO i >5 Great British Foreign Total Britain. Colonies. States. Exports. £ £ £ £ 1825 97537 122956 3895 224388 1826 177523 79408 6001 262922 1827 233452 82016 2225 817693 1828 149551 64189 1631 215371 1829 196558 88256 1330 286144 1830 168576 80675 1536 250787 1831 59903 60505 740 152293 1832 98526 54102 2839 156008 1833 42408 55100 2966 182529 d by Google WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 119 Return of the quantities of Cinnamon, Cocoa-nut Oil, Coffee, Coir Rope, and Arrack,^ exported since 1827* Years. Cinnamon. Cocoa-nut OU. Coffee. Coir Rope. Arrack. Bales. Gallons. cwts. cwts. Leaguers. 1827 45289 84588 16008 6775 3188 1828 48618 173420 7072 10064 4299 1829 25031 126491 20038 9198 4428 1830 15761 118511 16900 14520 4901 1831 80800 98803 23683 7804 1832 82600 137721 88127 12695 1833 77580 112671 4928 3256 Return of the Quantity of Grain, and estimated Value of Cloth, imported since 1825, distinguishing the Cloth from the Coast and from Great Britain. >4 Grain in Quantities. aoth in Value. Rice. Paddy. Wheat. Gram, and sundry dryGrains. From the Coast. From Great Britain. 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 Parrahs. 532421 592244 763179 492712 501915 667295 729409 803767 775598 Parrahs. 714396 696109 703246 535844 673303 940404 785072 958312 438617 Parrahs. 12680 30620 13531 19416 35203 25423 27819 33255 84879 Parrahs. 11881 9965 13628 10145 10592 10588 13332 8805 10108 £ 75958 106163 164405 143096 133283 117911 96626 97055 62619 £ 4027 3207 562 4656 5409 5948 5226 13520 12575 Weights and Measttrbs. — ^The Singalese, or dry measure is 4 cut chundroons = 1 cut measure or seer ; ^ = 1 coomie ; 2-^^ = 1 marcal ; 2 = 1 parrah ; 8 =» 1 amuconam ; 9^ = 1 last. The internal measure of a standard parrali is a perfect cube of 11 .57.100 inches : the seer is a per- d by Google 120 CETLON. feet cylinder — depth 4.35 inches, diameter 4.35 inches ; the weight of the parrah measure, according to the custom-honse account is, for coffee, from 50 to 35 lbs. ; pepper, 27 to 30 lbs. ; salt 52 to 55 lbs.; paddy (unhusked rice) 30 to 33 lbs. ; rice 42 to 46,lbs. : the candy or bahar = 500 lbs. avoirdupois, or 461 lbs. Dutch troy weight. Kandian Measure of Surface. — 8 lahas = 1 coomie (10-j-f square perches) 10 = 1 peyla (2 square roods, 29^ square perches) 4 =3: 1 ammonam (2 acres, 2 square roods, 37-|^ square perches). But although the average extent of 1 ammonam is found to be 2 acres, 2 roods, and 2 perches ; the measure- ment of land is not calculated from the specific area, but from the quantity of seed required to be sown on it, and consequently according to its fertility. Weights of ounces, pounds, &c. are used also throughout the island, British standard. The bale of cinnamon consists of nearly 92|lbs. Liquid Measure. — Gallons and their multiples and sub- multiples : 150 gallon = 1 leaguer or legger. Monetary System. — ^The circulation . of late is pounds, shillings, and pence, as in England, and accounts are becoming more generally kept in the same : therixdollar is equal to 1^. M, — it is divided into 12 fanams (a thick copper coin) and each fanam into 4 pice. There is a government bank at Co- lombo, but I can obtain no returns of its circulation or deposits ; notes are issued by government, but no annual returns are published of the amount, nor is there any information within the reach of the Colonial d by Google MONETARY SYSTEM. 121 Office in Downing Street, as to the real state of the paper and metallic circulation in the island. It is proposed to establish a private bank at Colombo, of which indeed the island stands much in need ; saving banks are now in full operation. It may readily be imagined how valuable the trade of this island may become under a freedom from re- striction within, and justice in England on its pro- ducts. At present, its most valuable articles, sugar, coffee, tobacco, pepper, &c. labour under the same dis- advantages in the English markets as those of India. The Cingalese might make cotton cloth enough for their own consumption, but our present system of colonial legislation compels them to receive the steam wrought manufactures of Manchester and Glasgow at five per cent, ad valorem duty. While we put a duty on their sugar, when imported into England of one hundred and fifty per cent. On their coffee, three hun^ dred per cent. On their pepper, four hundred per cent. On their arrack one thousand (!) &c. &c. Is this justice ? In fine, this rich and beautiful isle of spices — so thinly populated yet so capable of supporting twenty times its present population, — so impoverished yet so bountifully blessed by nature with every thing which can conduce to the happiness of man, — so ad- mirably situate at the extremity of the Asiatic Penin- sula, from which it is separated yet connected, — and so well adapted as an entrep6t for eastern commerce, requires only to be seen to be appreciated. I have visited every quarter of the globe — but have seen no place so lovely — romantic — so admirably situate — whether as regards the poet, the painter, the mer- d by Google 122 CBTLON. chant, or the statesman, as Ceylon ; — that its intrinsic worth may be appreciated in England is the author's fondest wish, not less on account of the fascinating spot to which these remarks have reference, than for the sake of England herself. A time will come (may the day be distant) when Great Britain will cease to hold her empire on the continent of India ^, and when the nations of Europe will contend for maritime su- periority in the east ; — ^we have before us the exam- ples of the Portugese and Dutch, — they neglected Ceylon ; the one made it the cradle of idolatrous su- perstitions, the other the temple of trading cupidity. We are now in the fair course to shun both extremes; our missionaries (the pioneers of civilization) are ex- tending the beatitude of the gospel among the dark, benighted heathen, — our merchants, freeing them- selves from the pernicious shackles of monopolies, are making peaceful Commerce, as she ought to be, the companion of Religion ; under both these influences Ceylon bids fair to be one of the most important co- lonies of the British empire. That to England may belong the glory of re-peopling, civilizing, and Chris- tianizing this romantic isle, is earnestly hoped by one whose earliest travelling days were spent in ex- ploring paths where no white man's foot before trod — and where the untutored savage and the destructive beast of the forest now dispute for pre-eminence. ^ It is on this account that I deem the insular possessions of Britain of such great importance ; for instance, an extensive revolt throughout India, or its successful invasion by Russia, might annihilate our dominion on the continent, while our possession of Ceylon would remain unshaken, and thus enable us to preserve, at least, a portion of commerce. (See my CoUh- nial Policy,) d by Google ( 123 ) BOOK IL PENANG, OR PRINCE OF WALES' ISLAND. CHAPTER I. PENANG, MALACCA, AND SINGAPORE. LOCALITY, ARBA, PHYSICAL ASPECT, HISTORY, POPULATION, REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE, GOVERNMENT, COMMERCE, SOCIAL CONDITION, AND POLITICAL AND GENERAL ADVAN- TAGES, &C. This picturesque island (so well adapted for a com- mercial entrep6t) is situate on the west coast of the Malayan peninsula, in latitude from 5° 15' to 5° 29' north, and longitude 100° east ; its greatest length is sixteen statute miles from north to south, and its greatest breadth twelve miles at the north, and de- creasing to eight miles at the south, thus forming an irregular four ^ided shape, with a range of lofty hills in the centre, the whole computed to contain 160 d by Google 124 PENANG. square miles. The valley of Penang*, about three miles in breadth, is the level part of the island on its eastern side, extending from the hills to the sea, of a triangular shape, the ranges of mountains forming the base and the apex, called Tanjong, jutting into the harbour, and having George Town (the capital) and the Fort of Penang built on it, on which, for three miles in every direction from the point, private houses extend. Almost the whole of the northern shore is mountainous, and through the centre of the island runs a range of hills, decreasing in height and magnitude as they reach towards the south. On the west and south of the mountains there is a consider- able quantity of level ground of good quality for every species of cultivation, as is now demonstrated by the general culture thereof. Indeed two-thirds of Penang is of level or gentle inclination. The east, owing to its moistness, is covered with rice fields ; the south and west valleys, though partly cultivated for the same purpose, are chiefly laid out in pepper gardens and spice plantations. Every where close to the coast, as in Ceylon, runs an extensive belt of cocoa- nut trees, and scattered over the island in various groups appear groves of the graceful areca palm (or Penang) from which the isle takes its Malay name. The hills and low grounds, where not cultivated, are thickly covered with wood. Vegetation is splendidly luxuriant, and for miles and miles the eye rests on one dense mass of mountain forest. Besides George * Penang is the Malay term for the areca oi^ betel nut, which the Malays think the isle bears some resemblance to in shape. yGoode gl, PHYSICAL ASPECT. 125 Town (the capital) above alluded to, there is only one large collection of houses entitled James Town, situated on the sea shore, four miles to the south of the capital, amidst a grove of the lovely palm tribe. Numerous small villages and Malay topes are scat- tered over the island, especially on the south side, often beautifully and romantically situated on the coast or amidst spice groves in the vales. The hill called the " Highlands of Scotland" is 1428 feet above the sea, and, like the other stations, the situation and climate of which are delightful. The whole of the valley is of alluvial formation, and it would appear that the sea once washed the base of the mountains ; for on the opposite shore of Quedah, successive deposits of alluvial matter have been traced for several miles inland, indicating the gradual re- tirement of the ocean, by ridges being seen running parallel with the present line of coast*. A recent visitor thus describes his ideas on ap- proaching Penang. " The island, with the exception of two plains of inconsiderable extent on the eastern and western shores, consists of one range of lofty hills, with towering peaks. The entrance to the har- bour leading between the island and the Quedah coast, on which side the view is arrested by a noble chain of mountains, whose lofty summits terminate in a majestic outline, is picturesque and beautiful ; the neat bungalows ranged round the bay, close to the water's edge, the fort projecting into the sea, the * Many interesting details of this picturesque island have been printed by Dr. Ward of the Madras service, in the Singa- pore Chronicle of July, 1 833. d by Google 126 PBNANO. town lining the beach, and the distant islands shutting the passage to the south, form a panoramic view of great interest." The harbour of George Town, the capital, is capa- cious, with good anchorage, and well defended ; it is formed by a strait about two miles wide, that sepa- rates Penang from the opposite Quedah coast on the Malayan peninsula, and the whole navy of Great Britain might find shelter therein. The sea is placid throughout the year, and the perio.dical effects of the monsoons little felt, the winds partaking more of the character of land and sea breezes. When storms rage at sea the tides are affected by being irregular in their flow through the islands, sometimes running in one direction for several days with great rapidity , and then changing to another. The town is one of the neatest in India ; the streets wide, straight, and at right angles ; the buildings are respectable, and the Chinese shopkeepers (who are the principal tradesmen) lay out their ** godowns" tastefully. The roads are among the finest in India, their beauty being enhanced by the strength and luxuriance of the vegetation, which continues the whole year round. History. — ^When first known to Europeans, the island i^peared quite untenanted, covered with forests, and considered as a part of the possessions c^ the King of Quedah on the contiguous coast. In 1785, Cap- tain Light, the commander of a " country ship" in India, having married the King of Quedah's daughter, received a gift of the island as a marriage portion. Captain Light transferred it to the East India Com- 7 d by Google CLIMATE. 127 pany, who having entered into a treaty with his Quedah Majesty (which was to last as long as the sun and moon gave light !) agreed to pay 6000 dol- lars annually to the King, which in 1800 was raised to 10,000, in consideration of the Company receiving the Wellesley province on the main land opposite Penang, a territory extending thirty*five miles along the coast, four miles inland from the south hank of the Quaila Mudda to the north hank of the Krian River, latitude 5° 20' north. Climate.— ^January and February are the dry and hot months, and November and December the rainy ones; but excepting the two former, the island is seldom a week without refreshing showers. The thermometer on Mag-^staff Hill (2248 feet high) never rises beyond 78° Fah. (seldom to 74°), and falls to 6&^; on the plain it ranges from 76° to 90^. The island is considered remarkably healthy. The climate of the high land of Penang resembles that of Funchal at Madeira, possessing the advantage of a very limited range of thermometer, the greatest range in twenty- four hours hieing 11°, and generally only three or four. The lightness and purity of the atmosphere elevate the spirits and render the step free and buoy- ant, while the splendid and varied scenery, the island itself with its hills and dales, the calm ocean around studded with verdant isles, and the opposite coast of Quedah with chains of mountains towering chain over chain, combined with the health- inspiring breezes, render a residence among the gardens of Penang of much value to the invalid. d by Google 128 PENANG. Gbology. — ^The mountains are entirely composed of fine gray granite, and the smaller hills are of the same material, excepting some hills near the coast formed of laterite, as is also Saddle Island, on the south-west angle of Penang. A tin mine was worked some years ago in the hills, and douhtless many valuahle minerals exist in the mountains, which are prohahly equal in quality to those of the contiguous Malayan peninsula. The soil is generally a light hlack mould mixed with gravel and clay, and in some parts there is a rich vegetahle ground, formed hy the decayed leaves of the forest, with which the island had for ages been covered : the coast soil is sandy but fertile. Vegetable Kingdom. — ^The botany of the island is rich and varied. On the mountains grow the poon, bitanger, rangas, red poon, dammerlaut, wood oil tree, the cypress, and some superb species of arbo- rescent ferns. The caoutchouc or elastic gum winds round all the trees in a spiral form. All the Malacca fruits, with the exception of the.dtf^ti, grow in great abundance ; the sugar-cane and pepper- vine are ex- tensively cultivated ; the quantity of pepper annually produced averages 2,025,000 lbs. avoirdupois ; cloves and nutmegs thrive well> the former cover the tops of the cleared summits, the latter are found in every part of the valley, one plantation alone occupying a space of several square miles ; coffee yields abun- dantly; extensive fields of pine apples of delicious goiit are found at the foot of the mountains ; the tea plant grows wild ; ginger, cinnamon, cotton, tobacco, d by Google ZOOLOGY AND POPULATION. 129 and in fact every intertropical production is capable of being brought to the highest state of perfection. ZooLOGT, &c. — The Malayan elk {cervus equinus) is found in the deep forests; the mouse and spotted deer are both very abundant ; monkeys, the lemur volans, the vrjld cat, otter, and bat form the only indigenous animals, and the snakes, as in all tropical isles, are numerous ; a species of boa (the python of Cuvier) eighteen to twenty feet long, is found in the hills. Beef, mutton, and pork are of excellent flavour, and a great variety of fish furnish the bazaar. Population. — ^When the Company's establishment was formed at Penang, in 1786, the only inhabitants were a few miserable fishermen on the sea coast. In consequence of the disturbances in the Malayan prin- cipalities, and the encouragement given to settlers by the East India Company, a native population of vari- ous descriptions arose. The population of the set- tlement, according to all the returns before me, has been as follows, during the years — 1821 No. 38,057 1826 No. 55,1 16 1822 61,207 1827 57,986 1824 53,669 1828 60,551 The following official return* shows the motley population of Penang : — ^ This table, as also many others in the volume now pre- srented, have never before been printed, either by the East India Company or by Parliament ; and I am indebted for them to the well known urbanity of the Court of Directors of the East India Company. CETLON, &c. K d by Google 130 PENANG. -ooo 03 « ^ Q. o -a -3 •8991500 •sirepsuiiQ '8998Jej 'savraanuy ••q«iV •dssnivTS *S9neSn9S •reipmo •asamqo •ffBM«a 'dSdmiqay •siana pUB 8XV[«J^ IN 00 M5 .^ « ^ "^ t^ e» 00 in w) : )» 00 in u ^eOr «oioeo o (0« t^o (oeo no 00 r^ IQ to CO CO OS ■«*« M5 ■"^ t* 00 '*'»<9 «0« OOt^Mfo 9 (O MS 00 to lO o lo (O n aoc>i 8 § I I I II « s « 1!l ill HHn ■Siniisj d by Google IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. 131 Between October, 1828, and December, 1829, the population had increased 3000. The number of mouths may now be calculated at upwards of 60,000. CoMMBRCB. — ^The trade of Penang is carried on with Calcutta, Madras, Bombay, England, China, Java, Ceylon, Siam, Tenasserim coast, Acheen, Delhi, Quedah, and a few petty native ports. In Mr. Ful- larton's elaborate paper on the trade of our eastern islands, printed in the East India papers in 1853 (II. Trade, part 2, Commercial, page 878,) it appears that the total value of imports into Penang were — In 1828-9 . . . S. rupees 52,23,872 Exports from ditto . . 36,00,900 Excess . 16,S2,972 The imports and exports of specie for the same year were — Imports . . . S. rupees 8,32,232 Exports .... 7,19,876 Excess . 1,12,356 The value of imports in sicca rupees from Calcutta was 10,94,986; from Madras, 16,95,850; Bombay, 2,65,290; England, 1,67,670; China, 2,18,440; Siam, 1,77,610; Tenasserim, 1,77,010; Acheen, 8,08.513 ; Delhi (a petty state on the Sumatra shore), 2,04,905 ; and Quedah, 2,21,200; the exports value to the same places in succession were 3,57,126; 2,38,765; 2,30,146; 50,668; 9,65,834; 96,093; 1,55,152; 10,75,842; 1,58,930; and to Quedah, 1,35,930. k2 d by Google 132 PBNANG. Of the imports, opium alone consists of upwards of seven lac of rupees ; the other items are comprised of the various produce of the Straits, or of India and British goods, the trade being one of transit. Birds* nests for Chinese soups is one of the most important articles. . The value of Penang as a spice island is shown in the following statement, which appeared in the Sin- gapore Chronicle of August 28, 1834 : — Penang has been a spice island from the period nearly of its first settlement. Pepper engrossed the consideration of capi- talists for many years, and until the price fell so low that the returns no more than repaid the outlay. But previous to this check another resource of gain opened by the introduction to the island of the nutmeg and clove tree. In 1798 a few spice plants were imported from the Dutch spice islands ; but in the year 1800 there were brought from Amboyna 5000 nutmeg and 15,000 clove plants. In 1802 a further and larger number arrived, the collection of the govern- ment agent, Mr. Hunter. This consisted of 25,026 seedling nutmeg trees, and 175 plants of ages varying from four to seven years. Shortly before this last period a government spice garden had been established, embracing 130 acres of land, lying on the slopes which skirt the base of the hill near A.mie's Mills, a romantic spot, and well watered by a running stream now called Ayer Putih. This plantation, in some respects a mere nursery, contained, in the above year, the number of 19,628 nutmeg plants, varying from one up to four years old, 3459 being four years of age. There were also 6259 clove trees, of which 669 were above six and under seven years old. In the same year, 1802, Mr. Smith, the Honourable Com- pany's botanist, reported that he had imported in all to the island at that date 71)266 nutmeg and 55,264 clove plants, out of which a few were reserved for the botanical gardens at Kew, Calcutta, and Madras. Most of the plantations now in a pro- d by Google NUTMEG AND CLO"VE TREES. 133 ductive state have been created by plants raised from nuts yielded by trees of the original importations, and a number of nutmeg trees which had been planted on the &ce of a hill and abandoned, were, after a lapse of about four years, rescued from thick jungle and found to be in a lively condition and in bear- ing. The wild nutmeg tree is indigenous to Penang, being an inhabitant of the hills. It is a tall forest tree, and bears a more oval shaped fruit than the true nutmeg tree. Both the nut and mace are less pungent and more astringent than the true spice, yet the Chuliahs have been in the habit of gather- ing them and selling them in the native bazaars. There are several varieties of the cultivated nutmeg on Penang, distinguished from other by the tinge of the leaf and shape of the nut. In some the former is small and light in colour, in others dark and large. In one the nut is oval or egg-shaped, each nut hanging on a tendril of four or five inches in length ; in another it resembles a small peach ; and in a $hird it is small and nearly circular. In 1805 there were only 23 bearing clove trees in the Com- pany's gardens; and in October, 1834, these gardens were sold for the trifling sum of 9658 dollars. They contained then 5103 nutmeg trees, 1625 clove trees, and 1050 seedlings. The whole being sold in lots, many of the trees were dug up and transplanted to other quarters of the island, and thus dis- persed ; numbers were lost from mismanagement In 1810 the total number of nutmeg trees on the island was about 13,000, several hundreds of which only were in bearing, and from such clove trees as were then bearing a supply of 20,000 plants was obtained. The sale of the government plantations gave a temporary stimulus to the private planter ; yet the continued ignorance of the proper method of cultivating spices, necessarily followed by tardy crops, seems to have at length induced such an apathy regarding them, that they ran the risk of a speedy extinction. The late David Brown, Esq. stood alone, in 1810, as a spice planter on an extensive scale, and instead of finding encou- ragement in the sympathy of those around him, he was incon- d by Google 134 PENANG. siderately supposed by many to be in search of an El Dorado, and no one ventured to follow his steps. Bold and provident as was this attempt, its success was long retarded by the ob- stacles which always oppose themselves to agricultural innova- ters, and it might, even after a very great outlay of capital, have been doubtful on the decease of that gentleman, had not his son, the late and lamented George Brown, Esq. managed the estate with a spirit and judgment which finally overcame every difiiculty, and displayed for the first time after thirty years of perilous trial the full value of the pursuit. In 1818, the bearing nutmeg trees on the island were esti- mated to be 6900. Since that period spices have been more extensively cultivated. There are now upwards of thirty spice plantations at this settlement, including Province Wellesley. and these may be classed as follow : — Five plantations containing from 4000 up to 20,000 trees. Eight from 500 up to 10,000 trees. Seventeen from 50 up to 2000, containing in the aggregate about 80,000 trees, of which number 45,000 are estimated to be in bearing. When Bencoolen was ceded to the Dutch, the plantations there were estimated to contain 25,000 bearing trees only. The gross annual produce from the plantations may be roughly estimated at 130,000 lbs., but young trees are yearly coming into bearing to swell this quantity ; should the cultiva- tion meet with no serious interruption, it may perhaps in time supply the whole of the English market with spices. Revenub and Expendititrb. — ^The appendix to the select report of the House of Lords, gives the following table of revenue and expenditure (exclusive of commercial charges) for nineteen years; it will be observed that Singapore and Malacca are included in the two last years ; the reductions ordered in the Court of Directors' Dispatch, 7th April, 1829, will ere long enable Penang to meet its expenditure with its own revenues. d by Google REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE. 135 CHARGES. hii Years. Is Expense of MiUi not included in t Charges but in t Bengal Accoun CivU. 1 ii Total Charges. £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 1809-10 99494 15895 16428 131817 70372 61445 44509 1810-11 88299 16274 18447 123020 80440 42580 32822 1811-12 76974 13328 10815 101117 68557 32560 31212 1812-13 83630 16945 12740 113315 48891 64424 32414 1818-14 91091 16190 8478 115759 57076 58684 36604 1814-15 94503 16861 6347 117711 54316 63395 87385 1815-16 91399 19028 9257 119684* 53868 66660 83063 1816-17 86819 13451 9292 109562 54861 54701 28974 1817-18 72582 12659 15036 100277 56585 43692 84682 1818-19 66223 11073 4116 81412 57027 24385 27261 1819-20 66632 7728 2141 76501 49938 26563 83819 1820-21 71667 8235 1510 81412 52022 29390 25094 1821-22 68934 12754 4251 85939 41660 44279 23237 1822-23 72360 18389 3208 88957 44676 44881 24035 1823-24 81761 14478 2063 98302 35956 62346 24164 1824-25 98287 11835 3209 113331 38220 75111 24798 1825-26 113682 14543 7069 135294t 31422 104125 38375 1826^27 121168 23058 4991 514921 7t §55744 94745 87280 •Ir terest on debts, i S844. \ Ditto £ 253. j t Ditto £ 1272. §T1 le accoun U of Sir icapore ai Id Malao ca are in eluded ii 3 these years but for I line moi iths. only in the j rear 1826 -27, and for the whole year in 1 827-28. The sale of opiam is a monopoly in the hands of government, who derive a revenue from it of about 40,000 Spanish doUars a year ; land, licences, and customs, are the remaining chief sources of revenue. The government of Penang, Malacca, and Sin- gapore, is subordinate to the presidency of Bengal, and the civil establishment recently fixed as follows : — Chief resident at Singapore, rupees 36,000 ; first assistant, 24,000; second ditto, 7,200; deputy re. sident at Malacca, 24,000 ; assistant, 7,200 ; deputy resident. Prince of Wales's Island, 30,000 ; assistant. d by Google 136 PBNANG. 7,200 ; assistant. Province Wellesley (exclusively of military pay), 3,600 ; one surgeon, 9,600, and three assistant surgeons at 4,800, 14,400, 24,000; two chaplains at 8,500 each, and one missionary 2,500, 20,000; office establishment, 12,000. Total sicca rupees 1,95,200. As a commercial and maritime station Penang has many advantages ; it serves as an entrepdt for the various produce of China, the eastern islands and straits, the native merchants from which take back in return British and India goods. It was at one time contemplated to form an extensive arsenal and ship-building dep6t at Penang, and indeed several fine ships were built there, but the object was ulti- mately abandoned. At present Penang serves as a rendezvous for our naval squadron in the Indian seas, for which its position, healthiness, and abim- dance of provisions admirably qualify it ; during the Burmese war Penang was found a most valuable station, as it would again be in the event of renewed hostilities. When, perhaps, the British dominion in Hindostan shall have terminated, or if a violent con- vulsion should occur to drive us temporarily from its territory, (circumstances which are not beyond the range of possibihties,) the possession of such insular stations as Penang, Ceylon, &o. will be found of in- calculable worth. Their vaJue now even is vast, and it may be expected will be appreciated more and more every day, as a spirit of enterprize leads our feUow subjects to a more intimate connexion with the fertile regions of the eastern hemisphere. d by Google ( 137 ) CHAPTER IL MALACCA. LOCALITY, AREA, HISTORY— PHYSICAL ASPECT, CLIMATE- NATURAL PRODUCTS, &C. — POPULATION — OOYBRNMENT — EDUCATION — COMMERCE, &C. Nbar the southern extremity of the long Malayan peninsula * in latitude 2° 14' north longitude, 102° 12' east, is situated the British settlement of Malacca, extending about forty miles along shore by thirty inland, and containing an area of 800 square miles : bounded on the north by Salengore at Cape Rochado, on the south Johore, at the river Muar, on the east, by the Rumbo country, and on the west, by the straits of Malacca. Physical Aspbct. — ^The sea coast is rocky and barren, with detached islets of cavernous rocks, which the Chinese used as places of sepulture. The inte- rior is mountainous (being a continuation of the Al- pine chain, which runs from the Brahmaputra river in Assam to the extremity of the peninsula) ; with several picturesque valleys, the highest mountain (named by the natives Lealdang, by the Portuguese Mount OphirJ has an elevation of 4000 feet above the sea. Colonel Farquhar was nearly six hours ascending to the highest part of Mount Ophir, the table surface on the top of which does not exceed * The leugth of the Peninsula is 775 miles, with an average breadth of 125 miles. d by Google 138 MALACCA. forty yards square ; the whole mountain appears to be a solid block of granite, here and there thinly covered with decayed vegetable soil. Stunted firs are found near the summit, and the vegetation of the mountain was quite different from that met with on the plains and valleys. The principal rivers are the Muar and Lingtuah, and the small streams and rivu- lets from the mountains are very numerous. The extreme point of the peninsxda is a cluster of small islands ; the roadstead is safe, and in the south-west monsoon vessels not drawing more than sixteen feet of water are secure in a harbour under the lee of the fort. Colonel Farquhar (who has made Malacca his study) observes that violent tempests never occur at its excellent anchoring ground, that the Sumatra squalls, which are common to the straits, seldom last above an hour or two, and that for upwards of twenty- five years while the English had possession of the place no ship had been lost. History. — ^The Malayan peninsula, although the great majority of the inhabifants are Malays (whence it derives its name), is not the original countr}' of that active, restless, courageous, vindictive, and fero- cious people. The present possessors (or Malayan princes and their subjects) emigrated in the thirteenth century, from Palembang in Sumatra (the original country of the Malays) about a. d. 1252, and founded the city of Malacca. As they extended their colonization, the aborigines of the country, who are oriental negroes with woolly hair, jet black skin (the Malays are cop- per coloured), thick lips, and flat nose, like the d by Google THB MALATS. CLIMATE. 139 African, and of diminutive stature, were driven inland to the mountains, where some of their unfortunate posterity still exist. The Malayan chiefs soon became involved in hos- tilities with their neighbours, partly, perhaps, because their sxdtan, Mohammed Shah, adopted theMahomme- dan religion from the Arabs, then the great traders in the E^t. Although the Malacca people were able to resist the attacks of the Siamese on their chief dty, they were compelled to yield to the conquering Portuguese, who, in 1511, compelled Sxdtan Moham- med Shah, the twelfth of his line, and the seventh of the city of Malacca, to fly, after an obstinate resist- ance, to the extremity of the peninsula, where he founded the principality of Johore, which still exists. The Portuguese held Malacca until 1 640, though with great difficulty, against the repeated assaxdts of the Sxdtans of Acheen, when it was assailed by the Dutch, who captured it after six months' siege. In 1795 it was seized by the British, but restored to the Dutch at the peace of Amiens in 1801. Qn the breaking out of the European war in 1807, it was again taken by the English, but again restored at the peace of 1815 ; however, in 1825, it was received by England, together with the Fort of Chinsurah on the river Hooghly, 20 mUes from Calcutta, in exchange for the British settlements on the island of Sumatra. Climate. — ^The climate is reckoned one of the healthiest in India, the temperature being uniform, the thermometer ranging from 72 to 85 the whole year roimd. The mornings and evenings are cool and refreshing, and the sultry nights of Hindostan d by Google 140 MALACCA. rarely occur. There is no regular moDSOon, but the rainiest months are September, October, and Novem- ber. The fluctuation of the barometer throughout the year is trifling, the range being 30.3 to 29.83, giving an annual variation of only one-fifth of an inch. The average of casualties in the garrison for seven years was two in 100, a fact which attests the salubrity of the climate. Population. — ^The population of the settlement of Malacca*, was in 1750, 1766, 1815, and 1817, thus. In the first street 1817. 1815. 1766. 1750. 1667 1006 2986 5263 6802 1903 1605 944 2946 5020 4397 1966 Christians 1668 Chinese... 1390 Moors ...1023 Malays ... 3135 Christians 2339 Chinese... 2161 Moors ... 1520 Malays ... 3615 In the second street From Tranquerah to Con- dor Banda Hileer to Kassang Bingho Rayo to Pankal- lang Battoo 19627 16878 7216 9635 In 1822 the population was 22,000, and the fol- lowing is the latest return at the India House. ' The inhabitants of Malacca, in 1830, came to a unanimous resolution to liberate every slave in the settlement 31st De- cember, 1841. d by Google POPULATION. 141 •838J®00 to t^t^t^ •■«;;«a ^ 00 ««seo *98anre{s •S9{[88U9S •soopuiH ?l : : : : •wnniio M toe>4e4 to o •asdupio '4e>a«oco w)we>3o^(oe>4^ cQu3c<«Oi-3e>4 ii d by Google 142 MALACCA. Abstract of the whole census of Malacca in 1826. 'sai^niaj •■9l«PI € m 'SdfBuidj •sapiw Wox •siiif) •a/Cog •pau -jreraufi •poLtrej^ •pau •paiUBW 'SMaoH JO 'OX CO a»e4 tpe4 o e>3 00 0> O A to C4 c>i e^ o '^ 00 MMt^ 00 W ^ ■^ 04 00 t^ -^^ C4 e<3 iA>oe4f-i eo ts. ts. esi -^ e» w •-< CO M'^ 04^(0 0^04 eo 04 04 -4 04 W3C0 00 00 ^ eo<0 ©•«• OJ*- ■^ t^ 00 04 .-I o4eo WW o e» eo 1^ 00 CO 00 tfd ^^t^e4« C^ Ifl 00 o> "* -^ X) 04 O C4t<> «0 gooses .1 8S SB O ^ :S5 &'^ *»0I«UI9J •88l«J^ 'SdfSTUdJ •85IBK '8J0)qd(i 989ii|q3 •saoiBjgtiff pu« g^oounajo-oK *p9:)ineid Xppvj jopaagjoX^i^utm© •mox •81^10 •siog •uauio^ •Wox •SWO •siog 'aamo^ •uaK I I I I I I I I I I I I MM I I P§§ ■<»« (O tOCoOO ^ l-HCO W3CO F^ 04^10 04^0) e^eo 10 04 00 OQ O t>» to CQ t^f^WS I C"*-* I r I «•* if .g o : : I eiC « 8 08 W d by Google NATURAL PRODUCTIONS. 143 Natural Productions. — ^The staple of the settle- ment is tin mines (which are all within a circoit of twenty- five miles round Malacca), which produce, generally, 4,000 peculs (apecul is 133 pounds avoir- dupoise) a year. In the valleys vegetation is ex- tremely luxuriant ; rice yields from 200 to 300 fold ; the sugar cane is equal to any produced in any part of the glohe ; coffee, cotton, indigo, chocolate, pep- per, and spices, have all been tried, and thrive re- markably well. The spontaneous productions of the soil are very numerous, consisting of an almost end- less variety of the richest and most delicious fruits and vegetables. The country is covered with very fine and durable timber for ship and house building ; the Murbon tree, which is nearly equal to teak, is ex- tremely abundant. Canes and rattans form a con- siderable branch of the exports; the forests yield gums, resins, and oils in great plenty ; the camphor tree grows near the south-east " extremity of the peninsula; a great variety of medicinal plants and drugs are common in the woods ; the nutmeg grows wild. If the gold and tin mines in the vicinity of Malacca were scientifically worked, they would prove of great value ; at present, the Malay and Chinese miners seldom dig below six or ten feet, and, as the veins become thin, remove from place to place. The gold from Hoolo Pahang, 100 miles inland from Malacca, is of the purest quality; and there are some small mines of gold at the foot of Mount Ophir, called Battang Moring, about thirty-six miles from Malacca. Birds* nests, wax, cutch, dammeer, fish maws, 7 d by Google 144 MALACCA. and sharks' fins (for Chinese soups) rattans, camphor, betehiuts, gold dust, sago, dragon's blood, ivory, hides, aguilla and sappan woods, &c. are among the principal productions. Captains of ships will be glad to hear that fruit and vegetables of every variety are abundant and low priced, and that poultry, hogs, buffaloes, and fish are plentiful and cheap. During the progress of the expedition against Java in 1811, 30,000 troops, with their followers were abundantly supplied with fresh provisions of every variety daily. CoMMBRCE. — Malacca, being situate between the two great emporiums of trade in the eastern archi- pelago, Penang, and Singapore, the one at the north- west, and the other at the south-east of the straits, has necessarily a trade limited to its own consump- tion and produce. Before the establishment of the two latter named settlements, and during the mono- polizing sway of the Dutch there, it was a place of considerable traffic. Tin forms one of the principal items of export, and as the free trade captains may perhaps enter into the trade, it may be well to caution them of the adulterations practised by the Chinese and Malay miners. Lead is the metal usually alloyed with tin, and in order to detect adulterations, buyers may readily ascertain (with sufficient approximation to correctness) the extent of fraud endeavoured to be practised by melting a standard muster of pure tin in a large sized bullet mould with a small orifice, and then compare a mould of the tin under examination, with that of the pure metal ; if the former be heavier. d by Google TIN MINES. 