C 337 )
/
A
NEW AND ACCURATE DESCRIPTION
OF
THE COAST OF GUINEA,
DIVIDED INTO
THE GOLD, THE SLAVE, AND THE IVORY COASTS.
CONTAINING
A GEOGRAPHICAL, POLITICAL, AND NATURAL HISTORY OF THE KINGDOMS
AND COUNTRIES :
WITH A PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF THE RISE, PROGRESS, AND PRESENT CONDITION OF ALLTHE EUROPEAN SETTLEMENTS UPON THAT COAST, AND THE JUST MEASURESFOR IMPROVING THE SEVERAL BRANCHES OF THE GUINEA TRADE.
Written originally in Dutch by William Bosman, Chief Faftor for the Dutch at the Caflle ofSt. George d’Elmina. And now faithfully done into Englifn.*
THE AUTHOR’S PREFACE.
T T is a common cuftom among authors, to ufher in their writings with a Preface ; whichfome look upon as a mere ornament of no great importance, and others as a neceffaryappendage, both for fetting forth the fubjeft, method, and defign of the performance,and for giving the reader an opportunity to know the qualifications of his author : andit is the latter of thefe that I here join with.
The world is at prefent fo overftocked with books, that it is almoft impoffible tobring any new thing to light, unlefs another new world were difcovered ; the countriesand people in all parts of the world, being already defcribed by various authors. Butit was an ancient faying among the Romans, that Africa always produces fomethingnew; and, to this day, the faying is very juft; for the coaft of Guinea , which is partof Africa , is for the moft part unknown, not only to the Dutch, but to all Europeans,and no particular defcription of it is yet come to light; nor, indeed, any thing, but afew fcraps fcattered in books written upon other fubje&s, moft of which are contraryto truth, and afford but a forry fketch of Guinea .
Being a lover, from my youth, of the defcriptions of travels and voyages, and ac-counts of foreign countries, I quickly took a diftafte at fuch authors as palmed preca-
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rious