Beaver, Philip

African Memoranda: Relative to an attempt to establish a British settlement on the island of Bulama, on the western coast of Africa, in the year 1792. With a brief notice of the neighbouring tribes, soil, productions, & c. and some observations on the facility of colonizing that part of Africa, with a view of cultivation; and the introduction of letters and religion to its inhabitants; but more particularly as the means of gradually abolishing African slavery.

London, printed for C. and R. Baldwin, 1805. 4to. viii + xvi + 500 pp. + 2 engraved plans, each with one leaf of explanatory text + 1 large folding engraved map coloured in outline, “Nautical map, intended for the use of colonial undertakings on the W. Coast of Africa from Lat. 6º. 15’ to Lat. 14º N, originally constructed by the late C. B. Wadström: but altered, and amended”. Entirely uncut copy, bound in quarter calf, spine in compartments. Map slightly torn along fold. Sheet 2M (pp. 265–72) duplicated. “In the end of 1791 Beaver associated himself with a scheme for colonising the island of Bulama on the coast of Africa, near Sierra Leone, and left England for that place on 14 April 1792. The whole affair seems from the beginning to have been conducted without forethought or knowledge. The would-be settlers were, for the most part, idle and dissipated. Beaver found himself at sea in command of a vessel of 260 tons, with 65 men, 24 women, and 31 children, mostly sea-sick, and all equally useless. When they landed, anything like discipline was unattainable. The party, assembled on shore, proved ignorant alike of law, industry, or order. The directors lost heart and took an early opportunity of returning to England. The command devolved on Beaver, and during a period of eighteen months he endeavoured, by unceasing toil, to keep a little order and to promote a little industry; but the men were quite unfitted for the work and manner of life, and the greater number of them died. The miserable remnants of the party evacuated the island in November 1793, and went to Sierra Leone, whence Beaver obtained a passage to England, and arrived at Plymouth 17 May 1794” (DNB, 2, pp. 70–1).

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• 订书号：: 04731

• 书商: Lowendahl Rare Books Ltd (THAILAND)