145 the proportion of adulteration may readily be cal- culated. Antimony has the effect of hardening the admixture with lead, thereby increasing the difficulty of detection, as regards external appearances. The tin mines are thus described in the Singapore Chronicle. The whole number of Chinamen con- nected with the mines at Sungie Hujong is probably 600, divided into ten Kung Se's or companies. They appeared more respectable, and have a greater com- mand of capital, than those at Lookut. They are much fettered by the rajah, and are not allowed to sell an ounce of tin themselves ; but here there is no such restriction. The mode of working the mines is much alike in both places, except at Sungie Hujong they have the advantage of the Chinese chain-pump, which is used for raising the water out of the mine pit. The apparatus is simple, consisting of a com- mon water-wheel, a circular wooden chain about forty feet in circumference, and a long square box or trough, through which it runs in ascending. The wheel and chain, I think, revolve on a common axis, so that the motion of the former necessarily puts the, latter into action. The chain consists of square wooden floats, a foot distant from each other, and strung as it were upon a continuous flexible axis, having a moveable joint between each pair. As the float-boards of the chain successively enter the lower part of the box or trough (immersed in water), a portion of water is constantly forced up by each, and discharged at the top. At one of the mines we were much struck with the simple but efficient mode of its application. There were three distinct planes, or L d by Google 146 MALACCA. terraces, rising above each other. On the middle one was the wheel ; the lower was the pit of the mine : from the higher a stream of water fell and turned the wheel, which, putting the whole machine into motion, brought up another stream from the pit; these two streams, from above and below, uniting on the middle plane, run off in a sluice, by which the ore was washed. The total value of imports in 1828-29, was sicca rupees 10,81,782, of exports, sicca rupees, 6,72,211. The imports of specie amounted to sicca rupees, 4,19,717; and the exports amounted to sicca rupees, 2.65,239. The value of imports from Calcutta is sicca rupees 1,12,565; from Madras 2,43,178; from England 1.01,664 ; and from small native ports 2,98,591. The accounts, however, of this government, as stated by Mr. Fullerton are extremely defective. Weights and MBAs^RBs.-r-Throughout the Straits of Malacca the commf>i^ ; weights are the pecul, catty, .and tael. The Malay pecul, three of which make a'bahar, is heavier ,than the common ot Chi- nese pecul, which is = 133|lbs. Rice and salt are usually sold by the coyan of forty peculs nearly, and gold dust by the bunkal = 832 grs. troy. The gan- tang (by which grain, fruit, and liquids are sold) = l\ English gallon is divided into two bamboos. Twenty gantanes of rice make a bag, and forty bags a coyan. Cloth is measured by the astah or oovid of eighteen inches nearly. Land, by the orlong of twenty jumbas = ly acre. CuRRBNCT. — ^The currency of the straits is Spanish d by Google REVENUE. EDUCATION. 147 dollars divided into 100 cents. The Dutch rix dol- lar and guilder (divided into fanams and doits) are also used, chiefly at Malacca. One guilder =12 fanams = 120 doits. The rix dollar is a nominal coin of about 20 fanams, 31 or 32 of which make a Spanish dollar. The silver coins comprise dol- lars of all descriptions, guilders and half guilders. The copper, the cent, half and quarter cent ; there are also doits, stivers, and wangs, including a great variety of copper coins, of different countries. Revenue. — ^When acquired by the British govern- ment, the whole revenue of the settlement was but 20,000 dollars ; its revenue accounts are now in- corporated with those of the other settlement (vide Penang). Education. — One of the most valuable British institutions in the east, is the Anglo-Chinese college at Malacca, established in 1818, by the joint efforts of the late Rev. Drs. Morrison and Milne. The ob- ject in view is the reciprocal cultivation of Chinese and European literature, and the instruction of native youths in the principles of Christianity. The native Chinese students in the college generally average from twenty-five to thirty, all of whom, are on the foundation of the college, receiving each a monthly allowance. Several valuable and interesting trans- lations have been made from Chinese books, and English standard works have been translated into Chinese : a foundry for t3rpes has been established, paper manufactured, and a periodical commenced. The college is indebted for existence to private con- tribution, and it is to be hoped that so useful an in- L 2 d by Google 148 MALACCA. stitution will not be allowed to languish for want of support. Attached to the college at Malacca are several schools, the whole of which are supported by^ the London Missionary Society ; the Chinese schools alone contain nearly 300 boys, and the Tamul schools are increasing. The female schools at Malacca are doing well, and three schools have been established by the Malays for the instruction of their countr3anen in the English language. Schools are also esta- blished at Tavoy, Moulmien, and Rangoon. At the latter place, the head master is a Chinaman, who has been brought up in the Anglo-Chinese college at Malacca. The following report of the London Missionary Society, in 1835, relative to Malacca, will be accept- able to every Christian : — Malacca. — The report from this station, for 1833, which was received a considerable time after the last anniversary, contains much gratifying information. The directors learn that Preaching, which our brethren justly consider as the most important, because divinely appointed means of effecting the conversion of men, is assiduously attended to in this depart- ment, in no less than four languages, viz. — English, twice on the Sabbath, and once in the week, Wed- nesday evening. The attendance is tolerably good. On Thurs- day evening, Mr. Evans meets a Bible class, and there is, besides, the monthly missionary prayer meeting. The Lord has granted a blessing upon these labours. Chinese, — Daily worship in the College. Extra services in the same place on Monday and Thursday evenings, attended by the students, the Chinese printers, and the boys and teachers of the school in the College Compound. On Tuesday and Fri- day evenings Mr. Evans has a Bible class for Chinese men, between seven and eight o'clock, which consists of thirty per- d by Google MISSIONARY REPORT. 149 sonft and upwards : the number is increasing. It is held in the College HalL After reading, expounding, and questioning upon the portion of Scripture under consideration, an exhorta- tion is given, and the whole concluded with singing and prayer« Sometimes one of the Chinese converts is called upon to engage in prayer, who does it with much sincerity and simplicity. Mr. Evans observes, 'Mt is truly astonishing to hear how well the Chinese begin to understand the word of God ; their improvement is delightful." On Sabbath morning there is preaching in the Mission Chapel. Malay. — Daily worship in a room adjoining the College Hall, attended by the domestics, letter-press printers, and others. Preaching in the Mission Chapel every Sabbath evening, when chiefly the servants of the Dutch inhabitants attend. The average number is about forty. Portuguese, — Preaching every Sabbath afternoon in the Mis- sion Chapel. Average attendance fifty. Prayer meetings on week day evenings, which are well attended. In reference to the attendance on public worship, we subjoin an extract from a letter from Mr. Evans, dated 20th October, 1834, where he writes thus : — . '* My services, both on Sabbaths and week days, are all well attended. It appears to me that the Lord is stirring up a spirit of earnest inquiry among this immense population of the human race, and that he will, ere long, shine into their souls, and, by the gracious influences of His Holy Spirit, soften their hard hearts." Wlien the report left Malacca, there were several individuals in the English congregation who appeared to have received salutary religious impressions, and also six Malays, who were candidates for baptism. Schools. — ^The number of schools and scholars were as fol- lows, viz.: — Chinese boys, 4 schools, 180 scholars; girls, 3 schools, 90 scholars; total, 270 Chinese. Malay boys and girls, 6 schools, 200 scholars. Portuguese boys and girls, 4 schools, 120 scholars ; Tamil boys and girls, 2 schools, 70 scholars ; in all, 19 schools, 660 scholars. The three Chinese girls' schools were formed after Mr. d by Google 150 MALACCA. Evans's arrival at Malacca. The Portuguese and Tamil schools are entirely supported by private subscriptions. The children's progress is said to be encouraging ; and the teachers* especially the Malay teachers, seem ready to afford the chil- dren every facility in acquiring the knowledge of the Christian religion. Distribution of Books. — The following is the amount of Scrip- tures and tracts which have been issued from the depository at Malacca, viz. — Scriptures. Tracts. To China ... 295 6485 Penang ... 100 1700 Singapore ... 400 960 Batavia ... 500 3310 And circulated in and about Malacca 600 4203 Total . 1895 16,658 Several missionary tours to the districts surrounding Ma- lacca have been made, for the purpose of distributing tracts and Scriptures; the people, both Chinese and Malays, wil- lingly receive the books. It has been ascertained, that those formerly distributed have been read, and their contents, in many instances, fixed on the minds of the readers. The Chinese carefully preserve the books that are given to them, and it is gratifying to observe, that the Panghooloos, or chie& of the Malays, seem very favourable to the instruction of the people. On this subject Mr. Evans thus speaks, in a recent letter from Malacca : — ** The thirst of the Chinese for our religious books becomes greater and greater every day. They come inquiring for them. Though twelve men are constantly employed in the Chinese printing department, yet pleasing, though painful to add, we are not able to get books finished fast enough. The people around are crying out for them. The brethren at other stations are crying. There seems almost an universal cry among the Chinese, which seems to indicate the dawn of a new era rapidly advancing, and which wiU shine brighter and brighter, until the perfect day." d by Google MISSIONARY REPORT. 151 Printing. — In 1833, the following works were executed at the Malacca press, viz. — Copies. Four of Dr. Milne's popular tracts, bound in 1 volume 3000 Commentary on the Ten Commandments . . 2200 Collie's Scripture Extracts . . . 400 Ditto, in small sizes .... 400 Collie's Life of Christ, in poetry . . . 600 Strait Gate ..... 1000 Three Character Classic .... 700 Commentary on the Lord's Prayer . . 1500 Catechism ..... 100 Comparative Chronology .... 1000 Total . 10,800 During the year that is past, the services of our brethren have been continued. The morning service, in Chinese, held in the College, is attended by seventy Chinese, and sometimes a larger number. On Sabbath, the 4th of May last year, Mr. Evans delivered his first sermon in Chinese, and is now able to engage in all the branches of the Chinese department of the mission. The hearts of the Chinese seem to be opening to the truth, and they receive with eagerness the words of eternal life, whether offered in books or by the living voice ; the mis- sion wears a promising aspect, and the Lord is blessing his work. Four native adults were baptized in July ; one of these was a Chinese female, and the others a Malay and two Malay females. There were then several more candidates, both Chinese and Malays. The females are all instructed in their catechism by Mr. Evans, who is much pleased with their pro- gress. Mr. Evans describes Leang-a-fa as a devoted Christian and a useful man, willing to suffer for the Lord's sake. He now acts as an Evangelist among the thousands of Chinese in and about Malacca. A number of young Chinese are pursuing a course of study and training for missionary work. d by Google 152 MALACCA. Anglo-Chinese College. — The report for 1832 and 1833 has but recently come to hand. At the close of 1832 the number of students was 25. During that year there were printed at the College press complete sets of the Scriptures, 130 i the four gospels, separately, 500 each, 2000 ; and various tracts, 5900 ; total, 8030. At the beginning of 1833, the number of students was in- creased to 40 ; but several of the elder students having left, 32 remained at the close of that year. A Chinese Bible class was commenced in March, 1833, which is attended by the Chinese schoolmasters, the Chinese teachers, and six of the senior students. The Bible Society and the Tract Society have respectively afforded their constant and liberal aid towards the printing of the Scriptural tracts. The College library has been augmented by presents of se- veral authors, and also from the Society Asiatique at Paris. Gbnbral View. — ^The important geographical po- sition of the settlement as commanding the straits which form the direct passage from India to China, &c. ; its healthiness, and cheapness, render it a fitting place for the establishment of a seat of government for the eastern settlements ; the advantage of which would he more and more appreciated in our new commercial arrangements with China. Both Singa- pore and Malacca are too distant to be kept as mere residences of Bengal ; and the (Jovemor-general has quite enough to do already; without attending to those places, although therefore a general control might he kept up from the supreme government, it would he better to make Malacca head quarters for our stations in the eastern archipelago. d by Google ( 153 ) CHAPTER III. SINGAPORE (SINGHAPURA.) LOCALITY, AREA, PHYSICAL ASPECT, HISTORY, POPULATION, REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE, GOVERNMENT, COMMERCE, SOCIAL CONDITION, AND POLITICAL AND GENERAL ADVAN- TAGES, &C. This rapidly rising emporium of trade, is situate on the southern extremity of the peninsula of Malacca just described, in latitude 1° 17^ 22^ north ; longitude, 103° 5 1' 45'' east * ; of an elliptical form, about from twenty-five to twenty-seven miles in its greatest length from east to west; to fifteen miles in its gueatest breadth from north to south ; and contain- ing an estimated area of 270 square miles, with about fifty small desert isles within ten miles around it, in * the adjacent straits, whose area is about sixty miles ; the whole settlement embracing a maritime and in- sular dominion of about 100 miles in circumference. Physical Aspbct. — ^The island is on the north separated from the main land of the Malayan penin- sula, by a very small strait, which in its narrowest part is not more than one quarter of a mile wide. On the front, and distant about nine miles, is an exten- sive chain of almost desert isles, the channel between which and Singapore is the grand route of commerce ^ This is the position of the town. d by Google 154 SINOAFORB. between east and west Asia. The aspect is low and level, with an extensive chain of saline and fresh water marshes, in several parts covered with lofty timber and luxuriant vegetation : here and there, low rounded sand hiUs interspersed with spots of level ground, formed of a ferruginous clay with a sandy substratum. The town stands on the south coast, on a point of land near the west end of a bay where there is a salt creek or river navigable for lighters nearly a mile from the sea ; on the east side of the town is a deep inlet for the shelter of native boats. The town con- sists generally of stone houses of two story high, but in the suburbs called Campong-glam, Campong-Ma- lacca, and Campong- China, bamboo huts are erected on posts, most of them standing in the stagnant water. On the east side of the harbour enterprising British merchants are erecting substantial and ornamental houses fronting the sea, presenting a strange contrast to the wretched tenements of the Malays. The • ground is generally raised three feet, and the man* sions have a superb entrance by an ascent of granite stairs, then an elegant portico supported by a mag- nificent Grecian columns of every order of architec- ture : the rooms are lofty, with Venetian windows down to the floor, and furnished in a luxuriant man- ner ; each tenement provided with its baths, billiard tables, &c., while the grounds are tastily laid out with shrubs of beautiful foliage, the tout ensemble affording a most picturesque prospect from the shipping in the roadstead. Gbology. — ^The principal rock is red sand-stone, d by Google CLIMATE. 155 which changes in some parts to a breccia or conglo- merate, containing large fragments and crystals of quartz. The whole contiguous group of isles, about thirty in number, as well as Singapore, are apparently of a submarine origin, and their evulsion probably of no very distant date. Climatb. — Notwithstanding its lowness, marshi- ness, intertropical position and consequent high tem- perature, with a rapid and constant evaporation by a nearly vertical sun, from a rank and luxuriant ve- getation, and a profusion of animal and vegetable matter in every stage of putrefaction, Singapore has hitherto proved exceedingly healthy, owing perhaps to its maritime position. Being so near the equator there is of course little variety of seasons, either summer or winter: Fahrenheit ranges from 71° to 89^ : the periodical rains are brief, indistinctly marked, and extending over about 150 days of tbie year. d by Google 156 SINGAPORE. o o < o 5z; Cm O H I 1 s I •jc a xig •aoojsi •KT Xlg •nooK •KT X]S •jc a xis *UOOJ){ •KT XIS •KM XTg 'VLOOJH •JC-T Xlg ^aoo9a^Ot»»^aot»o>ai>Q «<^coeoiAiAeom^w»f-ieo Ss s fe s fe ss s a 2 S 2 000000000000000000000 D»^oot^t«.QOaOt^t«. <^t^ooooaoaoaooooot^t«.t«. D w 00 00 a 0> Oi 00 00 Of oooeo>oeooe>«>o>Anoe>i O) 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 a)o»^>n<^t^»4u)oow)noo a S «d ^© ,^3 w-g S g S ^ >S ^•'S 33 5 « 5 £ if d by Google HISTOBT. POPULA.TION. 157 History. — ^The Malay annals relate that in a.d. 1252, Sri Iscandar Shah, the last Malay prince of Singapore, being hard pressed by the king of Majo- pahit, in Java, returned to the main land, where he founded the city of Malacca. That the Dutch or Portuguese may have settled on the island is probable from the remains of religious buildings and other structures, which indicate its having been once thickly inhabited. On the design of Sir Stamford Raffles the settlement of Singapore was first formed in February 1818, and its sovereignty in its present extent con- firmed to Great Britain in 1825, by a convention with the King of Holland and the Malay Princes of Jehore *. Population. — ^When taken possession of by our establishment in 1820, it had been inhabited for eight years by about one hundred and fifty Malays, half fishermen and half pirates. Within the brief space of time from 1820 to 1832, its population has thus rapidly progressed (we have no correct data previous to the end of 1823). * There is, I believe, a pension of 24,000 Spanish cfollars a year paid by the East India Company to this Rajah, as an equivalent for the cession. d by Google 158 81N0AP0RB. o •a c I 2 .£ o si* :n'*S r-^mm O 94 M OS 00 04 404 to eo <4<(o»- 2L 2 « I' The following Census of the Population (with its divisions) of the settlement has heen furnished me from the India House, and as it has not before been published, its printing may now be useful. d by Google POPULATION. 159 List of the Population at Singapore on the 1st of January, 1829. SINGAPORE TOWN. Europeans ^ Native Christians 1 1 1 24 17 356 94 104 72 7 7 2 7 304 8 3 1 1 9 26 24 660 102 107 73 8 16 Malays Chinese Natives of Bengal Arabs Javanese , Total 681 335 1016 GAMPONG GLAM. Europeans » Native Christians « Malays Chinese , 27 19 673 817 38 97 216 95 16 10 797 22 7 7 67 84 43 29 1470 839 45 104 283 179 Natives of Bengal Ditto of the Coast of Coromandel Buggies, Balanese, &c Javanese , Total 1982 1010 2992 ISLANDS. Europeans « ^ Native Christians 1 6 562 45 4 127 1 520 2 68 1 6 1082 47 4 195 1 Malays Chinese Natives of Bengal Buggies, Balanese, &c Javanese » Total 746 590 1836 (Continued.) d by Google 160 SINGAPORE. CAMPONG CHINA. Europeans Annenians Native Christians Malays Chinese Natives of Bengal Ditto of the Coast of Coromandel Buggies, Balanese, &c Javanese « Arabs Total COUNTRY AND PLANTATIONS. Europeans Native Christians Malays Chinese Natives of Bengal Ditto of the Coast of Coromandel Buggies, Balanese, &c Javanese < Total SUMMARY. Singapore Campong China Campong Glam Country and Plantations Islands Grand Total i . 73 1 H 33 4 37 18 6 24 80 71 151 382 452 834 4125 341 4466 56 17 73 1150 4 1154 2 69 71 82 65 137 22 2 24 5950 1021 6971 12 3 15 47 15 62 927 779 1704 2082 39 2121 179 47 226 104 5 109 446 865 811 276 25 301 4073 1276 5349 681 335 1016 5950 1021 6971 1982 1010 2992 4073 1276 5349 , 746 590 1336 18432 4232 17664 d by Google POPULATION. 161 Census of Singapore, 1st January, 1833, shewing the pro- portion of Males to Females. Classes. Males. Females. TotaL Europeans ..••.••..•• 91 56 167 27 96 1762 389 2 5 794 3768 361 7650 23 28 40 133 8 57 11 2 932 3368 234 867 14 119 96 300 35 96 1819 400 2 7 1726 7131 595 8617 37 Indo Biitons Native Christians Armenians Arabs Natives of Coromandel and Malabar Ditto of Bengal and other parts Jews Siamese ttttrtttTTtt.tiwttti .#.... BuGTffies. Balinese. &c Malays « Javanese Chinese Caffires „ Total 15181 5797 20978 To the foregoing must be added 553 convicts, and military and their followers 600, making a grand total of 22,000 mouths, where a few short years ago there was not 109 ! The leading merchants, agents, shopkeepers, and auctioneers are Englishmen. There are several wealthy Chinese merchants, and the bulk of the shopkeepers and most valuable part of the citizens are Chinese, nearly 5,000 of whom arrive annually from China by the yearly trading junks, about 1,000 of whom remain at Singapore, and the remainder disperse themselves over the neighbouring islands. The Malays are chiefly fishermen, and the natives of the Coromandel coast boat-men. Society is divided as at Presidencies, into four CEYLON, &c. M d by Google 162 SINGAPORE. distinct castes — 1st, The civilians of the Company. 2d. The military. 3d. First class merchants. 4th. Second class merchants, shopkeepers, &c. ; and, as in all small communities, they are exclusive in their coteries. There is an American Missionary and two Roman Catholic Priests in the island, but as yet no house of worship. A Romish chapel is in progress, and near its completion ; and some who would not give a far- thing for their own religion, are liberal enough to contribute handsomely in aid of a church for others. The humbler classes are uneducated, but honest and faithful to their employers. Natural Productions. — From the foregoing de- scription it will be seen that the island can as yet have few indigenous productions ; it is in fact a com- mercial emporium, and probably will never be much more. Its chief staple is the agaragar of the Malays (fucas saccharinus) , a plant like fern, which abounds on the coral shoals around Singapore, and produces in China from six to eight dollars per pecul, in its dry bulky state. By the Chinese it is converted into glue, paint, &c. &c., for glazing their cottons, and sacrifice paper ; the finest portion is made into a rich jelly, which makes a delicious sweetmeat when pre- served in syrup. The harvest of this sea- weed is from 6,000 to 12,000 peculs annually. There are about ten sago manufactories at Singa- pore, giving employment to 200 Chinese manufac- turers ; the quantity of pearl sago exported from the island during 1834 was — ^to England, peculs 17,030; Calcutta, 1,700; Bombay, 970; China, 300; Cape; d by Google COMMBRCB. 163 150,- Hamburgh, 1,870; America, 300; Madras, &c. 780;— total, 23,100 peculs. The sago is not grown in the island, but brought in its rough state from Borneo, &c. CoMMBRCB. — No accounts of the trade of the is- land were kept prior to 1 824, since then the value of the imports and exports have been as follows : Year. Imports. Exports. Both. 1824 1825 £ 1455509 1323917 1361978 1488599 1961120 2121559 1875350 1780994 £ 1390268 1228786 1388306 1387201 1804660 1876250 1826634 1565157 £ 2845717 2552703 2750284 2875800 3765780 3997809 3701984 3346151 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 The account of its trade with different countries will be seen by the following return of the compara- tive statement of the trade of Singapore (imports and exports) with the different countries in 1830-31 and 1831-32, &c. m2 d by Google 164 SINGAPORE. Comparative statement of the Imports and Exports of Singa- pore for 1830-31 and 1831-3'2. Countries. Imports. Exports. 1830-31. 1881-32. 1830-31. 1831-82. England Sp. D. Foreign Europe •.••...•...•.. .......... 1161945 75301 31563 5897 1215958 48733 105625 2857505 1135025 84916 200007 37717 12724 77 187398 375595 40424 234346 244176 71142 204153 17638 110871 1514664 81302 6016 7068 1072852 141049 91575 2433959 978978 92216 243980 126402 7341 35290 151589 320271 27904 173917 209637 53471 40303 9055 118135 3535576 99637 18484 1061636 135714 193125 899305 542389 61648 149449 40778 14849 725 167511 410693 30583 258924 192229 102829 164700 14624 175875 3037926 20976 12661 879559 148576 172501 735412 359693 75039 212180 223405 16528*5 310145 24044 167716 178016 52596 33328 7700 124784 South America Mauritius, &c Calcutta ". Madras Bombay China Java ,.... Rhio Siam Cochin China Ceylon Acheen and N. Pepp. Ports Sumatra E. C. Peninsula Straits Celebes Borneo Bally « Manilla Camboja Other Ports, &c « Total Sp. D... DiiFerence 8458731 7936974 7936974 8271223 6941542 6941542 521757 1329681 Imports from MaIacca...Square Rigged, V. Sp. D. 88,186 Ditto Native Craft 81,978 Penang ...Square Rigged 318,267 Ditto Native Craft 35,378 Exports to Square Rigged, 104,755 Native Craft ... 81,999 Square Rigged 236,720 Native Craft ... 70,411 The number of vessels under each flag is thus shewn : — in 1833-34— /mpor< Tonnage 1833-34, by square-rigged Vessels; under what Flags. — From Great Britain, 28 vessels under British Flag; Continental Europe, 2 French, 2 Hamburgh, 2 d by Google SHIPPING. 1 65 Danish, 1 Portuguese ; Isle pf France^ 2 British, 1 French ; CUna^ 42 British, 1 Hamhurgh, 1 Danish, 4 Dutch, 9 Portu- guese ; Manilla, 15 British, 1 Danish, 4 Spanish ; Calcutta, 38 British, 2 Portuguese ; Madras and Coast, 9 British, 1 French ; Bombay and Coast, 41 British, 1 French, 9 Portuguese ; Arabia, 2 Arah ; Moultnein, I British ; Ceylon, 4 British ; Malacca, 56 British, 8 Portuguese ; Penang, 43 British, 1 Danish, 1 Portu- guese, 1 Malay ; Java, 3 British, 1 Hambourg, 67 Dutch, 2 Cochin Chinese ; Sumatra, 8 British, 1 Hambourg, 1 Danish, 5 Dutch, 2 Malay ; Rhio, 4 British, 1 French, 1 American ; Siam, 5 British ; Borneo, 5 British, 7 Dutch ; Cochin China, 1 French, 2 Cochin Chinese ; Tringanu, 6 British, 1 Dutch ; New South Wales, 15 British ; Bali and Eastern Islands, 1 Portu- guese : Bourbon, 2 French ; United States America, 2 American. Totals— 325 under British flag, 9 French, 5 Hamburgh, 6 Danish, 3 American, 92 Dutch, 23 Portuguese, 4 Spanish, 2 Arab, 4 Cochin Chinese, 3 Malay. Grand Total — 475 vessels, tonnage, 137,298. Native craft. — Statement of the number and ton- nage of native vessels, prahus, and jmike, which have imported into and exported from Singapore during the official year 1833-34 :— Imports. — China 27 vessels, 4642 tons; Cochinchina and €amboja49, 3010; Siam 24, 3792; East side of the Peninsula 72, 1689; Borneo 138, 3096; Celebes 55, 1345; Bally 63, 1566; Java 72, 2986; Sumatra514, 3744; Penang 8, 420; Malacca 60, 2608; West side of the Peninsula 46, 341; Rhio 251, 3613; Neighbour Islands 220, 2075. Exports. — China 9 vessels, 1447 tons; Cochinchina and Camboja27, 1966; Siam 17, 2537; East side of the Peninsula 76, 1565; Borneo 148, 3231; Celebes 102, 2041; Bally 73, 2043; Java 44, 2120; Sumatra 397, 3309; Penang 5, 447; Malacca 68, 3003; West side of the Peninsula 36, 250; Rhio 264, 3863 ; Neighbour Islands 214, 2055. Gold forms one of the most valuable imports of Singapore. The principal portion is from Pahang on d by Google 166 SINGAPORB. the coast of the peninsula, and it is considered su- perior to the metal brought from other places. The various places whence this important product is shipped from Singapore will be seen by the returns for 1831. From Ports on East Coast of Peninsula : Pahang— bunkals^4,285. Calantan— ditto— 300. From Borneo : l^ambas — bunkals — 1,508. Papes — ditto — 68. Pontiana —ditto— 633. Bintoola— ditto— 20. Soongai Rayoe 417. Banjar, &c. 32. Sumatra — Jambie — bunkals — 104. Campar — ditto— 169. Celebes v^axkd^ ditto 560. Other islands 31. Total— 8,103. Or Catties » — 406— bunkals— 3. The greater part oi this immense quantity is sent to Calcutta for opium, &c. General View. — As a commercial mart, and key to the navigation of the seas, in which it is situate^ this settlement is of incalculable importance ; we have seen by the foregoing accounts, that it has sprung up within the short space of ten or twelve years from a desert isle to a rich and flourishing settlement, ex- porting annuaDy 3,000,000/. worth of goods. It has two periodical journals well conducted ; its inhabi- tants are imbued with a manly and independent spirit, and its trade is as yet but in its infancy. The open- ing of the Chinese market will not diminish its resort, but on the contrary, increase it ; situate as it is in the ^ A cattie is I lb. and l-3d avoirdupois. d by Google GENERAL VIEW. 167 centre of myriads of active and industrious nations, inhabiting rich and fertile lands, abounding in every species of tropical produce, of which Europe, America, or China has need, ready to receive in return the manufactures of Britain to an almost illimitable ex- tent, and being unmolested in its progress by harbour duties, dues, or charges of any description, it requires nothing but a withdrawal of England from her nar- row minded and miserable commercial policy of ex- cluding eastern produce, to make our trade with the Asiatic Archipelago (of which Singapore is now the entrep6t) one of the most valuable branches of our mercantile connexions. While on this subject, I would urgently recom- mend the formation of a mercantile colony at Formosa, as a means of securing our China trade and opening new branches of commerce with Japan, the Leuchoo islands, &c. We want also a permanent footing in the China seas in a maritime point of view, and if Government do not undertake such, it would pay well a Joint Stock Company to form an entrepot on this highly valuable island. My plan for such a Colony may be seen at the Office of the Colonial Secretary in London. d by Google d by Google BRITISH POSSESSIONS ATLANTIC OCEAN; COMPRISING THE FALKLAND ISLANDS, ST. HELENA, ASCEN- SION, SIERRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, CAPE COAST CASTLE, &c. &c. SEAL OF SIERRA LEONE. d by Google d by Google BOOK III. THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. CHAPTER IV. LOCALITY — EXTENT — CLIMATE — SOIL — HARBOURS — PRO- DUCTIONS, AND ADVANTAGES TO GREAT BRITAIN. The Falkland islands, between the parallels of 51° W and 52° 30' south, and the meridian 58° and 62° west, contiguous to the Straits of Magellan, so ad- vantageously situated as a refreshing port for our numerous ships doubling Cape Horn, and as a cruis- ing station for our ships of war in the Pacific, were first discovered by Sir Richard Hawkins during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, in the year 1594, or, as some think, by Captain Davis, in 1592, an English navigator under Sir Thomas Cavendish ; they were subsequently visited by a ship belonging to St. Ma- loes, from which they were called by the French, ' the Malouins ;' and also subsequently, by the Spa- d by Google 172 THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. niards, ' the Malvinas.' Little, however, was known of them until Commodore Byron, when on a voyage of discovery to the South Seas, visited them in Ja- nuary, 1765, and formally took possession of them for his Majesty Geo. III. under the title of ' the Falkland Islands,' though others say this name had been previously given them by an English navigator named Strong, in 1689. After being there about fourteen days, he left Port Egmont on Sunday, 27th January, and described it as being the finest harbour in the world, capacious enough to hold all the navy of England in full security. Geese, ducks, snipes, and other fowl were found in such abundance, that the sailors were quite tired with eating them ; and in every part there was a plentiful supply of water. When the French lost the Canadas, a colony of farmers was transported thither by M. de Bougain- ville, and about the same time a British colony was estabUshed at Port Egmont by Capt. M'Bride ; but their right being disputed by the Spaniards^ M. de Bougainville surrendered the possession of his part to the latter in April, 1767. Great Britain, however, by virtue of her original discovery, claimed the so- vereignty, which led to a rupture with Spain in the year 1770, and the point was warmly and strongly contested for a considerable period. Spain, however, finally conceded our right to the islands. The two largest of the islands are about 70 leagues in circumference, and divided by a channel 12 leagues in length, and from 1 to 3 in breadth. The harbours are large, and well defended by small islands, most happily disposed. The smallest vessels may d by Google EARLT HISTORY. 173 ride in safety ; fresh water is easily to be obtained ; there is seldom any thunder or lightning, nor is the weather hot or eold to any extraordinary degree. Throughout the year the nights are in general se- rene and fair ; and, upon the whole, the climate is favourable to the constitution. The depth of the soil in the valleys is more than sufficient for the pur- pose of ploughing. Since 1767 they fell into comparative insignifi- cance; and, for many years past, little notice has been taken of them by our government. Ships of war, on their passage round Cape Horn, have oc- casionsdly touched there for supplies of water, &c. and South Sea whalers and other merchant vessels ; but the navigation being little known, they have not, until lately, been much frequented, although very nearly in the track of ships homeward-bound from the Pacific. Latterly, however, circumstances arose which in- duced the last commander-in-chief on the South American station (Sir Thomas Baker), to send down a ship of war for the purpose of reclaiming that pos- session, which lapse of time seemed to have rendered almost absolutely abandoned. The Buenos Ayrean Grovemment have, however, endeavoured to set up a claim to the islands *. In the month of December, 1832, Commander Onslow, in H.M.S. Clio, proceeded to Port Egmont, and found on Saunders' Island the ruins of our for- ^ The Spaniards had formerly used the islands as a prison for South American delinquents. d by Google 174 THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. mer establishment. The tcywn stood on the sonth side of a mountain not less than 600 feet high. The settlers had extended their gardens to the westward, the remains of which are still perceptible. Not find- ing any inhabitants, an inscription was left there, at- tached to a signal staff, on a spot which appeared to be Fort George, stating, ' That these islands had been visited by his Britannic Majesty's ship Clio, for the purpose of exercising the rights of sovereignty, 23d December, 1832^' During their stay of ten days, the boats were em- ployed in examining Brett's Harbour, Byron's Sound, Eeppel's Sound, and to the westward to Point Bay, a distance of sixty miles from the Clio's anchorage. At Port Louis, on East Falkland Island, a Buenos Ayrean schooner of war was lying, and a small party of soldiers under the same flag occupied the shore, where there was an inconsiderable settlement of fo^ reign persons, chiefly Buenos Ayreans, who were en- gaged in catching wild cattle, &c. for the supply of such ships as occasionally touched there. Port Louis, at the head of Berkeley Sound, is ad^ mirably adapted for vessels to refit at, under any cir- cumstances, it is well sheltered, and has an inner harbour for vessels drawing fourteen feet of water, where they may heave down with safety if requisite. Water is also good and plentiful ; and, reflecting on the number of vessels passing and repassing Cape Horn, and the accidents they are hable to, from the > Lieut H. Smyth, of H. M. ship Tyne, was suhsequendy sent down with a boat's crew to setUe on the islands. d by Google VEGBtABLE AND ANIMAL KINGDOM. 