SUBSTANCE REPORT or T II X COURT OF DIRECTORS OP TH* SIERRA LEONE COMPANY, dilivxiiid to tks general court of proprietors. On Thmfdiy the jfith February, 179J. PUBLISHED Sr QRDMJl OF THE DISECTOJtS. LONDON: rmwtko «y Jawes Pmiilips, oeokoe tarb, LOMBARD «TRSET. H. D«C,:tCV. -d o M n T t Al 10 2>!(/! '^I'AfQ '^OTS^VO'J ; . 7 * ■ • ■ i , . »"IKiTJtfH-IO/ln iti .t/ ÄtKIÜ • v." - •• : .'iäotläs.ä aiil s.-.. -ylilf^ {^f ,11^1 imu;! I I --•-T'^-'-fPP-—wi -jy...... • i: ii:«--"' »f'tv ►'t a «a,"***'" .t:,4 - (i «». ►» • . ' -' .-S.«? .^t« ^ SUBSTANCE o? THE REPORT OF THE COURT OF DIRECTORS, ^ I ^HE Directors have thought it proper jL to call the prefent Court with the view of laying before the Proprietors the account which tliey have received of a calamity wliich has been fuftained by the Colony at Sierra Leone, through the depredations made by a French Squadron, w^hich has very lately and unexpedledly appeared in that quarter.—The Direäors will lay before the Court a detailed account of the chief occurrences which pafTed from day to day during the period to which they allude; they -will add fome general obfervations made by their Governor and Council fome weeks after the calamity; and they will then mention the fteps which the Directors have already taken, or are prg-A-2 cceding to take, in order to relieve the fuf-ferings of their fcrvants, and in order to put their eftablifhment on that footing which may ftill afford the means of ^ccomplifliing the great ohjcčls of this inftitution; and which may at the fame time accord with the prefent circumftances of the Company, "On the 27th September, 1794, late in the evening, fome alarm was exci^^d in the Colony by the firing of two heavy guns at fea. After an anxious night, on the 28th, as foon as it was light, the Company's fervants were able to count feven or eight fall, and could diftinguilli the Knglifh colours in them all. About nine o'clock they could difcern that the fleet confided of one two-decker, feveral large armed Ihips, and two armed brigs. It was agreed, that if they lliould prove enemies, rcfiflance to fuch fuperior force would only be an idle waftc of lives, and that it might alfo render the terms of capitulation lefs favourable. It was then confidered whether an attempt fliould be made to fave any part of the Company's property: to this meaiure the objedions were, Firß^ that there was little probability of having the buildings preferved, unlefs the Company's fcrvants fhould remain on the fpot; and it was obvious that they could not remain with fafety if it fhould be known that any property was fecrcted. Secondly^ that no vefTcIs could be employed in the re^ moval of goods, as all their motions could now now be fcen, fincc the fleet was already coming ill. Tbir/ily^ that fince the property muft be delivered to a number of individuals, iri order to its letnoval, there would be great difficulty in recovering it; and that the chances were very much iu favour of its being au Englifli fleet, in which cafe the removal would he produdlive of nothing but lofs; the wind alfo was at this time fair; the tide flowing ; and there was hardly time either for deliberation or execution. In about half an hour fome men in one of the frigates were feen pointing a gun into the piazza of the Governor's houfe; and the Ihot began flying over the town in a few minutes after.— The colours were immediately ftrUck, and a flag of truce was held out; but the firing Mil continued, fcvcral grape and mufquet fhor falling into the piazza. It appears that a black child was killed, and two black fettlcrs were feverely wounded. The French, after they had been hailed and afTured that the Colony had furrendered, defifted from firing. Soon after ten o'clock they began to land, and a fervant of the Company was at the fame time fent to invite the commanding ofiicer to the Governor's houfe. A number of Frenchmen were found to have already entered into the great flore, as well as two principal houfes, where they were already pillaging and deftroying whatfoever they met with. The officer was too much engaged to attend to the invitation imme-A diatcly j dktely J but one Newell, an American Slave Captain, (who had before had a difpute with the Governor, and wlio liad piloted the French veiTels into the riverj being attended by half a dozen Frenchmen, came to the Governor's houfe, almoft foaming witli rage, prefented a piftol to the Governor, and with many oaths demanded inftant fatlsfadion.