It is highly probable that _Africa_ abounds with gold mines, richer than those in the Brazil, or in any other country; for the late African company, in the infancy of their trade, imported from their settlements on that coast, from the year 1675 to the year 1690, as much gold as was coined at the Tower into 400,000 guineas[12], exclusive of what was sent and brought home by their officers and servants, who were always paid their salaries and commissions upon the trade they made in that commodity, which must have been no inconsiderable quantity; because, as the company extended their forts and settlements upon the Gold Coast, their gold trade increased so much, that they were used to take in exchange for British manufactures, and East India goods in _Africa_, upwards of two thousand ounces of gold weekly, which can be proved from authentic vouchers, and continued so to do until such time as the private traders made incroachments upon them, and overstocked the country with goods by their competitions with each other, which the natives took the advantage of, and insisted upon the traders lowering the price of European merchandize, and raising those of Africa, by keeping their slaves, gold and ivory up to an exorbitant price, and thereby getting as great a quantity of goods, for a few slaves, as was sufficient for their consumption; and was the cause of fewer being brought from the inland countries, as by the high prices, before observed, the Negroes got what goods they wanted for the small number sold, which also prevented their bringing gold to market, and by which means that valuable branch of the _African_ trade, of such importance to this country, was in a great measure destroyed, and the profits thereof centered with the natives of _Africa_. We believe the private traders will admit they have not altogether imported from _Africa_ into these kingdoms two thousand ounces of gold annually[13]; and that since the act of parliament for dissolving the late company, and putting the forts and settlements under the management of the committee of the company of merchants trading to Africa, the officers commanding there, have not taken gold sufficient to pay the annual salaries of their servants, though they are fewer in number than those that were kept by the late company.