175 tempestuous weather frequently experienced off that Cape, the advantages of a port of refuge becomes apparent* Vegetable Productions and Fruits, — ^The generality of the surface of these islands is covered with a turf, or black peat, found chiefly above a yellow clayey soil, and formed of roots of plants in marshy situations ; there are however spacious meadows, abundantly watered, and producing excellent grasses, much re- lished by cattle. The most curious of the vegetable productions is a resinous plant, or rather excrescence, for it grows from the earth without stalk, branch, or leaves, called the resinous gum plant. It is fre- quently six feet in diameter, and eighteen inches high, and so strong as to bear the weight of a man. Its surface ejects drops of a tough resinous matter, of a yellow colour, and about the size of peas, having a strong odour like turpentine. Great quantities of water cresses, sorrel, and wild parsley, are found in every direction, as well as a small shrub of the na- ture of spruce, which, being made into beer by the help of molasses, has proved an excellent antiscorbu- tic to seamen afflicted with scurvy after a Ibng voyage on salt provisions. Scarcely any fruits are found, indeed only two fit for use, which grow upon creeping plants, and are similar to the mulberry of Europe, and the lucet of North America. Though there are numerous flowering plants, only one, which had a smell like that of a rose, appeared to yield any per- fume. No trees have been met with. Animals, — Only one species of animal was found in the island, a kind of wolf-fox, which Byr9n de- d by Google ^H^^KWJJiJ*L*J-'^^JJA.iVI^ .l"'^r«5!ia»W5W •176 THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. scribes as extremely fierce, running from a great distance to attack the sailors when they landed, and even pursuing them into the boat. It is about the size of a shepherd's dog, and kennels under ground, subsisting on the seals and birds, which it catches along the shore. Sea lions, waUrusses, and seals, are abundant about the coast, many of them of great size, and very fierce. Swans, wild green ducks, teal, and all kinds of sea-fowl, are found in great numbers, and so tame were some of the birds when the first settlers landed there, that they would suffer themselves to be caught by the hand, and often perch upon the heads of the people. There is a bird, called the grele, of beautiful plumage, and a kind of gentle note, whose flesh is much esteemed, and which suflers itself to be approached so as to be knocked down with a stick; there are also falcons, snipes, owls, curlews, herons, thrushes, &c. Fish are not so plentiful, but they consist of mullet, pike, sardini, gradlaw; and in the fresh water, a green trout, without scales ; all sorts of small sheU-fish are found around the coast, but it is diflScult to get at them, or indeed for a boat to land, on account of the prodi- gious quantity of sea- weed with which the shore is loaded. The tides produce a curious phenomenon, they do not rise at the settled calculated periods, but, just before high water the sea rises and falls three times ; and this motion is always more violent during the equinoxes and full moons, at which time several coralines, the finest mother-of-pearl, and the most delicate spenges are thrown up with it ; and amongst other shells, a curious bivalve, called la d by Google ADVANTAGES. 177 pouletie, found no where else but in a fossil state. In addition to numerous hogs, wild fowl, and rabbits, there are several thousand head of wild cattle and horses, roaming over a large expanse of delicious pasturage. As it appears likely that more attention will in future be paid to these islands by our GdVcirnment ', I subjoin, for the information of navigators espe- cially, the following account of East (it was on the West island at Port Egmont the British settlement was when forcibly broken up by the Spaniards in 1770) Falkland Island, drawn up by M. Vernet (who had an estabhshment at Berkeley Sound, ad- joining the ruins of that founded by M. de Bougain- ville previous to 1767, near Port Louis), for W. Parish, Esq., and read before the Royal Geographical Society, 14th January, 1833. East Falkland Island possesses large and secure harbours for first-rate ships of war, with facilities for exercising the crews on shore without the risk of losing them, and with abundance of wild cattle, antiscorbutic herbs, and fish, for their support. The country, in the northern part of the island, is r^ither mountainous. The highest part was called San Simon, at no great distance from the bottom of Berkeley Sound. The tops of the mountains are thickly strewn with large boulders, or detached 1 Within the last few years numeroBs whalers — English, American, and French, have been cruising off and refitting in the Falkland Isles. d by Google 178 THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. stones, of \vhich quantities have fallen, in some places, in lines along their sides, looking like rivers of stones ; these are alternated with extensive tract&^ of marshy ground, descending from the very tops of the mountains, where many large fresh-water ponds are found, from one to two feet deep. The best ground is at the fooTof the mountains, and of this there is abundance fit for cultivation, in plains stretch- ing from ^Ye to fifteen miles along the margin of the sea. In the southern peninsula there is hardly a rising ground that can be called a hill. Excellent fresh water is found everywhere, and may be pro- cured either by digging, or from the rivulets, which flow from the interior towards the sea, through valleys covered with a rich vegetation. The Climate on the island is, on the whole, tem- perate. The temperature never falls belows 26° Fahrenheit in the coldest winter, nor rises above 75° in the hottest summer ; its general range is from 30° to 50° in winter, 50° to 75° in summer. The weather is rather unsettled, particularly in winter ; but the showers, whether of rain, snow, or hail, are generally of short duration, and their effects are never long visible on the surface of the ground. Thus floods are unknown ; snow disap- pears in few hours, unless on the tops of the moun- tains ; and ice is seldom found above an inch thick. Thunder and lightning are of rare occurrence ; fogs are frequent, especially in autumn and spring, but they usually dissipate towards noon. The winter is rather longer than the summer, but the difference is not above a month, and the long warm days of d by Google MINERALS AND SOIL. 179 summer, with occasional showers, produce a rapid vegetation in that season. The wind blows commonly from the north-west in summer, south-west in winter, and seldom long from the eastward in either season. The finest weather in winter is when the wind draws from the west or north-west, and in summer when it stands at north- west or north-east. A north wind almost always brings rain, especially in summer, and east and south- east winds are constantly accompanied by thick and wet weather. Snow squalls generally come from the south-south-east, south, or south-south-west. Storms are most frequent at the changes of the seasons, and blow commonly from south-south-west to west- south- west; but they seldom last above twenty- four hours. Minerals. — ^There are marks of copper ore with some pyrites, and the rocks are chiefly quartz. Ores of different colours are common, and red and gray slate is plentiful, but no mines or metals have been ever discovered. The soil of East Falkland Island has been found well adapted to cultivation, consisting generally of from six to eight inches of black vegetable mould, below which is either gravel or clay. Wheat and flax were both raised of quality equal, if not superior, to the seed sown, which was procured from Buenos Ayres ; and potatoes, cabbage, turnips, and other kinds of vegetables produced largely, and of excel- lent quEility. Fruit trees were not tried, the plants sent from Buenos Ayres having perished before they arrived. The soil also produces different kinds of vegietables N 2 d by Google 180 THB FALKLAND ISLANDS. wild, as celery, cresses, &c., and many other esculent plants, the proper names of which were not known to the settlers, but their palatable taste and valuable anti- scorbutic properties were abundantly ascertained by them. Among others is one which they called the tea-plant, growing close to the ground, and pro- ducing a berry of the size of a large pea, white with a tinge of rose-colour, and of exquisite flavour. A decoction of its leaves is a good substitute for tea, whence its name. It is very abundant. No trees grow on the island, but wood for building was obtained tolerably easily from the adjoining Straits of Magellan. For fuel, besides peat and turf, which are abundant in many places, and may be procured dry out of the penguins' holes, three kinds of bushes are found, called fachinal, matajo, and gruillera. The first of these grows straight, from two to five feet high, and the stem, in proportion to the height, is from half an inch to one inch and a half in diameter : small woods of this are found in all the valleys, and form good cover ; it bears no fruit. The second is more abundant in the southern than in the northern part of the island ; its trunk is nearly the thickness of a man's arm, very crooked, never higher than three feet, and bears no fruit. The gruiUera is the smallest of the three, growing close to the ground, and abundant all over the island; being easily ignited, it was chiefly used as fuel when the people were away from the settlement, and to light the peat fires in the houses. It bears a small dark red berr}- of the size of a large pea, of an insipid taste. Herds of wild homed cattle exist on the island. d by Google GAMB, &C. 181 sufficient to maintain a great many settlers ; and wild hogs are abundant in the northern peninsula. Wild horses are also found there of small size, but very hardy, which, when broken in, as some were without difficulty, were found of great service to the settle- ment. Rabbits are in great numbers, of a large size and fine fur. Foxes, too, are found, but differing considerably from those of Europe, having a thick head and coarse fiir ; they live chiefly on geese and other fowl, which they catch at night when asleep. Game is extremely common, especially wild geese and ducks; of the former two kinds were distin- guished, the lowland or kelp-geese, and the upland geese ; the latter were much superior in flavour, the former being of a fishy taste, Uving chiefly on muscles, shrimps, and kelp. Both were very tame, and the upland geese were easily domesticated. They are finest eating in autumn, being then plump, in conse- quence of the abundance at that season of tea-ber- ries, of which they are very fond; the rest of the year they live on the short grass. They have a white neck and breast, with the rest of the body speckled of a fine brown marbled colour. The lowland gander is quite white, and the goose dark, with a speckled breast. Of ducks there are several kinds. The logger- headed are the largest, and almost of the size of the geese; their flesh is tough and fishy; they cannot fly^ and when cut off from the water are easily caught. The next size is also of inferior quality, tough and fishy; but the smaller kinds, which are not larger than young pigeons, are deliciously good, and are d by Google 182 THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. found in large flocks along the rivulets and fresh water ponds. Snipes are found so tame that they were often killed by throwing ramroads at them. In addition to these, a great variety of sea birds frequent the shores, of which the most valuable to sailors and settlers, from the quantity of eggs they deposit, are the gulls and penguins. These birds have their fixed rookeries, to which they resort in numerous flocks every spring; the gulls generally in green places near the shore, or on the small islands in the bay ; the penguins chiefly along the steep rocky shores of the sea. The eggs of both are eatable even with relish, after long confinement on board ship, the penguin's being, however, the best, and less strong than those of the gull. So numerous are these eggs, that on one occasion eight men gathered 60,000 in four or five days, and could easily have doubled that number had they stopped a few days longer. Both gulls and penguins will lay six or eight each, if removed, otherwise they only lay two and hatch them. The gulls come first to their hatching places, the penguins a little later. Fish abounds in all the bays and inlets, especially in spring, when they come to spawn at the mouths of the fresh water rivulets. They generally enter and retire twice every day, at half- flood and half-ebb, and are in such numbers that ten or twelve men could always catch and salt about sixty tons in less than a month. They were usually caught by a sweeping- net, but they also took the hook, being of a kind be- tween the mullet and salmon. Their flavour was excellent, and when salted, they were considered d by Google FISH, SEALS, &C. 183 c(aperior to the cod. Many shiploads might he pro- cured annually. Of shell-fish there are only muscles and clams; they are very ahundant, and easily gathered on the heach at low water. Seals are found on the island, or rather on the rocks close to it, and hair-seals (sea lions and ele- phants) ahound along its shores. Many hlack whales have been also caught in its neighbourhood ; in con- sequence of which the island has of late years been much resorted to by fishing vessels, English, Ame- rican, and French. Of these, eighty-nine touched at it between 1826 and 1831. EastFalkland Island is singularly cut into by the sea, forming various good harbours of easy access for ves- sels of almost any burthen. A commandant with a few marines and a small vessel manned from the South American squadron should be placed at these (to us particularly) valuable islands. d by Google BOOK IV. ST. HELENA AND ASCENSION ISLANDS. LOCALITY — AREA — HISTORY — PHYSICAL ASPECT, CLIMATE, GEOLOGY, AND SOIL — VEGETATION — POPULATION — PRO- DUCE — REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE, SHIPPING, &C. St. Helena Island, celebrated as the prison and grave of the most extraordinary human being that ever tenanted this earth, is situate in the Southern Atlantic, within the limit of the south east trade winds ; in latitude 15° 15' south, longitude 5° 49' 45" west, 1200 miles from the coast of Africa, 2,000 from that of America, and 600 from the Island of Ascension : its area being 30,300 acres, its extreme length being lO^miles, its breadth 6f , and its cir- cumference about 28 miles. History. — St. Helena was discovered by the Portuguese navigator, Juan De Nova Castella, on d by Google HISTORY. 185 the 21st May, 1502, and named by him, in honour of the day of its discovery, after Saint Helena. When first visited, the island was uninhabited, covered by one entire forest, and its shores abounding with tiui;les, seals, sea-lions, and various sorts of wild fowl ; its settlement, and early improvement in 1513, are attributed to the debarkation of a Portu- guese nobleman, who had been mutilated by Al- buquerque for crime committed in India, and sent home in disgrace. This gentleman, Fernandez Lopez by name, prevailed on the captain to set him on shore, in preference to the life of ignominy he was destined to lead in Portugal, and his wishes being complied with, and abundant supplies forwarded to him by his commiserating friends, he quickly brought some spots under cultivation, and imported hogs, goats, domestic poultry, partridges, and wild fowl, besides various sorts of fruits and vegetables, all of which increased and throve exceedingly, such as figs, oranges, lemons, peach-trees, &c. Fernandez was removed from his voluntary exile by orders of the Portuguese government in about four years, and the next inhabitants appear to have been four slaves of difierent sexes, who escaped from a ship, and multi- plied to the number of 20 ; these people subsisted on the live stock and fruits which had increased prodigiously; but the Portuguese being jealous of their consuming what was required for the refresh- ment of the ships, which touched here on their passage from India, finally succeeded in hunting them out, and destroying them. Tavemier informs us that a Franciscan friar had also taken up his abode d by Google 186 ST. HELENA AND ASCENSION ISLANDS. on the island and led an austere life for 14 years, when he died ; though other accounts say, he was removed in consequence of the great destruction he committed among the goats, for the sake of traflick- ing in their skins. The Portuguese mariners preserved the secret of the existence of St. Helena from other nations until 1588, when it was discovered by Capt. Cavendish, on his return from a circumnavigating voyage. He gives the state of the island very circumstantially, from which it appears, that the Portuguese had built a town and a church : he found abundance of goats, pigs, and poultry, with game, wild fowl, and various kinds of fruits and vegetables. The settlement was afterwards frequently visited by English, Dutch, Spanish, and Portuguese ' ships ; the salubrity of air, and the abundance of fresh provisions invigorat- ing their exhausted crews. It sometimes happened that ships of nations at war with each other visited St. Helena at the same time — accordingly we have accounts of various sea fights between the Dutch and Spaniards at the anchorage, who are, moreover, accused of wantonly destroying the plantations, lest succeeding visitors should profit by the supplies which had proved so beneficial to them. From all these causes the island was deserted by the Portuguese, when they acquired possession of settlements on the eastern shores of Africa, and for some time continued desolate, owing to the wanton excesses which had been committed : however, about the year 1643, two Portuguese ves- sels being wrecked, their crews got safe to land, and d by Google BISTORT. 1 87 ence more stocked the island with cattle, goats, hogs, poultry, &c. In 1645 the Dutch took formal possession of St. Helena, and established a colony ; but they also abandoned it, when settling at the Cape of Good Hope in 1651. The homeward bound English East India fleet calling at the island at this period, took possession of St. Helena, and the East India Company obtained a charter for its possession from Charles II. ten years after. Under the superintendence in 1658 of Capt. Dutton, the first English Governor, a fort was erected, and called Fort James, in compliment to the Duke of York, the king's brother. Settlers were encouraged to emigrate thither, and slaves were imported from Madagascar to work in the planta- tions. It is reported to have been captured by the Dutch in 1665, but of this event the accounts are vague and doubtful, and the writer of Rennefort's voyage, who visited the island in 1666, makes no mention of such occurrence, but eulogizes Governor Stringer, and his family, for the attentions he re- ceived, and describes the settlement as thriving, being then composed of about 50 Englishmen, 20 women, and some negroes. Its population was shortly after increased by many, who had been reduced by the great fire of London, seeking relief in the island. From 1658 until 1672 various laws and regula- tions were made by the Company at home, or the Governors of the island, of whom there appears to have been, viz. — Dutton, Stringer, Swallow, Coney, 3ennett and Beale : in the latter part of 1672, the 7 d by Google 188 ST. HELBNA AMD ASCENSION ISLANDS. Dutch, through the treachery of a planter, succeeded in landing in the night 500 men from an expedition which had heen repulsed the same day; the fort being thus attacked in the rear, the Governor thought prudent to abandon it, and retired, with his garrison and principal effects, on board some ships in the roads, taking, however, the precaution of placing a sloop to cruise to windward of St. Helena to warn British vessels of its capture, and a squadron arriving soon after (in May, 1673), under Captain Munden, he succeeded in recapturing the island, and, by keeping the Dutch flag flying after he got possession of the forts, decoyed six Dutch East Indiamen, as well as a ship from Europe, having a Governor and reinforcements for the garrison on board, into the roads where they were captured. Having formed a British garrison by detachments from the ships. Captain Munden sailed for England with his prizes, and was knighted. The king having renewed the charter of the East India Company, they lost no time in sending out reinforcements to St. Helena — appointed Capt. G. Field, governor, with a council of four to assist him, and held out great encouragement for the old settlers to remain, and also to induce new ones to repair thi- ther. The Company at home, and the Governor of the island, now passed some local laws for the allot- ment of land, and the management of the plantations, and assigned the service which each individual was bound to perform for the defence of the settlement when called upon : the number of soldiers was shortly afterwards reduced to 50, and several English d by Google BISTORT. 189 settlers having arrived a militia was organized, to whom the defence of the island was to he principally entrusted. Fortifications were raised, and lines drawn for the security of the town, which was re- quired to be built on a preconcerted plan ; but, up- wards of a century elapsed before advantage was taken of placing cannon on the heights, which were only occupied for look-out stations. In 1676, Dr. Halley, the celebrated astronomer, arrived at St. Helena for the purpose of completing some celestial observations ; his instruments were erected on the hill which now bears his name, when he observed the transit of Mercury over the sun's disc. Many taxes having been imposed on the settlers, and particularly an impost laid on the wood required to distil spirits from potatoes, discontent began again to assume a formidable aspect, and a mutinous dispo- sition spreading amongst the soldiers, it broke out at various times in open rebellion on various pretences, on many of which occasions blood was shed ; in 1684, two of the mutineers were hanged, and others trans- ported, as an example to the rest : this did not, how- ever, check the disturbances, for constant insurrec- tions occurred, in which more than one of the Go- vernors perished, until at length in 1700, all the spirit- stills were suppressed by order from England, and by the vigorous measures of Governor Roberts, from 1708 to 1714, the island was tranquillized. Various plants, shrubs, fruit, and timber trees, were now introduced ; but only the apple, mulberry, and peach, have become established, sdthough it is d by Google 190 ST. HELENA AND ASCENSION ISLANDS. certain the cocoa nut, cypress, and others, may be propagated with a little attention. The Scotch fir and spruce were introduced about the year 1749, also acorns from which timber has been produced, which now measures from 9 to 1 1 feet in curcumference, in the most sheltered parts of the island, although they do not succeed when exposed to the trade winds. Provisions became so plentiful that a clause was inserted in the charter party of the Company's ships, obliging them to purchase a certain quantity of beef, at IGs. per cwt. Governor Brooke, who succeeded Comeille in 1 787, by his firm conduct and judicious arrangements, soon subdued the mutinous disposition hitherto so prevalent; and during his government (from 1787 to 1800) St. Helena was made a dep6t for training re- cruits for the Company's army in India, to the num- ber of upwards of 12,000 soldiers. Brooke also im- proved the buildings, and strengthened the fortifica- tions, established a code of signals, and rendered the settlement extremely valuable at the commencement of war with the Dutch in 1795 ; by his energetic conduct in fitting out an expedition destined to sur- prise the Cape, but that object having been anti- cipated from home, the St. Helena squadron was afterwards employed in capturing the Dutch home* WEird-bound Indiamen. Governor Brooke was succeeded by Col. Patten, in 1801-2, who carried on the plans of his prede- cessor, and greatly improved the fortifications of the place, particularly in rendering the guns on the heights more eflfective, and also in encouraging a d by Google GOVERNORS. 191 better mode of agriculture. In 1807, the island was visited with a calamity which had nearly destroyed the whole population — a most inveterate species of the measels was introduced by the homeward-bound fleet from the Cape, so fatal in its effects that, be- sides prostrating the strength of nearly the whole population, so as to render them almost incapable of assisting each other, it carried off in two months nearly 200 persons. The visitation of this calamity alarmed the inhabitants respecting the small pox, which, although it had appeared, or had been intro- duced by persons from England or the Cape, had never proved infectious, and it was supposed that something existed in the climate of St. Helena inimical to its contagiousness. To allay their apprehensions the Governor took measures to introduce vaccina- tion, and also to appoint a gentleman as vaccinating surgeon, and we believe no case of small pox has since been known. In 1807, Governor Patten being obliged to retire to England, on account of ill health, was succeeded the following year by Governor Beat- son — to whose history of the island I am indebted for much information. In May, 1810, 50 Chinese labourers were im- ported into St. Helena, and were found so useful, that shortly afterwards 150 more were obtained : some husbandmen from England were also sent out with a view to improving the agriculture of the settlement ; this produced a beneficial effect in ex- tending greatly the amount of land undei* cultiva- tion. Still, owing to some measures ordered by the government at home, the price of provisions was d by Google 192 ST. HELENA AND ASCENSION ISLANDS. enhanced greatly — salt provisions from the Com- pany's stores, which in 1810 were delivered at 4rf, per Ih. reaching ISd, in 1813, which, with the strict abolition of the importation, or manufacture of eirdent spirits, gave rise to discontent. A brewery was therefore established, and cheap wines imported from the Cape in abundance, and served out in rations at 6d, per pint. At the close of 1811 these discontents broke out into open mutiny, as had several times before been the case ; by the firm conduct of the Governor, however, it was speedily suppressed, nine of the ringleaders brought to sum- mary Court Martial, condemned, and six of them executed, after which order was restored, and the worst characters sent off the island. In 1813, Governor Beatson was superseded, at his own request, by Colonel Mark Wilks, but he re- mained for several months to induct his successor in the plans he had in progress for the improvement of the settlement. In 1815, it was resolved to appropriate St. Helena as a prison for Napoleon Buonaparte, — on the 15th Oct. 1815, he arrived in the island in his Majesty's ship Northumberland, and continued there a prisoner at large until his death, on the 6th May, 1821. It would be foreign to my purpose, and beyond my limits to enter into any disquisition on the question of the imprisonment of Napoleon at St. Helena ; whether England had a moral right to detain him there is, by no means, a settled point ; still less so is the far more important question, whether Napoleon's actions were calculated to benefit, or to injure man- 15 d by Google CHARACTBR AND FATE OP NAPOLBON. 193 kind ; — granted, even, that Napoleon was a despot : let it, however, be remembered, that he warred against tyrants who endeavoured to hold millions in bondage to the few, or against imbeciles who desired to retain the mass of their fellow-beings in slavish sub- jection to alleged hereditary rights ; — if he be accused of usurping sovereign power, let those who can ap- preciate his genius reflect, that he was endowed with a capacity of soul for which this world was too limited, and that his towering mind could acknow- ledge no chief; nor let any man of talent forget that moral, mental, physical energy was never exhibited before Napoleon in vain — he elicited, encouraged, rewEirded the brave, the high-spirited, the eloquent, and the studious ; his presence was a stimulus to some of the greatest enterprises that man has ever undertaken, and thousands of gallant heroes cheer- fully shed their precious blood in the hope of re- ceiving the approving smile of Napoleon: — ^yet, more, let not the truly British patriot forget that. Napoleon too idolized his country ; his very exist- ence was centered in extending the glory and hap- piness of his adored France, whom he cherished as the most ardent lover does the first object of his choice. I am not blind to the faults of Napoleon, they were many, and deep ; — he would have been more or less than mortal were it otherwise. I look upon his meteoric career as one of those extraordi- nary dispensations of Providence, whose purport is, to us, inscrutable ; and when I contemplate the lofty pinnacle of grandeur on which he was exalted — with kings, princes, and nobles for his servitors — thrones CEYLON, &c. O d by Google 194 ST. HELENA AND ASCENSION ISLANDS. for his gifts — and empires for his sway, — when I contrast this summit of Napoleon's earthly glory with his narrow and cheerless prison-house, in the midst of the Atlantic — ^when I compare the gorgeous Tuilleries with the silent, nameless, and desolate chamel-vault of St. Helena-^I witness the most forcible illustration of the instability of mere human greatness that ever was presented for the guidance of mankind, and I read in it a conclusive confirma- tion of those striking lessons with which the page of scripture abounds — ^which teach that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, and that he who giveth not praise and glory to Him to whom praise and glory are alone due, is like unto a reed shaken by every blast of wind, — or, as the flower of the field, which groweth up and is cut down, and no man knoweth its place. Reader, excuse this digres- sion, which I could not well avoid, and return with me unto a dry detail of facts which, though less congenial to my mind, is of far more utility to the object I have in view — the welfare of my country. During the residence of Napoleon on St. Helena, in order to prevent his escape *, a large garrison of 1 Several projects were made to carry off Napoleon from St. Helena. The following (as it appears to me) impracticable scheme was devised by Johnson, the smuggler, who says — * I constructed two submarine vessels, the Eagle and Etna. The Eagle was of the burthen of 1 14 tons, 84 feet in length, and 18 feet beam, propelled by two steam-engines of 40 horse power. The Etna, the smaller ship, was 40 feet long, and 10 feet beam; burthen 23 tons. These two vessels would be propelled, the large one with two engines of 20 horse power d by Google PLAN FOR LIBERATING NAPOLEON. 195 king's troops, and a considerable squadron was main- tained at the island, which the East India Company each, the small one with one engine of 10 horse power, high pressure, well arranged, equipped with warlike stores, and 30 well- chosen seamen, with four engineers. They were also to take 20 torpedos, a number equal to the destruction of 20 ships, ready for action in case of meeting with any opposition from the ships of war on the station. These two ships were to be stationed at a convenient distance from the rock (at St. Helena), abreast of Longwood House, the highest point of the island, being 2,000 feet above the level of the sea, and, because deemed inaccessible, of course unsuspected. All the accessible points were well fortified and guarded. ' In this position the two vessels were to lay at anchor, at a cable's length from each other, the smaller one close to the rock, well fortified with cork fenders, in order to guard against any injury which might be apprehended from the friction of beating against the rock, which could at all times be prevented by hauling off or on, as occasion required. This smaller ship would be pro- vided with a mechanical chair, capable of containing one per- son on the seat, and a standing foot-board at the back, so that the person at the back could regulate the ascent or descent at pleasure. Attached to this chair would be a patent whale- line, 2,050 feet long, with all the necessary apparatus ready when called for. Thus far arranged, the vessels were to remain submerged during the day, and at night approach the surface. Every thing being perfectly in order, I should then go on shore, provided with some other small articles, such as a ball of strong twine, an iron bolt with a block, which I would sink into the ground at the top of the rock, opposite Longwood House, and abreast of the submarine ships. I should then obtain my introduction to his Imperial Majesty, and com- municate my plan. The residence of the Emperor being sur- rounded by a chevaux-de-frise, and the stables being outside, the servants only had access to the house. I proposed that the coachman should go into the house, at a certain hour o2 d by Google 196 ST. HELENA AND ASCENSION ISLANDS. placed under the government of the Crown : in 1 822, the whole of the king's troops were removed and St. which should be fixed, and that his Majesty should be provided with a similar livery, as well as myself, the one in the charac- ter of a coachman, the other as a groom ; and that, thus dis« gruised, we should pass into the coach*house, and there remain, unnoticed and unperceived. We should then watch our op- portunity, to avoid the eye of the frigate guard, who seldom looked out in the direction of the highest point in the Island ; and on our arriving at the spot where our blocks, &c. were de- posited, I should make fast one end of my ball of twine to the ring, and heave the ball down to my confidential men, then on the look-out below, who would make the other end fast to the fall belonging to the mechanical chair, by which means I should be able to haul up the end of the fall, which I should run through the block, and then haul up the mechanical chair to the top. I should then place his Majesty in the chair, while I took my station at the back, and lowered away with a cor- responding weight on the other side, until we arrived safe at the bottom. Embarked on board the Etna, into which we should have lowered, as it lay close under the rock, I should then cast off our moorings, and haul alongside the Eagle, and remain there during the day; in the evening prepare our steam, and get under weigh as soon as it became dark. In this position, I should propel by steam until I had given the island a good berth, and then ship our mast and make sail, steering for the United States. I calculated that no hostile ship or ships could impede our progress, so as to offer any very serious obstruction, as, in the event of an attack, I should haul our sails and strike yards and masts, which would only occupy about 40 minutes, and then submerge. Under water we should await the approach of the enemy, and then, by the aid of the little Etna, attaching the torpedo to her bottom, effect her destruction in 15 minutes. On my arrival at a secure and convenient spot on the coast of the United States, I should communicate with his Majesty's Government, through the medium of my friend and patron, the ever-to-be-lamented d by Google IMPROYBMBNTS IN THE ISLAND. 