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THE
AFKICAN REPOSITORY.
VoL. XXXI.] WASHINGTON, AUGUST, 1855. [No. 8.
Letter from a friend — Sentiments worthy of notice.
Heartily concurring, as we do,
^ in the sentiments expressed by our
friend, in the following letter, we
take the liberty of publishing it,
hoping that.it may encourage some
of our readers, who may wish to aid
us in carrying on the great work of
colonization, to be their own almo-
ners— the distributors of their own
charity, so far as is practicable or
expedient; and not to leave this
important “ work and labor of love ”
to be done by others, after their
decease ; or, as in many cases in
which this Society is interested, to
be delayed, and perhaps frustrated,
> by tedious and expensive litigations,
which sometimes absorb large estates
and leave nothing for the legatees.
In our May number, we published
the letter of our friend in which he
proposed to be one of one hundred
to give twenty-five dollars each to
this Society by the 1st of July. To
this generous proposition we re-
ceived only two responses ; though
we doubt not that we should have
received many more had not our
own proposal preceded it.
1.0
July 10^/i, 1855.
I Rev. W. McLain,
: Sec’ry Am. Col. Soc.
! Although the conditions of the
1 promise of $25, made in April last,
have not been complied with in full,
yet 1 cannot withhold the amount;
j knowing how much you want aid,
j and two parties having accepted the
! offer. Your expressions of sur-
! prise, in your last number, at the
I failure of this little effort to advance
1 your cause are very natural. Is it
not strange that persons professing
to be regardless of worldly wealth
should hold on with such tenacity
to it.? The system of legacies on a
death-bed is well enough sometimes,
on the principle of the old adage,
“ better late than never;” but how
much more natural to such profes-
I sors would it Ue to give as they re-
ceive, whilst they can themselves
I see the good effected by a little
i proper action, (I will not say liber-
I ality,) and not hold on until death
forces a release of the stored-up
treasure. This appears to me to be
the proper principle of action, and
the one affording the most satisfacf
tion to all parties, both the giver
and the recipient.
; Inclosed I send the twenty-five
I dollars.
J A Friend.
\
226
America and Africa.
[August,
[From the Virginia Colonizationist.]
America and Africa.
THEIR PROVIDENTIAL RELATION THE LESSON IT TEACHES.
Dr. Brethren: — Our daily prayer |1
is, “thy kingdom come; thy will |j
be done on earth as it is done in i
Heaven.” We are not to relax our !
efforts until “ all the kingdoms of ,
the world have become the king- '
doms of our Lord and of his Christ.”
This is the sublime end of our labors
and of our prayers. Charity begins
at home, but it does not stay there.
Every converted heart is a centre
whose circumference is the end of |
the earth. But while the field is '
the world, D'vine Providence may
by unmistakeable indications point ;
out some particular part of the field
as the special scene of our labors. :
This is just what w’e suppose he has j
done in our case. No American
Christian can shut his e\es to the j
relations which God has established ;
between America the mosi highly :
favored and Africa the most degrad- i
ed nation on earth.
'When the “Sun of Bighteous- |
ness” made his sun-like circuit of I
the earth, he did not shed a ray :
upon the land of the black man. i|
Millions in Central Africa had ;i
(through long centuries) lived with- !
out God and died without hope. ii
When at last the church of Christ i:
awoke to a consciousness of its ij
responsibilities and made the dis- i|
covery of the melancholy state of||
this people, it sent forth missionary |
after missionary to plant the stand- ||
ard of the cross within this camp of||
Satan. |j
Every white missionary fell a vie- ji
tim to the deadly night dews of that''
inhospitable clime, and the bones i;
of a “noble army of martyrs” h
bleached the burning sands. |;
To human view the land seemed ;
doomed. In the meantime God had |
permitted large numbers of Africans !|
to be transplanted in America and
placed in contact with our Christian
civilization, undei the wholesome
discipline to which they were sub-
jected they have been rising steadily
in the intellectual and moral scale
until they have attained a stature far
higher than those whom they left in
their native seats. Thousands of
them have been made acquainted
with “ the truth as it is in Jesus,”
and have died in the triumphs of
the Christian faith. Thousands more
are rejoicing in the hope of glory.
This is “ the Lord’s doing, and it is
marvellous in our eyes.” No think-
ing man can deny the significance
of facts like these, and no consci-
entious man can be indifferent to
the questions of dut} which they
revive. We have only to deal with
these facts in their bearing upon the
question of the evangelization of
Africa. Some years since while
Christians were consciously ponder-
ing the problem ot planting the gos-
pel in Africa, the happy thought
u'as suggested to their minds (by
the spirit of God as we believe) of
returning to the land of their fathers,
christianised Africans, carrying w'lth
them the ark of God and all the in-
stitutions of modern civilization. —
Happily there was a class of these
persons (the free negroes) to whose
going no objection would be op-
posed. Indeed, all interests, social
and political, conspired to favor the
suggestion. The experiment was
made, and considering the poverty
of the materials has succeeded be-
yond our anticipaiiotis. Our civil
and religious institutions have been
transplanted in the African wilder-
ness which has become vocal with
the accents of prayer and praise.
L'nder the shadow of tlie Liberian
i855.J
America and Africa.
government, the white missionary '
«an now live, and the centre of Af- j
ricaii barbarism has become the j
centre of Christian influence. Af- I
rican colonization has thus pushed i
the base of our missionary opera- i
tions acrossthe Atlantic, 4,000 miles I
in p^ivance of its former position.
Now ought this vantage-ground, ;
gained at such expense, to be main-
tained or abandoned. The colony
is yet but an experiment. It needs
still our nursing care. Cherish it i|
and Christianity will have a home in
Africa. The colonist and the mis- :■
sionary must stand or fall together
Missions and colonization,” says '
Bishop Payne, “ have ever been i
God’s great scheme for spreading ij
Christianity over the world,” and :|
again he says it is generally agreed [.
among Christians “ that colonization n
is one of God’s plan.” !l
Bishop Scott after visiting the j;
Methodist churches in Liberia, calls '
the colonial settlements bright spots |
raying out light upon the surround- '
ing darkness.” Of the same import i
is the testimony of Mr. Bowen and i
the Baptist missionaries, and Mr. i
Wilson and the Presbyterians. If *
we compare for a moment the ji
present state of American missions
in Liberia with their condition be- I
fore the establishment of the colo- :
iiies, the comparison will be most j!
instructive. The Methodist Con- jl
fererice consists of tw'enty-one )
preachers, all of whom are colored. \\
They number 1,301 members, ofij
whom 116 are natives. Fifteen !|
Sunday schools and 839 scholars,!;
of whom fifty are natives. Twenty j
week day schools and five hundred '
and thirteen scholars ; seven native ,
schoolsand one hundred and twenty- ■
seven scholars. They have a semi- ||
nary at Monrovia for the higher |j
branches wdiich cost $10,000. jl
The Baptist Board (whose pioneer
was Lot Cary of Viro-inia) hr.ve fifteen |
227 jl
stations, twenty colored mission- 4
aries, seven teachers, four native
assistants, thirteen day schools and ■
1 four hundred and thirty-six pupils — » ;
six hundred communicants.
