English and French Colonisation

A history of empires and colonies, an inspiration for Treasure Island and a magical place that continues to inspire visitors today.

Experience the days of the empires and colonies

During the days of the empires and colonies, African territories were traded as frequently and easily as the goods which they produce. The land that is now Guinea belonged to a series of African empires until France colonised it in the 1890s, and made it part of French West Africa.

In 1904, the British still possessed the Iles de Los territories just off the coast of Guinea before handing them over to France in exchange for their European counterpart relinquishing fishing rights in Newfoundland and Labrador. Nevertheless, it was during the British tenure in the nineteenth century that the islands gained international acclaim due to its role in inspiring one of the greatest literary works of its era, Treasure Island.

It is believed that the story was based on a British pirate by the name of Crawford who was captured by the British navy and hanged in Conakry. While Robert Louis Stephenson was writing the novel he spent some time in Roume, known for its role in slave trade. Regardless of whether Crawford set the sparks within Stephenson’s mind, the serene settings of Roume’s beaches are still magical enough to inspire visitors today.