197 Helena reverted to the possession of the East India Company. In March, 1823, Brigadier General Walker arrived from England as governor : under his administration many judicious plans for the improvement of the set- tlement were persevered in, particularly the abolition of slavery (previously begun) , the estabhshment of schools, &c. ; he also encouraged agricultural societies and fairs, giving prizes for the best cattle, ploughing, and crops. The houses which had been occupied by Buonaparte and his staff were converted into oflfices for the Company's farm at Longwood*, and the amount of cultivated land extended. He also in- creased the supply of water for shipping, by bringing the contents of another spring to the reservoir, by which means there is now procurable 300 tons of pure water in the twenty-four hours, which can be further increased if necessary. St. Helena remained as the property of the East India Company until the non-renewal of the Company's commercial charter Duke of York, to negociate for a more suitable and honour- able asylum for his Imperial Majesty. Should my negociations, as I anticipated, fail, I should then address his Imperial Ma- jesty, and propose his return to France, where he would meet with a very favourable reception. The whole of the negociations were carried on through O'Meara. The vessels were laid down to be coppered, when news arrived of the exile's death.' [Johnson forgot to state how he was to ascend the inacces- sible precipice.] * When I visited them in 1830, Napoleon's bed-room was a cattle-stall, and sheep and goats sheltered themselves in the ex-emperor's saloon. d by Google 198 ST. HELENA AND ASCENSION ISLANDS. in 1833, when the Directors declined to continue burthened with the expense of the island, which it had retained solely for the benefit and protection of its shipping ; St. Helena is now, therefore, one of the crown colonies ; Commissioners have been sent out to make the necessary inquiries and alterations for the transfer — the East India Company's troops, here- tofore garrisoning the forts, will be removed to India, and their place occupied by the head-quarters of the 60th rifles, with a governor appointed by the Queen. ' Chronological account of Governors of St. Helena : — Sir Richard Munden and Captain R. Kegwin, 1673; Captain G. Field, 1674; Major J. Blackmore, 1678; Captain J. Johnson, 1690; Captain R. Keelinge, 1693; Captain S. Poirier, 1697; Captain T. Goodwin, 1707 ; Captain J. Roberts, 1708 ; Captain B. Boucher, 1711 ; Captain M. Bazett, (actg.) Captain J. Pyke, 1714; E. Johnson, Esq. 1719; E. Byfield, (actg.); Captain J. Smith, 1723; Captain J. Pyke, 1731; J. Goodwin, Esq. 1738; D. Crisp, 1739; R. Jenkins, Esq. 1740; Major T. Lambert, 1741 ; G. G. Powel, Esq. 1742 ; Col. D. Dunbar, 1743; C. Hutchinson, Esq. 1747; J. Skottowe, Esq. 1764; D. Corneille, Esq. 1782; Colonel R. Brooke, 1787; Lieu- tenant Colonel F. Robson, 1801 ; Colonel R, Patten, 1802; Lieutenant Colonel W. Lane, 1807 ; Major General A. Beat- son, 1808; Colonel M. Wilks, 1813; Lieutenant General Sir Hudson Lowe, 1816 ; T. H. Brooke, Esq. (actg.) 1821 ; Brigadier General A. Walker, 1823; T. H. Brooke, Esq. (2nd actg.) 1828; Brigadier General C. Dallas, 1828. Physical Aspect. — ^The island of St. Helena, when first seen at sea, presents the appearance of a small barren rock, nearly perpendicular on its northern side, but gradually shelving to the south. On ap- proaching, its eminences appear more broken, and the central ones covered with verdure ; on a near d by Google PHYSICAL ASPBCT. 1P9 approach this view is again shut out by the rugged and barren appearance of the shore, which is almost perpendicular, forming a girdle of inaccessible pre- cipices of basaltic rocks, some of them rent to the bases, exhibiting extensive chasms, and all the most fantastic shapes that can be imagined. On rounding Munden's Point to the only anchorage that exists, James' Valley Bay on the north-west, or leeward side of the island, the eye is suddenly relieved by a view of the town and fortifications. James' Town is situate in a narrow valley between two lofty mountains, and presents a pleasant and refreshing appearance, from the trees being generally in full leaf — a species of the banian of India, called in Bengal the peepul tree. There is good anchorage in from eight to twenty- five fathoms ; the tide rising to the height of five feet at times ; the surf upon the shore is generally strong, but about Christmas tremendous. The principal in- lets by which the island can be approached are Lemon . Valley, James' Town, and Rupert's Bay on the north- west side, and Sandy Bay on the south-east ; all these, however, Eire strongly fortified. Even the small ra- vines, where it might be possible to effect a landing, are also fortified. Throughout the whole length of the island there are only two plains, the largest that of Longwood, comprising i,500 acres of fertile land, sloping to the south-west. The island is divided by a ridge of hills, running nearly east and west, but bending in a curved direction to the south, at each extremity, and from this chain innumerable valleys and ridges d by Google 200 ST. HELENA AND ASCENSION ISLANDS. branch off, generally at right angles. The highest point of land in the island is Diana's Peak, which rises 2,700 feet above the level of the sea, and is situated towards the eastern extremity. From the summit of this peak the whole island lies under the view, no point intercepting the horizon : on the same ridge are Cuckold's Point, 2,672 feet, and Halley's Mount, 2,467 feet, which from their extreme altitude, are often enveloped in clouds. The other remarkable eminences, the altitude of which have been ascer- tained by Major Rennell, are Flag Staff, 2,272, and Bamscliff, 2,215 feet, nearer the coast and overhang- ing the sea ; Alarm House, 1 ,260 feet, in the centre of the island; High Knoll, 1,903 feet, to the southward of Ladder Hill, and the official country residence of the Governor, Longwood House, 1,762 do. ; most of the central eminences are covered with timber and shrubs, consisting of the cabbage tree, redwood, stringwood, dogwood, &c., and formerly the greenwood was to be found in great abundance, but, at present, few of these trees are to be seen, except about 1,500 acres of an irregular forest at Longwood* preserved by order of the East India Company. St. Helena is plentifully watered by clear and wholesome springs, abundant in every direction : those issuing from the sides of the hills frequently form picturesque cascades. Roads have been formed in a zig-zag direction, with incredible labour, which now give easy access to the interior of the island. For the space of a couple of miles from James Town, all appears barren, but the sight is soon gratified by the appearance of verdure, with wooded hiUs, culti- d by Google iERIAL PHENOMENON. 201 vated lawns and valleys, and handsome country resi- dences. Many beautiful views are obtained from the summits : besides the indigenous plants of the island, the coffee of Arabia, the banian and bamboo of India, the aloe of Africa, and the apple, peach, and mul-. berry of Europe are found to thrive in the cultivated inclosures. At Longwood there is about 1500 acres of excellent meadow land, capable of great fertility when supplied with water. From Sandy Bay the view is also pleasing, the country consisting of alter- nate ridges and valleys, converging towards the sea, amongst which are interspersed the houses and plan- tations of the settlers, the prospect closing with the distant ocean. Many of the hills Eire naked to the summit ; occa- sionally the sides are partially clothed with a stunted brushwood (as is the case in the lonesome and deso- late looking valley where Napoleon's grave is situate '), ^ The temperament of Napoleon is evinced in the melan- choly-looking spot chosen by himself as his last resting place. The valley is small, verdant, and completely shut out (except by one winding path) from the other parts of the island by two towering, brown, and barren mountains, leaving no other ob- ject visible, save the purple ether and the light fleecy clouds which hover about like aerial messengers. The appearance which the clouds assume here is extremely beautiful and sin- gular, as the following anecdote will evince, In 1830, I was a passenger in a French ship from India, bound for Havre de Grace. We had suffered severe gales off the Cape, and being without a good chronometer, lost our reckoning, and were cruising about for several foggy days, looking for St Helena. During this time, a very large bird, resembling an eagle, but which no one had seen any thing like, kept hovering about d by Google 202 ST. HBLBNA AND ASCENSION ISLANDS. making the scene more dreary. Yet there are many sweet spots on this rock of the ocean, and those who have been bom in St. Helena admire its beauties, and are strongly attached to their wild -looking and rug- ged home. Thb Climate of this island is not ill adapted to the European constitution ; indeed it has been found congenial to the crews of vessels that have been kept for a long space of time on salt provisions, and with- out vegetables. The thermometer seldom rises above 80° in James Town, and the heat is only excessive when it is reflected from the sides of the valley in calm weather ; in the interior of the island the tem- perature is more even, never so cold as in England, and scarcely so hot. The average temperature our ship. Several of the French officers endeavoured to shoot it; but, although they were excellent shots, and the bird came close to us, in a steady Qight, it escaped injury. On the third day, while anxiously looking out at noon, I perceived in the clouds the exact figure of an eagle, in a half-inclined flying attitude, the fleecy wings beautifully tinged with the hidden sun's rays. Under the influence of the thoughts then passing in my mind, I involuntarily exclaimed, * Foild V esprit de Napo- leon !' The idea was electric to the Freochmen around me ; and an old officer of Napoleon's guard threw himself on his knees, in the attitude of prayer. Never shall I forget the countenances of the young and old, as they soon after beheld tlie eagle-like cloud slowly resolve itself into thin air ; while beneath, and close to our bark, the lofty peaks of St. Helena frowned in dark and gloomy grandeur. On looking round, the bird which, for three days, had hovered about us, (and but a few moments before visible) was no where to be seen, and we proceeded beneath the embattled cliffs in thoughtful silence. d by Google GEOLOGY AND SOIL. 203 throughout the whole year has been found to be at Longwood from 56 to 68, at James Town from 66 to 78, and at Plantation House from 61 to 73 Fahrenheit. State of the Thermometer (Farenheit) at Deadwood, St. Helena, taken by Dr. Short, physician to the forces, from 1st September, 1820, to 31st August, 1822. Months. Range. Monthly Average of Ther- mometer. State of the Wind. Max. Med. Min. January 76 76 76 74 72 70 71 68 66 68 72 72 70 70 71 70 68 65 66 64 64 65 66 66 68 67 67 66 64 57 57 62 62 62 61 61 68 64 64 65 all South-east. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Dito ; 1 day west. Ditto ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto ; 6 days west. Ditto. February March April Mav June July August September October November December Yearly average 71 67 62 Thunder and lightning are rare, and the rains, which fall most abundantly in February, are for the other months more regular than in other tropical si- tuations. The higher peaks and their vicinity from their approximation to the clouds, are generally visited with a shower daily, and cloudy days are more fre- quent than scorching sunny ones. The atmosphere is, however, generally so clear that a vessel may be descried at a distance of sixty miles. Geology and Soil. — St. Helena is probably of volcanic origin, perhaps like the Mauritius, the re- d by Google 204 ST. HELENA AND ASCENSION ISLANDS. suit of a submarine convulsion ; or it is the lofty peak of some vast range of mountains whose base is beneath the ocean. Limestone is plentiful in some situations, as well as iron ore, but the scarcity of fuel prevents the latter being made available. There have been appearances of gold and copper, but not to the extent to encourage mining. There is a sub- stance called terra puzzolana, found in considerable quantities, which in conjunction with lime makes an excellent cement, and is therefore used in forming aqueducts, as it sets hard, and is retentive of water, though subject to become speedily foul by vegetable substances adhering to its surface. The Vegetable Kingdom is not much varied. A vast quantity of furze, produced from seed origin- aUy brought from England covers the sides of the interior hills ; there are three kinds of gum tree, all evergreens and indigenous, — the common, the bas- tard, and the dwarf; all of them emit an aromatic gum, which renders the wood pleasant as fuel, for which purpose it is used, and from the trunks of the trees the inhabitants obtain in abundance a sweet fluid which they call toddy. The other native timber or shrubs are dog- wood, red-wood or ebony, string- wood and the cabbage tree, of which the last is used in building. The oak, pinaster, and cypress thrive very well where they have been planted. The myr- tle grows to the height of thirty feet, and the cotton tree flourishes to perfection. The fern is extremely beautiful, growing to the height of twenty feet, with leaves ^ye feet in length. There is a shrub which has been named sapphire, which the natives bum in d by Google VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 205 large quantities, its ashes producing an alkali for the manufacture of soap. AU sorts of grasses thrive well ; the wire grass or dwarf heing the most abund- ant ; it is nutritious and suffers little from drought. Lucerne has also been successfully introduced : in short the soil is favourable to the production of any European plant if sheltered from the sea. Most kinds of tropical or European fruits ripen, more particularly in the sheltered valleys. Vines, oranges, citrons, lemons, figs, pomegranates, mul- berries, tamarinds, mangoes, cocoa-nuts, sugar cane, pine apples, &c. thrive well : apples have succeeded tolerably, but the climate is not congenial to cherries, currants, or gooseberries. The common blackberry increased to such an extent after its introduction in 1780, as to cause an order for its extirpation. Three successive crops of potatoes are often pro- duced in the year, and garden vegetables, such as cabbages, beans, peas, &c. are raised on every farm in great abundance. As the principal object of the settlement is to provide fresh meat and vegetables for the refreshment of the homeward bound ships, the cultivation of com and pulse has not been encouraged, neither is the climate congenial to their production on account of droughts. The provisions exported and brought to market in James Town, and solely grown on the island during the last five years, were — Potatoes, bags, exported 7650, consumed 1960; cabbages, ex, 7470, c. 16250; vegetables, bunches, ex. 33,800, c. 42,030; pumpkins, ex, 3800, c, 570; hay, cwts. ex, 380, c, 2880 ; fowls, ex, 27,700, c. 20,240; ducks, ex, 4,100, c, 4,000; bullocks, ex. d by Google 206 ST. HELENA AND ASCENSION ISLANDS. 260, c. 560 ; calves, ex, 30, c. 460 ; sheep, ex, 220, c. 1230; pigs, ex. 870, c, 390; the total value of the exports of the above was 20,400/. of the consump- tion, 24,500/. Animals. — Cattle produced from English stock are not numerous, owing to the great demand of passing ships ; poultr}^ is plentiful and well tasted ; and in some parts of the island rabbits abound. The stock in the island consists of horses 300, homed cattle 1500, sheep and goats 3000. Birds, — ^The shores abound with many varieties of sea fowl, which breed amongst the cliffs. Pheasants, partridges, and guinea fowls, being strictly preserved, are at this time numerous ; as are also the Java spar- rows, which cause great destruction to the farmers' crops, canary birds and red linnets, the latter build two nests, in the upper one of which the male bird sits and serenades the female in her incubation. Fish are numerous, and more than seventy different kinds have been caught on the coast. Amongst the most prized are the coal fish, which is very delicate but scarce : those commonly taken are jacks, congers, soldiers, mackarel, albicore, bulls' eyes, &c. When lying in St. Helena roadstead, I have pulled up fish so fast as to be weary in catching them : in general they are excellent eating. Whales are sometimes taken when they approach the roads. The flying fish often drop on the rocks when pursued by the dolphin, &c. In December and March turtle are frequently taken, and shell fish are very abundant, particularly the rock oyster. The number of fish caught near the island during 1 d by Google POPULATION. 207 the last five years were as follow: — ^mackarel, 1 15,300 bulls' eyes, 2500 ; jacks, 35,900 ; congers, 24,000 old wives, 72,000 ; soldiers, 8,400 ; sandspeer, 6000 cavelliers, 6000 ; deep-water bulls* eyes, 3520 ; yel- low-tail, 350 , coal fish, 30 ; cod-fish, 40 ; silver fish, 7050 ; stumps, 4600 ; long-legs, 35 ; bear fish, 35; turtle, 40; five fingers, 490; sword fish, 80 (weighing 10 to 80 lbs. each) ; barracootta, 50 ; al- bicore, 8300 (10 to 80 lbs). The Population is estimated at 5000, of whom about 2200 are whites, and the remainder either people of colour, Chinese, or Africans, whom the East India Company's government have for several years liberally and generously aided to purchase their freedom. The total number of paupers in the island is twenty- eight, principally old and blind people. Those who are bom in the island evince considerable quickness and talent. The baptisms and burials at St. Helena, from the 30th September, 1820, to the 30th September, 1833, were as follow : — Bps. Brs. Bps. Brs. Bps. Brs. 1821 140 90 1826 129 83 1831 239 73 1822 113 70 1827 180 99 1832 229 89 1823 118 57 1828 159 96 1833 201 70 1824 101 90 1829 156 65 1825 154 125 1830 204 68 Total baptisms, 2123— burials, 1076. The bill of mortality, ending December, 1833, was 80; of whom 16 died under 1 year; 5 under 5 years ; 5 under 10 years ; 4 from 10 to 20 ; 23 from 20 to 40 ; 18 from 40 to 70; and 9 above 70 years of age. d by Google 208 ST. HBLBNA AND ASCBNSION ISLANDS. GovBRNMBNT. — During the East India Company's sway, the chief authority was vested in a governor, aided hy a council, composed of the principal and senior civic servants, how it will in future stand is not yet known. The Military has hitherto been composed of one regiment of European troops, and a strong artillery, in the service of the East India Company. The head quarters of the 2nd battalion 60th Rifles will, I hear, form the new garrison, with, I suppose, a detachment of the Royal Artillery. The island is so well fortified that properly defended it may be con- sidered impregnable. It has forty-three stations, protected by mounted ordnance. The guns mounted and ready for action are, — brass mortars, howitzers, and guns, 9 three-tenths inch mortar, 1 ; 8 inch howitzers, 2 ; 5 J ditto, 8; 6 pounders, 14; 3 ditto, 10. — Iron, 13 inch mortar, 8; 8 inch ditto, 2; 32 pounders, 19; 24 ditto, 16; 18 ditto, 36; 12 ditto, 35; 9 ditto, 11 ; 6 ditto, 17; 4 ditto, 2; 3 ditto, 4; swivels, 3; Carronades, 68 pounders, 4 ; 24 ditto, 22 ; 1 8 ditto, 24; 12 ditto, 1. Revbnub AND Expenditure. — Hitherto the charge for St. Helena has been large, 'unless it be considered in the important view of an invaluable naval station. The revenue derived from a few licenses and fines is small, but increasing in amount. The following is a d by Google REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE. 209 Statement of the Revenue and Charges of St. Helena. CHARGES. ifl. ill! & Years. 1 Civil. Military. Buildings and Fortifi- cations. Total Charges. Reve: viz.: Liceni Fi 1 £ £ £ £ £ £ 1809-10 12503 69926 2824 85253 1432 83821 1810-11 14626 64783 3240 82649 1429 81220 1811-12 17452 61845 3989 83286 1432 81854 1812-13 17272 62880 4536 84688 1696 82992 1813-14 20209 70701 6029 96939 1685 95254 1814-15 26278 66015 1666 93959 1872 92087 1815-16 2.3623 178289 2207 204119* 2371 201748 1816-17 49075 222225 11482 282782* 3038 279744 1817-18 49634 192498 14875 257007* 1438 255569 1818-19 61411 215870 19504 296785* 2693 294092 1819-20 33019 128562 7872 169453* 175 169278 1820-21 54641 218774 2139 275554* 989 274565 1821-22 47314 157527 5242 210083* 2045 208038 1822-23 29475 87083 5395 121953 1860 120093 1823-24 35122 77581 3494 116197 3929 112268 1824-25 28432 77538 5295 111265 1816 109449 1825-26 28319 80616 4493 113428 3015 110413 1826-27 27172 87297 3974 118443 3948 114500 1827-28 46808 75172 1989 123969 3398 120571 1828-29 44507 69072 2058 115637 2583 113654 1829-30t 33288 60359 957 94608 1600 93004 1830-31 28378 56324 1721 86423 879 86044 1831-32 28285 56356 1842 86483 3260 88223 1832-33 28581 58020 1734 88335 3050 85285 1833-34 26398 56287 1721 84406 2931 81475 * The Ck>mpi my have since been repa id by He r Majesty's Govem- ment apart of ihese charges, credit for the amou mt having 1 i)een al- lowed to them in their account with Go vemmeni t, setUed by the Act 3d Geo. IV. c. 93. t Add to thi 8 sundry expenses paid i n Englan d— 1829-30, 11,389/. —1830-31, 14- 213/.— 1831-32, 10,929/.- -1832-33 10,268/.— 1833-84, 10,166/. Number of vessels that received supplies at the island in 1833 : British, 156 ships, 58 barques, 7^ brigs, and 7 schooners, total 300 ; tonnage 131,974, guns 1666, men 11,459 ; American vessels 93, tonnage 26,275, guns 158, men 1801 ; French 51. P d by Google 210 ST. HELENA AND ASCENSION ISLANDS. tonnage 17|478, guns 139, men 1191 ; Dutch 23, tonnage 9995, guns 142, men 589 ; Portuguese 3, tonnage 883, guns 14, men 71 ; Swedish 2, tonnage 608, guns 10, men 40 ; German 2, tonnage 541, guns 8, men 31; Danish 1, tonnage 145, men 14. Total, vessels 475, tonnage 187»899, guns 2134, men 15,196 ; and 162 vessels sighted the island. ^ Of British vessels touching at St Helena 7 were ^m Algoa Bay, 9 Batavia, 42 Bombay, 69 Calcutta, 30 Cape of Good Hope, 7 Ceylon, 23 China, 5 London, 17 Madras, 9 Manilla, 51 Mauritius, 2 New South Wales, 1 Rio Janeiro, 14 Singapore, 2 Van Diemen's Land, and 12 from whaling voyages ; of the above 300 vessels, 189 were bound to London, and 51 to Liverpool, the remainder to different ports in the United Kingdom. If we value the property vested and embarked in 131,974 tons of British ship* ping at 30/. pound per ton, we shall have nearly /our millions annually (3,959,220/.) indebted for its better security to our possession of St. Helena. Prices of stock and provisions at St. Helena, in 1834: — homed cattle, from England, 15/. to 20/. ; from the Cape of Good Hope, ^L \0s, to 10/. ; sheep. Cape, 1/. ; goats, ditto 10#. ; pigs, weighing lOOlbs. 1/. \0s.; turkeys 10#. ; geese, Ts. ; fowls, 28.; horses, 20/.; flour per lb. 2Je/. ; biscuits, ll21bs. 1/. English ; 16*. Cape ; oats, per muid, Cape, 12*. 6rf. ; barley, ditto, 1 1*. 6d. ; hops, pocket, d6s. ;' malt, per hogshead, 41. lOs. ; rice, bag of 1651b8. 12*. ; English salt, per lb. Id. ; salt fish, per cwt. 11. ; fresh beef, muttoh, i&c. fee/; to 4d. per lb. ; ditto, salt ditto, 3d. to 4d, ; sugar, 2d. to 3d. per lb. ; coffee, 6d. to Sd. ; tea, 1^. 3d. to 2*. 6d. per lb. ; wine. Cape, 1*. 6d. to 2«. per gallon; foreign wine, 12*. to I/, per dozen; brandy and gin, 1/ .per gallon ; English beer, 9*. per dozen ; Island ditto, 2s, per gallon ; servants' wages, 10*. to 15*. per month with board, or 1*. 6d. per day without board; women, 10*. to 20*. per month, with food. The foregoing will convey a sufficiently distinct idea of St. Helena, which as a maritime station is of incalculable value to a commercial nation : it is not the barren rock that has been supposed, nor are d by Google ASCENSION. 211 there wanting the finer elements of social life ; slavery has been for several years in the course of abolition ; pubhc schools have been established (eight schools, with about 500 children) ; an excellent ob- servatory, provided with every scientific instrument ; and every efibrt made to promote religious instruc- tion. As a watering and refreshing station for our homeward-bound eastern vessels, St. Helena, even in peace time, is of great utility ; and it is well situate as a cruising station for our ships of war — as is also Ascension — contiguous to St. Helena, in latitude 7° 57' south, longitude 14° 28' west ; it is a small island of volcanic production, the coast consisting of barren rock, relieved, however, in some places by the verdure on the declivity of the Green Mountain. The island has been of late years well fortified at every accessible part (the sea breaks on the island with tremendous violence), and garrisoned by a de- tachment of marines and marine artillery, who, aided by artificers, have erected a neat estabhshment for their location. A shaft has been sunk in one of the mountains, and abundance of excellent water con- veyed to the anchorage by iron pipes and hoses ; and a good soil was found two feet under the lava on which an abundant supply of vegetables may be reared. The beach, at first thought to be com- posed of sand, was found to consist of very small fragments of shells, in some places firmly compacted together. These slabs were formed of several layers* of which the size of the fragments difiers in each layer ; they are used for tombstones, steps of doors, and are broken and burned for lime. Red volcanic p 2 d by Google 212 ASCENSION ISLAND. ashes prevail, several hills entirely exhibiting that appearance. Of the vegetable kingdom, the euphorbia only is found growing in small tufts, distributed not very abundantly about the rugged lava, — a beautiful object among such barren scenes. Sea fowl are very numerous, and there are three species of butterflies on the island, of handsome colours. Ponds are kept stocked with turtle, weighing from 200 to 800 lbs. each, which may be bought for 50 shillings. Abundance of fish and marine birds are obtainable. At a place called • The Fair,* the birds named sea-swallows, as well as numerous other aquatic birds, congregate ; the eggs of 'the sea- swallows, which are of a dirty white with dark red spots, and about the size of a crow's egg, are col- lected at certain seasons of the year in thousands, and considered delicate aud excellent eating *. Moorings are laid down in the roads, and vessels in want of water and vegetables can be suppHed at a moderate price. During war, these islands in the possession of an enemy would, as outlying picquets, be a means of serious injury to our commerce ; during peace they are refreshing stations, enabling our seamen to have at all times a friendly haven under their lee. 1 When at Algoa Bay, in 1825, I used to collect thousands of sea fowl eggs at the contiguous bird islands, and they furnished our mess with omelets of a peculiar but rather pleasing flavour, for several weeks. When boiled, the white of the egg is perfectly transparent. d by Google d by Google BOOK V. BRITISH SETTLEMENTS IN WESTERN AFRICA, INCLUDING SIERRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, AND CAPE COAST CASTLE. CHAPTER I. LOCALITY — AREA — HISTORY — PHYSICAL ASPECT — RIVERS — GEOLOGY — CLIMATE— VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL KINGDOMS POPULATION — GOVERNMENT — FINANCES — COMMERCE SOCIAL STATE AND FUTURE PROSPECTS. &C. &C. None of the colonies of England have been mis- represented more than those situate on the western coast of Africa ; few sm-pass them in moral, commer- cial, and political interest. Unfortunately my limits compel brevity; but T trust before these pages be concluded, the reader will agree with me, that our possessions on the shores of Western Africa are an important and essential link in the maritime empire of Britain. The trade between Western Africa and Europe commenced about the middle of the fifteenth century, d by Google 214 SIERRA LBONB, THB GAMBIA, &C. for we learn that in 1455, Prince Henry of Portugal built a fort on the island of Arguin. At the begin- ning of the sixteenth century, the English, Spaniards, French, Danes, and Dutch had begun to send private ships to trade on this coast ; but during the middle of this century the commerce of each nation was orga- nized under the management of chartered companies, who formed establishments on different parts of the coast, built forts at the mouths of several rivers, and prosecuted an active trade, the greater part of which (as stated in my West India volume) was for slaves. The English settled chiefly at Cape Coast Castle ; the French at the mouth of the Senegal and at Goree Island; the Dutch on the Gambia; the Portuguese at St. George del Mina ; the Danes at Christianborg, &c. Each of these strong fortresses, mounting from fifty to sixty pieces of cannon, had subordinate posts and stations, several of which continue to this day. At the present moment our settlements are situate at Bathurst, on the Gambia, at Sierra Leone, Cape Coast Castle, and Accra, and a brief description of the sea coast, followed by a succinct account of each settlement, will be therefore necessary. Physical Aspbct, Description, and History. — In general the coast of Western Africa, extending for 4000 miles along the Atlantic, with an average breadth of 300 miles, is along the ocean boundary a flat country, backed by ranges of lofty mountains, which in some places approach the sea, and as at Cape Verd, project in bold headlands. The great coast chain runs parallel to the coast from west to east, where, affording a passage for tiie disemboguing d by Google RIVERS. 215 waters of the Nun, one of the mouths of the Niger, tends towards the north-east to jom or form the Gebel el Kumri, or Mountains of the Moon ; some of the peaks of this range (those of Cameranca, near Benin) are said to be 13,000 feet in elevation. It is only, however, about the estuaries of the great rivers and along their banks that the country can be said to be flat, in other places it consists of gentle undulations and rising eminences, giving considerable beauty to the landscape, the most conspicuous feature of which are the numerous rivers that disembogue into the ocean, most of them arising in the chain of moun- tains above described, and running a tortuous course to the coast. Among the principal rivers are the Senegal, Gam. bia, Rio Grande, Rio Nunez, Rokelle, Cameranca Mesurado, Nun or Niger, Congo and Coauzo. Be- ginning with the most northerly, the Senegal appears to rise in the Kong range of mountains (heights of Foota Jalloo), in nearly 10° north latitude, and 10° west longitude, where the Niger is thought to rise ; the Senegal, about 15° north latitude, is joined by several tributary streams, viz. the Woolery, Faleme, Neriko, &c., and after passing Galam and the falls of Felu, makes a circuitous bend to the north-west along the borders of the desert, and falls into the Atlantic at Fort Louis, its course being 950 miles. The Gambia has its source in the same mountain range as the Senegal, near the Faleme, one of the tributaries of the latter named river, and rolls a power- ful and rapid stream, at first to the north-west and then westerly, falling into the Atlantic, after a course d by Google 216 SIERRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. of 700 miles, about 13° 13' north latitude. The country between the rivers Senegal and Gambia is called by the French the Sen- Gambia. The Rio Grande is, as far as we know^ a large stream, nor is any river equal to the Gambia met with until we arrive at the Bight or Gulf of Benin, where, for the space of above 200 miles, there is a succession of large estuaries, now ascertained (through the perse- vering enterprize of the Landers) to be the mouths of the long-sought Niger, whose origin we are still ignorant of, and whose course and embouchures are still to a great extent unexplored ; the delta of this mighty stream stretching into the interior of Western Africa for more than 170 miles, occupies, it is sup- posed, a space of more than 300 miles along the coast, thus forming a surface of more than 25,000 square miles, being a considerably larger area than is embraced in all Ireland. Further south the Congo or Zaire pours its ample volume of waters into the broad Atlantic, 400 miles having been navigated during Captain Tuckey's unfortunate expedition, leav- ing its further course and source still involved in mystery. Of the Coauzo, though a large river, we * Captain Belcher, who surveyed the coast line here in 1830-32, in the Etna and Raven, says, that he thinks the whole of the space between the Nunez and Rio Grande is one great archipelago, and navigable, at high water, for vessels of four or five feet draught, and it is generally believed that canoes can navigate from Isles de Los to the Gambia, within the islands of this (supposed) huge archipelago. It is probable that a large river will yet be found here. The Compome, as fer as explored, is a very extensive stream. d by Google FRENCH SETTLEMENTS. 2J7 are not yet in possession of sufficient information to speak positively. With a knowledge of the foregoing leading physical features, we proceed to examine the coast more in detail as regards its social as well as geographical divisions, beginning on the north with the river Senegal, where the French established themselves upwards of a century since. Fort St. Louis, the capital, is situated on an island in the river, a mere sandbank, without any water which can be drunk without being filtered, and de- pendent entirely for provisions on the southern coast, which, however, yields them in abundance. St. Louis never became a large settlement ; Grolberry, in 1786, reckons not above sixty Europeans settled there for the purposes of trade. The military and civil servants of government amounted to 600, the natives to 2400. The French lost St. Louis during the revolutionary war, but we restored it to them on the friendly peace which succeeded in 1814, under a treaty that Portendick was always to be open to us for the trade in gum ; but which treaty the French violated ^ The disastrous fate, however, of the ex- pedition sent out in the Medusa frigate has been un- favourable to any attempt to restore and extend the prosperity of the colony. It is said, however, to have experienced an increase within the last few * The French recently took umbrage at one of the chiefs of the Trazars, brought him a prisoner down to Port Louis, tried him by a drum-head court martial, and shot him. The natives, of course, declared war against the French ; the latter to force the natives into a compliance, contrary to the letter and spirit of our treaty, blockaded Portendick. d by Google 218 SIERRA LBONB, THB GAMBIA, &C. years, and to contain now about 600 inhabitants. The original hopes of its greatness were founded on the supposed identity of the Senegal with the Niger, and on the prospect of a communication by it with the inmost regions of Africa. All the efforts founded upon this erroneous theory proved of course abor- tive, and the commercial advantages of the colony (the procuring of slaves not included) have been con- fined to the gum trade ^ and the gold trade of Bam- bouk. ^ The gum which, from this river and settlement, is called Gum Senegal, is the produce of some scattered oases, or ver- dant spots, that occur in the vast desert of sand to the north of the Senegal. The species of acacia from which it exudes has every appearance of a stunted and desert tree : its aspect is crooked and rough, its branches are thorny, its leaves of a dry or dirty green. The mere blowing of the harmattan causes the bark to crack in numberless places, and the gum to flow in large transparent drops, which remain attached to the surface. The harvest of the grum is in December, when the Moorish tribes, of whom the TraSsars are the most powerful, break up from their usual camps, their kings and princes at their head, and proceed in a confused and tumultuous crowd to the forests, of which each claims one or more. After six weeks spent in collecting the gum, they put it in large leathern sacks, with which they load their camels, and proceed in the same tumul- tuous array to the spot fixed on for the gum market, between Fort Louis and Podor. This plain, which is one of the most desolate spots in nature, is suddenly covered with an innume- rable multitude of people enveloped in clouds of dust The kings appear mounted on beautiful horses, their wives seated in baskets on the backs of camels, the crowd on foot ; the air resounds with the cries of men, women, children, and animals. A cannon is fired as the signal for commencing the trade. A dreadful scene of wrangling and higgling immediately ensues. d by Google THE KINGDOM OF BAMBOUK. 219 The kingdom of Bambouk, situate near the head of the river, and so enclosed between its main stream and the great branches of the Kokoro and the Faleme, as to form almost a complete island, is the next object of commercial importance to the French on the Sene- gal. It is almost entirely a country of mountains, whence flow numerous streams, almost all of which roll over golden sands; but the main depositaries, where the metal is traced as it were to its source, are two mountains, Natakon and Semayla. The former composes almost an entire mass of gold, united with earth, iron, or emery. The first four feet of depth consists of fat earth, from which the grains of gold are extracted by agitation with water in a calabash ; afterwards the precious metal begins to appear in small grains or spangles, and at twenty feet in small lumps of from two to ten grains. The pieces become always larger as the work descends ; but as the natives have no means of propping up the sides, they often fall in and bury the workmen. Semayla, a moimtain 200 feet high, presents a different structure. The gold is here embedded in hard sandstone, which must The French accuse the Africans of most dishonest arts in order to enhance the value of their commodity. They themselves, it appears, are not far behind, since they have not scrupled to adopt the policy of insensibly augmenting the size of the cantar by which the gum is measured, a change which escapes the notice of their rude antagonists. The French take off annually |bout 1200 tons of gum, which sells in Europe at from 70/. to 90/. per ton. The returns are taken almost exclusively in East India cotton cloths dyed blue, which are called pieces of Guinea) and for which it has been in vain attempted to sub- stitute the manufacture of Europe. d by Google 220 SIERRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. be reduced to powder before the extrication can be effected. Part of it also is found in red marble, a substance which to the natives is perfectly unmanage- able. Bambouk is said to have been early conquered by a Mahometan force, and afterwards by the Portu- guese. Both have been driven out, and the French never made any serious attempt to establish them- selves in it. The point at which the French attempted to carry on the commerce of the Upper Senegal is at Fort St. Joseph, in the kingdom of Galam or Kajaaga. A voyage thither was reckoned to produce cent, per cent. ; but the unhealthiness of the climate, the diffi- culties of the navigation, and the constant hazard of being plundered by a succession of barbarous chiefs who occupy the banks, rendered it a very precarious speculation. At present the fort is abandoned and in ruins ; but the SerawooHes, who inhabit this fine country, are among the most industrious of the Afri- can tribes, and have engrossed the trade of Bambouk, Manding, and most of the upper countries on the Senegal and Niger. In descending the Senegal, there are several popu- lous and powerful states, among which is that of Foota Torra, extending considerably both to the south and north of the river, but of which the interior has not been explored by Europeans. The king is a zealous Mahometan, and, under pretext of making converts, has endeavoured to subdue the almost pagan Damel or Burb of the Jalofs. The latter, however, by the strength of his country and a prudent system of warfare, has been able to baffle his attempt. On d by Google THE 8BN-6AMBIA TERRITORY. 