The Presbyterians have two or- !;
dained ministers, one licentiate, yi
three churches, one hundred and f
sixteen members and three Sunday
schools. They have also day schools “p
for natives and colonists. At Mon-
rovia they have an excellent school , >
of from fifty to seventy- five scholars, -
and at the same pla^e the Aiesandetr > '
High School, under the care of the
Rev. D. A. Wilson, a fine scholar. !
The Episcopal mission, begun an i
1836, has stations at Cape Palmas, !
Monrovia, Bassa, Sinou and Clay-
Ashland on the St, FauPs. They gy
have a stone Church at Cape Fa&-
mas and also an Orphan Asylum, a
brick church on Che St. PatiPs and
a stone one at Monrovia. ■
Among the Colonists it has four
settled ministers and one caadidatB
for orders, four common schools,
one high school, five teachers and
assistants, and 150 scholars. * f'
Among the natives they have five
stations. The language of one frilKi • ^
has been reduced to writing. About ;/.?
one hundred native children ate in
the boarding schools of the mission. ; J.
There are eight to tea native teach-
ers, three candidates for the minis- f’
try, and two ordained native minis- .
ters.
In view of these facts what Amec- f j;
ican Christian can fail to see that
he is under obligation to follow the f ^
leadings of God’s Providence. He ; ^
seems to have committed Africa to !; I
our keeping. Her destiny is (hu-
manly speaking) in the hands of X,
Americanchristians. God be praised ‘
that so many Christians in Virginia
look at the subject in this light, and i
that Baptist Associations, M ethodist J J
Confeiences, Presbyterian Synods
and Episcopal Conventio ns have'|H
228
What has it done.
[August,
acknowledged the obligation and i
commended it to their constituents. ‘
Brethren, the real strength of this'
cause is the Christian hearts that are
beating at the bottom of it. Cheer-
ed by the unanimous voices of chris- ,
tians and wafted by their prayers we |
cannot fail. Commendatory reso- ;
lutions and kind words are very :
pleasing, particularly when they are
the forerunners of corresponding ■
deeds as in some cases they are. i
But in other cases, hope deferred
from so many years maketh the heart
sick. Shall we whose lots are cast
in the pleasant places of the Ameri-
can field turn a deaf ear to the
voices for help that are borne to us
on every breeze from where
Afric’s sunny fountains
Roll down their golden sands.
Your affectionate brother,
Philip Slaughter.
[From the Nashville Christian Advocate.
What has it Done.
This question has been asked in '
reference to the American Coloni- ;
zation Society. It may be briefly
answered : it has done a vast amount
of good. To mention a few items: '
1. It established a colony in Af-
rica which has grown into the
flourishing Republic of Liberia, the
independence of which has been
acknowledged by several of the pnn-
cipal Governments of the world,
France, Brazil, Belgium, England
and Prussia. Surely there is honor
in building such a temple from such
materials.
2. It has been the means, under
Providence, of establishing Christi-
anity on a permanent footing in
Africa, and may thus become the
principal agency in sending it
abroad over that dark and populous
continent. The different denomi-
nations are already there represen-
ted : the Methodists have an An-
nual Conference of twenty-one
circuits and stations, twenty-four
itinerants, nineteen local preachers,
and one thousand three hundred
and nine members in Society. This
may be regarded as a little fire : but
behold! how great a matter it is
likely to kindle !
3. Civilization is planted in Af-
rica, American civilization. A con-
stitution like our own, and laws,
and schools, and arts, and language,
and newspapers, are found there.
A college edifice, costing eight
thousand dollars, is there and a
public library of great value. Says
Gov. Dutton of Connecticut, in ref-
erence to Liberia : “ Not a colony
which was planted on our Atlantic
coast, made such rapid progress.”
4. Thousands of the so-called
free people of color have there been
furnished with a home. Here they
were poor, disheartened, down-troa-
den, oppressed and disfranchised :
1| by means of the American Coloni-
al zation Society, they have been es-
i| tablished in a land where they enjoy
II freedom, and may aspire to all the
I offices of trust and honor, even to
|| the Presidency: where hope ani-
jj mates them to noble exertions, and
where they no longer labor under
the disadvantages heaped upon them
as an inferior caste.
5. The Society has sent from
Tennessee about ten per cent, (one
in ten) of the free colored population
among us, of which class there yei
remain 6,271 in the State, according
to the last census. Surely a So-
ciety which has done all this, and a
great deal more, deserves the favor-
able consideration and friendly aid
of all good people.
As Agent of this Society for Ten-
1855.]
Liberia — Its onward March.
229
nessee, may I not hope that my
fellow-citizens will lend this cause
a helping hand ? I am glad to know
that some are contributing their
means and influence, while others
are bequeathing a portion of their
property, to aid in carrying forward
t lis truly glorious work, a work of
which the Westminister Review
! speaks as follows: “ The Americans
; are successfully planting free ne-
' groes on the coast of Africa : a
, greater event probably in its conse-
I quences than any that has occurred
; since Columbus set sail for the New
I World.”
i John H. Bruner.
Hiwasse College^ June, 1855.
[From the Maryland Colonization Journal.]
Liberia — Its onward March.
The Editor of the Journal being!
absent from the city, requests the ;
travelling Agent to get out the |
present number of our little monthly, j
Now who that has had anything I
to do with the lights and shadows ofj
editorship does not know that it is
comparatively easy to cull from other |
papers, interesting extracts in abund- ;
ance, but the “ leader,” that is the
question ; the editorial, the some-
thing original — aye, that is the ques-
tion.