— The Governor anfwered, that fince he waa no longer mafter of his own adions, the Slave Captain muft now take fuch fatisfaüion as lie judged efjuivalent to his claims. This man afterwards became fo outrageous, that the Governor thought it prudent to rcquefl; from the French officer a fafe conduft f)n hoard tlie Commodore's fhip, which was granted ; and he alfo defired to luive a guard for his own houfe, which the officer profeffcd an intention to give. The Governor, when he was on board the French fliip, exprefled to the Captain his furprifc at the proceedings which had taken place, and obfer\'ed, in civil terms, that he had hoped to find in Frenchmen a generous enemy ; but that on the contrary the Colony had been dealt with in a manner which he believed was unulual, except in places taken by Horm. The firft words fpoken by the Captain were, Have you removed any property ?" The Governor affured him he had not. " Be careful," returned he, " of what ycu fay to me j for if 1 fhall find after this that you have removed any tiling, I ihall iTiake make you fuffer, and there fiiall not be a hut left in the place." The Governor repeated his aflurance : on which he was told to make himfelf eafy, fmce all farther pillage Ihould be prevented» The Captain liowevei* would make no written engagement; and he faid in the fame breath, that if the feamcn and foldiers were difpofed to plunder, he could not prevent them- He alfo added, that it was his intention to burn every houfe in the place belonging to F,ngliß>men. The Governor made ufe of many arguments in order to difluade him, and alfo reprefented the nature of the Eftablifiiment in fuch a manner as fcemed likely to intereft his feelings; but it was all to no purpofe ; Newell, the American Slave Captain, who was joined by another American, a Slave Trader, of the name of Mariner, appearing to have prejudiced the minds of the French, the Governor endeavoured to expofe the unworthy motives which both thefe men might be fuppofed to have for vilifying the Company, and his obfervations feemed to gain fome credit; but all applications urged on behalf of the Colony continued to be inefteftual, the conftant reply being, * " Citoyen cela peut bien etre, mais encore vous etes Anglots." The cafe of the black fettlers was then reprefented, who, though not Engliflimen, were lharing the fame fate with the Company's fervants; the houfes of the former being alfn broken into and pillaged. Strong prgtcftations were made • " Ciiizen, that may be true, but iliU you are Englilhmen." .A4 by by the French officer of his friendly Intentions with refpečl to the blacks; but it was hinted as before, that there was no poflibility of reftraining the foldiery. A folemn aflur-ance was however given, that the fettlers houfes Ihould be faved from fircc A demand forfeveral articles was urged by the Governor, on the ground of their being neceffary to keep the people alive ; fuch as wearing apparel, provifions, medicines, &c. all which he was induced to liope at the time that the officer would allow, A propofal to ranfom the place was alfo made, but in vain. The fcene which Freetown now exhibited was in every ref])ečl diftreffing. Of the crew of the French fliip, fome were carrying away great loads of goods on their backs; Others were gathering themfelves round a cafk of wine, which they were drinking without any reftraint. Lcman, a black fettler, who had been fome time before imprifoned for felling a man as a Have, was feen drefled out in a laced fuit of clothes, intended for one of the African Chiefs, and was exulting that he had now got his liberty. Mariner, the American, had alfo adorned hlmfelf with fome fpoiJs from the houfe of the Company's Surveyor, and was heard vowing deftrudion to the place, and every individual in it, if fome runaway flaves of a perfon with whom he had lived, were not rcllored. He alfo related how the fettlm had formerly followed him into Us boat with ftonca : " But now, faid he. Ke, I fiiall glut myfelf with revenge." AlltKe houfeswere by this time filled with Frenchmen, who deftroyed whatever they found iii them which they could not convert to their own ufe, while feveral other parties were i'couring the town in queft of Aock: of which the deftrudlion on this and the following day was extremely great. In t!ie Governor's yard alone, 14 dozen of fowls were killed ; and the number of hogs deftroyed, in all parts of the town, was not lefs than twelve hundred. The books of the Company's library were fcat-tered about, and defaced; and if they bore any refemblance to bibles, they were torn in picces and trampled upon. In the hoiifc of Mr. Afzelius, the Botanift, tlie plants, feeds, dried birds and infefts, drawings, book«!, and papers, were fcattered in heaps on the floor; and a beautiful mufk cat was killed. In tht.' Accountant's office all the dellcs and drawers were demoliflied in the fearch for money ; the copying and printing-prcHes aUb were deftroyed. All the Company's telcfcopea, barometers, themometers, and an