SOME HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF GUINEA,

ITS SITUATION, PRODUCE, AND THE GENERAL DISPOSITION OF ITS INHABITANTS.

AN INQUIRY INTO THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE SLAVE TRADE, ITS NATURE AND LAMENTABLE EFFECTS.

1771 BY ANTHONY BENEZET

SOME

HISTORICAL ACCOUNT

OF

GUINEA,

ITS

SITUATION, PRODUCE, and the general

DISPOSITION of its INHABITANTS.

WITH

An Inquiry into the RISE and PROGRESS

OF THE

SLAVE TRADE,

Its NATURE, and lamentable EFFECTS.

ALSO

A REPUBLICATION of the Sentiments of several Authors of Note on this interesting Subject: Particularly an Extract of a Treatise written by GRANVILLE SHARPE.

By ANTHONY BENEZET

ACTS xvii. 24, 26. GOD, _that made the world hath made of_ one blood _all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the--bounds of their habitation._

PHILADELPHIA: Printed MDCCLXXI.

LONDON: Re-printed MDCCLXXII.

Introduction.

CHAPTER I. _A GENERAL account of_ Guinea; _particularly those parts on the rivers_ Senegal _and_ Gambia.

CHAP. II. _Account of the_ Ivory-Coast, _the_ Gold-Coast _and the Slave-Coast_.

CHAP. III. _Of the kingdoms of_ Benin, Kongo _and_ Angola.

CHAP. IV. Guinea, _first discovered and subdued by the_ Arabians. _The Portuguese make descents on the coast, and carry off the natives. Oppression of the_ Indians: _De la Casa pleads their cause_.

CHAP. V. _The_ English's _first trade to the coast of_ Guinea: _Violently carry off some of the Negros._

CHAP. VI. _Slavery more tolerable under_ Pagans _and_ Turks _than in the colonies. As christianity prevailed, ancient slavery declined_.

CHAP. VII. Montesquieu's _sentiments of slavery_. Morgan Godwyn's _advocacy on behalf of Negroes and Indians, &c._

CHAP. VIII. _Grievous treatment of the Negroes in the colonies, &c._

CHAP. IX. _Desire of gain the true motive of the_ Slave trade. _Misrepresentation of the state of the Negroes in Guinea_.

CHAP. X. _State of the Government in_ Guinea, &c.

CHAP. XI. _Accounts of the cruel methods used in carrying on of the_ Slave trade, &c.

CHAP. XII. _Extracts of several voyages to the coast of_ Guinea, &c.

CHAP. XIII. _Numbers of Negroes, yearly brought from_ Guinea, _by the_ English, &c.

CHAP. XIV. _Observations on the situation and disposition of the Negroes in the northern colonies_, &c.

CHAP. XV. Europeans _capable of bearing reasonable labour in the_ West Indies, &c.

_Extracts from_ Granville Sharp's _representations,_ &c.

_Sentiments of several authors,_ viz. George Wallace, Francis Hutcheson, _and_ James Foster.

_Extracts of an address to the assembly of_ Virginia.

_Extract of the bishop of_ Gloucester's _sermon_.



INTRODUCTION.

The slavery of the Negroes having, of late, drawn the attention of many serious minded people; several tracts have been published setting forth its inconsistency with every christian and moral virtue, which it is hoped will have weight with the judicious; especially at a time when the liberties of mankind are become so much the subject of general attention. For the satisfaction of the serious enquirer who may not have the opportunity of seeing those tracts, and such others who are sincerely desirous that the iniquity of this practice may become effectually apparent, to those in whose power, it may be to put a stop to any farther progress therein; it is proposed, hereby, to republish the most material parts of said tracts; and in order to enable the reader to form a true judgment of this matter, which, tho' so very important, is generally disregarded, or so artfully misrepresented by those whose interest leads them to vindicate it, as to bias the opinions