Well, what better topic than Li- i
beria This is the main question !
after all. It is for'the advancement |
of the African race, in everything |
that is good and great, that Liberia !
sprang into existence. It is for its i
continued growth and prosperity ,
that Colonization Societies were i
formed, and kept up, and perpetu- j
ated. It is to add to its population, j
to its commerce, to its literature, to !
its religion, that the entire corps of
agents, general and special, travel-
ling and stationary, secretaries and
others, are at it, all at it, and always
at it. It follows that whatever re-
lates to Liberia must be always suit-
able for a colonization paper, nay
more than suitable, its very legiti-
mate matter, the very thing the j
reader looks for, and is disappointed j
if he does not see. Well we take j
pleasure in announcing that, in ad- j
dition to the news by the Estelle, i
given in our last number, the Barque |
! Shirley has lately arrived at New
, York, and brings later intelligence
; from the Republic, and from Mary-
! land in Liberia. E\erything seems
I to progress finely. Irue, some of
I the emigrants die — die on ship
: board — die soon after they arrive
I in Liberia. But what of this. Com-
I pare it with the mortality attending
jthe emigrant vessels which come to
our country from Ireland, Germany,
and other parts of Europe. The
1 comparison will tell favorably for
I African emigration and Coloniza-
tion.
Its march is onward. Our hearts
beat with laudable exultation as we
read the lots of letters received from
! old friends in Liberia, or talk with
those who have lately been there
1 and returned. But recently, while
j attending the New York Annual
I Conference of the Methodist Epis-
1 copal Church, held at Sing Sing,
we had the pleasure to listen to a
few remarks from Rev. Mr. Pinney,
who has just returned from his
fourth visit to Liberia. His de-
scription of the progress of the Re-
public, in various points of view,
was most encouraging, and partic-
ularly his account of the farms, the
plantations, the beautiful coffee
plantations, some of them owned
by men who were slaves, only a few
years ago, in Kentucky and Virginia.
So too with commerce. The im-
mense internal resources of the in-
^230
Yoruba — Central JJfrica.
[August;
lierioF of that country must find a
market ie the seaports of the six or
seFen hundred miles of coast alrea,dy
occupied by Liberia, Colored men
go there^ and with a few hundred
dollars to begin with^ in a few years
aiBass a handsome fortune.
So with education. The mis-
sionary Societies of the different
churebes, who have patronized Lp
beria, are busily engaged. Schools,
Semmariesj, spring up in every di-
I rection. Even a College is talked
ij of as a crowning point on Cape
j Mesurado. Let it be erected and
I endowed forthwith. Let there be
I no want of means to give the next
' generation of Liberia a sound, das-
j ical, religious education, and no
S one who has ever advocated our
i noble enterprise of African Colon i~
I zation, will in a future day be
I ashamed of having done so.
[Frcd the Home and Foreign Journal.]
Yoruba — Central Africa.
lETTER FROM REV. T. J. BOWSN.
Ws have received bo intelligence 1
from YoTuba since our last issue, j
The letteirs from the brethren then |
pjabiished, will doubtless have great- !
Ij cheered the hearts of all our
jeaders. We now present a com-
loimieation from Bro. Bowen, hav-
3Rg a reference chiedy to the people
aod naioral history of the kingdom
of Yonaba. The valuable informa-
tion it contains will be read with
inteirest. Let us still plead with
OiDcij, to make the truth effectual in
the oonversion of the people of that
mieiesimg country.
GEOGRAPHY.
This country is commonly but
improperly called Yaniba on our
maps, li is reckoned by geogra-
phers a part of Central Africa, al-
though the soatbem line is within
sixty miles of the Bight of Benin.
This classification is just, for ihe
character of the country asad the
people is decided!]? that of Central
Africa, and very unlike anything
found in the other regions near the
coast.
I.ASG1JAGE OF TORtJBA.
Several independent tribes speak
Ihe Yoruba language, and, in fact,
are the same people in ougm, char-
acter, religion, The principal
of these are Ijeba and 3feh, on the
1 coast of Yoruba, and Ijebu, Egba,
Otta and Iketu on the south. The
same language is spoken at Lagos,
i Badagry and on the coast. The
I people of ElFong (Ka-Kanda,)speak
a similar longue. The Nufi is quite
different yet evidently belongs to
the same family of languages, A
part of Nufi lies on this side the
Niger, so that Yoruba does not ex-
tend to that great river at any point.
The various tribes who speak the
Yoruba language probably number
a million of souls. They occupy a
country about as large as the State
of Georgia. In former times they
were much more numerous. But
f/vunfkeds of towns have been de-
stroyed by war. I have counted
eighteen sites of depopulated towns
in a journey of sixty miles. That
district is now a desert, or ratiier a
huge forest. Most of the towns
visited by the Landers are now m
ruins, including Awyow, (Katunga
or Eyeo,) the capital. The slave
trade has done this. Yast numbers
of Yorubas have been exported, and
vast numbers have perished in the
battle and the siege. Many are
now in Brazil, Cuba, Sierra Leone,
&c- Sometimes they purchase their
freedom in America and come home*
Others have beers sent to the Bar*
1855.]
Yoruba — ; Central Africa.
231
bary States. They are almost as nu- j
merous in Sokoio, &c., as in Cen- i
tral Africa. Very lately a man re- j
turned to Tjaye from Sokoto, where |
he had been a slave fourteen years. |
He brought me a fowl, as a present, i
which I delicately refused to accept, j
and he listened with apparent won- j
der at the gospel. !
FACE OF THE COUNTRY. |
The surface of Yoruba is chiefly
an elevated, gently undulating plain, i
In this country the Kong mountains
are not a continuous chain, but are
broken in detached masses with
plains around and between them.
Their greatest height is probably
two thousand fret. In many places
they are quite rugged, being com-
posed of granite.
Yoruba is a prairie country, and
resembles Texas. Timber is scarce.
The scenery is often most beautiful,
but I cannot attempt to describe it,
my object being to state^ frxts as |
briefly as possible.
The country is well watered, being j
everywhere traversed by streams of I
clear water, flowing over rocky j
beds. The largest rivers are the j
Ogun and the Osshun, which are '
less than one hundred yards in j
width. They never overflow and !
there is not an acre of swamp in I
the country, so far as I have ever i
seen or heard. i
SOIL AND VEGETATION. |
The soil is of second quality, as |
we would say in America, but in j
many places it is poor, and often j
gravelly or rocky. The rocks are ;
almostentirely granite, gneiss, quartz '
and iron conglomerated. There is ;
no lime in any form. Iron is the !
only metal known to exist. |
Vegetation is very luxuriant. The :|
grass on the prairies is often tw^elve |
feet high, and some of the forest |
trees are immense. They are never i
fit for house logs, being too short ij
when small enough, and too large P
when long enough. Their trutiks
arc invariably nearly white. All the
sapplings are crooked. There is
no fine wood for exportation, and
but little camwood, that is a kind
of logwood. Coarse, strong timber
is common enough in the forest.
