generated chimerical theories and eccentric projects, which, like "portentous comets," have threatened, and still threaten, to hurl our world from its regular courfe, into "all the viciffitudes, crimes, and horrors of the French revolution ?" But the Guardian Genius of America decrees, that we fhall not experience fuch evils, from fimilar caufes. The pandora box of venal literature has never been opened to curfe our country. Too much learning has not yet made us mad. We have as much as we could acquire in our infant itate. Lefs would have done us honor. More may be added. Knowledge is fought by moft. The useful preferred by all. The useful writer alone is patronized; and his patronage is equal to his reasonable expectations. THE EDITORS TO THE PUBLIC. [THE Author of the following work having had frequent folicitations to republish it in this Magazine, has, at length, confented. And works I of this nature are, by the inquirers after knowledge, always ranked high, in point of amusement and profit, (if well written) which question will alone be left for them to decide, after a perufal. We fhall prefent a few pages monthly-not enough to tire-and we truft not to diffatisfy. The reader may form fome idea of its merit, by reading the following Letter from the celebrated Dr. PASCALIS, to the Author.] SIR, HAVE read with pleasure the Hiftory of your voyage to the coaft of Africa. Your excurfion among the tribes of the interior of that country, add's many authentic documents to the incomplete accounts and defcriptions we have of that part of the world. The hofpitable and generous treatment you have received from the Ebo King and Nation, are fufficient proofs of the advantages which many celebrated philofophers have promifed to all powers of the earth, if, instead of trafficking with flaves and prifoners of Africa, and keeping, confequent. ly, thofe nations in their cuftomary ignorance, barbarity and warfare, they would exert themselves in civilizing and colonizing the numerous tribes of thofe immenfe countries. The character you give of the Ebos is, in every refpect, truly observed and defcribed for the trapported flaves of that nation were most efteemed in our Weft India Islands; they are most induftrious, laborious, and fufceptible of generous fentiments; their courage and felf-denial in misfortunes, in war, and, even on the fcaffold, are unparalleled-Nothing is more remarkable than what you obferve of their ideas of a future ftate, and their hope of coming again in their native and luxuriant country; it keeps them in a conftant and spontaneous readinefs to fuicide; for I once faw fix Ebos, who had hanged themfelves on the fame tree, a few days after their arrival on a plantation of Hifpaniola. The merit of your publication, the candor and fimplicity of the narrative, caufe your readers to regret that you could not be brought again on a more extenfive field of obfervation, where you would promote, with fuccefs, ufeful knowledge and ingenuity ingenuity of principles; but fomething will yet remain in your power, Sir, to folace yourself; while blind nefs deprives you of the material fight of the creation, it will favour all your mental faculties, enlarge their power, and multiply all your moral enjoyments. Thus, not a fingle moment of your life will be loft in our common and ordinary distractions; all of them will find a nobler and more rational use in folitary studies, in the eafy contemplation of natural truths, in religious, philofophical and literary investigations. What then, could be more properly fought, and united, for the honour and happinefs of your life? For which, I addrefs you my moft ardent wishes. I am, Sir, with great esteem and friendship, your most humble and devoted fervant, FELIX PASCALIS. Mr. Jofeph Hawkins. Philadelphia, Feb. 12, 1796. A HISTORY of a VOYAGE to the COAST of AFRICA, and READERS of travels like trav ellers are rarely fatisfied, till they know fome particulars of those with whom they are about to embark, in pursuit of advantage or pleasure without this knowledge, fome diffatisfaction, or doubt, will frequently take place in their minds. In this view therefore it is that I think proper to introduce a few particulars concerning myself, which, on any other occafion, would nei ther be fufficiently important or interefting to merit relation: but as the greater part of young men are directed through life more by accident than choice, and many of their fortunes and misfortunes are to be placed rather at the door of chance than predifpofition; fo, it will be ufeful on this occafion, to mark the courfe which led me to the voyage and travels which I am about to relate, in order, that the reader may carry the remembrance of my circumstances and fituation in life, and the part I acted in some transactions which I have to defcribe; that I am not an adventurer of pleasure. nor of choice, but one who started from the humble walks of private life in fearch of a competence, and launched into the ocean of the world with no other pilot than neceffity, or other chart than that of a youthful knowledge of the world, deftitute of every stock but that of industry, and an active difpofition, My father's family, although not popular in point of property, were refpected for their industry and