Our Company’s principal Fort is at Cape Corso. That of the Dutch, two or three Leagues above, called Des Minas or St. George de Elmina; each has other little ones up and down this Coast, to gather in the Trade that centers for the respective Companies, at one or other of the aforesaid larger Forts.
The African Company was erected under the Duke of York in K. Charles II’s Time, and therefore Royal; the Epithet being still retained, tho’ that Prince’s Superstition, and Thirst after Power, have long since justly banish’d him the Realm.
In it’s first flourishing Condition, it was allowed by authentick Accounts to have gained annually to England 900,000l. whereof in Teeth, Camwood, Wax and Gold, was only 100,000l. and the rest in Slaves; which in the Infancy of their Trade were in very great demand over all the American Plantations to supply their own wants, and carry on a clandestine Commerce with the Spanish West-Indies. On Computation, Barbadoes wanted annually 4000 Negroes, Jamaica 10000, Leeward Islands 6000; and because the Company (’twas complained by such as wished them ill Success) could not supply this Number, having only imported 46396 Slaves between the years 1680 and 1688; Interlopers crept in, and contended for a Share; which the Company represented as contrary to the Privileges of their Patent, and withal, that the Accusation was groundless and unjust, because they did supply enough for demand, and maintained Forts and Garisons at a great Charge, for awing and subjecting the Natives to trade, and maintaining an Industry equal to the Dutch, without which it was plain to all impartial Considerers, it would be but very difficultly carried on. However, their Adversaries, after some years of grumbling, obtained an Act of Parliament 1697, whereby private Traders for making good this deficiency of Slaves, should have Liberty of Trade, allowing the Company 10 per Cent. towards defraying their extraordinary Expence.
From this time the Company more visibly decayed, insomuch that in eight following years they only imported to the West-Indies 17760 Slaves; and the separate Traders in that time 71268.
Their 10 per Cent. in the first ten years amounted to 87465l. and therefore finding their Trade under great disadvantages with these new Inmates, they resolved to make the best shares they could in this Money, by lessening their Expence about the Forts. They accordingly withdrew all Supplies from their Garisons, leaving them to subsist by their own Management or starve. Gambia Fort having only twelve men, was taken by a Privateer of eight Guns in 1709, Sierraleon thirteen men, Sherbro four, and these not of any Charge to the Company, but were possessed by such, who having a long time resided in their Service, by help of those Fortifications were capable to do something for themselves, and so the private Traders by degrees got entirely quit of their Impost; the reason in a manner ceasing, for which it was at first allowed.
About 1719, their Affairs seemed to revive again, under the Auspices of the Duke of Chandois, who became a very considerable Proprietor in their Stock, and promised from his Figure and Interest a Renewal of those Privileges that had depressed them; their Objections ceasing, (the number demanded being now very short of what it was formerly.) More Ships were imployed than for many years past, but whether it were their too large Expence, or Corruption of their chief Officers, who too often in Companys think they are sent abroad purely for their own Service, or both; they soon felt that without a separate Act they were uncapable of contending with private Traders, and every year more and more explaining their Inability, they applied to Parliament, and now support their Forts by an annual Allowance from the Government, of 10000l.
Those who are the Favourers of Companies suggest, that if the Trade must be allowed, and the Christian Scheme of enlarging the Flock cannot well be carried on without it, that then it seems necessary and better for the Publick that some rich and powerful Set of Men should have such exclusive Powers to encourage and enable the subsisting of Forts and Garisons, to awe the Natives and preserve the Trade from being engrossed by our dangerous Rivals here, the Dutch; which, as we relinquish, falls an acquisition to them, and renders all precarious; they could also bring (as an exclusive Company) foreign Markets to their own Price.
The Company’s Trade wanting that Encouragement, every year grows worse; buying dearer than in times past on the Coast, and selling cheaper in the West-Indies; the reason at Guinea, is a greater Scarcity of Slaves, and an improved Knowledge in the trading Negroes who dispose of them; and at the West-Indies it is the Demand failing, more disadvantageously still for them, because separate Traders are not under the delays they are subject to: They take the whole Coast in their way, while the other is consigned to the Governour, and can afford to undersel their Goods (necessary Requisites for Dispatch and Success) because they stand exempt from all Coast-Charges. On the other side, our Colonies are now pretty well glutted with Slaves, and their Call consequently not nigh so large: 2000 in a year perhaps furnishes all our Plantations, and tho’ more are imported, it is in order to transport them again to the Spanish West-Indies, where tho’ the Assiento Ships are of late years only indulged by Treaty, all others being liable to Confiscation, and the People to Slavery if taken by the Spanish Guard le Costa; yet the Prospect of Gain inciting, they still find means to continue on, and maintain a forcible Traffick for them, under the Protection of their Guns. This clandestine Method, by the way, hurts the South-Sea Company, beating down the Price of their Slaves, who cannot so well afford it, because bought, and brought there at a greater Charge.
The third part of our Division is the Bay of Guinea, which takes in Whydah, Benin, Callabar, &c. to Congo and Angola in 8°° S. In this Extent Whydah is principal, there being more Slaves exported from that place before the late Conquest of it by the King of Dauhomay, than from all the rest of the Coast together, the Europeans being said in some years to have carried off 20000; but more of this by and by. I shall only observe, that as this part abounds more with Slaves, the other does with Gold, and the windward Coast with Ivory.
I now proceed to our Method of Trade, and shall sum the Rules of it up, under the head of Interlopers. Private trading Ships bring two or three Boats with them upon this Coast for Dispatch, and while the Mates go away in them with a proper Parcel of Goods, and Instructions into the Rivers and By-places, the Ship is making good her Trade at others near hand.