There is one tree, the wood of which
is exactly like white hickory, but
the leaves, fruit, &c., are very dif-
ferent. Showy flowers are numer-
ous on the trees, but very scarce in
the fields and prairies. Scarcely
any of the wild fruit is fit to eat.
During the dry and hot season,
vegetation has a period of repose.
This begins in November, and ends
in February. By the middle of
January, the grass in the prairie, is
brown and dry, and a good many
trees shed their leaves.
My limits will allow me to de-
scribe but fe w of the trees and herbs
which are worthy of notice. The
oil palm is the most valuable tree
in Africa. The palm oil trade, like
the cotton trade, is destined to en-
rich nations. This yellow oil is an
important article of food in Africa.
The hard nuts, when burnt and
ground, aflbrd another oil, which
is used for lamps in all Yoruba,
where the palm grows. The foot
stalks of the leaves are 15 or 20 feet
long, and are used for rafters in
thatching houses.
On the high plains of the interior,
the palm does not flourish ; but
here its place is supplied by the
butter tree. This tree is no way
related to the palm. It bears fruit
as large as an egg. The seed is a
large stone, or nut, with a soft shell.
From this is made an oil of a-
bluish yellow color, as hard as but-
ter, and slightly aromatic. The
people call it butter, and use it to
fry in.
The seeds of the African locust
are exclusively used in palaver sauce
or hash. Locust seeds, like kola
•23*2
The Couniries of Soudan.
[August,
nuts, are an important article of
traffic throughout the country. The ;
butter trees and locust trees grow
on the prairies, giving them a pic-
turesque appearance. The kola tree
prefers the forest. It does not bear
till about twenty years old.
In the forests, there is a species
of black pepper. High botanical au-
thorities say it is not cubebs, but in
this they are doubtless mistaken ;
perhaps the plant they speak of is
not Yoruba plant.
In the east of the country, are a
few trees called ashori, of which the
natives tell wonderful stories. No
plant grows near such a tree, and
any bird or insect which flies near
it, falls tlead. The wood is black,
and so heavy, they say, as to sink
in water. A piece, an inch long,
which I have seen, was valued at
two dollars. It is used as an amu-
let, and appears to be very scarce.
To scolp a piece from this tree is
said to be a very dangerous exploit.
The man who attempts it runs rap-
idly by the tree, making but one
blow with a cutlass ; another fol- i
lows to pick up the chip, but some- 1
times one or both falls dead by the
tree. I must regard this tree as
fabulous, though everybody believes
I there are such in Ijebu.
The people have most of the cul-
, tivated plants known among us.
Corn and yams are the principal
crop. Yam vines are prickly, and
have to be stuck like beans. Cas-
sava is not poisonous, as botanists
pretend. The root is eaten cooked,
and raw, and is commonly given
raw to goats and sheep. Cotton is
cultivated, but the yield is poor.
They have both the black seed and
white seed varieties, also, nankin
cotton and another kind, which has
red blossoms. This surpasses all in
fineness, but does not wear well.
Sweet potatoes, beans, cow peas,
okra, 5i.c. &.C., are commonly planted.
The weeds and grasses in the
field are much the same as our own,
to wit : purslain, cerebs weeds,
Jamestown weeds, crab grass, &c.
j Coffee, pepper, and other culti-
i vated plants are not indigenous, as
; some have reported. They never
(grow in the woods, except when
once planted in fields or gardens.
[From Bayard Taylor's Journey to Central Africa.]
The Countries of Soudan. Afriea.
Until within a recent period but
little has been known of the geo-
graphy and topography of the east-
ern portion of Central Africa. Few i
English travelers have made these !
regions the subject of their investiga- ;
tion, their attention having been |
principally directed towards the
countries on the western coast. The '
Niger, in fact, has been for them a
more interesting problem than the
Nile. The German travelers Rup-
pell and Russegger, however, by their
explorations within the last twenty-
five years, have made important
contributions to our knowledge of
tastern Soudan, w'hile D’Arnau, |
Werne, and more than all, Dr. Knob-
lecher, have carried our vision far
into the heart of the mysterious
regions beyond. Still, the results of
these explorations are far from being
generally known, or even repre.-eu-
ted on our maps. Geographical
charts are still issued, in which the
conjectured mountains of the Moon
continue to stretch their ridges
across the middle of Africa, in lati-
tudes where the latest travelers find
a plain as level as the sea. A few
words, therefore, concerning the
character and relative position of the
different countries of which 1 have
occasion to speak, may make these
1855.]
The Countries of Soudan.
233
sketches of African life and land- !
scapes more intelligible to many ,
readers. |
As far as southern Nubia, with |
the exception of the oases in the I
Libyan Desert, the Nile is the only i
agent of productiveness. Beyond i
the narrow limits of his bounteous i
valley there is little except red sand
and naked rocks from the Red Sea
to the Atlantic. On reaching lati-
tude 19°, however, a change takes
place in the desert landscapes.
Here the tropical rains which are !
unknown in Egypt and northern |
Nubia, fall every summer, though
in diminished quantity. The dry,
gravelly plains, nevertheless, exhibit
a scattering growth of grass and
thorny shrubs, and springs are fre-
quently found among the mountain
ranges. As we proceed southward,
the vegetation increases in quantity ;
the grass no longer keeps the level
of the plain, but climbs the moun-
tain sides, and before reaching
Khartoum, in latitude 15° 40' north,
we have passed the limits of the
desert. The wide plains stretching
thence eastward to the Atbara, and
westward beyond Kordofan, are
savannas of rank grass, crossed here |
and there by belts of the thorny I
mimosa, and differing little in aspect
from the plains of California during
the dry season. The Arabs, who
inhabit them are herdsmen, and own J
vast flocks of camels and sheep. I
The Nile here is no longer the sole
river, and loses histitle of ‘The Sea,”
which he owns in Egypt. The
Atbara, which flows down to him
from the Abyssinian Alps^has many
tributaries of its own : the Blue Nile,
between Khartoum and Sennaar,
receives the large streams of the
Rahad and the Dender ; and the
White Nile, though flowing for the
greater part of his known course
through an immense plain, boasts
two important affluents — the Sobad
! and the Bahr-el-Ghazel. The soil,
climate, productions, and character
of the scenery of this region are
therefore very different from Egypt.
Before the conquest of Soudan by
Mahomed Ali, little was known of
the country between the Ethiopian
Nile and the Red Sea, or of Central
Africa south of the latitude of Kcr-
dofan and Sennaar. The White
Nile, it is true, was known to exist,
but was considered as a tributary
stream. It was extremely difficult
j and dangerous to proceed beyond
I Nubia and then only in company
with the yearly caravans which pas-
sed between Assouan and Sennaar.