probity, in the town of Kingsbury, Washington county, state of NewYork, where I was born in 1772 Arrived at the age of eighteen, bred up with a difpofition to an active life in common with my countrymen, I was encouraged to commence a mercantile purfuit at the town of Alfburgh, in the state of Vermont where having refided, and witnessed the wildly rude and romantic beau ties, that furround Lake Champlain, at the end of fourteen months I found my hopes of fuccefs in bufinefs difappointed, and that I muft neceffarily feek fome new purfuit. Hearing it frequently faid that a young man of a moderate education and industrious habits, with a good recommendation, would be fure of an eligible and conftant employment in the fouthern ftates, after advising with my friends and making the neceffary preparations, I determined to proceed to Charleston, SouthCarolina. I fet out for Boston on horse-back, where I arrived without any very interefting adventure, and foon obtained a paffage by fea for paffage by fea for Charleston, where I arrived in 20 days after leaving Bofton Harbour, heartily fick of my first fea voyageas I called it. My circumftances and profpects on arriving in Charleston by no means equalled my wants or expec tations. Difappointed hopes, and the ftill predominating turn of my difpofition, prompted me to new purfuits, urged on by the more potent stimulus of neceffity, and my efforts were redoubled, but without fuccefs. While in this unfettled ftate, an offer was made me of a fit uation on board a Guinea Trader; the fhip had been delayed through the want of a fupercargo. I was fufficiently qualified, and happy did I confider myself in obtaining a fituation reputable in its nature and highly profitable in profpect. We failed from Charleston, the ift of Dec. 1794, on board the ship Charleston, J. Connelly mafter, burthen 400 tons; and after a paffage partly boisterous, and frequently becalmed for feveral days, we made the isles of Delos on the 17th January, 1795. These islands are nine in number, and afford harbours and fafe anchorage in deep water for fhips of any burthen; they are fix leagues from the main land of Africa, 12 deg. 30 min. fouth lat. they are inhabited by French and English factors, who find their account in living on thofe islands in preference to the main, particularly from the circumftances of accommodation for their fhips, which lie here with the greateft fafety in all weathers, and that their flaves cannot eafily escape. The flaves are in those islands fuffered to go at large, without chains, contrary to the customs on the continent. The furface of the islands is barren and rocký, but there is abundance of fine fresh water; and provifions are procured with facility. From the factors here we learned that the EBO and GoLo Kings had been at war, the latter of whom having been defeated, and a great part of his army had fallen into the hands of the conqueror, they there. fore advised us to proceed for the REYO-PONGO river, about 25 leagues fouth-westward, and from thence the access to the EBO nation would be eafily fecured, by a paffage up that river and from thence by land, about three hundred miles from the mouth of this river; they furnished us with further directions, and affured us of a certain and good trade. Agreeably to this information, we provided ourfelves with fuch neceffaries as the factors could afford us, and proceeded for the REYO-PONGO, which we made on the 5th of February, and after choofing a proper fituation, came to anchor in a handfome harbour within the northern bank, three leagues from the mouth of the river, clofe to the fhore, in view of a luxuriant country, low, and thinly covered with fcattered woods and picturesque collections of reed. The The oppofite fide of the river appearing in perfpective, more bold and riting in proportion to its dif tance. The country bore the appearance of being frequently overflowed, which we afterwards learned to be the cafe the banks were however covered with the most exuberant richness, the air was not intenfely hot, the clearness of the fky charming, and the nights delightfully ferene and tranquil. The river abounds with fish, of which we caught feveral, different in form from any that I had ever feen; and the crocodiles from numbers and fize may be confidered as in their native empire when in the REYO-PONGO; here the number of beautiful iflands formed by the windings and divifions of the river into branches afford them a fecure and peaceful retreat. The tree most prominent and confpicuous is the palm of various fpecies, but particularly one which I understood to be peculiar to Africa, which I fhall have occafion fubfequently to describe, with a variety of uses to which it is converted, and which render its value ineftimable to the natives. On the 6th of February we were vifited by numbers of the natives, who offered to barter with us fruit and ivory for our hardwares; but finding after we had exchanged a few articles, that they belonged to a nation which had been before reprefented to us as thinly inhabited, and that we could not accommodate our felves here as we wished, we made use of them to obtain information concerning the country of the EBO king. We fortunately found an interpreter acquainted with that country and the