Preface

Summary

THE following pages will make the reader acquainted with the melancholy, and unfortunate, result of an ill-contrived and badly executed, though well intended, expedition to the coast of Africa, in the year 1792: this expedition was proposed and undertaken by a few gentlemen, with a view to ascertain whether or not it were practicable to cultivate tropical productions on the coast of Africa, by means of its free natives. The question of the abolition of the slave trade had, at that time, for four or five years, been violently agitated; and some of those, who were advocates for its continuance, boldly asserted that the Africans were incapable of enjoying freedom, or being in any great degree civilized: and it was thought that this expedition would decide the injustice of such an opinion. Unfortunately however, for the Africans, it was so exceedingly ill conducted, that it was totally given up, ere the latter part of that opinion could be put to the proof; though the former part of it was unequivocally ascertained to be erroneous.

The ill success of this attempt, the report of the numbers killed by the natives, of those who had died from the unhealthiness of the climate, and of the mortality which had taken place on board the ship Hankey, all of which, moreover, were greatly magnified, were sufficient of themselves to deter others from engaging in such an enterprize; and would (if peace had even continued) have prevented those few, who remained upon the island of Bulama, from receiving any considerable reinforcement to their numbers, before the pernicious effects of these exaggerated reports had been considerably weakened. War however took place; and all hope of succouring the few who still kept possession of that island was at an end. Thus, without succour or assistance of any kind, after having maintained their position for nearly a year and a half, they were obliged to abandon the island, and the only two white men left, of those who had sailed on the expedition, returned to Europe.