Ibrahim Pasha, Ishall Pasha, and
Mahommed Bey Defterdar, between
the years 1820 and 1825, gradually
subjugated and attached to the rule
of Egypt the countries of Berber,
Shendy and Sennaar, as far as the
mountains of FezogI, in latitude 11°
on the south-western frontier of
Abyssinia, the wild domains of the
Shueorees, and Bisharees, the Hal-
lensas, and Hadendoas, extending
to che Red Sea, and embracing the
sea-pori of Sowakin, and the king-
dom of Kordoran, west of the Nile,
! and bounded by the large and pow-
I erful negro kingdom of Dar Fur.
The Egyptian possessions in Soudan
are nearly as extensive is all Egypt,
Nubia not included, and might be-
J come even richer and more flourish-
1 ing under a just and liberal policy of
government. The plains on both
sides of the Nile might be irrigated
to a much greater extent than in
Egypt, and many vast tracts of terri-
tory given up to the nomadic tribes,
could readily be reclaimed from the
wilderness. The native inhabitants
are infinitely more stupid and degra-
ded than the Fellahs of Egypt, but
that they are capable of great im-
provement is shown by the success
attending the efforts of the Catholic
priests in Khartoum, in educating
234
The Countries of Soudan.
[August,
children. — The terrible climate
Soudan will always be a drawback I
to its physical prosperity, yet even j
this would be mitigated, in some }
measure, were the soil under culti- |
vaiion. I
As 1 follow the course of the Nile, I
from the northern limit of the trop- I
ical rains to Khartoum, my narrative |
will have given some idea of the I
country along its banks. The terri- ;
tory to the east, towards and beyond |
the Atbara, is still in a great meas- I
ure unexplored. Burckhardt was j
the first European who visited it but
his route lay among the mountain !
range, near and parallel to the coast
of the Red Sea. The long chain of I
Djbel Lahgay, which he crossed, is I
three to five thousand feet in height, i
and like the mountain spine of the i
island of Ceylon, never has the same I
season on both sides at once. When !
it rains on the eastern slopes, the !
western are dry, and the contrary, j
There is another and still higher
chain near the coast, but the greater j
part of this region consists of vast ;
plains, tenanted by the Arab herds- ,
men, and rising gradually towards j
the south into the first terraces of i
the table land of Abyssinia. The |
land of the Shukorees and the Hal- j
lengas, lying on both sides of the I
Atbara, is called Belad el Takka. \
Dr. Reitz visited during the summer
of 1851, in company with the mili-
tary expedition under Mousa Bey,
and traveled for three or four weeks \
through regions where no European j
had been before him. |
Leading the town of Shendy, he
traveled east.vard for nine days over
unbroken plains of grass, abounding j
with gazelles and hyenas, to a village |
called Goz Rabjeb, on the Atbara |
River. This belongs to the Shukor-
ees, against whom the expedition
was in part directed. — He then
crossed the river, and traveled for
two or three weeks through a broken
and mountain courftry, inhabited by
the wandering races of the Hallen-
gas and Hadendoas. Themountains
w hich were from two to three thou-
sand feet in height, were crested with
walls of naked porphyry rock, but
their lower slopes were covered with
grass and bushes, and peopled by
myriads of apes. Between the ran-
ges were many broad and beautiful
valleys, some of which were inhab-
ited. Here the vegetable and animal
world was far richer than on the
Nile. The Consul was obliged to
follow the movements of the expe-
dition, and therefore, could not trace
out any regular plan of exploration.
After seeing just enough to whet
his curiosity to penetrate further,
Moussa Bey returned to Goz Radjeb.
His route then followed the course of
the Atbara, for a distance of one
hundred and twenty miles, to the
town of Sofie, on the Abyssinian
frontier. The river, which is a clear
and beautiful stream, has a narrow
border of trees and underwood, and
flows in a winding course through
a region of low, grassy hills. By
using the water for irrigation, the
country, which is now entirely un-
cultivated, might be made very pio-
duciive. The Shukorees possess
immense herds of camels, and a
hegin, or trained dromedary, which
the Consul purchased from them,
was one of the strongest and fleet-
est which I saw in Africa.
Near Sofie the savannas of grass
give place to dense tropical forests,
with a rank undergrowth, which is
often impenetrable. Here, in addi-
tion to the lion and leopard, which
are common to all Soudan, the expe-
dition saw large herds of the ele-
phant and rhinocerous. — The woods
were filled with birds of brilliant
plumage, and the vegetable world
was rich and gorgeous beyond des-
cription. The Consul remained but
a short time here, and then traveled
1855.]
The Countries of Soudan.
235
westward to the town of Abon -Haras, ||
on the Blue Nile, visiting on the ;
way a curious isolated mountain, j
called Djebel Attesh. — Near Abou- |
Haras, are the ruins of an ancient
Christian town, probably dating from ,
the fourth or fifth century, about!!
which time Christianity, previously i
planted in Abyssinia, began to ad-j
vance northward towards Nubia, j
The Consul obtained from the gov- 1
ernor of Abou-Haras, three iron |
crosses of a peculiar form, a num- 1
ber of beads which had belonged to ^
a rosary, and a piece of insense — all
of which were found in removing
the bricks used to build the Pasha’s
palace and other edifices in Khart-
oum. The room which I occupied
during my stay in Khartoum was
paved with the same bricks. — These
remains are in curious contrast with
the pyramids, of Meroe and the
temples of Mesowurat. The Chris-
tian and Egyptian faiths, advancing
towards each other, almost met on
these far fields.
The former kingdom of Sennaar
include the country between the
two Niles — except the territory of
the Shillooks — as far south as lati-
tude 12°. It is bounded by Abys-
sinia on the east, and by the
mountains of the savage Galla tribes
on the south. The Djezeereh (Island)
el Hoye, as the country between the
rirers is called, is for the most part
a plain of grass —Towards the south,
there are some low ranges of hills,
followed by other plains, which ex-
tend to the unknown mountain re-
gion, and 'abound with elephants
and lions. The town of Sennaar, I
once the capital of this region and !
the residence of its Meks oi Kings, i
is now of little importance. It was
described to me as a collection of!
mud huts, resembling Shendy. The |
Egyptian rule extends ten days’ |
journey further, to Fazogl, where i
the fine timber in the mountains <1
and the gold-bearing sands of Kasan
have given rise to the establishment
of a military post. Sennaar as well
as Kordofan, Berber and Dongola,
is governed by a Bey, appointed by
the Pasha of Soudan. It is only
two weeks’ journey thence to Gon-
dar, the capital of Amhara, the
principal Abyssinian kingdom. I
was told that it is not difficult for
merchants to visit the latter place,
but that any one suspected of being
a person of consequence is detained
there and not allowed to leave again.