221 the middle Senegal, the most important personage is the Siratic, who holds his court at Ghiorel, consider- ably to the north of the river. Nearer the sea is the kingdom of Hoval, governed by a petty prince, called the Greak Brak, which, in the language of the coun- try, signifies King of Kings ^ The coast between the Gambia and Senegal is chiefly occupied by the kingdom of Kayor. It is stated, by Golberry, to extend 750 miles in length, and to contain 180,000 inhabitants, who are Jalofs. At the little island of Goree, on this coast, the French have established the capital of all their African settle- ments. Its advantages consist solely in its almost inaccessible situation on a rock, three sides of which are perpendicular, and the fourth very steep. The rock is fortified, but not, it is ^said, in the most skil- ful manner. The town contains 7000 inhabitants, and presents a very bustling scene, being the entrepot of all the trade with the opposite coast, and also a place of refreshment for French ships on their way to India. It lies on the southern side of the peninsula, which terminates in Cape Verde, the most westerly point of the African continent. Though the soil be sandy, it bears a number of those immense trees called Bao- bab, which give to the Cape that verdant aspect whence it derives its name. On the northern side, two hiUs, 600 feet high, mark this striking geogra- phical position, and serve as a guide to mariners. * I give these and several other details on the authority of Murray's Encyclopaedia of Geography, who, however, does not state his authority ; it appears to be derived from Golberry. My object is to stimulate t© further investigation. d by Google 222 SIERRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. The Gambia is almost entirely an English river, the attempts to form settlements upon it having, for nearly two centuries, been confined to our own na- tion. Our settlements on the Gambia will be found subsequently detailed. The Gambia is bordered on its north bank by seve- ral flourishing little kingdoms. That immediately on the sea is Barra, said to contain 200,000 inhabitants. The capital is Barra Inding ; but the chief place of trade is Jillifrey. In the kingdom of Barra there are seven principal towns, with a family entitled to the crown in each, who succeed to the cap or throne al- ternately. Boor Salum is a still more extensive king- dom, situated on a small river that falls into the Gambia, and containing, it is said, 300,000 inhabi- tants. Above it occur successively the two smaller kingdoms of Yani and Woolli. The territory of all these states is flat and fertile, abounding in rice, grain, and other provisions. The inhabitants are chiefly of the Mandingo race, and carry on a con- siderable trade into the interior. At Barraconda, about 400 miles up the river, are falls, or rather rapids, above which sandbanks and flats soon render the navigation difficult. To the south of the Gambia nothing of great im- portance occurs, till we come to the alluvial estuaries of the Rio Grande, a river supposed, as its name imports, to be of some magnitude ; but Captain Owen found it a mere inlet, receiving some inconsiderable streams. At its mouth occur a number of islands, which, with a group opposite to them in the open sea, form what is caUed the Archipelago of the Bis- d by Google THB RIO ORANDB COUNTRY. 223 sagos. The inhabitants of the same name, called also Bijugas, are a tall, robust, warlike people, who have driven out the peaceable race of the Biafaras, the original tenants, and have compelled them to confine themselves to the continent and the banks of the Rio Grande. Bissao, the largest of these islands, is inhabited by the Papels, also warlike and enter- prising. In 1792, an association was formed in England, with a view to planting a settlement in the island of Bulama; but, though no opposition was made in the first instance, the difficulty of establish- ing a new colony under circumstances so unfavour- able, and especially amidst the hostility of these rude neighbours, obliged us to desist \ Along the heads of the Rio Grande lies the impor- tant kingdom of Foota Jallo. said to extend about 350 miles in length, and 200 in breadth. It appears to be the most improved of all the states in this part of Africa. The inhabitants are Foulahs, and of the Mahometan faith, but not bigots, and their marabouts are held in high reputation for learning. They ma- nufacture cloths of considerable fineness ; they work in iron dug from extensive mines in the country, also in silver, wood, and leather, and they conduct large caravans into the interior, as far even as Timbuctoo and Cassina. Here, where they are the ruling people, they by no means display that pacific charac- ter which distinguishes the tribes on the Gambia and Senegal. They can bring into the field 16,000 men. ^ The Portugruese have lately made a settlement upon this island despite the remonstrances of Colonel Findlay, the late governor of the Gambia. d by Google 224 SIERRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. Timbo, or Teembo, the capital, is said to contain 7000 souls, and Laby 5000. To the south of Foota Jallo is Soolimana, also war- like and considerable. It borders on the Niger in the highest part of its course, though the sources of that river are placed in the hostile territory of the Kissi. The king is at present Mahometan, but the bulk of the nation pagan. They are a gay, thought- less, stirring race. On the eastern side of the Niger is the country of Sangara, still more extensive and more warlike ; the people of which would, it is sup- posed, have by this time conquered Foota Jallo, had they been united among themselves. At present, whenever the Soolimas are inclined to go to war, they can easily command 10,000 auxiliaries from beyond the Niger. In returning to the coast, we pass through the Koorango country, inhabited by the Mandingoes, who. as usual, are gay, thoughtless, hospitable, and enterprising. Farther down are the Timmanees, a more depraved race, who were the chief agents in the slave trade. They are described as treach- erous, and avaricious. Captain Laing met a woman who accused her two children of witchcraft, and on that ground offered to sell them to him at a low price. Their agriculture is pecuharly rude, and the cloths of their manufacture very coarse. They abuse the English as having deprived them of almost their only source of wealth, which consisted in the sale of slaves. This people are oppressed by a singular asso- ciation called Purrah, who, united by a bond and always supporting each other, have become almost d by Google THE TIMMANEB COUNTRY. 225 masters of the country, and often exercise their power in a very t)rrannical manner. The country of the Timmanees borders on that part of the coast where Britain, with the most philanthropic views, has founded the colony of Sierra Leone. Its principal seat at Freetown is on the south side of the bay, which receives the river formerly called by the same name, but now more usually the Rokelle, and which rises in the Soolimana country ; it will be found subsequently described. The space from Sierra Leone to the commencement of the grain coast of Guinea, an extent of about 200 miles, is chiefly marked by the entrance into the sea of the considerable rivers of Sherbro and Mesurado. The former is navigable twenty leagues up, and has a tolerably large island at its mouth. On the banks is found a species of pearl oyster. The Mesurado is a still larger stream, and very rapid*. According to the natives, it requires three months' navigation to reach its source, which would appear to be in the ' The Americans, in 1820, formed a settlement on this coast, which was called Liberia ; while its capital, on an island at the mouth of the Mesurado, was named Monrovia. The object was to obtain an asylum for liberated negroes, who, notwithstanding their emancipation, are, by the prejudices of the Americans, regarded as beings of an inferior order. In spite of disastrous events, which obstructed its progress, it had attained, in 1830, a population of 1600. The population of Monrovia amounted to about 700, the rest were distributed in eight different stations along 150 miles of coast from Cape Mount to Tradetown. The territory is healthy and fertile ; but I regret to hear that the colony has been badly managed, and is now in a wretched state. CEYLON, &c. Q d by Google 226 SIERRA LSONE, THB GAMBIA, &C. mountains of Kong, not very hr from thajt of the Niger. The banks are .described as finely wooded, faiile, and, in many places, very well cultivated. The states here are entirely negro in religion and manners, none of the Mahometan institutions having penetrated so far. Travellers enumerate the king- doms of Bulm, Quoja, Monon, and Folga, which they sometimes even dignify with the title of empires. The sovereigns are, in general, absolute, and their obsequies are celebrated with human sacrifices, though not to the same frightful extent as in some of the countries to the west. From the Mesurado to Cape Palmas extends what is commonly called the Grain or Malaghetta Coast of Guinea^. The two rivers of Sesters' and Sangwin, near the centre of the coast, are rather considerable, and their banks are said to be fertile and populous. The state of society seems to be nearly tiie same as in the countries last described ; the sovereigns absolute, human sacrifices prevalent to a certain extent, and also self-immolation. ^ The species of pepper to- which it owes its name is pro^ duced? from a small parasitical plant, with beautiful green leaves, and the fruit of which, resembling a fig, presents, when opened, aromatic grains, forming the valuable part. At its &rst introduction into Europe, where such articles wei« little known, it received the flattering appellation of ' grains of paradise.' After the diffusion, however, of the fine species of India, it fell into total disrepute, and this coast, producing no other articles of export, has been the least frequented of any part of Guinea. ' A settlement, called St George's, has recently been made at this river by Captain Spence. d by Google THE IVORY COAST, WESTERN AFRICA. 227 Great sway is in the hands of a peculiar priest- hood, caUed the belli. The youthful candidate for a place in this body, must qualify himself by a long initiation, during which he is withdrawn from all his friends, and lodged in the depth of a sacred forest, where, it is said, he is l^ept in a state of entire nudity. Among the tests of his proficiency is the performance of songs and dances, of a very ex* travagant and often indecent nature ; but peculiar knowledge is also si:^posed to be communicated on various high points ; and those who have gone through the course with success, and are called the "marked of the belli" look upon all the rest of thecom- manity as quolga, or idiots. They not only administer all the concerns of religion, but conduct the judicial proceedings ; most of which are made dependent on some form of ordeal. Although the Portuguese have lost all their settlements in this part of Africa, con- siderable numbers of their posterity reside there, mixed with the natives, by whoI^ they are treated with some degree of respect. Beyond Cape Palmas, tending to the north-east, and reaching as far as Cape Apollonia, is called the Ivory Coast. The name is evidently derived from the quantities of that valuable product, obtained from the numerous elephants on the sea shore, and in the interior. The teeth are of good quality, and un- commonly large, weighing sometimes not less than 200 lbs. Towards the east, at Assinoe and Apollonia, a considerable quantity of gold is brought down from the countries behind the Gold Coast. There is also a good deal of ivory at the ports of Cape Lahoo, and Q 2 d by Google 228 SIBRRA LEONB, THB GAMBIA, &C. Great and Little Bassam. There are no Ekiropean settlements upon the coast, except an English fort at Apollonia, which perhaps helongs rather to the Gold Coast. Navigation along this, as well as the Grain Coast, requires much caution, as the shore is flat and destitute of any -conspicuous land marks, while a heavy surf, borne in from the whole breadth of the Atlantic, breaks continually against it. Early navigators de- scribe the natives as the most violent and intractaUe race on the whole African coast. The teeth filed to a point, the nails long, while their harsh and guttural language, almost resembling the cry of wild beasts, inspired disgust; they have been accused of can- nibalism ; and their suspicion of Europeans is usually said to be so great, that nothing can induce them to go on board a vessel. Captain Adams, however, the most recent visitor, gives a much more favourable account : he even says, that almost all the business is transacted on board European ships, though, when he did go on shore, he was hospitably received. From ApoUonia to the Rio Volta extends what is called the Gold Coast of Africa. It was long the most frequented by European traders, particularly English and Dutch, both for that highly-prized com- modity which its name indicates, and for slaves, while so nefarious a commerce was permitted. The coast presents the appearance of an immense thick forest, only detached spots of which are cleared and cultivated. The soU near the sea, being light and sandy, is scarcely fit for any important tropical product, except cotton ; but six or seven miles inland it improves greatly, and might be made to produce d by Google BRITISH SBTTLBMBNTS AT CAPB COAST CASTLE. 229 sugar, and others of the richest West India products, if the profits of industry were secured to the inha- bitants. Maize is the grain principally cultivated. The gold, which forms the staple commodity, is chiefly brought down from mountainous districts far in the interior. The natives understand the process of smelting the golden ore, but the pure metal is found in such large quantities close to the surface as to require the exercise of little ingenuity. In many places, however, even upon the coast, a small quantity may be extracted from the earth by mere agitation with water in a calabash. Little or no ivory is ex- ported. The ruling people on the coast are the Fautees, a clever, stirring, turbulent race. They exert more ingenuity in the construction of their dwellings, and canoes, than the nations to the west. The form of government is republican, and each village has a large public hall, roofed, but open at the sides, where an assembly is held, and public aflairs are debated. The pynins, or elders, possess considerable authority, and the administration of justice is chiefly in their hands. The capital of the British settlements is at Cape Coast Castle, subsequently described. To the west of Cape Coast, we have Dix Cove and Succondee, in the Ahanta country, a very fertile tract, and to which purer gold is brought than to any other part the coast. The inhabitants are also peaceable and tractable, and the chances of improvement, as Mr. Meredith conceives, are on the whole favourable. The British station at Anamaboe was formerly the great mart of the slave trade. The fort is compact d by Google 230 SIERRA IBOME, THE GAMBIA, &C. and regular ; and in 1807 it withstood, witii a garrison of twelve men, the attack of 15,000 Ashan- tees. Winnebah, in the Agoona country, though in an agreeable situation, has been abandoned ; but Fort James, at Accra, would, in peaceable times, afford great convenience for trade, as no other place on the coast has such extensive intercourse with the interior. Cape Coast Castle and Accra are now the only places where any garrison is maintained. The capital of the Dutch settlements, in this part of Africa, is £1 Mina, or the Castle : first founded by the Portuguese, and taken from them in 1637. It is about nine miles west of Cape Coast Castle, in an open country, close to a large dirty town of 11,000 inhabitants. The fort is well built, on a high situa- tion, and vessels of 100 tons can come close to the walls ; but its strength has been doubted. The Dutch maintain here a garrison of 100 men, and keep their establishment, on the whole, upon a more reputable scale than the British. Their forts along the coast are numerous, but none now are garrisoned except Ehnina and Axim. The Danes have a re- spectable fort near Accra, cafled Christianborg Castle, and also one at Ningo, near the eastern extremity of the coast. The country behind the Gold Coast, when first known to Europeans, was divided among a number of considerable kingdoms, Dinkira, Akim, Warsaw, and Aquamboe ; but all these have now sunk beneath the overwhelming sway of the Ashantees. This warlike power has also reduced the interior countries of Gaman, Inta, Dagwnmba, and others, of which d by Google THB SLAYS COAST, WESTlsKM AFRICA. 231 some are more extensive and populous than itself. Ashantee Proper is estimated to contain 14,000 square nules, and about a million of people ; but this last number would be more than quadrupled, if we were to include all its subjects, and vassals. The character of the Ashantees is detailed under the head of Population, On the eastern side of the Rio Volta commences what Europeans have called the Slave Coast, because slaves were there procured of the most docile and tractable character. It consisted originally of the two kingdoms of Whydah and Ardrah, forming the most populous and the best cultivated part of the African coast. The vast and impenetrable forests which cover so much of the continent had here been cut down, leaving only what was requisite for omam^it and convenience. The whole country is said to have been like a garden, covered with fruits and grain of every description. Amid this abundance, tiie Whydans, having become luxurious and effeminate, were unaUe to make head against the warlike power of Dahomney, in the interior, which invaded and conquered them at the last century. The first ravages were dreadful, and rendered their country almost a desert, nor has its peacefrd submission ever allowed it to regain its former prosperity. Dahomey, which is thus predominant both over the coast and over the interior, to a depth of about 200 miles, is governed upon the same system as Ashantee, and with all its deformities, which it carries to a still more violent excess. The bloody customs take place on a still greater scale ; and the 7 d by Google 232 SIERRA LBONB, THB GAMBIA, &C. bodies of the victims, instead of being interred, are hung upon the walls and allowed to putrefy. Human skulls make the favourite ornament of the palaces and temples, and the king is said to have his sleeping apartment paved with them. His wives are kept up to an equal number with those of the king of Ashantee. All the female sex are considered as at the king's disposal, and an annual assemblage takes place, when, having made a large selection for him- self, he distributes the refuse among his grandees, who are bound to receive them with the humblest gratitude : in short, this ferocious race allow them- selves to be domineered over in a manner of which there is no eicample among the most timid and polished nations. The greatest lords in approaching he king throw themselves flat on the ground, laying their heads in the dust; and the belief is instilled into them, that their life belongs entirely to their sovereign, and that they ought never to hesitate a moment to sacrifice it in his service. The king of Dahomey has been lately worsted in his wars with Eyeo, by whom he is now held in a species of vassalage. His country consists of an extensive and fertile plain, rising from the sea by a gradual ascent. The soil is a reddish clay mixed with sand, and no- where contains a stone of the size of a walnut. Though capable of every species of tropical culture, little is actually produced from it that is fitted for a foreign market; so that since the abolition of the slave trade, small advantage has accrued from con- tinuing the intercourse with it, and the English fort at Whydah has been abandoned. d by Google THE KINGDOM OF DAHOMEY. 233 Whydah,now commonly called Griwhee, maybe con- sidered the port of Dahomey, from which a route of about 100 miles reaches through Favies and Toro to Abomey, the capital. Griwhee is situated in a fertile country, still highly cultivated, and is plentifully supplied with all the necessaries and conveniences of African life. Captain Adams, whose estimates on this point are unusually low, represents it as contain- ing about 7,000 inhabitants. The despotic and capricious manner, however, in which foreign resi- dents are treated by the tyrant of Dahomey, has gradually induced the different European powers to withdraw their fi&ctories. Ardrah is still larger and more flourishing ; containing, according to the same authority, 10,000 inhabitants. It is situated about 25 miles inland, on a long and beautiful lake or lagoon, running parallel to the sea, with which it becomes connected at its eastern extremity by the river of Lagos. The Ardranese are industrious in the manufacture of cotton, interwoven with silk : they make also soap, baskets, and earthenware, and are skilful in working iron. Their market is the best regulated of any on the coast, and exhibits the manufactures of India and Europe, tobacco from Brazil, cloth from Eyeo and Houssa, and every other article that is here in demand. Though so close to Dahomey, the people appear to enjoy a republican form of government. A considerable number of Mahometan residents have made their way hither, and have introduced the management of horses, and the use of milk, to both of which the negroes in general are strangers. Badagry, though it has d by Google 234 8IS1ULA LBONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. sofiered by recent contest? with Lagos, appears by Lander's report, to be still a large and popnloiis place, situated in a fine plain, and divided into four districts, each goremed by a chief, who assumes the title of king. Lagos is built upon a small island, or rather the bank at the point where the channel com- municates with the sea on one side, and on the other with the Cradoo Lake, a parallel piece of water. The town is scarcely a foot above the lake, and is over-run by water rats from it. It has 5000 inha- bitants, with a good deal of stir and trade. Its petty de^ot assumes all the airs of the greatest African monarchs, never allowing his courtiers to approach him unless crawling on the ground. Some barbarous customs prevail, such as impaling alive a young female, to propitiate the goddess who presides over rain, and hanging the heads of malefi&ctors to some large trees at the end of the town. The cur- rency here consists of cowries, which are imported in large quantities, and transmitted into Houssa and other interior countries, where they form the univer- sal drculating medium. At the termination of the Cradoo Lake commences a large tract of coast, of a peculiar character, which, from tite principal state, receives the name of Benin. It extends upwards of 200 miles, and presents a suc- cession of broad estuaries, now discovered to be all branches of the Niger, of which this country forms the delta. They communicate with each other by creeks, and, frequently overiowing their banks, ren- der the shore for 20 or 30 miles inland, a vast allu- vial wooded morass. The natives, having thus very d by Google BSNIN — wariub'. 235 extended water comniunications, are the most active traders anywhere in Africa ; but, except slaves, the commodities in which they deal are entirely changed. Gold has disappeared ; ivory is again found in con- siderable plenty ; but palm oil is the great staple of the eastern districts. A great quantity of salt is made at the mouths of the rivers, both for consnmp-< tion at home and in the interior. The first leading feature is the River Formosa, two miles wide at its mouth ; on a creek tributary to it lies the capital of Benin. This city appeared to Captain Adams the largest he had seen on the coast of Africa; he, therefore, probably under-rates its population at 15,000; being irregularly built, and consisting of detached houses, it occupies an im* mense space of ground. The surrounding territory is well cultivated, though not so thoroughly cleared of wood as that round Ardrah and Whydah. Hie king is not only absolute, but * fetiche' or a god, in the eyes of his subjects ; and all offences against him are punished in the most cruel and summary manner, not only as treason, but impiety. Gatto, about 50 miles below, is the port of Benin ; accessible to ves- 6els of 60 tons. The trade on this river has greatly declined. Warr^, or Owarri, is another state and city, situated on another creek, communicating with the Formosa, on its opposite side. It consists of a somewhat ^evated and beautiful island, appearing as if dropped ^m the clouds amidst the vast woods and swamps by which it is surrounded. Here, too, the king is d by Google 236 SIERRA LEONE^ THE GAMBIA, &C. absolute, and carries polygamy to a very great ex- tent. A recent traveller, kappening to get a peep into the seraglio, saw about 50 queens, busied in various employments from the toilette to the washing- tub. New Town, on the Formosa, is the port of Warr^. After doubling Cape Formosa, and passing several estuaries, we come to that of the Brass River, called by the Portuguese, the River of Nun. Though not the largest estuary of the Niger, yet, being most directly in the line of the main stream,, and that by which Lander entered the Atlantic, it at present en- joys the reputation of being the principal channel. It is divided into two branches ; but the navigation is greatly impeded, and the trade hmited, by a dan- gerous bar at its mouth. Brass Town is built not on either branch, but on one of the numerous creeks connected with both, and in a country overgrown with impenetrable thickets of mangrove. It is a poor place, divided by a lagoon into two parts, each of which contains about J, 000 inhabitants. Bonny River forms the next important estuary having on its opposite sides the towns of Bonny and New Calabar. Being only a few miles up, they are in the midst of the morasses which overspread all this country. The people support themselves by the manufacture of salt, and they trade in slaves, and palm oil. Bonny, in particular, is become the great mart for these last commodities, and is supposed to export annually about 20,000 slaves ! The dealers go in large canoes two or three days' sail to Eboe, the great interior market. The king is absolute, and more barbarous d by Google OLD CALABAR RIVER. 237 than tbe rest of his brethren on this coast. He boasts of having twice destroyed New Calabar, and ornaments his fetiche house with the skulk of enemies taken in battle. To the eastward of Bonny is the estuary of Old Calabar River, the broadest of all and navigable for Isrge vessels 60 miles up to Ephraini Town, governed by a chief, who assumes the title of duke. It ap- pears to contain about 6,000 inhabitants, carrying on a considerable trade ; and the duke has a large house filled with European manufactures and ornaments of every kind, received by him in presents. This river is followed by that of Rio del Rey, and then by the Rio Cameroons. The counUy yields a good deal of ivory and palm oil. The continuity t)f that vast wooded flat, which has extended along the coast for more than 200 miles, is now broken by some very lofty mountains, the principal of which is ' supposed to reach the height of 13,000 feet. Several islands lie in the Bight of Biafra. Fer- nando Po, in 3° 28' north latitude and 8° 40' 15" east longitude, is a fine large island, lately occupied only by a lawless race, composed of slaves, or male- factors, escaped from the neighbouring coast. The British government, formed, in 1827, a settlement at this island, the mountainous and picturesque aspect of which aflbrded hopes of a healthy station ; the settle- ment is, I believe, abandoned by government, but I think prematurely, for as the island became cleared, its insalubrity would have diminished ; and it would be an extremely valuable colony to Great Britain, d by Google 238 SIERRA LBONE, THB GAMBIA, &C. from its vicinity to the mouths of the Niger. Prince's Island, situate also in the Bight of Benin, 9| miles long by 6 broad, is high (the loftiest peak, 4,000 feet), and wooded. St. Thomas is large and fertile; towards its south extremity it presents a mass of steep elevations, with abrupt craggy faces, and two or tliree pinnacles, resembling gigantic nine-pins : one half the island is mountainous. The pretty little Isle of Annabona is inhabited by a simple native race, to the number of 3,000 ; it is near 3,000 fe^ high, but its length does not exceed four, nor its breadth two miles : its heights are rounded like those of Fernando Po rather than peaked and pointed like Prince's Island. These islands run in a chain to the south west frx>m the Rio Calabar ; and the last three are in nominal subjection to the Crown of Portugal. The next division of Western Africa consists of Congo and Loango, the coast of which is generally named Angola. The principal feature is the Zaire, or Congo, a powerful and rapid river, which rushes by a single channel into the Atlantic. Its course was traced upwards by Captain Tuckey, in his unfor- tunate expedition, about 400 miles, yet nothing waA ascertained as to its origin and early course ; though the hypothesis of its forming the termination of the Niger is now completely refuted. The population along the river is said to be small; the largest villages, Cooloo, Embomma, and Inga, containing only from 300 to 600 inhabitants. The interior capital of Congowar, however, mentioned as the d by Google THE CONGO COUNTRY AND BENGUELA. 239 residence of the Blindy North Conge, to whom all the chiefs pay a species of vassalage, is probably what the Portuguese called St. Salvador : and where, according to Mr. Bowdich, they still maintain a mis- sion ; but no recent details have been obtained respecting it. There is regular distinction of ranks, the Chenoo, or chief, hereditary in the female line ; the Mafoots, or collectors of the revenue ; the Foo- moos, or cultivators ; and the domestic slaves, which latter are not numerous. The slave trade, for which alone this part of Africa ia now frequented, is chiefly carried on at Malemba and Cabe&da, on the North side of the river. Malemba has been called the MontpeUer of Africa. It stands on a hill about 100 feet high, commanding a beautiful prospect of the windings of the Loango Louisa, through an extensive plain. Its dry and elevated situation preserves it from those deadly influences which operate so fatally 6h the health of mariners^ Cabenda, near the mouth of the river of that name, also a beautiful city, is situated at the foot of a conical wooded mountain, and has been called the Paradise of the Coast. It is a great mart for slaves, who are brought from the opposite territory of Sogno. The country to the South of Congo is called Ben- guela, and its commerce is still almost entirely in the hands of the Portuguese. They frequent the bay and river of Ambriz, in which there is a tolerable roadstead ; but their great settlement is at St. Paul de Loanda, a large town in an elevated situation. It is said to export annually 18,000 or 20,000 slaves. d by Google 240 SIERRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. chiefly to Brazil ^ S. Felipe de Benguela, in a marshy and unhealthy site, is now considerably de- clined ; and its population does not exceed 3,000, mostly free negroes and slaves. There is also a smaller port, caUed Nova Redondo. The Portuguese claim a certain jurisdiction over the native states for several hundred miles in the interior, obtain- ing presents and purchasing slaves. Further inland is the country of Jaga Cassanga. The Jagas are celebrated by the writers of travels, two centuries ago, as a formidable devastating tribe, addicted to the most ferocious habits ; and no -change is since asserted to have taken place in their character. Be- hind them, and in about the centre of the continent, the nation of the Molouas are represented as more numerous, more intelligent, and possessing a higher degree of industry and civilization than any other in Africa, under this latitude. Of the remainder of the coast, towards our own territories, in Southern Africa, little is known. Portugal at first claimed the whole of the coast just deeciibed, but was driven from it by the Dutch, who took El Mina in 1643; the latter were in turn compelled to retreat by the English, in 1661, who took Cape Coast Castle, and having formed an African Company, commenced the estabHshment of forts for the protection of trade. The settlements at present belonging to England in Western Africa are as follows : . Mt is a disgrace to England to permit the continuance of this infamous traffic. d by Google FORMATION OF SIERRA LEONE COLONY. 241 Sierra Leonb. — ^The first settlers here were the Portuguese; shortly afterwards, the English esta- hlished themselves upon Bance Island, in the middle of the river. At the suggestion of Dr. Smeathmane the negroes discharged from the army and navy after the American war, to the amount of about 400, with 60 whites, were conveyed to Sierra Leone, furnished with all things necessary to establish a colony, in the year 1787 ; and a piece of ground 20 miles square having been purchased from one of the native chiefs, a town, called Freetown, was founded. A dreadful mortality shortly afterwards reduced the colonists to one-half, and a native chief, taking advantage of their weakness, plundered the settlement in 1789, and drove the colonists to seek for shelter in Bance Island. In 1791 and the following year, the African Association having become incorporated and obtained a charter^, conveyed thither a number of settlers, among whom were the Maroon negroes, who had been sent from Jamaica to Nova Scotia. Freetown was plundered by the French in 1794, and so great was the disaster, and so destitute the condition of the settlers, that the company entered into an arrange- ment with the government to place the colony imder His Majesty's jurisdiction. It was subsequently placed by the British Govem- ' A charter was granted in 1802 to the Sierra Leone Com- pany ; it was subsequendy revised and (with some alterations) confirmed, first in 1808, when the settlement was transferred to the Crown, and, finally, in 1821, when the forts and posses- sions of the late African Company on the Gold Coast were annexed to Sierra Leone. R d by Google 242 8IBRRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. ment under the management of the African Institu- tion, eslxLblished for the improvement of the Western part of Africa ; and its population was recruited by sending thither all slaves captured in vessels engaged in that traffic. Since the dissolution of the African Com- pany, Sierra Leone has been again placed under the control of the crown. (See section on Government.) The boundaries of the settlement are difficult to define; in 1787 a tract of the peninsula of Sierra Leone was ceded to England by the native chiefs ex- tending fifteen miles from north to south by four from east to west: — the western boundary subsequently advanced to the sea as far as the point of land called False Cape. In the charters granted to the Sierra Leone Company in 1800, 1809, and 1821, the colony is described as the peninsula of Sierra Leone, bound- ed on the north by the river of that name ; on the south by the Camaranca River ; on the east by the River Bunce ; and on the west by the sea. The peninsula, as at present known, is bounded on the north by the Sierra Leone river ; on the south and west by the sea at Calmont.'Cree^, and on the east by a line up the Calmont to the Watslod Creek, and down this last to the Bunce (which is in fact part of the Sierra Leone River) constituting a tract, eighteen miles from north to south and twelve from east to west. By a convention in 1819 between Sir C. M'Carthy and a Timmanee Chief, named Ka Konka, possessing country on the boundary of the peninsula, that chief ceded to Great Britain the unlimited sovereignty of the lands, known by the name of Mar Ports, and Roe Boness, situate on the banks of the Bunce d by Google PHYSICAL ASPECT OF SIERRA LEONE. 