The Earliest European Establishment On This Celebrated River Was A
Factory Of The Portuguese; And To This Must Be Ascribed The Introduction
Of The Numerous Words Of That Language Which Are Still In Use Among The
Negroes.
The Dutch, French, and English, afterwards successively
possessed themselves of settlements on the coast, but the trade of the
Gambia became and continued for many years a sort of monopoly in the
hands of the English.
In the travels of Francis Moore is preserved an
account of the Royal African Company's establishments in this river, in
the year 1730: at which time James' Factory alone consisted of a
governor, deputy governor, and two other principal officers; eight
factors, thirteen writers, twenty inferior attendants and tradesmen; a
company of soldiers, and thirty-two Negro servants, besides sloops,
shallops, and boats with their crews; and there were no less than eight
subordinate factories in other parts of the river.
The trade with Europe, by being afterwards laid open, was almost
annihilated; the share which the subjects of England at this time hold in
it supports not more than two or three annual ships; and I am informed
that the gross value of British exports is under L. .20,000. The French
and Danes still maintain a small share, and the Americans have lately
sent a few vessels to the Gambia by way of experiment.
The commodities exported to the Gambia from Europe consist chiefly of
fire-arms and ammunition, iron ware, spirituous liquors, tobacco, cotton
caps, a small quantity of broad cloth, and a few articles of the
manufacture of Manchester; a small assortment of India goods, with some
glass beads, amber, and other trifles; for which are taken in exchange
slaves, gold dust, ivory, bees-wax, and hides. Slaves are the chief
article, but the whole number which at this time are annually exported
from the Gambia, by all nations, is supposed to be under one thousand.
Most of these unfortunate victims are brought to the coast in periodical
caravans; many of them from very remote inland countries; for the
language which they speak is not understood by the inhabitants of the
maritime districts. In a subsequent part of my work I shall give the best
information I have been able to collect concerning the manner in which
they are obtained. On their arrival at the coast, if no immediate
opportunity offers of selling them to advantage, they are distributed
among the neighbouring villages, until a slave ship arrives, or until
they can be sold to black traders, who sometimes purchase on speculation.
In the meanwhile, the poor wretches are kept constantly fettered, two and
two of them being chained together, and employed in the labours of the
field; and I am sorry to add, are very scantily fed, as well as harshly
treated. The price of a slave varies according to the number of
purchasers from Europe and the arrival of caravans from the interior; but
in general I reckon that a young and healthy male, from 16 to 25 years of
age, may be estimated on the spot from L. 18 to L. 20 sterling.
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