I had a strong curiosity to see some-
thing of Abyssinia, and had I been
quite sure that I should not be taken
for a person of consequence, might
have made the attempt to reach
Gondar.
Kordofan lies w’est of the White
Nile, and consists entirely of great
plains of grass and thorns, except
in the southern part, where there is
a mountain range called Djbel Dyer,
inhabited by emigrants from Don-
gola. It is not more than two hun-
dred miles in breadth, from east to
west. Its capital, Obeied, lies in
latitude 13° 12' north, and is a mere
collection of mud huts. The soil
of Kordofan is sterile, and the water
is considered very unhealthy for
foreigners. Capt. Peel gave me
such a description of its endless
thickets of thorns, its miserable
population, and its devastating fe-
vers, that I lost all desire to visit it.
There is a caravan route of twenty
days between Obeid and Dongola,
through a wild region called the
Beyooda, or Bedjuda. A few de-
grees further north, it would be a
barren desert, but here it is an al-
teration of wadays or valleys, with
ranges of porphyry mountains, af-
fording'water, trees, and sufficient
grass for the herds of the wapidering
Arabs. It is inhabited by two
tribes — the Kabahish and the Howo-
weet, who differ strongly from the
236
Colonization in Maine.
[August,
Arabs east of the Nile, in their f
appearance and habits. The latter,
by their superior intelligence and
their remarkable personal beauty, j!
still attest their descent from the |
tribes of Hedjez and Yemen. Thei
tribes in the western desert are more j
allied to the Tibboos, and other ten- 1
ants of the Great Zahara. The car- 1
avans on this road are exposed to |
the danger of attacks from the ne-
groes of Dar-Fur, who frequently!
waylay small parties, murder the |
individuals, and carry off the camels ;
and go»ds. i
The great kingdom of Dar-Fur:
offers a rich field for some future j
explorer. The extensive regions it j
encloses are supposed to furnish the I!
key to the system of rivers and |i
mountain-chains of Central Africa, ij
Through the fear and jealousy of|j
its rulers, no stranger has been al- 1|
lowed to pass its borders since the j
visit of Mr. Browne, half a century
ago. Of late, however, the rela-
tions between the Egyptian rulers in
Soudan and the Sultan of Dar-Fur
have been quite amicable, and if
nothing occur to disturb this har-
mony there is some hope that the
ban will be removed. Lattif Pasha
informed me that he had written to
the Sultan on behalf of Capt. Peel,
who wished to pass through Dar-
Fur and reach Borhon. — He had
at that time received no answer, but
it had been intimated, unofficially,
that the Sultan would reply, giving
Capt. Peel permission to enter the
country and travel in it, but not to
pass beyond it. There is an almost
continual war between the Sultan of
Bornou and Dar-Fur, and the Pasha
was of the opinion that it would be
impossible to traverse Africa from
east to west, in the line of those
States.
To the Ministry and Members of
The State Colonization Society,
at its late meeting in Portland, the
proceedings of which will soon.it
is hoped by the courtesy of the
newspaper press, be spread before
our entire community, resolved to
call attention to the old custom of
taking collections, on some Sabbath
near the 4th of July fer an object so
in accordance wiih the spirit of our
national birthday. An accordance
it may be added, still more com-
plete, now that the Pilgrim Fathers
of the future Christian Nation of
Africa are no longer like ours at
Plymouth, a feeble provincial band,
but form an independent Republic.
The day has, we trust, nearly
passed by, for friends of the colored
race to be enemies of this friendly
agency, indirectly promoting the
emancipation of many, and directly
tending to the elevation of more,
among that oppressed people.
all Religious Societies in Maine.
We should be happy to send on,
through our Treasurer, Mr. Eben
Steele of Portland, a joint contribu-
tion from all congregations in the
I State, to meet the expenses of
; scores of men, women, and children
i| waiting to exchange slavery in Am-
: erica for freedom in Liberia. Where
: a public collection is for any reason
: deemed inexpedient, it is hoped,
that some individual, friendly to the
I cause, will prepare a subscription
i paper on the day of American In-
li dependence in aid of Liberian lude-
! pendence, and adding, as many
; names as possible to his own, trans-
! mit the proceeds as above.
: J. W. Chickering,
j Cor. Sec. Me. Col. Soc.
I As the lime is short, all Maine
I editors are requested to insert the
I above in their next issue ; also the
I following Resolutions of the E.
j Maine Methodist Conference:
1855.]
Meeting of Conn. Colonization Society.
237
Whereas, The American Coloni- 1
zation Society in its practical ope- j
ration has wrought effects favorable :
to the abolition of slavery, in de- 1
veloping the capabilities of the col- j
ored man ; and jj
Whereas, It affords facilities for
the suppression of the slave trade !
on the coast of Africa, and the facili-
ties for civilizing and Christianizing
the colored race and redeeming the
entire continent of Africa from hea-
then idolatry and pagan supersti-
tion ; Therefore
j Resolved, That we are gratified
that an Auxiliary has been formed
in this State.
Resolved, That we commend it to
the sympathies and prayers of the
I Christian public, and that we give it
our cordial support.
Resolved, That we choose two
delegates to attend the Annual
Meeting of the Auxiliary to be
held in Portland on the 26th inst.
P. Wiggins, ^
N. Webb, > Committee.
F. Spraigue, )
[From the Religious Herald.]
Meeting of Connecticut Colonization Society.
The Annual Meeting of the Con-
necticut Colonization Society was
held according to previous notice in
the lecture room of the Center
Church, on Wednesday evening,
6th inst.
Rev. W. W. Turner, called the
meeting to order and introduced
the President of the Society, Pro-
fessor Silliman, Senior, who re-
quested the Rev. Mr. Beadle to ad-
dress the Throne of Grace.
Minutes of the last Annual Meet-
ing were then read by the Secretary,
Rev. Mr. Turner, who excused him-
self for not having prepared an ex-
tended report of the Society’s doings
for the past year, on account of his
varied pressing duties, and then,
saying he was aware he should not
retain any office whose duties he
could not, for any reason, perform,
he tendered his resignation as Sec-
retary, with the assurance that his
interest in the Society remained
still unabated, and that hi& resigna-
tion was offered with no intention i
of withholding any endeavors he
could make, or any donations he
might be able to bestow.
Rev. Mr. Orcuit, Agent of the
Am. Col Society, then made a brief
statement of the work
the last twelve months.
done during !i masters
The amount paid over to Am.
