she aids in the development of the resources of that continent; and conveys to its rude inhabitants the aids and instruments to civilization, to active industry, to domestic comfort, and to a budding social refinement. Without attempting any elaborate verification of these general statements, relative to West African commerce; I will merely present a few items which will show the progressive expansion and the real importance of African trade. I shall merely speak of two prime articles of that trade, namely Cotton and Palm Oil.
(1) Cotton. It is not very generally known that West Africa, that is, that section of the continent of Africa which is called Negroland; is a vast cotton growing country. The cotton that is grown there is manufactured on simple native looms, into cotton cloths; and these cloths enter into an extensive home barter, as also into the foreign trade, for the supply of the Brazilian slaves. Upwards of 200,000 of these manufactured cloths, weighing on the average 2½ lbs. apiece, pass out of the port of Lagos. Their value is stated by Mr. Consul Campbell, late consul at Lagos, at £250,000.
About 30,000 find their way from the interior to Monrovia, and the other ports of Liberia A like number are brought and sold at Therbro.
The fact of this great growth of cotton in interior Africa, has not escaped the anxious eye of commerce; and within a few years efforts have been made by English houses, through missionaries and traders, to secure the raw material. The signal success of this movement is seen in the Abbeokutan