eledrlcat machine, were broken to pieces. The wearing apparel of the Company's iervants was taken out of their rooms. The Governor's own apartment was guarded by a centinel for a time ; but this, only ferved to retard the pillage of it. On the next day a few clothes, books, and papeis, which had been faved from the general wreck, were, by the ailiftance of the Commodore, modore, feat Into the country, but tlie greater part of them ivas again taken away by the different gangs of pillagers, who befet every avenue into the town, A]1 the Company's fen^ints had fome time before this period fled into the woods, or taken refuge in the neighbouring towns ; except ten or twelve of them, who were eollečted in the Governor's houfe, where alfo feveral French faiJors had quartered themfelves, who were tolerably civil, occafionally offering to the gentlemen a jhare of the pork and fowls which they were dreffing. It became now however every hour more and more unplcafiint to remain in I'reetown, as the foldiery were giving theui-Jelves up to every fpecies of excefs. They were alfo fliooting all the day long at the ftock which was running about, lb that it was highly dangerous for any one to walk out; the greater part of the gentlemen therefore difperfed themfelves in the courfe of this and the fucceeding day, either in the native towns, or the farm houfes of the fettlers ; three of them taking refuge in the Danifh or Deferter's Town, upon the mountains, where they were very kindly treated. All the native children placed at Freetown for education, were received, together with their fchool-millrefs, into a native town about two miles diitant, the headman of which very refolutely refufed to permit a party of Frenchmen who had ftraggled thither to enter into it. The The Governor being unwilling to abfent himrelf while there was a profpeft of efte£ting Any thing in behalf of the people, applied for permiflion to rcinain on board the Commodore's velTel, and obtained it. He lay in the cabin, where however he was not able to obtain fo much as a flieet to throw over him. In his walk this day he met with a number of lettlers, who appeared much affetiled at feeing him. The French had now made their way in various diredions to tlie farms of the fettlers, which they w^ere plundering; one of them being feen in the aö nf taking away from a fettler the bed on whicli he was ufed to lie, the Governor tried to dilTuade him from it, on which the Frenchman threatened to cut the Governor down ; hut four ofRcers leaving come up, the man was led away, and at niglit he v/as put in irons. 30th Sept. Mariner, the American, was again very grofs in his abufe; he gloried in what had been done, and exprefled it to be his heart's defire to wring his Iiands in the blood of Englifhmen ; adding that if his influence fliould prevail, not a hut Ihould be left in the place. The Commodore liow-ever was this day prevailed on to allow about five tons of rice, from the Company's flore, to be divided among the fettlers. On the I ft Odobcr, a man was difpatched to a neighbourifig river, in order to collečt rice for the Company. On the fecond, feveral of the chicf buildings in Freetown, and one or two fettkrs hoiifes were burnt by tlie J-rench, and one of the Company's imall vcflcls alfo. The church was obferved this day to have been pillaged, the books torn, and the pulpit and clock broken to pieces. The C(5mnio(iore had mentioned to the Gover--nor that the church Ihoukl be faved. The Apothecary's ihop, with every medicine in it, was aho deftroyed. Information was received that the llave fadory of I3ance Ifland had been taken, the Ufe of one boy only having been lofl. On the third of OtStober, Mr. Afzelius, the botanitl:, made application to the Commodore for the recovery of his drawings, and, after bearing much rudcnels, he was at hill able to obtain part of them. A complaint to the Commodore was tliis day renewed re-fpeiSing the conduct of the Americans, who were holding out frequent threats. The in-confilleney of Frenchmen leaguing with men wliofe trade it was to enllave their fellow-creatures, and wliofe dillike to the Sierra Leone Company arofe merely from the hatred of the hitter againfl the fame traflic, while France was profefling to make war againft ilavery, and even to liberate all flaves, was ftrongly urged ; upon which the Commodore addreüed himfelf on the fubjeft to Mariner, who endeavoured to evade t!ie charge : the converfation ended in the Commodore's dlredting the Have captain to take no meafures whatever, eitlier againfl; the placc or againlt any individual. On Oa the fourth, the Governor made a recapitulation of the feveral promises which had been held out, and earneftly prelFed the fiilfilment of them. The Commodore