The commonly held belief in 18th century Britain was that exiling felons was the best option for dealing with crime. By 1785 an island in the Gambia River, West Africa, was the chosen destination for a large-scale convict colony. It was thought that the island could support three or four thousand people. The British media wondered about who exactly would be a threat to whom if a penal colony were founded. English felons were apparently far too evil for civilised England, but would be no match for murderous 'natives'. 'As soon as the natives hear of their arrival, they will steal their tools, fishing tackle et cetera and afterwards murder them one after another.' The convict colony, 'an asylum and nursery for pirates and thieves', would offer 'no protection against the treachery and savage dispositions of the natives.' (Chronicle and Daily Advertiser 12 February 1785)
Emma Christopher, A Merciless Place. The lost story of Britain's convict disaster in Africa (2010) 301-320