Col. Soc. from Conn, during the
year ending May 15, 1855, is
$6,43S 11 — $1,000 of this being a
legacy left the State Society by Mrs.
Hannah Bigelow ol East Hartford,
deceased. Exclusive of this legacy,
the amount of our subscriptions to
the cause exceeds that of the year
previous by some $900.
This increase of funds, in these
“ hard times,” said Mr. Orcutt, is
most pleasing evidence that the idea
of African Colonization is not dying
out in this community, that it is re-
garded by many, not as an abstract
theory, but as a practical reality, the
demonstration of a truth in the Di-
vine economy intimately connected
with the welfare of two continents,
and two races.
I The whole amount of receipts of
I the Am. Col. Society for the year
I 1854 was $65,433 93, a falling off
I from receipts of the preceding year
j of several thousand dollars, attribu-
table in part to the financial embar-
rassments of the country.
Five hundred and fifty-three emi-
grants were sent to Liberia during
the same year, of whom 363 were
gratuitously emancijiated by their
and 29 purchased their
own freedom.
238
Meeting of Conn. Colonization Society.
[August,
Mr. Orcutt also stated some facts
illustrative of the beneficial effects
of the moral atmosphere created by
the christianizing of the colony of
Liberia. The Sabbath was in con-
sequence becoming known and re-
specled amongst those who came
from a distance to trade in Liberia ;
and along the coast and in the in-
terior that holy day was now rever-
enced, and in one tribe its obser-
vance even required by law.
The Rev. Mr. Pinney, recently
returned from his fourth trip to Li-
beria, then addressed the large and
attentive audience at considerable
length, giving narrative incidents of
his late visit to that Republic, and
Sierra Leone, which he also visited.
Mr. P.’s last visit to Liberia was
to investigate the causes of an un-
usual mortality amongst the emi-
grants who were sent out during
the previous year, and its result con-
vinced him that the Society had
been too sparing of their means,
and for the purpose of sending so i
many emigrants and at as low a rate
as practicable, had devoted too large !
a portion of their funde^ to the pas-
sage and expenses of the trip, to
the neglect of suitable preparation
for the emigrants up(>n their arrival
in Liberia. Lack of proper build-
ings in which to remain during the
acclimanng process had been the
cause of some suffering amongst
emigrants, and Mr. P. therefi>re
thinks it desirable to have two or
three large receptacles for emigrants
erected at the respective principal
ports of debarkation, in which they
may remain and be properly cared
for until thoroughly acclimated.
This change with some caution as
to use of proper water casks, and as
to crow'ding the passenger vessels,
will, he thinks, correct the evils
heretofore apparent. In view of
this, therefore, more money must
{)e provided by frieinhs ol’ the So-
ciety, or less emigrants must be for-
warded.
Mr. P. then spoke at some length
of the climate, soil and productions
of Liberia, assuring his hearers that
nothing had been promised regard-
ing the fertility and advantages of
that country which was not more
than realized. He referred to the
large farms owned by colored men
on St. Paul’s and St. John’s rivers,
which produced v/onderful crops of
sugar, coffee, &c., with little care,
but great profit to their owners. On
I one farm, trees of but four years
growth were' producing 10 to 15 lbs.
of coffee each, whilst the whole
farm would bring perhaps 1,000
lbs. of coffee to its owner, who was
a free colored man formerly having
charge of a gentleman s garden on
the banks of the Hudson river.
The coffee is found in great
abundance and variety ail over Af-
rica, said Mr. P., and even the fine
Mocha coffee, so highly valued in
j this country, grows wild in great
abundance, and being gathered for
i one or two cents per pound by the
natives, is taken over the Red Sea
into Arabia, from whence it is ex-
ported as Arabian Mocha coffee.
On St. John’s river Mr. P. found
a party of colored men, from Hart-
ford, with their families, some eigh-
teen in all, and they were very pros-
perous. Parker, Adams, Williams
and Anderson left this city together
with their families, and Seymour
had preceded them a short time
previous.
Seymour was now a member of
ihe Legislature of Liberia, and the
others were holding responsible
situations, or respectable station in
the community where they reside.
Mr. P. met on this river some
slaves from Kentucky whose eman-
cipation he had procured in 1844,
and amongst them one whose free-
dom had been j)urchased, imniedi-
1855.]
Meeting of Conn. Colonization Society.
239
ately, upon an appeal from Mr. P. in
a church in Louisville to the citi-
zens of that place, most of them
slaveholders.
During his travels Mr. P. found
but in one instance any real discon-
tent with their condition in Liberia,
and that was amongst the slaves of
Mrs. Reed of Mississippi ; they feel-
ing that it w'ould be belter for them
to have a master to care for them,
than to be obliged to provide for
themselves.
The only serious danger to be |
apprehended, Mr. P. thinks, is from I
the eas3 of procuring a livelihood.
There is so little necessity for labor
there that nothing but Christian prin-
ciple will make emigrants energetic,
active and industrious.
A. Washington, who w^ent from
this city, Mr. P. found at Monrovia
a successful merchant, he having
discontinued his daguerreotype busi-
ness when his first stock of material
was exhausted, as he could do bel-
ter in oiher ways, although he re-
ceived upwards of $l,000for daguer-
reotypes thefirst year of his residence
there. He has now a fine sugar
farm on the St. Paul’s river, is doing
a good wholesale and retailbusiness
in his Monrovia store, has purchased
two boats to commence a regular
line of packets up and dowm the
river, has built one house which he
rents to the Colonization Society
for the reception of emigrants, and
is now erecting another.
One evil which is not confined to
Liberia Mr. P. found prevailing
there, viz. extravagance in dress
and living. Love of display was
shown in the rich silks and expen-
sive dresses almost universally worn I
in the churches, and also in the i'
splendid houses erected by the col- i
ored men from this country. Two 1
houses were instanced costing $10- j
000 and upwards, built by a physi- i
cian. Dr. Ford McGill and his
brother .Tames. f
Those already at Liberia are anxi-
ous that more of the free colored
men from the North should leave
this country for that Republic, as
one free colored man who has been
accustomed to providing for himself
is worth five slaves who have been
dependent upon others Mr. P.
thinks they may pass a law for the
purpose of repressing the large im-
portation of emancipated slaves un-
less more free men go out from here.
Mr. P. stated some interesting
facts concerning Pres’t Roberts of
Liberia, who went from Petersburg,
Va., about the year 1830, where he
had been for some time a barber’s
boy. By his own exertions, aided
1 by his natural abilities, he rose to
I become the first President of the
Republic, which post he has occu-
pied for four successive terras. Me
is now about to retire, ^nd a spirit-
ed contest is going on betw^een the
two candidates nominated to suc-
ceed him.
