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I was once upon the coaſt of Angola alſo, when there had not been a ſlave-ſhip at the river Ambris for five years previous to our arrival, altho' a place to which many uſually reſort every year; and the failure of the trade for that period, as far as we could learn, had not any other effect than to reſtore peace and confidence among the natives; which upon the arrival of any ſhips, is immediately deſtroyed, by the inducemnent then held forth in the purchaſe of ſlaves. And during the ſuſpenſion of trade at Bonny, as above mentioned, none of the dreadful proceedings which are ſo confidently aſſerted to be the natural conſequence of it, were known. The reduction of the price of negroes, and the poverty of the black traders, appear to have been the only bad effects of the diſcontinuance of trade; the good ones were, moſt probably, the reſtoration of peace and confidence among the natives, and a ſuſpenſion of kidnapping.
When the ſhips have diſpoſed of all their merchandize in the purchaſe of negroes, and have laid in their ſtock of wood, water, and yams, they prepare for ſailing, by getting up the yards and top-maſts, reeving the running rigging, bending the ſails, and by taking down the temporary houſe. They then drop down the river, to wait for a favourable opportunity to paſs over the bar, which is formed by a number of ſand-banks lying acroſs the mouth of the river, with