243 River. In 1824, Ba Mauro, King of the North Balloms, ceded to Great Britain the islands of Bance, Tasso, Tombo, and all the other islands on the north side of Sierra Leone, between Zogrine Point, and Ka Keeper Creek ; as well as the norlii banks of the river for one mile inland from the river Conray Bay, on tiie West to the Ka Keeper Creek, on the east ; with a right and title to the navigation of the River Sierra Leone, &c. On the North the boundaries touch the River Memgo or Little Learciss, in 8° 50' north ; on the south as far as the line which separates the King of Sfaerboro's territory from that of the Ob 0> O) 0% 0> Ob Ok Ok ^e<«oie<«e<«e<«e<«e«e4e<« OO OO 00 00 00 OO Ok OO QO oo oooaeoots.aoaooo o 00 00 tnn%> '^ ts. oo « 00 00 dbdbobdboboodbdboooo lill d by Google MBDICAL REPORT. 263 In the Annual Medical Report from the West African Stations for 1832 ^ I find these remarks : * Sierra Leone. — ^This station has continued during this year as during the two preceding years, to maintain its character for salubrity, the total number of casualties in the sick returns is eight ; the strength being 446, and the total number of sick treated 230, of which last number (as in the preceding year) more than one-fifth were cases of sexual disease/ Not only are febrile and other climatorial diseases less prevalent than formerly, but their type is of far greater mildness, and during the years 1831-32, and 1833, when most parts of the globe were suffering from cholera and other pestilential diseases, the Bri- tish settlements in West Africa were in the enjoy- ment of perfect health. The Deputy Inspector of Hospitals at West Africa, states in his official report, in reference to the causes of disease in Europeans — " Breakfast is taken at rising — ^at eleven a.m. they sit down to * relish,' con- sisting of soups, meats, and the « highest seasoned dishes ; wine is drank as at dinner, and afterwards sangaree, or brandy and water, which too frequently they continue sipping and drinking till late in the afternoon, sometimes to the dinner hour." (6 p.m.) *' In aU the countries," says Dr. NicoU, " which I have visited, I never saw so much eating and drinking." The wet season, as in some parts of India, is Transmitted to the Army Medical Department. d by Google 264 SIBRRA LBONB, THB GAMBIA, &C. usually ushered in by tremendous tornadoes ^ or violent gusts of wind, which come from the eastward, attended by thunder, lightning, and, in general, heavy rains. The violence of the wind seldom con- tinues longer than half an hour; but the scene during the time it continues maybe considered as one of the most awfully sublime in nature. Its approach is foretold by certain appearances, which enable people to be on their guard. A dark cloud, not larger than * a man's hand,' is indistinctly observed on the verge of the eastern horizon. Faint flashes of lightning, attended sometimes by very distant thunder, are then seen to vibrate in quick succession. The clouds in that quarter become gradually more dense and black ; they also increase in bulk, and appear as if heaped on each other. The thunder, which at first was scarcely noticed, or heard only at long intervals, draws nearer by degrees, and becomes more frequent and tremendous. The blackness of the clouds increases until a great part of the heavens seems wrapped in the darkness of midnight : and it is rendered still more awfiil, by being contrasted with a gleam of light which generally appears in the western horizon. Immediately before the attack of the tornado, there is either a light breeze, scarcely perceptible, from the westward, or, as is more common, the air is perfectly ^ The harraattan, or north-east wind, generally blows once or twice in January and February; it is of extreme siccidity, and near the great desert of Sahara in particular, accompanied by a dense haze, occasioned by a vast quantity of impalpable pow- der floating in the gusty atmosphere. d by Google VBOETABLB KINGDOM. . 265 calm and unnsaaUy still. Men and animals fly for shelter ; and, while * expectation stands in horror/ the thmidering storm in an instant bursts from the clouds « It is impossible for language to convey a just idea of the uproar of the elements which then takes place. The temperature of the air is greatly affected by a tornado (it becomes cool and clear) ; and it is not minsual for the thermometer to suffer a depression of eight or ten degrees within two or three minutes after the storm has come on. After a tornado, the body feels invigorated and more active, and the mind recovers much of that elasticity which long continued heat tends to impair. Veostablb Kingdom. — ^From the River Senegal, in about 16° north latitude, to the Congo, which is in upwards of 6° south latitude, there is a remark- able uniformity of vegetation, not only as to principal orders and genera, but even to a considerable extent, in the species in which it consists ^ Many of the trees, the palms, and several other remarkable plants, which characterise the landscape, as Adansonia, Bomhax pentandrum, Elais guineensis, Raphia vinifera, and Pandanus Candelabrum, appear to be very general along the whole extent of coast. Sterculia acuminata, the seed of which is the Cola, mentioned in the earliest accounts of Congo, exists, and is equally valued in Guinea and Sierra Leone, and, what is re* * I am indebted to Murray's descriptive geography for a collection of data relative to the vegetable and animal kingdoms of this coast. d by Google 266 SIERRA LBONB, THB GAMBIA, &C. markable, it bears the same name throughout the west coast. The ordeal tree, called by Professor Smith Cassa, and by Captain Tuckey, erroneously, Acassia ; if not absolutely the same plant as the red water tree at Sierra Leone and the Gold Coast, be- longs at least to the same genus. A species of the cream fruit, remarkable in affording a wholesome and pleasant saccharine fluid, used by the natives of Sierra Leone to quench their thirst, though belong- ing to that generally deleterious family the Apocynea, is also met with. The Sarcocephtdus of Afzelius, which is probably what he has noticed under the name of the country-fig of Sierra Leone, is found on the banks of the Cong^. Anona senegalensis, whose fruit, though smaller than that of the cultivated spe- cies, is said to have a flavour superior to them all, and appears to be a general plant along the whole extent of coast: and Ckrysohalanus Icaco, or a nearly allied species, is equally common from Senegal to Congo. The trunk of the Dracana Draco cleaves open in many parts, and distils, at the time of the summer solstice, a fluid, which condenses into red tears, soft at first, afterwards hard and friable : this is the true dragon's blood of the shops, and must not be con- founded, though dry, friable, blood-red, and inflamma- ble, with other resinous substances, known under the same name, and derived, the one from a species of Calamus (Rotang), and the other from a Pterocarptts. To the dragon's blood are attributed astringent, desiccatory, and incrassating virtues. It is adminis- tered internally for dysentery, haemorrhage, violent d by Google ESCULBNT PLANTS* &C. 267 bowel complaints, and inward ulcers; and externally, to dry up running sores, to heal wounds, and to strengthen the gums. The painters make use of it, in the red varnish with which they colour the Chinese boxes and chests. Mr. Sewel informs me that the castor nut grows abundantly in the neighbourhood of Cape Coast Castle, and also on most parts of the Western Coast. The esculent plants of the Congo, cultivated^ as well as indigenous, are very similar throughout the west coast. On the banks of rivers the principal articles of vegetable food are the Indian com, or Maize (Zea Mays) Cassava, both sweet and bitter (Jatropha Manihot), two kinds of pulse extensively cultivated; the Cytisus Cajan and a PhaseolusQ), with ground nuts (Arachis hypogaa). The most valuable fruits are plaintains (^Mtisa sapientum), the papaw (Carica Papaya), pumpkins (Cucurbita Pepo), limes and oranges, pine apples, the common tamarind, and safii, a fruit the size of a small plum. One of the most important plants, not only of the Congo, but of the whole extent of coast, is Elais gwneensis, or the oil palm, which also affords the best palm wine. The palm tree is truly called the 'native's friend;* it supplies wine, oil, fishing-lines, hats, baskets, palm nuts, cabbage, tinder, &c. &c. The wine is obtained by driving a hard peg or a gimlet into the cabbage-like head of the palm, when a stream of sweet liquor flows into a calabash sus- pended beneath, and by the time it is fiUed (six to eight hours) fermentation has reduced the whole into a milky tinted pleasant beverage ; the natives. d by Google 268 SI£RRA LBONB, TH£ GAMBIA, &C. sometimes, allow it to have a harsh and bitter flavour ; the process and liquor is, in fact, somewhat similar to that obtained from the cocoa nut blossom, and termed toddy. Wine is likewise obtained from two other palms. Among the other alimentary plants, of less importance, or imperfectly known, are the shrubby holcus, the common yam, and another dio^ scorea, found wild only, and very inferior to the jBxn, requiring it is said, four days' boiling to free it from its pernicious qualities. Two kinds of sugar canes, capsicums, and tobacco are generally cultivated, ac- cording to the herbarium of Captain Tuckey. A second kind of ground nut, orpea (Glycine subter-' ranea P), which is extensively grown at Madagascar, also appears. A species of ximenia (X. americana ?) is likewise found, the fruit yellow, the size of a plum, and acid, but not unpleasant, in the higher parts of the Congo, where it is generally planted. An anti- desma, perhaps like that mentioned by Afzelius, as having a fruit of the same size and taste as a currant, is met with. The edible fruits * of Sierra Leone are numerous and luscious. The peach of the negroes (Sarco^ cephdus esculentusj is a large, fleshy, and solid fruit, hard and eatable throughout, and full of small seeds, not much unlike a strawberry in flavour and consistence. The tree grows plentifully throughout ' Drawn up by J. Sabine, Esq. from the Journal and notes of Mr. George Don, who was engaged by the London Horti- cultural Society to make a collection of the useful vegetables in Western Africa. d by Google FRUITS. 269 the colony of Sierra Leone, ten to fifteen feet high ; leaves large and elliptical, flowers pink, produced in globular heads, and seated on a receptacle, which afterwards becomes the fruit. The Anona senega^ lensis, or Aftican custard apple, fruit not much larger than a pigeon's egg, and with the same or a superior flavour to the rest of the species. The monkey-bread (Adansonia digitata) is much used by the negroes ; its fruit, which is of considerable size, and of an oblong shape, is full of seeds, and tastes like gingerbread, with a pleasant acid flavour. The locust tree of Sierra Leone (Jnka bighbosa) is a beau- tiful tree when in blossom, covered with compact biglo- bular heads of fine vermillion-coloured flowers, which are succeeded by compact bunches of pods, containing a yellow farinaceous substance, of which the natives are very fond. It is mentioned by Park as affording an agreeable and nutritive food. The country cherry is rare, growing on the mountains, and bearing a small oval reddish fruit, somewhat like a plum in flavour, and produced in clusters on the topmost branches. Anisophyllea laurina, the monkey apple, is a fruit of the size of a pigeon's egg, red on one side and yellow on the other, with a flavour between the nectarine and plum. Country grapes are the pro- duce of Vitis casia, they are black, austere, and acid ; chiefly eaten by the negroes. Country currants re- semble elder-berries, and are found plentifully on the mountains. The shrub (Fiscus Brassii), which bears the large fig, grows about the colony; fruit pleasant : as is also a smaller fig, that bears abun- dantly, and is the size of a hazel nut. Wild guavas d by Google 270 SIERRA LEONB, THE GAMBIA, &C. (Psidinfn pyriferum) arc natives of the country : Mr. Don saw and tasted the fruit, but could not exactly identify the plant with the West Indian guava. The hog plum is the fruit of Spondinus Myrohakmus ; it is well tasted, and sharper than the plum of cmr gardens, but the stone forms half the bulk of the fruit. The grey plum tree (Parinarium excelsvm) is more valuable for its compact and durable wood than for the fruit, which, though large and abundant, is dry and farinaceous, with a very large stone ; an allied species (P. macrophyllum) is called by the colonists, ginger-bread-plum. Of four other fruits, called plums, the small pigeon plum (Chrysobalanus ellipticus), the yellow pigeon plum (C. luteus), the black plum (Vitex umbrosa), and the sugar plum; it may be said that the first three, though good, are inferior to the latter, which is sold in large quantities in Sierra Leone, and is one of the very best fruits in the colony. The tree is very handsome, sixty feet high, and bears many fruits of the size of a buUace ; at ten feet from the ground the stem throws out roots like ja mangrove or pan- danus, but its botanical affinities are not known. From the fruit of the sweet pishamin (Carpodinus dulcis), a quantity of sweet milky juice exudes, the pulp is also pleasant and sweet. The sour pishamin (C acidus) though sharp, acid, and rather bitter, is much relished by the natives. The Mammee apple (Mammea africand) is a lofty tree, with useful wood, and a very large fruit. The butter and tallow tree (Pentadesma hutyracea) abounds in a yellow greasy juice, to which it owes its name, and which is given d by Google FRUITS. 271 out plentifolly when the fruit is cut ; this is mixed by the natives with their food, on account of its turpentine flavour, which renders it disagreeable to the European settlers. Two kinds of star apple (Chrysophyllum macrophyllum and C. obvatumj are very inferior to the West Indian star apple f^C CainitqJ. Tonaella pyriformis bears a rich and sweet fruit, like a bergamot pear. There is a tree, called pome- granate, said to be excellent : but having no aflfinity to punica. The seeds of Sterculia acuminata are called cola by the negroes, who hold them in great esteem, as possessing the same virtues as Peruvian bark. They are like horsechesnuts, and produced in pods, which grow two to ^ve together. A some- what similar seed, named tola, is used in the same way. Velvet tamarinds, the fruit of Codarium acutu folium are produced in beautifully black velvety pods, and possess an agreeably acid taste, while brown tamarinds differ little, except in the colour and larger size of the pods. Pine apples both grow wild and are cultivated by natives : they abound in the woods so as to obstruct the passage through them in every direction, shooting most vigorously, and yielding fruit abundantly. Two kinds .only, the black and white, are grown at Sierra Leone : though not so large as those cultivated in England, the flavour is superior. The wild varieties are innumerable ; and a very pleasant kind of wine is made in the colony from the juice. Besides the fruits already mentioned as found wild near Sierra Leone, the following are cultivated: plantains (Musa sapientumj, bananas fM, para^ d by Google 272 SIERRA LEONB, THE GAMBIA> &C. disiaca) ; the cocoa nuts are still rare, and papaws (Varica papaya) are only seen near the settlers* houses. Oranges are abundant, and have now g^own wild ; lemons are rare, but limes plentiful. Cashew nuts have been cultivated in large quantities of late : rose apples (Eugenia JambosJ, and tamarinds from the West Indies, love apples (Solanum LycopersiconJ, melons, water melons, cucumbers, goards, &c., of many kinds and qualities ; among the melons some, which having the smell of musk, are called musk melons. Two sorts of capsicum are grown. The Baobab, or Monkey Bread, above mentioned (Adansonia digitataj, may be deemed one of the most valuable productions of Western Africa. It is like- wise said to be found in Egypt and Abyssinia, and is cultivated in many of the warmer parts of the world. It is the largest known tree ; its trunk being some- times no less than thirty feet in diameter. At one year old, its diameter is one inch, and its height five inches : at thirty years old, when the diameter has attained to two feet, the height is but twenty-two feet ; and so on, till at 1000 years old, the Baobab is fourteen feet broad, and fifty- eight feet high, and at 5000 years *, the growth laterally has so outstripped " I have met with this gigantic tree of a vast size in several parts of Eastern Africa, particularly near Mombas. The Chapul tepee, in Mexico (Cupresses districha L,) which is 117 feet in circumference may be still mor^T'aged than the Baobab, whose duration of vitality is said to be indicated by rings of annual growth ; but physiologists have recently ascertained that the number of concentric rings in a tree is owing very much to the soil and climate in which it grows, and to the nature of the tree itself. d by Google THB BAOBAB. 273 its perpendicular progress, that the trunk will be thirty feet in diameter, and only seventy-three feet in height. The roots are of a most extraordinary length ; in a tree with a stem seventy-seven feet round, the main branch, or taproot, measures 110 feet in length. The foliage is not so abundant as to conceal the vast proportion of the trunk ; but it often hap- pens that the profusion of leaves and of drooping boughs almost hide the stem, and the whole forms an hemispherical mass of verdure, 140 to 150 feet in diameter, and sixty to seventy feet high. The wood is pale coloured, light, and soft, so that in Abyssinia, the wild bees perforate it, and lodge their honey in the hollow, which honey is considered the best in the country. The negroes on the western coast apply these trunks to a singular purpose. The tree is liable to be attacked by a fungus, which, vegetating in the woody part, without changing the colour or appearance, destroys life, and renders the part so attacked as soft as the pith of trees in general. Such trunks are then hollowed into chambers, and within them are suspended the dead bodies of those to whom are refused tiie honour of burial. There they become mummies, perfectly dry and well pre- served, without further preparation or embalming, and are known by the name of Guiriots. The Baobab, like all plants of the same order CMalvaceaJ, is emollient and mucilaginous. The pulverised leaves constitute kUo, a favourite article with the natives, which they mix with their daily food to diminish excessive perspiration, and which is even used by Europeans in fevers, diarrhoeas, &c. The fruit is T d by Google 274 SIERRA LEONB, THB GAMBIA, &C. perhaps the most useful part of this tree ; its pulp is acid and agreeahle, and the juice expressed from it, mixed with sngar, constitutes a drink that is deemed a specific in putrid and pestilential fevers. Owing to these circumstances, the fruit forms an article oi commerce. Bowdich mentions that it possesses such an agreeahle flavour, and is so abundant, that it con- stitutes a principal article of food with the natives, who season many of their dishes with it, especially their com gruel. The Mandingoes convey it to the eastern and southern districts of Africa, and through the medium of the Arabs, it reaches Morocco, and even Egypt. If the fruit be injured, it is burned, the ashes being mixed with rancid palm oil, and serving for soap. The flowers are large, white, and handsome, and on their first expansion, bear some resemblance, in their snowy petals and violet mass of stamens, to the white poppy (Papaver s(ymmferum). Both the flowers and fruit are pendant. The Baobab tree loses its leaves before the periodical rains come on. The Arachis hypog^^ deserves notice on account of the singular economy lof its fruits. It belongs to the very few plants which mature their :seeds under ground ; the flower-stalk, after the blossom has withered, bending downwards, and burying the germen in the soil, where it soon increases in bulk, and perfectly ripens. The fruit is a pod, containing one or two seeds, the size of small nuts, with a flavour of almonds ; the natives of several countries eat them, either boiled or fried, and make very pleasant confections of them, the taste resembling d by Google PLANTS COMMON TO EQUINOCTIAL AFRICA, &C. 275 chocolate. A valuable oil is also extracted from the seeds of the Arachis, alike useful in food and for suppljdng lamps, as it never turns rancid. Many attempts have been made to naturalise this plant in Europe; but the climate is too cold for it every where north of the southern coast of France. JList of plants common to Equinoctial Africa, America, and Asia^, — Gleichenia Hermanni Prodr. Flor. Nov. HolL ; Mertensia dichotoma, WUld, ; Agrostis Virginica, L. ; Cyperus articulatus, L. ; Cyperus niloticus, FaM. ead. sp. ; Lipocarpha ar- gentea. Nob, ; Hypalyptum argenteum, Vahl, ; Pui- rcna umbellata, L. fil, ; Piatia Stratiotes, L. ; Boerhaavia mutabihs, Prodr. Flor. Nov, Holl, ; Ipomoea pes caprse, Nob, ; Convolvulus pes capra, L,, convolvulus Brasiliensis, L. ead. sp. ; Ipomoea pentaphylla, Jacqu,; Scoparia dulcis, L, ; Helio- tropium indicum, L, ; Sphenoclea zeylanica, Goerb, ; Ageratum conyzoides. L, ; Waltheria indica, L,, Wal- theria americana, L, ead. sp. ; Hibiscus liliaceus, L, ; Sida periplocifolia, L. ; Cassia occidentalis, L, ; Gui- landina Bonduc, L„ Guilandina Bonducella, L,, ead. sp. ; Abrus precatorius, L, ; Hedysarum triflorura, L, Plants common to Equinoctial Africa and America ; hut not found in India, — Octoblepharum albidum* Heda, ; Acrostichum aureum, L, ; Eragrostis ciliaris, L, ; Poa ciUaris, L, ; Cyperus ligularis, L. ; Schwenkia americana, L, ; Hjrptis obtusifolia, Nob. ; Struchium (americanum) Bejam. 312 ; Sida juncea Banks, et Soland. Mss. BrasiL; Urena americana, L., Urena * From Tuckey's voyage up the Congo. t2 d by Google 276 SIBRRA LEONS» THB GAMBIA, &C. reticulata, Cavan, ead. sp. ; Malachra radiata, L, ; Jossiaea erecta, X. ; Crotalaria axillaris, Hort, Kew. et Willd, ; Pterocarpus lunatus, L, Plants common to Equinoctial Africa and India ; hut not found in America. — Roccella fuciformis Achar, Lichenog, 440; Perotislatifolia Soland. in Hort, Kew, ; Centotheca lappacea, Beauw, ; Eleusine indica, Gwrt. ; Flagellaria indica, L. ; Gloriosa superba, L. ; Celosia argentea, L, ; Celosia margaritacea, X., Celosia albida ? Willd. ; ead. sp. ; Desmochaeta lappacea Decand. ; Grangea (maderaspatana) Adans,; Lavenia erecta, Sw. ; C)xystelmaesculentum,iVbft., Periploca esculenta, Roxb,, Nymphaea lotus, L,, Nymphaea pubescens, Willd,, ead. sp. ; Hibiscus surattensis, L, ; Leca sambucina, L, ; Hedysarum pictum, L. ; Indigofera lateritia, Willd, ; Glinus lotoides, L, List of species which have not been satisfactorily ascertained. — Acrostichum alcicome, Sw, ; Acrosti- chum stemaria, Beauv. ; Imperata cylindrica, Prodr. Hor. Nov. Holt. ; Panicum crus-galli, L. ; Typha angustifolia, L. ; Giseckia phamaceoides, L, ; Cassytha pubescens, Prodr. Flor. Nov, Holl, ; Celtis orientalis, X. ; Cardiospermum grandiflorum, Lw. ; Paullina pin- nata, X. ; Hydrocotyle Asiatica, X. ; Hedysarum adscendens, Sw. ; Hedysarum vaginale, X. ; Ptero- carpus £k;astophyllum, X. The native names of the different species of timber exported from the River Sierra Leone for ship building and carpenter's work are — 1. Co-Tartosar, or African oak ; 2. Tolongah, or brimstone ; 3. Bumia> rather scarce ; 4. Cooper ; 5. Kon ; 6. Conta ; 7. Roth ; 8. Wossomah; 9, Jumo; 10. Backam; 11. Toper- d by Google ANIMAL KINGDOM. 277 canico ; 1 2 Mooll, the tree produces vegetable batter ; 13. Sop; 14. Kelill; 15. Cong; 16. African almond; 17. Bombay; 18. Dye-wood; 19. Pissaman; 20. Pissaman, (no marine animal of any kind attacks it) ; 21. black oak ; 22. Wismore ; 23. African cedar; 24. White wismore ; 25. Cronko; 26. Shiu-shinginara ; 27. blue Wismore; 28. Arwoora; 29. African mam- mee apple; 30. Catepy; 31. Lowland box- wood; 32. Singa-singa marah; 33. African pine; 34. Highland box- wood; 35. Singuoora; 36. Cabooco ; 37. Brimstone; 38. Bessey; 39. African mulberry; 40. Mangrove. The grain of several of these woods is very rich, and the furniture made therefrom not only durable but extremely beautiful. In Mr. Forster's elegant mansion at Hampstead, there are several articles of furniture made from African mahogany, which would vie with the wood of any country in the world : and for ship-building the African teak is now generally and deservedly esteemed. Animal Kingdom. — Of this interesting depart- ment of natural history little is yet known, owing to our slight knowledge of the interior ; the species yet seen are principally those met with around the European settlements on the coast. In the following lists are enumerated the chief quadrupeds of Western Africa, arranged under those countries where* they have been particularly observed : — Senegal, Cercopithecus ruber. Red Monkey ; Cer- copithecus sabaeus. Green Monkey; Megaderma frons, Foliaceous Bat ; Taphozous senegalensis, Senegal Bat ; Oryx besoastica Sm„ Senegal Oryx ; Gazella d by Google 278 SIERRA LSON£, THE GAMBIA, &C. dama Sm,, Swift Antelope; Cercopithecus petaa- rista. Vaulting Monkey. Guinea. Cercopithecus nictitans, White-ncsed Mon- key ; Cercopithecus petaurista. Vaulting Monkey ; Cercopithecus diana. Palatine Monkey; Cercocebus fuliginosus, Smokey Monkey ; Cercocebus aetMops, Ethiopian Monkey ; Cyanocephalus papio, Guinea Baboon ; Fapio Mormon, Mandrill ; Papio sylyieola. Wood Baboon; Canis cancrivorous. Crab-eating Wolf. Sierra Leone and Congo, Simia troglodytes. Chim- panzee; Colobuspolycomos, Full-bottom Monkey; Ga- zellamytelopes, Sm., Broad-footed Antelope; Antilope xedunca, Nagor Antelope ; Cephalophus sylvicultrix, Sm,, Bush Antelope ; Cephalophus quadriscopa Sm., Four-tufted Antelope ; Cephalophus mergens, Duckre Antelope ; Cephalophus Grimmia, Guinea Antelope ; Cephalophus Maxwellii, Sm., Maxwell's Antelope ; Cephalophus PhDantomba, Sm., Sierra Leone Ante* lope ; Tragelophus phalerata, Sm., Ribbed Antelope. lions, elephants, panthers, buffaloes, hippopotami^ and deer abound. The most interesting quadrupeds of Senegal appear to be the Red Monkey, the Green Monkey, and the two antelopes ^ named Dama and Scripta. M. Adanson says, that the Red Monkey is a pretty animal, but capricious, mischievous, little susceptible of attachment, and possessing the dis- tinguishing characteristic of the monkey tribes, curiosity in a remarkable degree. During his aquatic excursion, they descended from the tops of the trees to the extremity of the branches, earnestly noticing, and apparently much amused by, the boats passing d by Google ANIMAL KINGDOM. 279 up the river. After a time they took courage^ and began to pelt the travellers with pieces of wood, thus provoking a most unequal contest. Upon being fired upon, they uttered the most frightful cries, and although many were killed, the survivors returned to the contest with redoubled courage, and with a most determined spirit : some fiung stones at their adver- saries, while others even collected their own excre- ments for the same purpose. The Green Monkey, is so named from the upper parts being of a greenish yellow colour : the lower are greyish; tail terminated by a long pencil of yellow hairs ; face, ears, and hands black ; this spe- cies are in immense numbers. They remain on the trees in large troops, and preserve the most profound silence, even when they are wounded. Adanson did not at first notice them, from the similarity of their colour to that of the foliage, until they sud- denly began flinging at him pieces of the dead branches; and although he killed twenty- three of them in less than an hour, they did not appear in the least frightened by the discharge of his guns. In confinement, it is stated by M. Cuvier to be remarkably beautiful and gentle; fond of being caressed by those it knows, and seldom exhibiting any malicious propensity: when folly contented, it expresses satisfaction by a peculiar gentle grunt, which may be compared to the syllable grau. The Dama Antelope so closely resembles the species so named by Mr. Ruppell, and found by him in the deserts of Nubia, that they are probably one and the same. d by Google 280 SIBRRA LBONB, THE GAMBIA, &C. The Harnessed Antelope is a most beautiful animal, first noticed by Adanson by the native name of Crerih. It is about the size of a fallow deer : the ground colour of a bright bay, but marked with stripes in various directions, and with such regularity as to give the idea that a harness of some white material, was thrown over its body. Another species, closely resembling this, named the Ribbed Antelope {A, phalerata) inhabits the barren plains above the great falls of the Zezere, or Congo. Large baboons, of the most grotesque but repulsive forms, are com- mon in this part of Africa. The Papiou, or Common Baboon, is of a yellowish green, verging more or less to brown ; visage black, and tail long ; when adult, it is a most ferocious and disgusting animal. From the same country comes the Mandrill Baboon (Simia Maimon Lin.), of an olive colour ; its chin has a small yellow beard, and the cheeks are naked, blue, and farrowed. In the adult males, the nose grows red, and the end is sometimes of a bright scarlet, while the buttocks are of a beautiful violet. M. Cuvier well remarks that it is impossible to conceive an animal more ex- traordinary and more hideous. It very nearly attains the heigjit of a man, and is looked upon by the negroes with great fear. The Chimpanzee, of all the apes yet discovered, makes the nearest approximation to the human form. It was designated by Linnaeus as a variety of the human species, under the name of Homo troglodytes. The Chimpanzee appears to have an affinity, if not identity, with the large African apes so often men- d by Google ANIMAL KINGDOM. 281 tioned by travellers, or to the Barris, or great Wild Man of the African woods. In 'size it exceeds that of the Orang-Otan, and exhibits the same docility, submissiveness, and gentleness. It is heard of more especially in Congo. The Permque, or Full- bottomed Monkey {Colohus polycomos Geof .) has the neck furnished with a variegated mane of long hair, fancifully compared to a full-bottomed wig, but truly representing the lion in its own family. Several of the antelopes are very elegant. The Bush Antelope {A. sylvicultrix) , called by the colonists of Sierra Leone, the Bush Goat, is of considerable size, and measures five feet in length ; the venison is excellent ; it is not so fleet as other antelopes. The Ducker Antelope {A, mergens) is remarkable for its great timidity, being alarmed at the least unusual noise, and concealing itself on hearing thunder. It lives solitary or in pairs ; its peculiar name originates from its singular habit of rising upon the hind legs to look round, making a blowing noise with its nostrils, and then stooping and flying under cover of the vegetation, to stand and rise up again. Another species, the dodger antelope of Major Smith, also from Western Africa, appears to resemble this very much. The Lamdntin, or Sea Cow (Manatus senegalensis), an amphibious quadruped of great dimensions ; occa- sionally frequents the mouth of the Senegal. It is essentially herbivorous, and of a mild and inoffensive character. Adanson describes it as fiill eight feet long, having some resemblance to a seal : four nails are at the edge of the fins, and the tail is horizon- d by Google 282 SlBRRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. tally flat ; the eyes very small, and the ears not visible. The negroes call it Cercou, Birds are in great variety, and of unsurpassed beauty ; but we as yet know little of the ornitholo- gical treasures of the country. The rapacious birds are few : only one species of vulture is yet known to inhabit the Western Africa ; this is the Angola vul- ture of Latham, which is probably the same with the vultur percnopterus of Egypt and Southern Europe ; although Latham's name has recently been erro- neously applied, in an English translation of Cuvier*s Animal Kingdom, to a totally different bird. The Crowned Eagle of Guinea (F, coronatusj, is more than two feet in length, or one-third the size of the larger European eagles : it is only occasionally seen on the Gold Coast, and is remarkable for a crest over each eye, while the legs are clothed with feathers to the toes. The Senegal Fishing Eagle feeds almost entirely upon fish, in the manner of our osprey. Five other falcons, peculiar to this country, have recently been noticed. The grey-necked shrike (Maktconotus olivaceus, Sw,J ; the Barbary shrike (Malaconotus harharus, Sw.J, and two or three other species of the same group, equally conspicuous for the richness of their plumage, occur in Senegal, and, probably, also in the neighbouring states. The beautifully coloured sun-birds (Cinnyrida, Sw.J are met with in great numbers, sipping nectar from the numerous blossoms which a luxuriant vegetation jdelds. The Senegal, the long-tailed, and the chaly- beate, are three species of exquisite beauty, and not larger in size than many of the American humming- d by Google BIRDS. 283 birds. There are numerous flocks of golden-coloured orioles of different species. Migratory RoUers, decked with the brightest tints of azure, purple, and green, occur in large flocks, with crested hoopoes, and beautiful bee-eaters. The water-birds, also, are but imperfectly known. The gallinaceous birds, so numerous in India, and even in America, under the same parallels of latitude, are here thought to be very few. Some of the par- tridges, loosely mentioned by traveUers, are probably of that particular race called sand grouse, found only in the hot latitudes of the Old World ("G, Ptero- cles, TJ, while the rest cannot be referred to their true species. The only gallinaceous birds of any size, peculiar to tropical Africa, are the Guinea fowl. Of these, the most common species (Numida melea- grisj has long been domesticated in Europe. In a wild state these birds associate in numerous flocks of 200 or 300 each : they chi^y frequent marshes and morasses, where they seek for worms, insects, and seeds. During the night they perch on high places, and are well known for their discordant noise. Four of the most remarkable land birds are : — Ist. The Plantain-eater {Musophaga violacea), as large as an ordinary sized pigeon, but with the tail much longer ; the whole plumage of a deep black, highly glossed with bluish purple; but the quill feathers, when opened, are then seen to be of the deepest and richest lilac, reflecting violet ; the feathers of the head are of the same colour, and so short and soft as to resemble velvet; the bill is orange, mixed with . red, its substance very thick, and elevated in front d by Google 284 SIBRRA LBONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. like a helmet. Another species, the yariegated plan- tain-eater, is also found in Senegal, but its plumage is plain. 2nd. The Touracco, or Web~crest of Senegal, is of the same natural family ; rather smaller in size, but living equally and exclusively upon fruits ; the wings are also of a crimson lilac, but the rest of the body is green. On the head is a compressed and erect crest of thin and delicate feathers. It lives in the deepest forests, and perches only on the loftiest trees. 3rd. The Beef -eater {Buphaga africana, L.) receives its name from its habit of alighting on the backs of cattle, and picking from their hides the troublesome insects by which they are infested, climbing round their bodies, much in the same way as the creepers or woodpeckers do on trees ; this is rendered appa- rent by the formation of their claws and tails, both of which are of the scansorial structure ; the bill also is very thick. The bird is not so large as a thrush, and is plainly coloured. Another species is said to inhabit Abyssinia. 4th. The Long-shafted Goat-sucker (C macrodip- tents) peculiar to Sierra Leone, is varied with brown, yellowish, and black, much like the European spe* cies, yet it is smaller ; its most remarkable character is a very long single feather, issuing from the wing covers, measuring near twenty inches, the shaft of which is only expanded into a broad web at the end. Nature has, no doubt, designed for this extraordinary appendage some peculiar use. IcTHYOLOGY. — ^Thc rivcrs and coasts abound with many fish, beautiful in their colours, or nutritious for d by Google ENTOMOLOOT. 