of things among them, they should make any great exertions beyond what is necessary to that object.

The moral standard of this people is extremely low. They appear to have no idea of restraint, beyond what their own interests or the dread of punishment imposes; and besides that their laws are both too loosely framed, and too partially executed, to have a very powerful effect in curbing men's passions, it is to be considered that no laws can provide an effectual check for that class of offences which may be comprised under the head of immoralities. They are without any education or discipline of a moral kind; and from their earliest infancy are habituated to examples of inhumanity, fraud, and licentiousness. In short, the moral principle is not cultivated among them: so that there is hardly any act which will attach disgrace or infamy to the individual, or even bring reproach upon him, if he do but pay the penalty of the law. Their religious system has no tendency whatever to improve their morality. It Consists almost entirely in a superstitious dread of suffering from some malign in. Auence, and in the faith they repose in the Fetishes, or charms, which are furnished by their Fetishmen, or priests, for the purpose of warding off the dreaded evil. The people in general do not appear to engage in any kind of worship; and although on certain days they abstain from their ordinary employments, yet they assign no reason for this, except

that it has been the custom to do so. The Fetishmen, however, who may be considered as an order of priests, engage in certain forms of worship and religious ceremonies; and they are supposed to hold communion with the demon, or Fetishe, and to obtain from him the knowledge which is requisite for the exercise of their profession, which is, to solve the doubts and perplexities of their followers, and to furnish them with the means of averting evil, either actual or possible. Their profits arise from the presents made to the Fetish by the votaries: these they appropriate to their own use; and they are often of considerable value. The Fetishmen usually connect themselves with the persons in power, and are often serviceable in strengthening the government, and enforcing obedience to the laws; as they have great influence among the people, and continue to be respected by them even when the government has fallen into disrepute.

At Winnebal there is an annual sacri

With respect to intellectual capacity, this people do not discover any natural inferiority to Europeans; at the same time their attainments are as low as can be immagined, their minds not being in, proved by any kind of culture. They are wholly ignorant of letters; and their language, which is the Fantee, has never been reduced to writing. The language itself is soft and harronious. The fol lowing short specimen of it gives the proper names of men and women, according to the day of the week on which they are born:

Arts and manufactures are in a low state among them. They make canoes, fishing-nets, hooks and lines, hoes, bills, of the same kind; and some of them can baskets, mats, and various other articles work as masons and carpenters. amusements of the young consist chiefly vanced in years, amuse themselves by rein dancing and singing: those more adlating the exploits performed in their youth.

The

The women of this country, as in all countries where polygamy is practised, are in a degraded state. They are literally slaves to the men, and perform almost all the laborious offices, as grinding corn, procuring fire and water; they do every thing, in short, but fish and plant corn. The women also generally act both as physicians and surgeons. The prevailing complaints are fevers, fluxes, rheumatism, and leprosy; for the cure of which they use for the most part certain herbs, which are natives of the country. They sometimes have recourse to bleeding, by means of scarification and cupping; and these operations are per formed with much dexterity by the

women.

The number of persons in a state of stavery

slavery in Agoona, is very small; not above one person in forty, or perhaps in fifty, can be considered as a slave. The power of the master over the slave is absolute, and extends not only to the exaction of whatever labour the slave is capable of performing, but to life itself. The slave is liable to be seized and sold for the debts of his master, or for the payment of any forfeiture to which the sentence of the law may have subjected him. In respect, however, to the common field labour which they have to perform, there is practically no difference between the slave and the freeman. Their hours of working are the same, and those not strictly regulated; the forenoon only being usually allotted to labour. Nor are the saves ever driven, or other wise compelled to work: what they do, they do with willingness. There is still some slave-trade carried on by the Dutch, and lately also by the Danes, who continue to reside on the coast. The chief carriers of slaves from the Gold Coast, are the Portuguese. Their great market, however, is on the leeward, or what it called the Slave Coast. Two vessels from Cuba carried off cargoes of slaves from the Gold Coast, in October last.

The continuance of the slave-trade, though on a reduced scale, by other nations, has greatly impeded the beneficial effects which might have been expected to follow from its abolition by Great Britain; for though the export of slaves from the coast be comparatively trifling, yet it serves to keep alive there many of the mal-practices, which would otherwise have ceased. What is wanted, therefore, to give this measure its full effect, is an universal abolition of the trade. Even as things are, the natives have become more diligent in seeking for gold, and in procuring other articies wanted by Europeans; and, generally speaking, more industrious; but still, the partial existence of the slave-trade, is a great bar to industrious exertion. It is also true that accusations and condemnations for crimes (as witchcraft, &c.), and predatory wars, have been less fre quent than they used to be. Kidnapping, or panyaring, as it is called on the Gold Coast, is not much diminished. Personal security, however, is, on the whole, increased; and this has manifested itself by increased industry. From these partial improvements, may be inferred

the unspeakable and innumerable be nefits which must accrue to Africa, from a total abolition of the traffic in slaves.