trade, him we engaged, and an expedition was immediately determined upon by the captain. After fome confultation, no perfon could be found fo fuitable for the journey as myself, and the captain propofed it to me. On viewing the dangers and difficulties that muft be neceffarily attendant on a journey of this kind; in which I was ig norant of the country, and its language, and without any knowledge of the duties of the charge, but fuch as might be derived from inftructions that could not be expected to apply in all cafes that might occur, I was averfe to the attempt, and declined in engaging in it; my reafons were not deemed fatisfactory by the captain, whofe orders I must obey, and after obtaining as full an account as the poor negro interpreter could afford me, I was obliged to provide the neceffaries for the journey, arranged my affairs on board the fhip, and prepared for the expedition. An enterprize fo hazardous, will naturally be conceived as undertaken with confiderable anxiety and apprehenfion. I was not deftitute of refolu tion, nor unused to hazardous expedi tions; and a habit of perfeverance acquired on the borders of the extenfive American Lakes, and on the fides of the Green Mountains, could not be inaufpicious to an adventurer fo young, and much poffeffed of the fanguine confidence peculiar to that period of life :-I had but barely entered on the course of a journey, in which the flattering allurements of profit were too potent to be conquered by fears or forebodings! I now fatisfied myself of the knowledge of my guide, of his ac quaintance with the languages of the people, and with the courfe of the route which we were to pursue; and, having taken precautions to cultivate a kind understanding between my future fellow traveller and companion, I provided myself with a ftock of ammunition for fport and défence, defence, with a cafe of piftols in my belt, a fufil on my fhoulder, and a hanger by my fide; my friend HURDEE I furnished with a good fowling piece, a fword, a handfome bow and arrows, purchased in the neighbouring village, fome powder, fhot, flints, trinkets, and a quantity of rum. With these we landed and fet out on the morning of the 14th of February, accompanied by a crowd of the natives, men, women, and children, who appeared anxious to do us every fort of kindness, and aid us by their good offices. They affifted us in plucking fruit and paffing over the creeks and gulleys across which this day's route lay. They left us, however, about two hours before noon, and we retired to the covert to avoid the heat of the fun, and to partake of refreshment for the first time in this expedition. About 4 o'clock, P. M. we continued our journey nearly S. E. keeping a diftant chain of mountains that appeared like a mift, inclining to our left. The river lay before us, extending through a tract of country variegated with clusters of trees, plains, and fpacious fwamps, covered with lofty and clustering reeds, or canes. Here we could mark on the fides of the rivulet the traces of the voracious crocodile, which finds in these receffes a feeure retreat. Here, likewife, the wind ings of poisonous ferpents, of which Africa affords fuch multiplied variety, are frequently obferved. In the courfe of this evening my heart frequently palpitated with alarm, and my apprehenfions figured the wide jaws of the dreadful animal, or the poifoned tooth about to ftrike nie, and finish, by a miferable death, my journey and my cares. My fellow-traveller was not deftitute of vivacity, and being a stranger to fear from this quarter, took occafion, when he faw me thoughtful as we walked along, to call my mind into action by explaining fome of the African terms, which in the end proved of great utility. After about two hours' march, we reached a deep creek; through this it was neceffary to pass, in order to gain the hills which we had to cross the enfuing day, and at the foot of which we were to take our repofe for the night. The fide upon which we stood was marshy, and that opposite to us fhaggy, and covered with thick irregular uuderwood. We had been fearching for a place convenient to ford, the current appearing too rapid, and too deep, to venture across with perfect confidence, when, as I was lok in a momentary reflection, my companion fuddenly roared out that there was a crocodile-I had fcarcely power to move: a fudden rustling in the reeds, with a loud plunge in the water, left me totally ftupified: HURDEE had purfued the animal and caufed his plunging into the water, and now returning, roufed me from my terror by immoderate laughter. I judged it prudent, however, to conceal as much as poffible my embarraffment, acknowledging that I was in a flight degree alarmed. We croffed the creek in a place that was fordable, and speedily afcended the floping fide of the oppofite bank, which as we afcended thickened with charming timber, and led to a long and winding range of beautiful hills, at the feet of which we could trace the river gradually narrowing to the eye, and receiving the tribute of a thousand little ftreams that flowed from the woods and declivities that prefented themselves in wild but fimple grandeur, far as the fight could reach in an eastwardly direction. The approach of night, and the fun fetting |