285 food ; and there are swarms of alligators, serpents, and other reptiles. The MoUusca and Shell-fish are abundant and ca- rious. The valuta cymMum and soBpha, two large volute shells, the animals of which are carnivorous, appear to be in profusion in Sienegal. Cones, olives, and various other predacious races, are no less com- mon ; the Cypraa moneta, or money cowry, passes current among the negro tribes as coin of a very low value. Entomoloot offers an extensive field for the natu- ralist. The number of locusts and cicades is every where striking ; but in the sandy plains thinly covered with grass tiieir numbers are immense, and their chirping is intolerable; they are seen of various kinds, sizes, and colours, skipping or flitting about in all directions, at every step of the traveller. The larvae or caterpillars, of all the beetles that feed upon decayed wood, are rich and delicate eat- ing, so that every forest affords the traveDer plenty of nourishment did he know where to search for it. The children in Africa, at the proper season, are busily employed in digging out of the ground the females of a particular sort of cricket, which are then full of eggs, and so enclosed in a bag as to resemble part of the roe of a large fish : these, when roasted, are deemed very delicate. The myriads of ants which swarm in tropical Africa can scarcely be conceived by those who have never visited hot climates. They are of numerous species, but all seem intent on removing from the face of the earth every animal or vegetable substance d by Google 286 SIERRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. no longer necessary or useful. like the destroying angel they walk steadily forward in the line ordained them, and spare neither magnitude nor beauty, nei- ther the living nor the dead. One species, which ^ seems at times to have no fixed habitation, ranges about in vast armies ; being armed with very strong jaws, they attack whatever animal impedes their pro- gress, and there is no escape but by immediate flight, OT instant retreat to tiie water. The inhabitants of the negro villages, has Mr. Smeathman has himself witnessed, are frequently obliged to abandon their dwellings, taking with them their children, &c. and wait until the ants have passed. So numerous are these hosts, that a deer, hog, &c. being killed, and left on the ground, in one night will have the flesh entirely cleaned from the bones, and made a complete skeleton. There are near twenty other species in Western Africa, of different sizes and colours, each possessing peculiar habits. Some attack the collec- tions of the botanist, and in spite of weights laid upon his books of drying plants, get in, cut the leaves and flowers to pieces, and carry them away ! Others attack all sorts of victuals. Mr. Smeathman has had four large sugar dishes emptied in one night, when the least opening was left ; some assail the side- board, and cover every glass that has had wine or punch left in it ; nay, innumerable multitudes fre- quency even ascend the table, and drown themselves in the very bowls and vessels before you. {Preface to Drury's Insects, voL iii.) — I tried in Africa to pre- vent the ants ascending my table by placing each of its legs in a large dish of water, but these astonishing d by Google ENTOMOLOGr. 287 insects soon made a bridge of the dead bodies of their comrades; placing the feet of the table on globes of very smooth glass is a better expedient to ward off this plague. The Termites, or white ants of Western Africa have had their wonderful economy attentively inves- tigated by Mr. Smeathman. They build pyramidical or conical structures, divided into appropriate apart- ments, magazines for provisions, arched chambers, and galleries of communication. These are so firmly cemented that they easily bear the weight of three or four men ; and on the plains of Senegal, appear like the villages of the natives. [I observed the same in Eastern Africa.] The destruction they effect is won- derfully rapid : they destroy food, furniture, books, clothes, and timber of whatever magnitude, leaving merely a thin surface ; and in a few hours a large beam will be eaten to a mere shell not thicker th^ writing paper. On emerging from the egg, the in- sect is in its larva state, furnished with a great hard head and strong toothed jaws, but it is destitute of eyes. These are the labourers, who, although not more than a quarter of an inch long, build these edi- fices, procure provisions for the community, and take charge of the eggs. On changing to the pupa state, they become larger and more powerful : the head is nearly as big as the body, while the jaws project be- yond the head, they are very sharp, but without teeth. They now become soldiers, and assume higher duties; never working themselves, but superintending the labourers ; they act also as guards to defend the common habitations from intrusion or violence. 7 d by Google 288 SIBRRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. When a breach is made in the dwelling, they rash forward and defend the entrance with great ferocity ; frequently beating their jaws against the walls as a signal to the other guards, or as encouragement to the labourers ; they then retire, and are succeeded by the labourers, each with a burden of tempered mortar in his mouth, and who diligently set about and repair the injury. One soldier appears to attend every 600 or 800 labourers when building a wall ; he takes no active part himself, but frequently makes the noise above mentioned, which is constantly answered by a loud hiss from all the attendants, who, at this signal, evidently redouble their diligence. The next change brings the pupae, or soldiers to their perfect state as male and female winged insects. They then emerge into the air, either during the night, or on a damp and cloudy day : in a few hours, however, the solar heat causes the wings to wither and become dry ; the insects then fall to the ground, and are eagerly sought after by hosts of birds, Hzards, and even by the negroes themselves, who roast and eat them. The few which survive this general destruction are collected by the labourers and soldiers, who inclose them, by pairs, in apartments made of clay, the en- trance to which is so narrow that they cannot mi- grate; but where they are diligently fed and attended by the labourers, whose bodies are small enough to admit an easy entrance. Afterimpregnation, the ab- domen of the female extends to an enormous size, exceeding the rest of her body nearly 2000 times; in which state it is filled with an immense number of ^SS^> protruded to the amount of about 8000 in d by Google POPULATION. 289 twenty- four hours. These are instantly taken away by the labourers, and conveyed to separate chambers, where, after they are hatched, the young are attended and provided for till they are able to shift for them- selves, and take their share in the labours of the com- munity. (Smeathman, Phil. Trans, vol. Ixxi.) Other species of termites build their nests on trees of an oval form, while that of another (T. arda) is cylindrical, two or three feet high, terminated by a round vaulted dome, and surrounded by a prominent terrace. CHAPTER III. POPULATION OF SIERRA LEONE, GAMBIA, &C. — VARIETIES OF BACES, CHARACTER, &C. Population. — Of the numbers, characters, and almost of the names of the people of Western Africa (estimated at twenty-six to the square mile, 1,200,000 square miles, thus giving 31,000,000 mouths) we know very little. The three great negro races inhabit the country : — 1st. The Foulahs, from Fooladoo on the Upper Senegal, or of the same race with the Fellatahs, in Central Africa, have now spread all over the banks of that river, besides the great kingdom of Foota Jallo to the south, and many districts on the banks of the Gambia. They have not the extreme negro charac- teristics ; neither the deep jet hue, the flat nose, nor CEYLON, &c. U d by Google 290 SIERRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. the thick lips ; on the contrary, their features are high, with an olive tint, and an agreeable expression. They have embraced the Mahometan faith, but with- out that bigotry which almost universally accom- panies it. Their manners are peculiarly courteous and gentle: they practise the most liberal hospitality; and relieve the wants not only of their own aged and infirm, but even of those belonging to other tribes. Their employments are pastoral, and their habits, in some degree, nomadic. Occupying countries where there is no fixed property in land, they drive their fiocks, according to the season, to the tops of the mountains, or the banks of the rivers. At night they collect their herds within the circle of the tents, and light large fires to deter the approach of wild heasts. Such is their good conduct and industry, that it is considered infamous to injure them, and a blessing is said to rest on any territory that contains one of their villages. Their internal government is republican^ imder chiefs of their own ; and this form they insist upon retaining, even when they settle under a sovereign of another tribe. 2nd, The Mandingoes are a race more numerous and more decidedly negro both in form and disposi- tion. Though capable of great occasional exertion, they have by no means the steady industry of the Foulahs. Their employments are chiefly a sUght agriculture, fishing with nets and baskets, and, above all, traffic, in which their enterprise exceeds that of the other negro races. They conduct large kafilas to a considerable distance in the interior, and their lan- guage is weU understood in all the commercial dis- ci by Google THB MANDINGOES. MUMBO JUMBO. 291 tricts. They are cheerful, inqmsitive, credulous, and so gay, that they will dance for twenty-four hours without intermission to the soi\nd of the drum or balafon. Polygamy is practised to a great extent, and the numerous households to which it gives rise live in tolerable outward harmony, which must not, however, be considered very secure, since it requires to be cemented by the extJtiordinary expedient of JVIumbo Jumbo. This bugbear of the African ladies is called into service whenever the simpler expedients of scolding or beating fail to quell domestic dissen- sion. Mumbo Jumbo, being then summoned, arrays himself in a fantastic coat hung for his use on a neigh- bouring tree, crowns his head with a tuft of straw, and soon after dusk marches into the market place. Thither the unhappy fair one being summoned dares not disobey, and the love of stir and mischief causes her to be soon followed by the majority of her fellow citizens. In their presence she is stripped naked, and undergoes a severe whipping, inflicted by the rod of Mumbo Jumbo, amid the applause of all the specta- tors. The Mandingoes have some tastes more refined than are usual among Africans^ particularly in poetry, the extemporary composition and recitation of which forms one of their favourite amusements. The origi- nal country of these people is the elevated territory of Manding ; but they are now widely diflrised over all this region, and particularly along the banks of the Grambia. The third great race are the Jalofs, who occupy nearly the whole of that inland territory which inter- u2 d by Google 292 SIERRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA , &C. venes between the Gambia and the. Senegal, and the extent of which is esthnated by Golberry at 4800 leagues. A number of them are subject to a power- ful inland prince called Burb-y-Jalof, who boasts of himself as anciently the sole ruler in this part of Africa. The Jalofs, though of a deep black com- plexion, and with the decided negro features,^ are considered a handsome race. They boast of their antiquity ,^ and in many respects excel their neigh- bours. Their language is softer and more agree- able ; they manufacture finer cotton cloths, and give them a superior dye ' ; in horsemanship they are fear- less and expert, and as hunters they rival the Moors. They possess not, however, the invention of writing, and reckon by fives instead of by tens. The Feloops are a wild and rude race, inhabiting the shores to the south of the Gambia ; their traflSc with us is carried an through the Mandingo mer- chants, and we consequently know little of them. The Timmanees border on our colony of Sierra Leone. The Ashantees, amounting, it is thought, to 1,000,000 people, with 3,000,000 of dependants, be- longing to other nations, inhabit Ashantee Proper, a region behind the Gold Coast, comprising about 14,000 square miles. They are a very superior class * Mr. Forster has presented me with some specimens of the cotton cloths manufactured by the natives of Western Africa ; these cloths have a softness, weight, and texture, which our manufacturers at Manchester cannot equal ; the patterns before me are novel and tasteful, proving^ that the African is not the degraded being he has been so unjustly represented. d by Google THE DAHOMIANS. 293 of natives to those on the coast, manufacture excel- lent cotton, smelt metals, and build large houses. The country is governed by a king, aided by four chiefs as counsellors. Notwithstanding that the man- ners of the Ashantees are more polished and digni- fied than their neighbours, annual hecatombs of un- fortunate slaves and captives are offered to propitiate the manes of their ancestors, and on the death of any member of the royal family, thousands of human beings are slain as attendants for the next world. In no country, indeed, is life less valued than in Africa. The Landers were dreadfully tormented by the rude curiosity of the natives, who almost suffocated them by crowding to and about their tents. On complain- ing of this nuisance to the chief of one place, he said, * Take your gun and kill a few; you have my full leave to slaughter as many as you please. After you have cut off the heads of some of them, the rest will not molest you.' Polygamy is carried to a dreadful extent ; the legal allowance of wives for the Ashantee mbnarch is 3000 ! The Dahomians (who have conquered the fearful and e£^minate Wydans) predominate along what is termed the Slave Coast, and in the interior to the depth of about 200 miles ; their rule is equal in bar- barity to that of the Ashantees. The Fantees manu- facture cottons interwoven with silk, earthenware, iron, soap, &c., and enjoy a republican form of go- vernment. Other tribes and nations exist, of whom we do not know even the names, but all, more or less, sunk in a state of savage barbarism. A few observa- tions on the system that has been pursued in our d by Google 294 SIERRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. expeditions of discovery into the interior of Africa may not be here out of place. From the time of Park several expeditions have been fitted out by go- vernment* none of which have been attended with a success commensurate with the expectations of the comitry, and the money expended on them. If the subject were inquired into, it might not be difficult to trace the failure of these undertakings to the errors committed in planning and conducting them. The most considerable was that under Major Peddie, than whom a more estimable man, and a braver officer, never entered the field, but one more unfitted to lead an expedition of discovery into the interior of Africa, could not well have been selected. Had his orders been to fight his way through the country no man would have done it better ; but he was ill calculated to win his way through the unknown regions of Africa by patience, perseverance, and persuasion. There are persons now in this country who witnessed what took place after the expedition arrived on the coast (where it remained near twelve months, engaged in ill-judged preparations for the inland journey), and they declare that the attempt may be considered to have failed before the party left the shore. They started with a numerous train of camels, and other animals, laden with an immense quantity of valuable property, for use as presents to the kings or chiefs through whose territories they had to pass. The consequence was, what those acquainted with the natives and the country expected, they met with difficulties at every step. The cupidity of the natives was excited by the temptation of such a display of valuables ; impedi- d by Google BXPBDIT10N8 OF DISCOVERY. 295 ments were tbrown in the way of the expedition, for the purpose of arresting the property ; this created delay, with delay came sickness, despondency, and the total failure of the attempt, upon which an enor- mous sum of money was entirely thrown away. The next expedition was made under Major Gray, and was attended with the same errors and the same dis- astrous results. And now, after having expended use- lessly tens of thousands on such ill-planned schemes, government has gone from one extreme to the other, and cannot spare even fifty pounds in aid of any un- dertaking for the like purpose. Park and Clapperton were hoth eminently qualified for the task they under- took ; but it may be questioned, whether the right plan has yet been hit upon for ensuring success. It is the opinion of those who have resided long on the coast, that persons should be selected for the purpose who are seasoned to the climate by a residence in the country, and that they should set out attended by two or three natives belonging to the interior, moderately provided with the means of procuring subsistence on the journey, and to whom a handsome reward should be guaranteed, on condition of their bringing the traveller safe back ; rewards might be promised to the chiefs in the interior on the same terms. It is thought that this plan afibrds the fairest prospect of success. A Marrabout (Moorish priest) offered to Major Gray, at Senegal, before he started, to conduct him to Timbuctoo, and from thence to the saltwater (sea) by the Niger, on condition of receiving 1000 pieces of bafts (about 800/.) on his safe return back d by Google 296 SIERRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. to Senegal. The offer was declined, as not being in accordance with his instructions. It is difficult to obtain corrected statements of the population of our settlements on this coast. The most thickly inhabited by British subjects is Sierra Leone, the census of which, at two intervals, was as follows : — d by Google 297 •mOJQ •SW9 •SiCog •uauio^ I Pi 'paSavqo iiou •UO|SIAI(I JO 89UIBX *^ Tt< M Tt< MS d O T** M eC t-H •«*« ©« tt* 1-1 OO»0OO0iO00W5»0-*OQ0»«»C>» ooe^'^eoi-Oioooce>fte>4C4 CO CQ CQ M •<< CO 50 OQ CO CO CO OQ CO CO «2 «a|li|rl|l||^|||l Is ^§1 d by Google 298 SIBRRA LBONB, THB GAMBIA, &C. Of the total population at Sierra Leone (35»O0O), about 200 are Europeans ; the remainder are either captured and liberated slaves*, or their descendants, together with some Kroomen, or native Africans, who ply for hire in the settlement. Many of the colonists possess wealthj some of the liberated slaves being now worth upwards of 1000/. sterUng. There are, of course, some instances where indolence prevails, but on the whole the freed African shows that he prizes his liberty, and is grateful for the boon con- ferred on him by the humanity of Britain. There are public schools in each parish, and from 3000 to 4000 children daily attend them. It is, however, much to be lamented, that the in- fluence of certain individuals, by whom the affairs of the African Institution had been mainly directed, con- tinued to sway for a considerable period, the policy of government, whereby the ample resources, provided * Abstract of returns, shewing the number of slaves captured, emancipated, and registered in the mixed commission courts at Sierra Leone, since their establishment to the 6th day of Feb. 1826. Died before Adjudication 146S Emancipated, but died before their descriptions could be taken to be registered 38 Delivered over to the Colonial Grovernment, not emanci- pated or registered 626 Emancipated, but not regis* tered 254 Emancipated and registered... 7122 9502 At Sierra Leone the total number of slaves emancipated between June, 1819, and January, 1833, was 27,697. Captured in 1819 96 1820 455 1821 1399 1822 2753 1823 670 1824 1331 1825 1752 To Feb. 6, 1826 1045 d by Google POPULATION OP THE GAMBIA. 299 by parliament in furtherance of the philanthropic objects for which the colony was established, were applied to measures of a transitory nature, connected with the private pursuits in trade of those who re- commended them, in place of being, spent in founding a permanent system of moral and commercial im- provement for the natives of the country. The money was frittered away in contracts and jobbing in the settlement, while the surrounding country, with its countless inhabitants, was left without an effort for its improvement, and to this day bears scarcely a trace of advantage arising from all the money that has been devoted to the colony. No encouragement has been offered to the native chiefs, in the way of premiums for the productions of the soil, nor has any regular system ever been adopted for supplying them with tools, seeds, or agricultural instruction. Had this been done, and persons been brought from the West Indies capable of instructing the natives in planting, England might, at this day, have had some- thing to show and boast of for the money she has spent in Africa, in place of having to deplore the con- sequences of her ill-directed efforts, and ill-applied resources, which have so dispirited government and the country, that the smallest items are now grudg- ingly admitted in the estimates for the coast, in place of those reasonable resources which, if granted, and properly applied, might yet realize the fondest hopes of the friends of African improvement. The Gambia, — ^The population of this settlement I can only show as regards the island of St. Mary, which was, in 1823, 1826, and 1833, thus :— 7 d by Google 300 SIERRA LEONB, THE GAMBIA, &C. Population of St. Mary's Island, Gambia. Class. 1823. 1826. 183S. 1 i 1 1 1^ 1 i 1 00 1 Europeans Mulattoes Ditto chOdren . Blacks 37 29 20 428 140 152 293 2 8 50 \ 36/ 467 \ 169/ 45 135 1204 152 309 28 47 17 679 112 131 7 2 44^ 14/ 624\ 162/ 30 122 1577 131 7 31 51 1399 5 75 1179 36 126 2578 Ditto children . Sailors Strangers Ditto children . Total 1101 744 1845 1021 846 1867 j 1481 1259 2740 The foregoing does not include the garrison, which consists of about 150 of the Royal African corps. The population of Cape Coast Castle is about 8000; of Accra about 5000; of Annamabou about 3000 ; of Dix Cove about 2000. In the aggregate we may estimate the number of British subjects on the western coast of Africa at about 50,000, of whom but 500 are Europeans. CHAPTER IV. GOVERNMENT AND FINANCES OF SIERRA LEONE, GAMBIA, &C. — COMMERCE, IMPORTS, AND EXPORTS, SHIPPING, &C. Government and Finances. — Sierra Leone is governed by a civil lieutenant governor, assisted by a council. There is a chief justice, and a vice court of d by Google OOVBRNMENT' AND FINANCES. 301 admiralty. Here is also established the mixed com- mission for the adjudication of vessels taken in the slave trade. A detachment c^ the Royal African corps (blacks) is stationed in the settlement mider a lieutenant-colonel. The following is the succession of governors of Sierra Leone : — J. Clarkson, Esq. superintendent, 1 6th March, 1792 ; W. Dawes, Esq. 31st Dec. 1792 ; Z. Macauley, Esq. pro temp. 1st April,^ 1794; W. Dawes, Esq. returns 1 795 ; Z. Macauley, Governor, 1796 ; T. Lttdlam. Esq. pro temp. 1799 ; W. Dawes, 4th January, 1801 ; Captain W. Day, R.N. 15th February, 1803 i J. Ludlam, Esq. 28th Aug. 1803 ; Ditto, pro temp. 1st Jan. 1808 ; T. Perrinet Thomp- son, Esq. 27th July, 1808 ; Captain Columbine, R.N. 12th Feb. 1810; Lieut. R. Bones, R.N. pro temp. 1st May, 1811; Lieut.-Col. Maxwell, Gover- nor-in-Chief, 1st July, 1811; Lieut.-Col. M'Carthy, (Lieut. Gov.) 11th July, 1814 ; Lieut.-Col. M'Carthy. Governor- in-Chief, 29th Nov. 1815; Captain (rrant, 2nd W. I. Reg. pro temp. 25th July, 1820; Brig,- Gen. M'Carthy, Gov.- m- Chief ; from 20 N. to 20 S. lat. 28th Nov. 1824. Major- Gen. Turner; Major- Gen. Sir Niel Campbell ; Col. Denham ; Lieut.-Col. Lumley ; Major Ricketts ; Col. Findlay ; Mr. Temple ; Major Campbell. The administration at the Gambia is under a civil lieutenant-governor; but no council has yet been established to assist him, and the want of one has been repeatedly complained of by the settlers. Cape Coast Castle was replaced under the manage- ment of the merchants, in 1828. The forts are go- d by Google 302 8IBRRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. verned by a president and councD, according to cer- tain roles and regulations agreed upon with govern- ment. The business in London is managed by a committee of three merchants, appointed by govern- ment, and accountable to the secretary of state for the due application of the funds allowed for the maintenance and defence of the settlements, which is 3500/. per annum. With this small sum eighty men are clothed, armed, and maintained for the defence of the castle, the forts kept in repair, the president's salary and all other expenses provided for. The establishment for the support and maintenance of Cape Coast Castle and Accra is — Cape Coast Castle. — President of the council, trea- surer, warehouse keeper, and commander of the troops, per annum, 400/. ; secretary, accountant, as- sistant warehouse keeper, and register, 200/. ; captain of the guard, adjutant, chief engineer, and surveyor, 200/. ; surgeon and superintendant of schools, 200/. ; schools, 100/.; 80 men, at 12/. per man, 960/.; clothing for ditto, at 2/. 10^. per man, 200/. ; labour- ers, male and female, 400/. ; extraordinaries, includ- ing ammunition, presents, forts' repairs, stationery, medicines, canoe hire, funerals, non-commissioned officers, messengers, &c. 740/. Accra. — Officer in charge of fort, per anmmi, 100/. ; 12 men, at 12/. per man, 144/. ; clothing, at 2/. \Qs. per man, 30/. ; labourers, 50/. ; extraordinaries, in- cluding ammunition, presents, forts' repairs, &c. 176/. Home Establishment. — Secretary, and office rent, 100/. ; stationary, postages, &c. . ; total, 4000/. The preceding charges are now reduced to 3500/., d by Google REYBNUB AND BXPBNDITURE OF SIERRA LEONE. 303 and yet with this trifling amount the forts are kept in a better state than when ten times that smn was laid out on them by the colonial authorities ; it is, in fact, a system of self government, which it would be very desirable to extend to the other settlements on this coasts The local revenues are of course trifling ; the forts are solely trading stations, and cannot be ex- pected to yield a direct profit. The statements that have been put forth by its enemies, relative to the cost of Sierra Leone, have been much exaggerated ; but it grieves me to admit that patriotism and philan- thropy were, in this instance, a pecuniary speculation, 3aelding a temporary (and but a temporary) advan- tage to those who practised on the Christian prin- ciples of England ; the time is now, I trust, gone past for allowing jobbing and peculation of the public money. The expenditure on Sierra Leone was, for the five years ending 1824, 75,000/. per annum ; for the suc- ceeding five years it was diminished to nearly half that sum. ' I woutd strongly advise the formation of an association in London, similar to the East India Company, with delegated powers of sovereignty in Western Africa, viz. empowered to acquire and possess territory — to make war and peace — to form military establishments, and to possess trading privileges — such would be the most effectual mode of civilizing Africa, to whose present state Hindostan bore so strong a resemblance previous to the formation of our East India Company. — [See vol. vi. on Asia.] d by Google 304 SIERRA LBONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. Revenue and Expenditure of Sierra Leone by a Colonial Office Document 1 REVENUE. EXPENDITURE. 1, 3- > 1 1 6^ 40 " :3 bi £ £ £ £ £ £ 1830 16751 13910 31761 45672 1831 14219 1286 15505 1832 9697 7050 16747 14144 1411 15555 The military charges for the latter years are, I sup- pose, solely for the militia at Sierra Leone and the Gambia. In aid of the parliamentary grant there are local duties collected upon imports ; the progress of which for Sierra Leone is thus shown ; the amount for the Gambia will be found under Commerce, Amount of duties collected upon imports at Sierra Leone. 1812.... £1922 1818 £5124 1830 £6839 1813 1528 1819 4656 1831 ..7265 1814. . . . . . 1163 1820 6153 1832 . . 6457 1815 1816 1827 4846 1833 . . 6316 1816 2486 1828 4191 In all 1834 . . 7170 1817 3096 The following is the estimate of the charges in- curred for the civil establishment on the western coast of Africa, for the year ending 31st March, 1835, and voted by parliament : — Sierra Leone — Governor, 2000/. ; chief judge, 1500Z. ; colonial secretary, 600/. ; king's advocate, 500/. ; first writer, 400/. ; second ditto, 300/. ; third ditto, 250/. ; fourth ditto, 200/. ; d by Google BXPENDITURB OF SIERRA LBONB. 305 colonial surgeon, 500/. ; apothecary, 100/. ; and chap- lain. 500/. ; total, 6800/.^ — The Gambia — Lieutenant- governor, 1000/. ; secretary, 450/.; commandant at McCarthy's Island (7*. 2d, per day), 130/. ; surgeon, 400/. ; chaplain, 400/. ; public buildings, 831/. ; total, 3211/. — Gold Coast — ^viz. Cape Coast Castle and Accra, 3500/. ; grand total, 13,561/. The pay- ments out of the military chest at Sierra Leone and the Gambia, for the year ending 31st March, 1833, were, for Sierra Leone, pay, &c. of the Royal African corps, and West India regiments, 4508/. ; of commis- sariat and ordnance offices, &c. 2968/.; annyextraor- dinaries, including 7972/. as pensions to discharged nejgro soldiers from the West Indian and African regiments, 12,518/.; for the service of liberated Africans, 9325/. ; sundries for ditto, 328/. ; total for Sierra Leone, 29,657/. — For the Gambia — African corps, 3155/., including 746/. which is paid out of the local revenue for militia and volunteers ; commis- sariat officers, 497/.; naval disbursements, 517/.; army extraordinaries, 11,946/.; sundries, 3023/.; total Gambia, 19,138/. ; grand total for Sierra Leone and the Gambia, 48,795/. The African corps consists of 20 officers and 511 non-commissioned officers, and rank and file; the charges for which in the army estimates are 14,205/. The ordnance at three of our forts in Western Africa was, in 1815, as follows : — At Cape Coast Castle, 6 42-pounders, 9 24-do., 2 18-do., 11 12-do., 18 9.do., 5 6-do., 26 3-do., 2 * The pay of the collector of the customs is 800/. per annum, which is defrayed out of the import duties. X d by Google 306 SIERRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, &.C. d-mch mortars, 1 7 -do. ; at Accra, 7 IS-pounders, 5 12-do.» 4 24-do., 9 4-do. ; at Annamaboe, 14 24- pounders, 8 18 do., 7 12-do., 12 6-do., 14 3-do. The main advantages arising from these forts is the power which they enable us to exercise for the sup- pression of the slave trade, and the security which they afford to our commerce, which increases in pro- portion to the total suppression of the traffic inhuman beings. Mr. James Swanzy, an officer in the service of the late African company of merchants, stated in his evidence before a committee of the house of com- mons, on the 16th June, 1816, that when he served on the coast, from the year 1789 to 1799, the pro- portion of the slave trade, to the other trade of the coast, was at that period nine-tenths of the whole trade. In the same committee, Mr. Swanzy (who had resided ten years on the Gold Coast) was asked the following question : ' Of what nature is the accommo- dation which the forts afford to trade?' 'Very great ; they open the communication with the inte- rior ; they are the dep6ts for goods ; they protect the British subjects residing near them; by these means the trade is collected, day by day, and a col« lection of three months is shipped in twenty-four hours, without which no ship could profitably trade to the Gold Coast, as she would otherwise be obliged to stay three months at each point to collect the same quantity of goods. I would wish to add also that these forts give an exclusive trade to a considerable extent to the British subject.' Mr. Swanzy vras asked whether the legitimate trade of the Crold d by Google COMMERCE. 307 Coast had increased or diminished since the aboli- tion of the slave trade (then only eight years ago) ; to which he answers, ' I should think the Gold Coast produces 100,000 ounces of gold per annum : during the slave trade not more was collected than was sufficient for the currency of the country, and I think it may still be increased ; it requires only exer- tion to increase it/ The late African committee, in a letter to the Lords of the Treasury, correctly remark that * Set- tlements on the coast of Africa are valuable on two grounds, as conferring an exclusive right of trade upon the power possessing them ; and second, as the only medium tlu-ough which it can be safely and advantageously carried on. It is a lamentable but certain fact, that Africa has hitherto been sacrificed to our West India eokmies ; her commerce has been confined to a trade which seemed to preclude all advancement in civilization ; her cultivators have been sold to labour on lands not their own, while all endeavours to promote cultivation and improvement in agriculture have been discouraged by the govern- ment of this country, lest her products should inter- fere with those of our more favoured colonies. With better views, and a more liberal policy, we are now returned to our original object : the country promises much ; and it has long been a subject of regret, that her resources have never been called into action. The extent of territory is immeasurable, its fertility great, and its products (some of which are peculiar to Africa) are all valuable in the European market.' Commerce. — The trade of the different settlements X 2 d by Google 308 SIERRA LBONB, THB GAMBIA, &C. it is difficult to give ; I will endeavour however, to convey an idea of it, commencing with that of Sierra Leone. ^ bO 1 I 2 3 QQ ^1 Tons. 13998 25268 25808 44828 17882 18491 22874 29744 19946 16596 19068 |g§|^2SS§SgS 11 Tons. 314 868 1127 1641 1035 858 1590 416 856 993 Oooooooe^ ooooo'*'* :t^ ij |S5SS5::s§2S**s i| Tons. 11154 23010 21675 10999 13736 14826 19369 26445 17307 15616 14887 SS2SS§5:5:§^55S:3: t 2 S 00 3| Tons. 20372 23479 25803 16171 15676 25076 26348 22478 18502 17575 17807 |gS|SS§S^SSS II |ii|P5BS?2 o^^ccco^^^t^c^c*^ il Tons. 621 2352 3001 996 2258 2837 2873 6252 2840 1554 431 o;2gS5::2SS;:2:22 l| Tons. 18846 20469 21675 12818 12774 21792 22181 20381 15114 15536 12838 |?s;:ss§§gsg5:§s •tiBajt iiiiiiiiiii d by Google 309 o >* J3 0) lO X bO e S •■" '-B •i a rt ^ V s >^ -^ « -« X 2 U3 a tt> ^ u •r> na a> c u cu •i 1 00 3 O :^ ;o s d S^ ^ eo^ o 2: :3 ra c a ^ ^^ S S 5S 00 00 CO a o H 000 o 2: S-1 :3 »o ©I a a 9 o s H -^ f-^^ CO ^ ! S Ci S »5 > <-« »o <-« o »o o Z o 2P CO •£ .S « o . 3 - «. •= .ti .^ -C 2 S)> ^ > |) H d by Google 310 I -a > I II £ 6S261 58965 44518 41442 57854 71076 81280 £m ^ IS Si p «5 2611 4841 4560 2080 6475 7882 2286 00 CO is i| £ 62650 54624 88950 89170 51879 68482 78194 >OM» s g 11 £ 77888 77974 56190 79648 109686 87251 104639 ha ^llpiiS Jl ^jd £ 38596 44079 53284 74900 106642 81708 100828 •JwaA ililliilil lg OX _2 00 & a •CO « s a> d by Google 311 94 o e* ua to oo ►» t^ a> '^ o M ^ e4 fx >ot» o^ o<>» A It* >o "H ^ ;o 00 ao w» CO 00 00 eo : m otatot^r* 00 >o i-^ eo 2 o JS"^"" bO -«na& Joo »« a> ^ A 00 CO e>« a> oo «4 91 o •* . «> . . OO IQ -« O O M04 00 -^^ 1^ lo 00 o» : — o e — ^^ ^toeoeoc4i-4 00 CO 00 .CO . lo e^ CD S 8. ^ MS oo> w ^« r n s . 1 1 £ t; -^.§ = •^ = 3 '^o^ = r. ^ .2 i? ^ J3 ■-T O O 2 1 i go s I ^tfffloosasa^;^ d by Google 312 Exports from the River Gambia, in 1825, 1830, and in 1833. Articles Exported. 1825. 1830. 1888. Estimated value in England of the several articles 1833. Pure wax, tons Ivory, lbs 181 696 teeth 922 1 shell 80 bags 58125 266 1801 logs$ 40 292 1500 tities shipped } 60 gallons. 244^ 14625 500 2 boxes 52cwt. 76471 82 82 1711 502 loads 54 3443 225 3714 196 9 207 1140 700 1476 and not invo 1 75 A 29240 1139 254 lbs. 275 tons 76900 'in 3636 14900 660 48 loads 74^ 1819 6780 1225 680 15 13 1264 220 4200 4 Iced. rhe logs avera £ 22815 5117 4556 318 13750 15380 3545 67 3151 124 2288 166 1043 272 54 135 25 130 28 547 23 105 86 £, 1755 260 12 8300 961 4091 39 830 24 56 16 14 3 55 S 17 (rnld oz. + Gum, Senegal Hides no White rice, tons .... Rough rice, tons ... Com. Bordeaux!... Cotton, lbs African teak Camwood, tons Palm oil, gallons ... Ox horns, no Lime, Bordeaux ... Ginger, lbs Horses, no. + •• Bullocks, no. t Pagnesorcountry"! cloths no J Country baskets, no. Arrowroot, lbs Hemp, tons Orchilla, lbs t Large quan t The Bordeaux i £66127 ige 50 fee £17348 t. d by Google VALUE OF ARTICLES AT THE GAMBIA MARKETS. 31 3 The following shows the nature and quality of pro- duce at Sierra Leone. bath. 12000. 9069 buKh. ' cwt» 53210 2643 bush. biub. 7645 601 10 bush. bosh. 2642 7238 Avenge 1 prices theS nine year J U.Sd. lOd, The following shows the prices of different articles in the markets at the Gambia : — Yellow bees'- wax, 130/. per ton; African teak, 3/. IO5. per load; camwood, 12/. per ton; ivory, Ss. 6d, per lb. Mahogany of various kinds at 4/. currency, or 3/. 9s, 4d, sterling, (Exchange dollar at 4^. 4(/.) Ebony of very good quality grows abundantly in Salum River, and partially in Gambia. Dittach, a very hard and durable wood, stands well under water, and is used in the construction of vessels, wharfs, &c. Toulacouna, or bitter oil, 3*. 6d, (currency) per gallon. Cotton, Nominal or barter price, in the rough, 2d, per lb. Indigo, in the rough cake, 2^. 