evaded them all, laying in plain terms that he fhould he in danger of loiuig his life if he were to comply with tliem. Such a reprefentation of the diitrefsful ftate of the colony was made, that at laft one barrel of flour, one calk of pork, and one puncheon of brandy, were obtained. Odobcr 6. On tlds day the conflagration of all the l>uildlngs, exempted from the fonner lire, commenccd. The church, a range of Ihops, and tlu'ce of tlie fettlers houfes near the wat«- Ilde, were dcitroyed, and alfo three finali velTels, together with all the boats belonging to the Company which could be met with. The Company's fchooner,the Thornton, was given to Mariner as a reward for his fer-viees, and a quantity of rum, gunpo-wdcr^ and other goods, were divided between him and Newell. The Governor, in company with one or two other fervants of the Company, this day vifited fcveral of tlie farm houfes; they were nuich gratified both by the warm congratulations of the fettlers on their health and fafety, and alio by obferving that there was no appearance of want in thefe parts; the difiant farms' in general abounded with provilions, and the rice, which, together with 50 or 60 puncheons pf molaiies the French had permitted to be taken taken away, afforded to the free blacks a very fufficieut prefent fubfiftence. The Frcnch velVcls this day being on their return ifrom Bance Ifland, paffed by GranvUle town, and iired one fliot into it; in confequence of which all the fettlers living there fled into the woods, but there was no attempt to land. 7th and 8th OČV. The Governor now fixed himfelf at Granville Town, from whence he occafionally vilitcd Freetown, and renewed his applications to the Commodore for ncccl-Jaries, obtaining on one of thefe days a bag of bifcuit and about twenty pounds of fugar. He attempted to procure the reftitution of a fchooner belonging to a native trader, which had come down to Sierra Leone, but In vain, ibmc letters found on board, addrefled to the Governor, being thought a fuflicient ground for her condemnation. He fuccceded however in a nearly fmiilar application for ihe recovery cf a fmall veifel, belonging to the mulatto trader, fpoken of in a former Report as a perfon eminently friendly to the Compiiny, Some uneafmefs was at this time excitcd In the minds of feveral Nova Scotians iclpccl:ing the natives, ot whom they appeared now to feel a greater dread than they had felt even of the French themfelvcs. A fon of the late king of Sierra Leone, brother of tiie late J. H. Naimbanna, a young man policliing no weight in the country, took this opportunity of declaiming violently againll the Company; remarking among other things things tliat the Governor and Council had been guilty of killing his brother, and that this was the time for demanding latisfadlion. The detention of two vcffels of the Company by the natives, which had happened before the arrival of the French, crcated fufpicion, and a few other fmaller circumftances were much fpoken of and exaggerated. The Governor fucceeded in forae meafure in allaying the general fears, which appear in the main to have been totally unfounded. On the 9th of Očt. the Company's largefl ftiip, the Harpy, arrived off Cape Sierra Leone, from England, having feveral pafTengers on board, and goods to the amount of abovit io,oool. The demolition of the Company's houfes having been difcovcred, flie put out again to fea, and fhc appeared for a time to gain on the veflel which was fent in chaee of her, but the wind dying away, flic was overtaken, and immediately ftruck. No part of the cargo of this fhip was landed in the Colony, nor would the Commodore fufFer the difpatches and papers brouglit by her to be delivered, a few newfpapers excepted. The Englifh paffengers were completely plundered of their property; the Company's chaplain, who went out in her, was deprived of all his private papers ; and three natives, who had been making a voyage to England, loft all the prefents which they were carrying back with them, not excepting a part of their clothes, which they were obliged to excliange for for ütliei's of an inferior fort: a plant hatch, fent out by the Harpy, containing many valuable articles of tropical cultivation from his Majefty's collečlion at Kcw, which were thought likely to thrive in Africa, and particularly the bread fruit tree, was deflroyeti, together with all its contents, though earneft^ application for the delivery of it was made. An under-gardener of the king, as well as his alfiftant, to whom the charge of the plant hatch was committed, died foon afterwards of an lllncfs eontraded at this period. It has liceii already noticed that feveral of the Company's fervants retired on the firft arrival of the French fquadron, either