Skip to main content

Josias Booker to Samuel Gurney, about the latter's plan to send out a steamer to Africa as conveyed to him in a letter from W.E. Forster in response to one of his own, 29 Sep 1840

 Item
Shelfmark: MSS. Brit. Emp. s. 444 Vol. 33, pp. 461-464
Held at the Weston Library

Request
this

He states that a steamer such as the 'Caledonia' would not have the stowage necessary for the transport of the palm oil and ivory they would buy with their goods in Africa, because of the need to carry fuel, and their venture could end in disaster, as the Landers' had. He argues that a trading vessel accompanying the expedition would be at a disadvantage since the gifts exchanged between the African Chiefs and the Queen would put the Africans against trading on a normal basis. He claims that a sailing vessel at the mouth of the river laden with goods was an absolute need for a trading venture, supported by a small steamer to enter the rivers and trade. As a merchant, he could not readily recommend this, because of the initial capital outlay, without further information, such as would be achieved by a survey of the probable productivity of the area if properly managed. He insists that the way to stop slavery was to convince the chiefs that more profit could be obtained from the work of a man for a year than by selling him for life. All that was needed was skill and capital on the spot. Once such information had been obtained by the original experiment, model farms could be similarly established in a number of places.

Dates

  • Creation: 29 Sep 1840

Extent

4 pages

Language of Materials

  • English

Shelfmark

MSS. Brit. Emp. s. 444 Vol. 33, pp. 461-464

Former reference:

Z 13

Repository Details

Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository

Contact:
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom