ground, as before. The
magistrates, who are elected annually, are obliged to superintend the
repair of the roads, both in the town and its neighbourhood, in
addition to their ordinary duties; and all offenders who are sentenced
to labour on the public works, or to confinement in the house of
correction, are compelled to assist in the necessary repairs. The
expense of keeping the roads in good order is defrayed by a tax of six
days' labour on every inhabitant of the towns and villages in the
colony, which, however, may be commuted to a fine of seven shillings
and sixpence.

After the race, I went to Mr. Barber's to dine. This gentleman has a
small plantation of ginger and arrow-root, which succeeds uncommonly
well; also some plants of the blood orange from Malta, and some young
cinnamon trees; which, I should observe, are by no means uncommon in
this colony.

Mr. K. Macauley has also a small plantation of coffee, which prospers
very well. In fact, all the tropical fruits and plants must succeed
here, if proper attention be paid to them.

_Sunday, September 30th_.--The morning was fine, but the afternoon
showery; rain, indeed, appears to be quite a matter of course, either
in the morning or evening. I had now been upwards of a month in Sierra
Leone, and I found that it rained without fail in some part of the
four-and-twenty hours, and sometimes throughout the whole day and
night; yet, the rainy season had nearly exhausted itself when I
arrived, and some short time before, it had rained for three weeks
without intermission. These alterations of the weather, however, had no
effect whatever on me, for, rain or shine, I went about, at all hours,
as much at my ease as if I had been in England; and instead of
suffering any illness or annoyance from the fluctuations and
uncertainty of the season, I really found my health improved.

The brig Atalanta came down the river this morning, and anchored off
Freetown, having taken in a cargo of timber at Bance Island. There was
not a single vessel left up the river, which was remarked as an
extraordinary circumstance, for since the year 1816, when the contract
for African timber commenced, such an event had not taken place.

From the observations I made while I remained at Freetown, it occurred
to me that a plan might be adopted, with good effect, for improving the
management of the timber trade. I should recommend that an old ship be
moored in the river, a little above Freetown,