into the woods or neighbouring towns. Mr. Pepys, the Company's Surveyor, who with his wife and child went out to Sierra Leone by the earlieft lliip, to whom alfo the Company ftood indebted for fome extraordinary exertions in laying out the lots of land during the lirft unhealthy feafon, was of the number of thofe who fled. A rumour was circulated among the blacks, (fuppofed to be a very unfounded one) which reached his ears, that a price was ftt on his head: his wife and child, together "with a female fervant, joined him in the woods, where they obtained neceffary food through the kindnefs of fome Nova Scotians ; many of whom had families, which fled I hither alfo. The Governor, in the courfe of a walk which he took on the fourth day after tJio arrival of the French, met with Mr. Pepys, and urged him to take fhelter in Come of the towns near the water-fide (for he had flept hitherto la the open air), and this advice would have been followed if frefh rumours of fome defign againft the perfon of Mr. Pepys had not been propagated by the Nova Scotians, which appear to have been too readily believed; He had now multiplied precautions for his fafety, and he continued, together with all his family, to pafs the night as before, notwithftanding feme heavy rains. On the 6th or 7th day after the arrival of the French, Mr. Watt, the Company's manager, found this unhappy party in the woods, op-prefled with fever, and fome cf them nearly exhaufted. With great difficulty they were: led to the water-fide, from whence a boat, which the natives were fo good as to fupply, tranfported them to the Bulam fhore. Every attention of which the diftreffed and fickly ftate of the colony would at this time admit, was there paid to them. Mrs. Pepys, as well as the child and her maid, recovered; Mr. Pepys died. On the loth, the Governor returning home to Granville Town, after an unfuccefsfui application to the Commodore for the delivery of a few letters by the Harpy, found the corpfe of Mr. Pepys lying in the town* He Jearnt that the headman of thö Bulam Ihore had demanded the prefent of rum which is cuftomary on the occaßon of a burial i and as the Company were not in a B condition condition to grant it, the body was lent back to be interred on the Sierra Leone fide. On the nth, the Governor heard that it: was the inteniion of the Commodore (who was now fuppoled to be on the eve of failing) to leave on jfliore at Freetown, all the European failors who had been found on board tiie various fhips which had been captured, amounting in all to near a hundred and twenty. As the Governor was without means of providing for them, he made a veiy ftrong remonftrance to the Commodore on the fubje€t, urging him to grant fome provifions and medicines and other articles, the want of which was likely to be very generally and feverely felt in the Colony.' No anfwer was returned eltlier on this or the fucceeding day. On the 12th, fome fliew of refiftance to the French was made by the fettlers in the country. A party who hikd gone out in quell of booty, were met by the Governor, returning with great precipitation, having been driven back by the Nova Scotians.-—This being Sunday, public fervice was performed at Granville Town by the Company's chaplain, who had recently arrived. On the J 3th of October feveral French officers brought to the Governor a fjnall ftock of provifions, amounting to about two or three weeks fupply for the whites in the Colony-This grant was faid to be made in confequence of of the remonftratice fent in two days before; and it confifted of twelve barrels of flour, two barrels of bifcuit, two cliefts of rice, tliree barrels of oatmeal, two tierces and a barrel of beef, and a puncheon of brandy. The Governor repaired immediately to the Commodore's (hip, in order to thank him for the gift, as well as to urge his compliance with feveral other demands. The Commodore paid no attention to his folicitation, and he let fail on the fame day to the fouthward, with all his fleet, to which the Harpy was now added. On the departure of the French fquadron, about a week's allowance of flour and beef was diflributed among the failors who had been left on fiiorc, and almoft all the beef was difpofed of at the flrft ferving. Several tons of rice, which previous means had been taken to colled, were brought into the fettlement; a. few very effential articles were alfo unex-pededly obtained from the neighbouring flave-fadtory at Bance Ifland, which had been able to remove fome of its property; and a fmall fupply of live ftock was procured from other, quarters. The Governor and Council finding that many Nova Scotlans • The Direftors have fome reafon to fuppore that the Commander of this Squadron may not have received