6d. each. Hemp, made into ropes or cords, and sold at about 6d, each. d by Google 314 SISRRA LKONB, THB GAMBIA, &C. Potash, about 5d. per lb. Honey, retailed in Mandingo country at 2s. 6d. per gallon. Butter same price as honey. (N.B. The natives preserve the butter by a process of melting, and retail it m the liquid state at 25. 6d, per gallon.) Cola nut, Zs, 9d. per 100. Cardamums, sold in barter among the natives, at about lOfi. the lb., and brought from a distance in the interior by the gold merchants. Goat, calf, and bullocks' skins, dressed by the natives, but usually made into articles of use. (The natives dress these skins well by means of potash and banna seeds.) Cayenne pepper of all kinds, in plenty. Beef, good, at 3rf. (sterhng) per lb. Fowl, 1 to 1| dollar per dozen. Mutton, generally private pro- perty, seldom in market. Goats 1 dollar 1^ (with one or more kids.) Wines, Claret, 5 dollars the case. Tea, 2 dollars the lb. Dried oysters (good.) Eggs, 14 to 16 for quarter dollar. d by Google 315 IS 4 s *i o QQ 4* -a g To « e J 2 ^ "51 2 Q S « 3 «5. CO X ® bo •" 2 c « »- -o a 5 ? S & 'aSvauox '819889A •8»Wna JO ^nnomy i«?ox •ran^ no aoire)}j9d 'pg pov *ni9 pu« iCptreiff no noii»a Jdd •»! 'sjii -Tdg no jC^ng wixy 110V3 no *f I '19889A Tpn9 HO •J8 '/t 'aiivjoqoay '819889^ uSidlOJ vao3} papqgi 'apoop ••apna •JU90 I8d 9 ivd qoiqin spooo uSidjo j JO Yonoaiy ooioauj I9d ;; Xvd qo]qM. spooo q«|1!Jie JO )anouy ootoaui Ot^ 0> »^ 94 'too O'^t^ .C4 93 «0 00 flio •oeo..«...«.»xwt. Swords and Cutlasses ~. No. Wood,Tix. Stares and Cask8>.....packs Woollens, entered > _i--^ by the piece $P^**^ by the yard~.~.yards Hosiery and small wares.». All other articles ^..^^^, 199 16193 170 196 800 2960 14585 25000 230400 £ 43 151 35 14 400 87955 1549350 1194 1157 4 1853 141700 270 *«61 10747 40 650 £ 7172 1637 41501 218 878 15783 10802 1157 8347 772 1736 1279 1795 958 590 4048 113 934 53 161 7560 13 2220 755 5 210 6701 1333 «-" 1162 40049 51068 139 931 10938' 28466 6960 46803 119 i f — 2220 11684 369* 45 .741 - V8 1 79 4723 69 810 478 3040 756 7164 435' 180 5. 48 66: 1323 2095 1588 £ 9186 3205 S18 65321 45671 22762 548 947 1994 6003 2675 1002 1110 8084 1552 107 1554 11377 107882 12468 65791 164218 3503S1 Exclusive of the above, we exported in 1829 to Western Africa 161,431/. worth of British, Colonial, and foreign merchandize, making a total of 511,792/., which is now considerably increased. As near as T can ascertain, (gold not being entered Y 2 d by Google 324 SIERRA LEONB, THE GAMBIA, &C. at the Custom-house) the following are the importa- tions of African gold for three years ; weight after melting, taken from the refiner's hooks. lbs. oz. dwt. £ i. d. For 1832 1866 4 12 at 77*. 9d, 1 87066 15 7J 1833 1712 8 12 at do. 79898 4 7^ 1834 1691 4 14 at do. 78902 8 4} 6270 5 18 245868 8 7f The commerce in gold dust from West Africa* presents to us a prospect of increasing our circu- lating medium, if our paper currency he not relaxed, and notwithstanding the difficulty of arriving at an estimate of the value of some of the returns (for the reasons already stated) I trust I have adduced facts sufficient to demonstrate the little reliance to he placed on Mr. M'CuUoch's assertion respecting the value of the trade of Western Africa. I cannot indeed better illustrate the mere com- mercial importance of the British settlements in West Africa than by placing before the reader the foUowing luminous and truly patriotic statement draw up by M. Forster, Esq., (of the mercantile firm of * Forster and Smith ',' New City Chambers) in a letter ad- ^ The quality is generally above standard, making the actual value about Al. per ounce. * These gentlemen, with a view of opening to the natives of Africa a market for their rice (an article the culture of which the natives so well understand), have erected, near London, at a very considerable expense, a mill worked by steam, for cleaning it from the husk in this country; and have made arrangements for largely importing the paddy : some of this d by Google VALUE OF AFRICAN COMMERCE. ' 325 dressed to the Secretary of State for the Colonies ; the officers of the Colonial Office are qualified to judge whether the assertions herein made are in the slightest degree exaggerated. The letter is datea the 9th January, 1832. ' Attempts have frequently been made to depre- ciate the commercial importance of our settlements on the west coast of Africa, compared with the cost of maintaining them : and conceiving that parliament and the public are not fully aware of the nature and extent of the trade dependent on those settlements, I have taken the liberty of drawing up a statement shewing the benefit arising from them to the revenue grain already received is equal to the best Carolina, and superior in my mind to Bengal rice. To parts of the coast where the quality is inferior, they propose sending Carolina seed to improve the crops ; indeed they have already sent out seed to the Gambia. They are thus doing, as private indi- viduals, what government should have done long ago, in this as well as in other articles of produce. In these humane and patriotic efforts, it is grievous to learn that Messrs Forster and Smith have had to contend against the vexatious and strenu- ous opposition of interested parties, who are desirous of pre- serving to the United States a monopoly of the rice market of England, and to themselves a monopoly of cleaning it Ame- rican rice, be it observed, is produced entirely by slave labour in Carolina ! It is, however, but justice to add, that the Board of Trade have stood firm in defence of our colonial interests, and in philanthropically promoting the efforts of Messrs. For- ster and Smith to encourage free labour in Western Africa. I have examined specimens of Messrs. Forster & Co.'s African rice — I had it cooked in a variety of modes, and I found it in- finitely superior to the insipid rice of America : it was quite equal to the delicious reddish grain of Ceylon and Western India.— B. M. M. d by Google 326 SIERRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. and national industry of this country, which I have the honour herewith to annex for your Lordship's inspection. ' The annual direct and indirect advantages to the national industry from the trade, I estimate as per statement No 1, at 463,234/. 19^. and the annual benefit to the revenue, as per statement No. 2, at 207,873/. 135. exclusive of ship-building materials and labour, as also of some other minor sources of national benefit not enumerated. "Die total gain to the industry and revenue of the mother country can- not be less than 600,000/. per annum. ' Within the last twenty years the increase in the trade in palm oil, timber, and bees' wax, has been very great. Attempts are making in the Gambia and elsewhere on the coast to introduce the cultiva- tion of some articles of produce new to the trade of Africa; but these endeavours require time on account of the unenlightened state of the natives, the very recent abolition of the slave trade, and its partial continuance by other nations. In several cases, how- ever, the natives have proved themselves capable of entertaining new ideas of trade and cultivation more readily than might have been expected. The trade in teak timber for ship-building was unknown in Africa twenty years ago ; the annual importation of that article from Sierra Leone at present is from fifteen to twenty thousand loads, giving employment to nearly twenty thousand tons of British shipping annually. ' Fifteen years ago it was not known that maho- gany grew in the Gambia ; since that period several d by Google ADVANTAGKS OP COLONIAL POSSESSIONS. 327 thousand loads of mahogany have been imported into England from our settlement on that river; and although the natives would not at first cut and pre- pare it for shipping, they are now willing to supply any quantity of it which this market may require. The low price of Honduras mahogany, however, ren- ders it impossible to afford any encouragement to their industry in this article at present, bat these in- stances afford pleasing and conclusive proofs that the natives will turn their attention to trade whenever the opportunity is afforded them. ' The annual cost of our settlements on the Western Coast of Africa, as respects the protection of our commerce, exclusive of those expenses incidental to the suppression of the slave trade, which ought not to be charged to the account of those possessions, is better known to his Majesty's Government than to me, but I may venture to assume that it bears but a trifling, indeed insignificant, proportion to the advan- tages derived from the trade : and those settlements are to be considered not with reference to their pre- sent value alone, but to their future importance as outlets to British manufactures, when time shall have removed some of those difficulties which at present obstruct the trade. The policy of most foreign governments is directed against our com- merce, the acknowledged source of our national power. The territorial extent of the British islands is too limited ever to have raised this empire to its present proud pre-eminence in the scale of nations, without the aid of manufactures and foreign trade; consequently I humbly submit^ that every d by Google 328 SIERRA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. foreign settlement, which gives facility to the sale of British goods, is to be estimated not only with re- ference to the direct amount of revenue received or the produce imported from it, but still more by the employment it affords to our manufacturers, artizans, and shipping. Without a large manufacturing popu- lation, the revenue necessary to pay the interest of the national debt and the annual cost of the civil and miUtary establishments of the country cannot be raised; hence the vast importance of our foreign possessions, which a too limited view of colonial policy leads some persons to undervalue. ' Striking out of the public estimates every charge belonging to the account of the slave trade, I do not think the annual cost of maintaining our settlements on the western coast of Africa exceeds from twenty- five to thirty thousand pounds per annum, probably not so much, while the national gain is considerably above half a million per annum. It is a common error to regard those settlements in the light of colo- nies having a taxable population, from which they may be expected to raise a revenue sufficient to main- tain themselves ; but the fact is, that nothing can yet be raised from the natives for their support, while the protection they afford is indispensable to the pro- tection of our trade ; a trade even now important, and which time may render of incalculable value,, when the effect of the slave trade shall have ceased to exer- cise its baneful influence over the native population. * Neither is it reasonable or politic to require indi- viduals trading on the coast to contribute towards their maintenance beyond the duties they at present d by Google UTILITY OP BRITISH AFRICAN PORTS. 329 • pay to the colonial funds on the goods they import from England, and the personal services they are called upon to render as militiamen in defence of the forts. I humbly submit, that British subjects are as much entitled to protection in carrying on a trade, by which the national industry is benefited, in Africa as at home. In applying their industry, and risking their capital and health in a trade giving employment and profit to their countrymen at home, and by which the national revenue gains so largely, they may surely not only claim the protection but the gratitude of their country. Besides which, you cannot invest indivi- duals with a property in public works necessary for the defence of our trading establishments in Africa. Individuals change, but the advantage is national and permanent, and so should be the protection. * By upholding these forts on a footing to com- mand the respect of the natives, our Governors in charge of them may render the most important ser- vices in calrying into effect the convention recently concluded with France, for the suppression of the trade in slaves, the due execution of which treaty cannot fail to produce effects as favourable to the trade and civilization of Africa, as to the cause of humanity, now hourly violated by the continuance of the traffic. France, America, Holland, and Den- mark, have each their settlements on the coast, which they evince the utmost anxiety to retain and encourage. Our settlements on the Gold Coast cost lately only 4000/. and are now to be reduced, I un- derstand; to 3500/. per annum ; and this is the sole expense of protecting a valuable trade. The Dutch d by Google 330 SIERRA LBONE, THE GAMBIA^ &C. • settlement of Eknina, which is only seven miles from our settlement at Cape Coast Castle, costs the Dutch an equal sum to ours, while Holland has not one- twentieth part of the trade on the Gold Co£ist that we have. * It should be borne in mind that every article im- ported from Africa is in exchange for goods, and that consequently it is one of the very few legiti- mate trades remaining to this country. The article of palm oil, which has increased so much of late years, can be obtained only in Africa, and is already extensively used as a substitute for Russian tallow in the manufacture of soap, &c. The recent addi- tional duties imposed on British goods imported into the Russian market may suggest to us the policy of cherishing a trade which consumes the products of our national industry without limitation or restraint by hostile tarifls. * "Die abolition of th^ slave trade took effect on the 1st of March, 1808. Twenty-three years is too short a period to effect a change in the character and pur- suits of a people corrupted by three centuries of war and cruelty consequent on that traffic, and whose kings and chiefs have been taught by the sordid slave dealers of enlightened Europe to despise and neglect the pursuits of legitimate commerce, in favour of a trade in the persons of their people. Let, how- ever, those chiefs be convinced by experience that they will gain more by the labour of their people at home, than by the sale of their persons for expor- tation, and you lay at once the foundation of a new -system, under which war and treachery shall give d by Google -WESTERN AFRICA TRADE. 331 place to the regenerating influence of peaceful in- dustry. Europe owes to Africa a heavy debt for the crimes that have been committed under the slave trade. England has been the first to offer pay- ment of her portion of that debt, and she will not only have the high consolations of humanity for her reward, but probably,, at no very distant period, the advantages of a trade with Africa, of which it is dif- ficult at present to foresee the extent.' No. I. Annual value of Exports from London, Liverpool, and Bristol, to the West Coast of Africa, be- tween the Gambia and Angola, calculated from the amount of Shipments by the several Merchants trading to the Coast from those places. A few introductory remarks may be necessary to render these tables more clearly understood by those who have not been accustomed to estimate the im- portance of our foreign and colonial trade on the principles on which they are drawn up. Perhaps I cannot more clearly Olustrate those principles than by the following examples : — Let us suppose two cargoes of British manufactured goods to be sent to Canada, one consisting of cotton fabrics, and the other of hardware articles. In the case of the former we may assume that the average cost of the cotton wool of which the goods are made is about 25 per cent, of the export value, the remaining 75 per cent, having been added to the value of the raw material by the application of British capital and labour, and d by Google 332 SIERRA LEONB« THE GAMBIA, &C. is therefore so much value gained to the national wealth and industry. In the case of the hardware cargo, the iron of which the articles are made being a native production, we may assume that the totsd value is an actual creation of national capital and labour. Many persons limit their notions of the importance of our colonial and foreign trade to the profits of the exporter who ships the goods abroad, whereas that is a point scarcely worth considering compared with the advantage to the national industry in manufacturing them. Hence the importance of keeping open every possible outlet for the consump- tion of our manufactures, without which our capital and artizans must lie idle, the revenue fall off, and the wealth and power of the nation rapidly decay. In addition to this it may be stated, that as every thing which the capitalist and labourer who produce these goods consume, is taxed either directly or in- directly, (which tax is included in the cost of pro- duction) you virtually obtain the help of the foreign consumer to pay your taxes, pr in other words, you make foreigners contribute towards the national revenue. London and Bristol Exports, — ^Amoimt of colonial goods, 58,000?. ; ditto foreign ditto, 52,000/. ; ditto British manufectures, 213,000. Total, 323,000/. The principal articles in these exports are Man- chester cotton and India piece goods. • The freight, insurance, &c. parti9ularly of the teak timber, hides, palm oil, and those articles collected in the floating trade, compose a large portion of the gross import value of the returns. d by Google WESTERN AFRICA TRADE. 333 Liverpool Exports. — Colonial goods, 13,000/. ; British ditto, 102,500/. ; foreign ditto, 5.500/. Total, 121,000/. Outward freight, duties here and in Africa, in- surance and shipping charges 15 per cent. 666,600/. Aggregate amount of the ahove, 510,600/. The exports from Liverpool are chiefly for the palm oil trade, and the cargoes are differently as- sorted from those shipped from Bristol and London. The freight, insurance, &c. of the shipping employed in the* Trade, constitute a large portion of the cost of the oil. Hence the large gross amount of the re- turns compared with the value of the exports. Estimate of National profit thereon. — On colonial goods amounting to 71,000/. the value of British labour in transit and other charges (including profits) may be estimated at 30 per cent, thereon *, 21,300/. ; foreign ditto, 57,500/. ditto 17,280/.; British ditto, 315,500/. the value of the raw material on an average being 25 per cent, leaves 75 per cent, for labour and manufacturers' profit, 236,625/. The shipping em- ployed in long voyages in the palm oil and floating trade is about 16,083 tons, which, at the low esti- mate of 9/. per ton for sailing charges per annum, amounts to 114,747/. The shipping employed in short voyages (of six months) in the teak timber and other trades, about 17,000 tons, at 4/. \0s, per ton, 76,500/. Deduct for raw material of stores, &c. * On some articles, on rum for instance, these charges are nearer 70 th^in 30 per cent, and the average amount cannot be 1«88 than my estimate. d by Google 334 SIERBA LEONE, THE GAMBIA, &C. 15 per cent. 33, 187/. Is. Total annual gain to the national industry, exclusive of sl&ip-building, 463,234/. I9s, N.B. Of this sum of 463,234/. 19^. one-third may be estimated as paid to the revenue in the consump- tion of exciseable and taxed commodities, consumed by the labourers and artizans to whom the trade gives employment, amounting to the sum of 154,41 1/. ISs. carried to Statement No. 2. No. II. Estimate of the annual duty on Imports from the British Pos- sessions on the West coast of Africa, between the Gambia and Angola. Imports, London and Bristol. grou import value. Timber, 15,000 loads £127,500 Bees'-wax, 200 tons 28,000 Hides, 60,000 12,000 Ivory, 72 tons 25,200 Palm oil, 1,200 tons 86,000 Sxmdries, including gum\ Senegsd, &c j Gold, 45,000 oz. at 75s 168,750 Bills 25,000 20,000 £442,450 Liverpool Imports. Palm oil, 9,000 tons £270,000 Ivory, 65 tons 22,750 Gum copal, 15 tons 900 Timber, 3,000 loads 25,500 Bees'-wax, camwood, \ ok /wm barwood, &c / *^'*^ Gold, 3,000 oz 11,250 Import Duties Thereon. Duty £7,500 Excise and Customs 8,000 Duty 500 Ditto 1,400 Ditto 3,000 Ditto.. Ditto- Ditto.. 1,000 .nil. £21,450 Duty £22,500 Ditto 1,300 Ditto 840 Ditto 1,500 Ditto .„ 1,222 £355,400 £27,362 Duty on policies of Insurance 3,150 Ditto, Customs outwards 1,500 Revenue from Labour, as per Statement No. 1 154,411 13 Total annual gain to the Revenue from this trade, £207,873 13 d by Google SOCIAL STATE AND FUTURE PROSPECTS. 335 Balance. — Gross amount of imports as per No. 2 797,850 By direct annual gain to the Reve- nue, brought from No. 2 207,873 13 Balance of national industry, being the difference between the sum of 463,234/. 19«. as per Satement No. 1, and ld4,4lR 13«. charged to the Revenue as above 308,823 6 Total annual gain to the nation, direct and indirect, exclusive of ship-building, &c £516,696 19 Nett cost of Foreign goods, deduct- ing transit and other charges 89,450 Cost of raw materials for English manufactures, including Iron, Wool, and other articles wholly of English growth and production. 78,875 Insurance 35,000 Interest on capital ^\ per cent re- turns not in cash on an aver- age in less than 18 months, mer- chants in England and traders' profit in Africa 77,828 £797,850 Social State and Future Prospects. — Of the domestic condition of the people in Western Africa we know but little, — and that little, while it is favour- able to our hopes of improvement, leads us to lament the more the terrible and sanguinary political des- potism spread over the whole continent. Our own settlements have made no slight progress in social improvement ; life and property are secure ; and ex- 1 d by Google 336 SIERRA LEONB, THE GAMBIA, &C. ample and education are now exercising their all powerful influence; time, and a wise and generous policy on the part of England, will do the rest, if England compel Spain and Portugal to cease the nefarious and extensive slave trade now carried on under their flags \ Sierra Leone and Gambia ought * I give the following on the authority of Mr. Nicholls, the Secretary to the African Committee. In order to prevent slave vessels bound to Whydah and Bagadry, from purchasing their cargoes at these great marts, it would be desirable, that a soldier or two should be placed at Dix Cove and Winnebah, to hoist the British flag, and by British influence prevent canoes being supplied, without which at the above mentioned ports no slaves could be procured. The Governors of St. George D'Elmina (Dutch) and Christiansborg (Danish), are imperatively forbidden by their respective governments, to allow the natives to supply canoes, or in any way mix them- selves up in the carrying on a slave trade ; and this country, in conjunction with France, are in a situation to command the total abolition of that trade by Spain and Portugal, declaring that any person found engaged in it should be considered as a pirate. Unless some strong measures are adopted, and that speedily, the legitimate African trade must be annihilated, for the natives will not sell produce except to those who purchase their slaves. If this object could be attained, the natives would turn their attention to cultivation, and by encouraging the growth of the palm nut, in a few years the quantity of oil would be so great as to preclude the necessity of Russian tal- low being used in the manufacture of soap ; moreover, by eradicating wholly slave commerce, we would relieve the country from the expences ofa large naval force, and also from another large item of expenditure, hard money, for captured negroes. The establishment of a few steam vessels on the coast would be productive of much good in checking the slave trade, and a permanently stationed steam-boat for communicat- d by Google AFRICA PEACEFUL, FLOURISHING, AND FREE. 337 to be placed on a similar footing of government with Cape Coast Castle and Accra, subject to the controul of the Colonial Office and Parliament. Experience shows, that by judicious management the two latter settlements are as well taken care of at present as when five times their existing expenditure was laid out upon them imder the old system. Sierra Leone and its dependencies were too long under the jobbing and speculating management of a certain party, who, under pretence of ' saving government the trouble of thinking,' interfered to divert the generous aid of the legislature, granted for the im- provement of the Africans, into channels of private gain. When the purposes of this party were served, and they found it impossible longer to dupe the British nation, the failure (as they said) of our settle- ments in Western Africa was owing to the deleteri- ousness of the climate, and the indolence and apathy of the natives ; the public, without examination, took for granted the assertions of men who made a cloak of religion to cover their worldliness ; and Western Africa, that once excited the attention of the best and noblest in England, is now scarcely thought of, except by a few good men who have penetrated the veil of vice and folly which encircled a cause hal- lowed in itself, and even pregnant with vast benefits to England. Africa will yet arise from the deadly sleep of ages, and from the effects of three centuries of unparalleled desolation, which Europe has spread ing between the Gambia, Sierra Leone, &c, would be a desir- able measure. d by Google 338 SIERRA LEONE, THE OAMBFA, &C. over a beautiful and fertile land ; — and I trust Bri- tain will reap the reward of a bright career of phi- lanthropy, by being made, through the medium of commerce, the instrument under the guidance of Providence of rescuing millions of our fellow crea- tures from a long night of ignorance, bondage, and d by Google BOOK IV. CHAPTER I. STEAM NAVIGATION THROUGH THE ATLANTIC AND INDJAN OCEANS — PROPOSED PLAN OF POST OFPICE STEAM PACKETS VIA MADEIRA, ST. HELENA, CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, ISLE OF FRANCE, CEYLON, &C. — ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES • OF THE RED SEA AND CAPE OF GOOD HOPE ROUTE BALANCED — COMPUTATION OF THE EXPENSE OF TWELVE STEAM PACKETS, &C. The facilitating and accelerating of the communica- tion between Europe and Asia will be equivalent to the annihilation of space, or the application of a lever which would have the power of bringing into closer approximation two distant continents. The public ihind in both hemispheres is now being directed to so highly important an object, and private munifi- cence and liberality appealed to for the accomplish- ing a national good : this is obviously improper, for the governments both in India and in England have made the post-office department a monopoly in the hands of the executive authorities ; with those should the opening of the post-office system originate, and by those only indeed can it be efficiently executed. That the governments of India and of England may not only without pecuniary loss, but with considera- ble profit, open a steam-packet post-office communi- cation with India, is demonstrated by the following table : z 2 d by Google 340 STBAM NAVIGATION TO INDIA. Monthly Post-office steam-packets between England and India, Receipts for J^etters (sin^e and double) arerac^ At an arerage postage each Newspapers (daily and weekly) arerage ... At an average postage each Monthly} Quarterly* and Annual JoumalS} arge. At an arerage postage each Law Papers, Commercial Accounts, &c. At an arerage rate per ounce BuUion, Specie, & Jewels, &c. per freight Packages notexceeding 10 lbs. wei^t do. Passengers out and home anntully Rate of Passage-money . . at U.6d. 3000 at 2d. 200 at U. 2000 at U. Gambia, &c. 2000 at 3d. Cape of Good Hope. 24000 at 3f. 10000 at 3d. 2000 at l«.6d. 5000 at l«.3d. 15 at £35 5250 Isle of Fhmce. 12000 at S«.6 — ^in- stead of taking the lead in social improvement. Let us hope that a new era is dawning, when the apathy of Government will yield to the quickening influence of enlightened popular feeling, and that the bitter- ness of politics will be succeeded by a moral harmony productive of general good. d by Google APPENDIX. CKTLON, &C. d by Google d by Google APPENDIX. (xold Coast, — ^The best part for anchorage in Cape Coast Roads is the flag-staff on the Castle, bearing from north to north-west, in about six fathoms water. Small trading craft may approach nearer, but as a very heavy swell almost constantly sets in, care is necessary not to be too near the breakers. The same bearings may be observed at Annamaboe and Accra, but if the latter fort be brought to bear north- west half west, or north- north-west, in the depth of five fathoms, the difficulty which often arises in weighing the anchor will be lessened. The bottom at Accra is a very stiff clay ; and if a ship lies with the fort bearing to the eastward or north in six or seven fathoms, there is a great probability she will lose her anchor in attempting to weigh it. The strength of the current varies considerably along the coast, but its average rate is one mile and a half an hour to the eastward. The sea breeze is much more A a 2 d by Google 356 APPENDIX. regular than on the west coast> and sets in earlier ; the land wind is neither so constant, nor of so long duration. River Gambia. — Bird Island is on the northern shore of the River Gambia : the flag may be seen in common clear weather from twelve to fifteen miles ofi^; it bears from Cape St. Mary north by east half- east by compass. This island may be approached from the westward within three or four miles by any vessel drawing less than twenty feet water; houses have been erected close by the flag-staff for the ac- commodation of a pilot ; and there is a small de- tachment of the second West India regiment here. Portindic, Western extremity oftheSahara Desert, — The tall and bare palm or date tree, just above the sea beach ought to bear north-east and by east to a vessel coming to anchor in ' Waterman's Bay.' The best anchorage is about one mile from the shore, in four or five fathoms water. There is less surf in this little bay than in any other part of the Bay of Portindic ; and the gum arable trade, which is always carried on with the Moors afloat is done there with the greatest facility, safety, and advantage *. Latitudes and longitudes of places on the western coast of Africai and the islands adjacent, deduced from the surveys of Her Majesty's ship ' Leven/ and the squadron under Commo- dore Sir G. Collier .—Cape Bojador, 26 T N. 14*32- W.; Cape Blanco, 20*50* N. )710W.; Portindic, 181 9* N. 16-3W.; ' It is this Bay which the French have recently blockaded. d by Google APPENDIX. 357 Senegal, Fort Louis, 16-3- N. 16-29- W. ; Cape Verd. 14-43- N. 17-33- W. ; Cape St. Mary, River Gambia, 18-30- N. 16-42- W. ; West Bird Island, do. 13-42- N. 16-40W.; Cape Roxo, 12-22- N. 16-53- W. ; Mud Bar, River Pongos, 9'5T N. 13-56W.; Cape Sierra Leone, 8-30- N. 1312W.; Free Town, 8-30- N. 13-5-30' W., (variation of the compass I717W.); Shoals of St. Ann, 80- N. 13-40- W. ; River Gallinas, S'dT N. 11 ^l- W. ; Cape Mount, 6-43- N. 11 18- W. Cape Mesurada, 6-13' N. 10-44- W. ; River Junk, 67- N. Settra Kroo, 4-52- N. 8-44- W. ; Cape Palmas, 424. N. 7 38- W. Lahou Town, 4-58- N. 4*48- W. ; Cape ApoUonia, 5-3* N. 2-40-W.; Cape Three Points, W. Cape, 4*45-, 2 7E. Cape 4-45- 1 -SO- W. ; Dixcove, 4-48- N. 1-55- W. ; Tackarary, 4 63- N. 1-42W.; Succondee, 4-66- N. 1-39- W.; Chamah, 4-68-N. 1-34' W. ; Commenda, 5-3-N. 1-27* W. ; Elmina Castle, 5'4' N. M7- W. ; Cape Coast Castle. 6-6- N. MO- W. ; Annamaboe, 6-10- N. 0-69-30- W.; Tantumquerry, 612- N. 03930 W.; Accra, 5-33- N. OSOW.; Prampram, 5-44- N. 012-30- E. ; Ningo, 5-46- N. 018-30- E. ; River Volta, 6-47- N. 51-49- E. ; Cape St Paul,6-47* N. M-49- E. ; Quittah, 5-56- N. 1-3-45- E. ; Little Popoe, 615- N. l-45*30- E. ; Grand Popoe, 619* N. 1-57-27- E. ; Whydah, 6-20- N. 214- E. ; Appee, 6-22- N. 2-31 •45- E.; Porto Novo, 6-25- N. 2-43-33- E.; Badagry, 6-26- N. 2-52-45- E. ; River Lagos, 6-27- N. 3-32- E. ; River Benin, 5-46- N. 517' E.; River dos Escravos, 6 35- N. 6 20- E. ; River dos Forcados, 5-22- N. 6-30-33* E. ; River Ramos, 5-9- N. 5-33-30- E. ; River Dodo, 4-60- N. 6-38-30- E.; Cape Formoso, 4*28* N. 5*69'15'E. ; River Formoso, or first river, 4*28* N. 6* E. ; Cape Nun, or second river, 4'17* N. 6-10- E. ; River St. John, or^ third river, 418- N. 616-30- E. ; River St. Michael, or fourth river, 4-l,6- N. 6*21 •45* E. ; River Santa Barbara, or fifth river, 4-20-30- N. 6-34- E. ; River St. Bartholomew, or sixth river, 4*20 30* N. 6-45-30* E. ; River Sombrero, or seventh river, 4-20* N. 6-62-30- E.; Foch6 Point, 4-21-30- N. 710' E., and Rough Corner, 4-22- N. 7*22' E., (entrance to River Bonny) ; River Old Calabar, (entrance) 4'34* N. 8-38' E. ; Bembia, Cape and River, d by Google 358 APPENDIX. 4-0*2- N. 9-20- E.; Cape Cameroons, 3*64 • N. 9-32- E. ; River Campo, 2-20' N. lOSlO* E. ; Cape St. John, 1-9- N. 9^' E. ; Corisco Island, E. Point in front of the River Dan^ ger, 0-68 N. 9-26- E. ; Cape Clara, 0-30-44- N. 9-24- E., and Round Corner, 014-29' N. 9-22- E., (entrance to Gaboon River.) THE END. Gilbert & Rivington, Printers, St. John's Square, London. d by Google JUST PUBLISHED BY WHITTAKER, & CO. AVE-MARIA LANE. Complete in Ten Volumes, Foolscap 8vo. Price £3. Illustrated by origrinal Maps and Frontispieces, and handsomely bound in cloth and lettered. THE BRITISH COLONIAL LIBRARY, Fortuing a popular and authentic Description of the several Colonies of the British Empire, and embracing the History — Physical Geography — Geology — Climate — Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral Kingdoms — Government — Finance — Military De- fence — Commerce — Shipping — Monetary System — Religion — Population, white and coloured — Education and the Press — Emigration, Social State, &c. of each Settlement. Founded on Official and Public Documents, furnished by Government, the Hon. East India Company, &c., and dedi- cated, by express command, to his Majesty, William the Fourth. By R. Montgomery Martin, Esq. F.S.S. CONTENTS : Vol. I.— The CAN ADAS, UPPER and LOWER. Vol. U.— New SOUTH WALES, VAN DIEMEN'S LAND, SWAN RIVER, and SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Vol. III.— The CAPE OP GOOD HOPE, MAURITIUS, and SEY- CHELLES. Vol. IV.— The WEST INDIES, Vol. I.— JAMAICA, HONDURAS, TRINIDAD, TOBAGO, GRENADA, the BAHAMAS, and the VIRGIN ISLES. Vol. v.— The WEST INDIES, Vol. II.— BARBADOS, ST. LUCIE, ST. VINCENT, DEMERARA, ESSEQUIBO. BERBICE, ANGUILLA, TORTOLA, ST. KJTTS, BARBUDA, ANTIGUA, M0NT8ERRAT, and DOMINICA. Vol. VI.— NOVA SCOTIA, NEW BRUNSWICK, CAPE BRETON, PRINCE EDWARD'S ISLE, and NEWFOUNDLAND. Vol. VII.— GIBRALTAR, MALTA, the IONIAN ISLANDS, &c. Vol. VIII.— The POSSESSIONS of the HONOURABLE EAST INDIA COMPANY, Vol. I. Vol. IX.— DITTO, Vol. II. Vol. X.— The BRITISH POSSESSIONS in the INDIAN and AT- LANTIC OCEANS, viz. Ceylon, Pewang, Malacca, Singapore, Sierra Leons, the Gambia, Cape Coast Castle, Accra, the Falk- land Islands, St. Helena, and Ascension. •»• Each Colony is complete in itself, and can be had sepa- rate. Price 6». per Volume, cloth lettered. d by Google PUBLISHED BT WH1TTA.KER & CO. THE BOOK OF GEMS : The Modern Poets and Artists of Great Britain. Edited by S. C. Hall. On extra Vellum Paper, in one thick Volume, Octavo, with numerous highly- finished Engravings on Steel, from the burins of the first-rate Engravers, after original Pictures and Draw- ings by the most eminent Artists, price 1/. lis. 6d, •»• This splendid Volume, which has been got up with the greatest care, presents the choicest selections from the works of the celebrated Poets and Artists, who have shed such a lustre on the last thirty years. The value of the Poetry and the Paintings having been aided by the selection of die first-rate Engravers, and by the bestowal of every care on the editing and on the typographical portion of the Work, the Publishers trust they have produced a volume which wil'. be unrivalled as a present, both for the elegance of its embellish- ments, and the intrinsic and .^'unexceptionable nature of its literary and artistic contents. Succinct Biographies of the Poets are given, (in most- in- stances from materials furnished by themselves,) and Plates of their Autographs are appended. POETS. Wordsworth— Byron— Southey— Moore — Shelley— Coleridge— Milman - Elliot— Lamb— Montgomery— White— "Wilson— Crabbe— Scott— Sothebj — Keats — Hogg — Hemans — Cunningham — Hunt — Clare — Norton • Rogers — Landon — Croly— Wolf— Landor — Campbell— Procter— Bowles- Tighe—Wolcot—PoUok— Hood— Dibdin—Baillie— Tennyson— Hervey- Bayly. ARTISTS AND ENGRAVERS. E. T. Parris; W. H. Simmons,- P. W. Topham; C. Rolls— H. W. 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Wagstaff — B. R. Haydon; J. Brain— W. Chambers; W. Wallis— R. B. Pyne; A. R. Freebaim— T. S. Cooper; H. Rolls— F. W. Topham; F. W. Topham. *,♦ A few sets of Proofs of the Plates have been taken on India paper Colombier, Price £2 2«. in a Portfolio. d by Google d by Google d by Google This book should be returned to] the Library on or before the last date' stamped below. A fine of five cents a day is incurred by retaining it beyond the specified time. Please retiirn promptl: promptly. TTT/v QUE JULl fl|8f .J4W23'59f,i ..J \ l-" "^ 'V £• ^ ^ ^ BOOK DUE /^ 1 : 11* I wrutv DUE WID ■ *^ f BOOKuJE"^iO ' JUL al98(P \ oogle Ind 208.37.3 History of the British possessions Wtdener Library 005996958 ...c; j?^^