I. The trade to Africa. - The first notice of any trade between England and
Africa occurs in the year 1526, when some merchants of Bristol, which, at
this period, was undoubtedly one of our most enterprising cities, traded by
means of Spanish ships to the Canaries. Their exports were cloth, soap, for
the manufacture of which, even at this early period, Bristol was
celebrated, and some other articles. They imported drugs for dyeing, sugar,
and kid skins. This branch of commerce answering, the Bristol merchants
sent their factors thither from Spain. The coast of Africa was, at this
period, monopolized by the Portuguese. In 1530, however, an English ship
made a voyage to Guinea for elephants' teeth: the voyage was repeated; and
in 1536, above one hundred pounds weight of gold dust, besides elephants'
teeth, was imported in one ship. A few years afterwards, a trade was opened
with the Mediterranean coast of Africa, three ships sailing from Bristol to
Barbary with linens, woollen cloth, coral, amber, and jet; and bringing
back sugar, dates, almonds, and molasses. The voyages to Guinea from the
ports of the south and southwest of England, particularly Portsmouth,
Plymouth, and Bristol, were frequently repeated: the returns were uniformly
gold dust and elephants' teeth. But it does not appear that other ports
followed the example of these, that these sent many ships, or that the
commerce became very regular and lucrative, till the west coast of Africa
was resorted to for slaves.
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