any regular coramiilion from the prefent French Convention ; and that the tquipment of it may liave been made on tlic fpeculation of private individuals (fome of them Slave Traders) aftin^ aa owners of privateers, and not declaring the particular objeft tif its delUnation, B 2 had had, by the permlfTion of the FrencJi, carried off confiderable quantities of wood and other articles belonging to the Company, during the general pillage, demanded that a re-ftltution «r every thing fhould now be made, proviiions excepted, an' allowance of twenty per cent, being at the fame time proposed by way of fiilvage. The Direi^lors are forry to ohferve tliat only a fmall proportion of the property in quellion had been brought in, at the time when the laft difpatches left the Colony. A few weeks after the departure of the French fquadron, intelligence arrived of their having captured two of the Company's fmall trading velTels, on their pafTage down the coaft. The crews were immediately put oa Ihore, as were a number of other Europeans, who had navigated feveral Englifh flave-fiiips which were alio captured. After having been plundered by the natives of that part (who aUb reduced into frefti captivity fix hundred flaves whom the French had liberated), as many of the European captains arid failors as were able to croud into a few boats of which they got poffeilion, made their way towards Sierra Leone : they were hofpitably entertained and aflifted, firll by a fador connefted with the mulatto trader already mentioned, though living at a confiderable diftartce from Iiim, then by an aged and rčfpečlable native, the chief perlbn in the river Sherbro, who has been alfo fpoken of in the former Report aa - very very friendly to the Company; after which they reached the place of refidence of the mulatto trader hiinfelf: here again they experienced the utnioft civility and attention, and the Ichooner of the mulatto trader brought them all in good health to Sierra Leone. It may not be improper to remark that this pacific and friendly chief (the fame perfon who was complained of by a flave-faÖor as being " too eafy ") prevented one of the French fliips of war from purlbing and capturing a large loaded velTel from England, belonging to a neighbouring llave^fačlory,which took refuge in his river. The Diredtors think that, while they arc mentioning the advantages tlerivcd from the mild and friendly difpofitions which the Company has cultivated in rcfpeä tO the chiefs of their own neighbourhood (advantages in which the party of llave-captains of whom ihey have been fpeaking, have fo happily participated), it may be proper to notice fome circumftances in the condudl of other flave traders, tending to fliew the unequal meafurc wlxich is dealt out to the Sierra Leone Company, and the diiadvantages under which it is obliged both to carry on its peacoful trade, and to fupport its beneficial eflablifhment. One of the two captured Ihips ot the Sierra Leone Company, which werelart mentioned, was much diftrciled, juft before her capture, through fome little dciicicnces hi her equip-» msnt, and in particular by the want of top-» »i 3 fails, fails. Application was made to a flavc-captain on the coaft, who could have conveniently fupplied her wants, but he demanded the fum of I col. as the price of a fmall anchor, and a no lefs exorbitant payment for every other neceirary; exprefsly faying that he flioiild make this enormous charge on account of her being a veffel belonging to the Sierra Leone Company. Another circumflance tending to mark the hoftility of the fiavc-traders, which reached the cars of the Company's fervants through the report of prifoners, but which, if not reported by them, would have appeared more than probable, is the following :—It is faid that the Britifh flave-faÜor of the Ifles de Los, whofe fadory was deftroyed by the French fquadron fome-time previous to their arrival at Sierra Leone, might eafily have given about two days notice of their approach to the Sierra Leone Government; but that he purpolely declined it, having been even heard to mention that he wifhed the French to deftroy the fcttlement, and that he hoped they would not leave a hut ftanding in the place. The fame flave-fačtor is ftated to have been guilty of the following injuftice and inhumanity. Eighteen Britifh failors, forming part of the crew of a veifel of his, in which he was failing, were left by him unperqeived on the wharf at Freetown, fome weeks fubfequent to the departure of the French fquadron, all of them being Tick and in the moft miferable condition. eonclition. The Governor was not made acquainted with the clrcuniftance until the morning after, when he learnt that one of thefe unhappy men had died during the