The foregoing observations embrace but a small portion of what is called the Gold Coast; and although there is throughout the whole much similarity of soil and climate, yet in other respects there are material differences. The Anta country, for instance, which lies between the rivers Ancubra and Succondee, is a rich woody country, well watered, and well planted. The timber here is fit for every purpose. It abounds in gold, and other metals, in a greater degree than the neighbouring states. The cultivation of the soil is more attended to than in many parts of the coast; and it has many very convenient creeks and harbours.

The river Ancobra separates this state' from the kingdom of Apollonia. Here the country is still better watered by lakes and rivers: it is more flat, and better adapted for the growth of rice, sugarcane, and all those articles which require a moist soil. The great disadvantage under which Apollonia labours, is, that the surf along its coast is so violent, that it is impossible to land without danger. The form of its government is despotic; a circumstance which certainly prevents many of those irregularities and abuses, which prevail in other districts.

As we recede from the sea, however, and advance into the interior, the state of things appears to be much more favourable than it can be said to be on any part of the coast. We witness a life of more industry and more happiness; and a great improvement, not only in these important respects, but in soil, climate, and other natural advantages. In short, the capabilities of Africa can be appreciated but in a very inadequate degree, if we confine our observations to the sea coast, and do not proceed inland. The difference, indeed, is visible even a few miles from the shore; but it is still greater the farther we advance into the country. There is no valuable article of tropical culture, which might not be raised in this country in great abundance; while its population stands in need of our manufactures, and is accustomed to their use. And when it is considered what the hand of industry has done in the West Indies, in the pestilential swamps of Guiana, for instance, what may not fairly be expected from

the

the rich hills and extensive plains of this country, blessed as it is with a luxuriant soil, and a comparatively healthy climate?

IT

as

For the Monthly Magazine.

SILK WORMS-WINE-HONEY.

T must necessarily happen, in the vast revolving series of the affairs of a nation, that failures in every concern must be forgotten, together with even their records; and that thence the desire of this or that improvement should periodically burst forth, stimulating the enterprising to new attempts. My recollection, which now extends to nearly half a century, has furnished me with a variety of instances of this nature; and with many, particularly in the medical department, in which old pretended infallible remedies have been re-produced new discoveries, in order to the honours of a second, third, or fourth, repetition of failure. Amongst a thousand other projects of late years, that of grow ing silk in England has been eminently pushed forward. It was in course out of memory, and, until lately, out of the common road of reading, that, in or about the year 1721, the silk mania became epidemic in this country; and that among a great number of inferior extent, an attempt upon a considerable scale was made, to breed and feed silk-worms in the duke of Wharton's park at Chelsea, taken expressly for that purpose, and under the sanction of a patent. Whether the silk manufactories at Green wich, established about the same time, were of the same connection, I have really forgotten, but I conjecture they were. I have also forgotten the particular cause of failure in breeding the silk-worms at that period, but I have repeatedly, and at different periods of my life, experienced such failure, both in my own attempts, and those of other persons; insomuch, that I have many years since made up my mind on the real impossibility of ever growing silk to advantage in this country. Such has also been the case in various parts of France. Nevertheless, silk-worms have, during a century, and still are kept and bred for the amusement of young misses and masters, and a breeding stock inay, at any season, be purchased in Coventgarden market, together with mulberry leaves, at two-pence per dozen, where

with to feed them.

