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HATS,

Common, in general request, 24s. per dozen.

SPIRITS.

British Brandy was preferred at Bonny and Calabar, but the natives of those places, now prefer French Brandy, or Rum.

RUM

Is held in most estimation on the Gold Coast, especially that manufactured in America; Leeward Island rum is suitable for the Coast of Angola.

FRENCH BRANDY

Is esteemed at Wydah, Ardrah, Lagos, and Benin; also, Hollands Gin, in cases of six bottles, and twelve bottles. Spirit used in trade is generally reduced to three-fourths of the proof strength. At Bonny to two-thirds, where pepper is made to supply the deficiency of strength. The captains careful of the health of the natives, soak a quantity of dry bird-pepper in brandy, which is strained off and put into the brandy, at the time it is mixed with water, this gives it pungency and prevents detection.

GUNPOWDER.

To be saleable, should be of good quality, al

though much of a very inferior description has been sent from England (and Liverpool in particular) to Africa, which has caused the natives to give that brought by the Dutch and Danish traders a decided preference.

GUNS.

Those called Danes are preferred at Cape La Hoo, and Accra; at the former place buccaneer guns are also esteemed. The Tower proof musket is adapted for the Gold Coast trade generally, and also for Wydah, Lagos, and Benin; at the latter place birding guns are sometimes in request. French muskets, also English military ones,are esteemed at Bonny; the greater proportion of the muskets taken to that place during the existence of the slave trade have been of a bad quality. The extreme humidity of the atmosphere, and the saline particles floating in it, causes articles manufactured of iron, or steel, however highly polished, to rust immediately on exposure to it; the natives, therefore, invariably give a preference to those guns the furniture, or mountings, of which are brass; those having pans made of that composition are in great request at Calabar. The main springs of all guns taken to Africa should be strong, so that when they are in the act of being cocked, they should click very loud, or talk, as the blacks call it; and the louder they talk, the better opinion they have of their quality.

Tower proof, also birding, guns are suitable for Angola. The prices vary from 7s. to 16s. 6d.

TOBACCO,

North American, of a dark, leafy, strong quality, is preferred to that which is of a fine quality and flavour. It is suitable, for the Windward and Gold Coasts.

SOUTH AMERICAN, OR BRAZIL, TOBACCO

Is that which is exported from Bahia to Africa in rolls weighing eighty pounds each. This tobacco is preferred in Asshantee, Dahomy, Hio, Housa, Jaboo, Lagos, and Benin, to every other kind; the markets of which have hitherto been constantly and well supplied with it by the Portuguese slave-traders. But now that the trade in slaves is totally abolished north of the equator, two or three small cargoes of tobacco, from Bahia might probably be bartered away for ivory and gold to advantage, in the line of coast from D'Elmina to Benin. At Bonny, Calabar, and Angola, tobacco is cultivated.

SALT

Was formerly in great demand at Benin, but the demand has subsequently declined; nevertheless, a vessel going there for oil and ivory should take fifty

or one hundred tons. At Calabar and Camaroons salt has always been in extensive demand, and vessels going to Angola generally take fifty tons each. As the trade in palm-oil increases in Bonny, salt, in all probability, will become more in demand, vessels trading there, take at present about fifty tons each.

IRON

Is in general demand. At Bonny avaricious men hoard it, as it does not spoil in keeping. The usual sized bars average one hundred and eighty bars to the ton weight.

LEAD BARS

Average about three pounds weight each, and are in general demand. They are converted by the Africans into slugs and balls.

BRASS PANS, NEPTUNES, AND KETTLES,

Are in general demand, but are considered losing articles of trade, but highly necessary to complete an assorted cargo for Africa.

COWRIES

Are shells brought to Europe from the Maldive islands in the East Indies, and are always in great demand at Wydah, Ardrah, and Lagos, at which places they are not only the medium of exchange,

but from whence they are also sent to Dahomy, Hio, Housa, Jaboo, and into the very heart of North Africa, where it is known they are the circulating currency. If any of the rivers in the Gulf of Guinea, or on the Coast of Angola, communicated with the Niger, it might be expected those shells, in such extensive circulation and demand in North Africa, would be in demand at Bonny, Calabar, Camaroons, or the Congo: but such not being the fact, is a circumstance which makes against the probability of any of those rivers in the Gulf of Guinea extending much to the northward of their embouchures. Cowries sell in England, from 401. to 80l. per ton.

BEADS

are much esteemed in Benin, Bonny, Calabar, and Camaroons, also on the coast of Angola: they vary in price, and some of them are considered an expensive article of merchandise; but they cannot be dispensed with.

HARDWARE AND EARTHENWARE,

Such as has been enumerated in the tables, pay well, if properly laid in at the places where they are manufactured.

The goods enumerated in the different columns are valued nearly at what their minimum prices have been for some years past, when those im

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