night; the others were fo weak that they could with difficulty alcend the hill in order to get to a place of Jhelter. But to rcfume the narrative of the events which followed the departure of the French from Sierra Leone :—It appears tliat in about three weeks afterwards, an almoft univerfal iicknefs prevailed among the whites; being evidently the confequence, in a great meafure, of the exertions made by foine, and the miferies endured by others, at that criiis. The difficulty of getting medical attendance, (the phyfician and both the fiirgeona being ill, one of the latter of whom died) together with the want of proper food and accommodations, materially aggravated the diforder, which, as in the inftance of the firft fickly feafon, was fatal chiefly» and almoft exelu-fively, to the lower Europeans. The def-trudion of the medicines of the Colony was now moft feverely felt, as will eafily be conceived, when it is obferved that the Gover-r nor hiinfelf, after no very flight fit of fever, appears to have refrained from taking bark, lell he fhould eonfume an undue proportion of the fmall quantity of this article which was left in the Colony. The Diredors arc much concerned to mention, that out of tlie 120 failors firft mentioned to have been put on B 4 fliore fhore at Sierra Leone by the French, no lefs than 80 arc already reported to have died. It is ftated by the Governor that they were never, in finy ftage of the public diftrefs, in want of at leaft a regular meal of rice; and the Di-reftors are perfuaded that no meafures which either prudence or humanity could didate under the exifting circumftances of the Colony, have been negleč^:ed, either in refped to thefe or any other refugees from the flave ^fhips, who have been caft from time to time on the clemency of the Sierra Leone government. The Dlredtors have the fatisfaäion of being able to clofß the diftrefsful hirtory of the period which they have defpiilicd, by ob-ferving that before the date of the laft 4if-patches, the general ficknefs is faid to have in fome meafure abated; that the inoft healthy feafon of the year was approaching; and that a very f(?afDnable fupply of articles much wanted in the Colony, though in fome re-fpečts probably an inadequate one, hadjuft been purchafed from the captain of a chartered veflel feat out by the Directors. The whole pecuniary lofs fuftained by the Company on this occafion, may be computed at about 40,000!. exclqfive pf the buildings deftroycd, of which the coft has been about J 5000I} their value however having been much leis, the fum likely to be fpent in replacing fuch part of them as will now be thought neceflary, will be probably not more thai; than 2 or 3000I. About 8000I. or 9000I. have been laid out in permanent improvements, fuch as the conftručtion of works of defence, making roads, a landing place, a wharf, and the allotment and cultivation of lands. The whole property of the Company-no w remaining, exclufive of the 8000K or 9000I. dead ftock laft mentioned, is computed by the Diredtors, on a rough calculation, at about 85,000!. The Governor and Council ftate, in abatement of the calamity of whieh they give the account, that fome good effečts may be con-ßdered as refulting from it: they obferve that the late events have opened the eyes of the Nova Scotians to their own folly, in having contended for the ground neareft to the water fide, and in having fo much neglečled the cultivation of the more diftant and mountainous parts; they even remark that the im-, provement about to take place in the moun-taiiis during the enfuing dry feafon, feems likely to be as great and important as the detriment which has been recently done to the town. A very favourable opportunity i« faid to be thus afforded of difmifling from the Company's fervice a number of Nova Scotians, whom the Governor and Council had been long endeavouring in vain to fix on their farms. The experience which has now been had of the internal refources of the Colony, is alfo mentioned as A clrcum-ftance extremely confolatory and important: the the fettlemciit has been left, for the fpace of many wefclcs, deftitute of almoll every articlc from Euro^x;; a great proportion of the live ilock whlcli had begun to abound in it has been alfo killed, and the Company's boats and fliipping ileilroyed; and yet no want of neceflary food has been felt, nor has the calamity been followed by any other evils than thofe which have been defcribed. The plan of building on which the Governor and Council mention that they fhall proceed, is merely that of ere I f.-y , ... A ' ..i :•■ ■ a••■• v jr ■•••V^'V V-. ^ .....S Ti*'i*"'' > T. ^ J ■ '' , i'" , - J .j.«''' • - TI ,..... v. J'"*^-.''^-- '? ■ ^ ■ J-- - . - h - • "^V ... - [: .7 - ■ «iß«',' '