The climate of this country is by no means inimical to the silk-worm, which

is most prolific here; and I have even had autumnal broods of them, from keeping the eggs of the moth too warm. The sole bar of which I am apprised to success in breeding them, is the impossibility of obtaining mulberry leaves sufficiently early in the spring for the worms, or a healthy substitute, until the foliage of the mulberry be ready. I have tried every plant within my reach, whilst waiting the tardy progress of the mulberry-tree, but could find none on which the worms would feed, excepting the lettuce; and that in, variably injured, after the first day or two, by scouring and weakening them, until finally they burst the greater part of them, with a species of hydropic rot, like that of sheep. Lettuce dried, proved too harsh for their mouths. In the mean time, their stench was insufferable; rendering the atmosphere of the chamber in which they were kept, ab¬ solutely morbific. Many of them began to spin; but from debility, their labour was imperfect, and they died with their web incomplete, producing no chrysolite, the dead worm being apparent through the web, which is otherwise impervious to the sight. Some silk indeed was, and generally will be obtained; but the quantity insufficient, and the quality weak and inferior. The most healthy worms produced the strongest and yellowest silk, following the rule of vegetable roots, in which the yellow colour is generally the harbinger of superior quality. In conclusion, we never need regret the want of silk culture in this country, not only because our lands may be much more advantageously occupied, but also because were such an undertaking desirable, colonies enow might be found in the world, with every requisite of climate and food for the purpose. Moreover, it is universally desirable in the view of necessary human commerce, that one country should depend upon another for its peculiar indigenous commodity. Į am yet prejudiced in one respect, and loath to depend on other countries for a supply of wine, more especially as there is good reason to conclude, that real wine was made in this country some centuries back, and that the introduction, with commerce, of superior wines, occasioned the discontinuance of our home manufacture, and, in a considerable de gree, of the vine culture. Our cydery balderdash froin currants, gooseberries, and other fruits, I will not consent to honour with the name of wine; nor can

I agree

I agree with a certain useful provincial writer, in his recommendation of such debilitating slops, to be given to the sick poor, to whom, in their sickness, good Sound beer, when foreign wine cannot be procured, will he generally more beneficial. But I yet entertain the hope of being able to make real wine, of pas sable quality, in this country, the chief impediment to which is the scarcity of grapes. We are the most indolent of nations at the fruit culture, and of marvellous stupidity in our choice of fruits: of apples, for example, one half of the varieties of which grow among us, are unfit even for pigs, and ought, like our bad plays, to be damned.

Honey is another staple article of periodical projection. Every seven, or half a score years, a fortune is to be. made by the bee culture. A French curé, starving upon his living, but living Sumptuously upon his bees, treated his diocesan with a dinner of I know not how

w many courses, to the absolute alarm of the good bishop, who ever after replied to those asking preferment of him -Keep bees. Lately we have been informed, Mr. M'What-d'ye-call-him, has made so many hundred pounds weight of honey from his numerous hives, and sold it for so much money, And all this is passing well, to have a good stock of honey for home consumption, and a comfortable surplus for mar ket, to be sold at a high price. But latet unguis in herba: there is a sting in the tail of this. In all probability, the confined use of honey in this country would not bear any very extensive growth, and were the constant recommendations of increased culture to be generally attended to, down would go the price like a jack-weight, or like the stocks after the cheer-up of a Birmingham victory. It ought to be recollected, that honey is rather a medicinal than a dietetic article, and that it would make a most improper substitute for sugar, rendering tea still more debilitating. About twenty years since I was offered quantities of virgin honey, both in Es sex and Hampshire, at two-pence farthing per pound; the second species at seven farthings; and the squeezings, at five farthings. L.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR,

HAVE read a letter in your last Number, signed Agricola, which, as having been occasioned by my former

communication concerning Stramonium, and as being calculated to give the public a very different impression with regard to its virtues from that which I endeavoured to convey, I feel myself in a certain degree cailed upon to reply to. Agricola seems to regard the smoking of stramonium as a species of ebriety, or as the use merely of one of those or dinary opiates, that people are apt to have recourse to in order to relieve a paroxysm of pain, whether it originates from a mental or a corporeal cause, by which they purchase a temporary suspension of misery at the expense of permanent injury. Stramoniuin, how. ever, used in the manner explained in my first paper, produces effects essentially different from that of any intoxica ting drug that I am acquainted with. It acts favourably upon the feelings of the mind, only inasmuch as it alleviates the pain of the body; neither is its first and happy influence succeeded, as in the use of opiates or narcotics, by de pression, lassitude, or stupòr.

So far from stramonium having in. duced that torpor or sluggishness, which the smoking of tobacco and hops occa sioned in Agricola's friend, I am confident, that without the assistance of that invaluable remedy, I should not have been able to go through the exertions that my daily avocations call for, which, thank God, I am doing with an alacrity unknown to me for years past.

As far as my experience has gone, and it is of some standing, it has not lost, by its frequently repeated use, one iota of its medicinal influence; and wherever it has been had recourse to, in a proper manner, within the sphere of my personal knowledge, it has been equally successful.

I am by no means disposed to detract from the value of Dr. Brees's work, by the application of which, Agricola has been able in a manner to regenerate his constitution; or, to make v of his own significant expression, "ta turn the habit of his body." I should be extremely happy if such a new birth should take place in my crazy and capricious fabric. In the mean time, I am, as I think I ought to be, humbly contented with having a never-failing antidote at hand.

Towards counteracting the tendency to spasmodic asthina (for destroying it where it is implanted in the habit, I consider as impossible)—I have found nothing that has, in any important degree,

conduced