The moral condition of Liberia
seemed very good to Mr. P. and
although he was much amongst the
common people while there, he
heard no profaneness, saw' no drunk-
enness, and even met no grog-shop
in the Republic. Their churches
are in a healthy state, and their
sabbath schools well attended and
prosperous.
In answer to a question w'ith re-
I gard to the English Colony, Sierra
Leone, Mr. P. stated that it was
mostly composed of re-captured Af-
ricans, who haa been sold as slaves,
and being retaken by English crui-
sers, had been sent to this Colony,
w'here they were supported fur
three years by the British govern-
ment and then furnished with a
house and lot and left to themselves.
Many of these, after having been
under Christian influences for a
time, return to their old homes in
the interior, and thus carry thf' seed
<)fGodh> imih and the light of r.hvis-
240
Meeting of the Conn. Colonization Society.
[August,
tian civilization into the darkest
portions of poor benighted Africa.
It is not improbable that ere long,
Sierra Leone will become united to
Liberia' as the beginning of a con-
federacy of States which may exist
when the American Union will
have been broken in fragments.
Mr. P. concluded by giving some
facts with regard to the ship Morgan
Dix, whose passengers had suffered
an unusual mortality, concerning
, which various unfounded rumors
had been circulated. This vessel
left a Southern port where the
cholera was raging, and through
mistake was supplied with poor wa^
ter casks, and reached Liberia just
after the reception houses had been
burned down by an infuriated native
chief and his men. These ^things
with others, combined to work
against the passengers by that ves-
sel, and yet, instead of but six sur-
vivors, as was reported, Mr. P. had
the names of some seventy-five who
were alive when he was there.
In answer to a question from
Judge Terry, Mr. P. expressed an
opinion that the mortality was not
greater in Liberia than in New York
City, and in our Southern and Wes-
tern States.
Rev. Mr. Beadle was then called
upon for some remarks, but declined
making a speech at so late an hour
of the evening. He re-echoed the
sentiments of the Secretary, Mr.
Turner, as to the preciousness of
the colonization cause. He felt
that it was the cause of God and
would prevail. “ If God is for us,”
said he, “ who will be against us ?”
Judge Teiry being called upon,
expressed his gratification that the
colonization cause was so upon the
increase. He was the first Secretary
of the State Colonization Society,
and attended its first annual meet-
ing, when the only officers, mem-
bers, audience and speakers present,
were the lamented Gallaudet and
himself. Although alone, however,
they organized their meeting, trans-
acted their business, elected their
officers, and the Society is still
alive.
The President then called upon
Rev. Dr. Hawes, who was glad of
an opportunity to define his posi-
tion on the colonization cause, as
he had been misunderstood with
regard to it. He felt a deep interest
in the cause itself, and desired its
prosperity, but as it had often been
supported on wrong grounds and
with improper arguments, he had
not always sympathized with its
friends. He could tolerate nottiing
that furnished any excuse or pallia-
tion for African slavery. As a
means of christianizing and civili-
zing Africa, however, he bade the
cause God speed.
Rev. Mr. Pinney then read a let-
ter from Chester E. Fairchild, a
young colored man at school in
Vermont, defending Liberia and
President Roberts from the asper-
sions of a Mr. George S. Dowming,
a free colored man of New York
City.
He also mentioned incidents
showing the kindness of some slave-
holders to their slaves who had left
for Liberia, and affirmed that some
of God’s best servants in Virginia
were slaveholders, and have proved
their benevolence and Christianity
by their course with regard to their
slaves even after they had passed
over the ocean from their masters.
Professor Silliman then reassured
the audience of his interest in the
cause of colonization, and to those
who desired reliable information of
the Republic of Liberia, &c., he
commended a little book recently
prepared on the subject by Com-
mander A. H. Foote of the U. S.
1855.]
«
African tribes about Gape Palmas,
. 24t
N^vy. Iri connection with this he j;
reTened to the ch;tracier of Ca|>t.
Foote, and stated that the British ,
Admiral on the African coast assured !|
Capt. Foote that unless he used ||
spirits on board ship, his men jl
would surely die; and yet, said ji
Prof. S., after two years’ cruising on i
that coast, Capt. Foote had not lost ||
a man, while the British Admiral n
had lost 24. i;
The meeting w^as then adjourned :j
sine die, ||
The following officers were elect- j!
ed for the ensuing year : !j
President, jBenjamin Silliman, LL. |
D.: Vice Presidents, Rt. Rev. Thos. i
C. Brownell, D. D., LL. D., Hon.
Thos. S. Williams, Hon. Ralph I. j
Itigersoll, James Brewster, Esq.,
Hon. Thos. W. Wiliiams, Hon.
Ebenezer Jackson, Hon. Origen S.
Seymour, Hon. John H. Brockway,
Hon. Thomas Backus, Hon, Thos.
B. Butler; Corresponding Secre-
tary, Rev. John Orcutt ; Recording
Secretary, H. Huntington, Esq.:
Treasurer, Charles Seymour, Esq.:
Board of Managers, Rev. N. S, '
Wheaton, D D., Rev. W. W. Tur-
ner, James B. Hosmer, Esq., Hoa.
A. Blackman, Hon. Henry White,
Austin Dunham, Esq., Hon. Eben-
ezer Flower, Calvin Day, Esq.,
Frederick Crosweli, Esq., Wen. S.
Charnley, Esq., Timothy Bishop,
Esq., H. H. Barbour, Esq., Cyprian
Wilcox, Esq., Seth Terry, Esq.
[From the Cavalla Messenger.]
African tribes about Cape Palmas.
Some account has been given in
former numbers of the “ Messen-
ger,” of African customs. It will
be interesting now to say something
of the tribes in the neighborhood of
Cape Palmas.
To the distance of two hundred |
and fifty miles north w^est, north |
north east, these tribes closely re- 1
semble each other in physical ap-
pearance, manners and customs.
The prevailing color perhaps is
black, but the brown is very general,
and in many families very light
brown, almost the Indian red, pre-
dominates ; in the color of the hair
and features too, there is much di-
versity. All the shades between jet
black and red are to be seen. The
features commonly attributed to Af-
ricans predominate, but on this part
of the coast the exceptions are very
numerous. Thus, oval, even long
and delicate formed face, black
piercing eye, small mouth, with
cherry-red lips, tall and erect figures
are by no means uncommon. The
Orebo people, who inhabit the sea
16
coast, and go much to sea, are ta
physical developmenfi; much supe-
rior to the interior tribes with whom
they have intercourse, and in gen-
eral intelligence, and energy of
character, the comparison is get^r-
ally in their favor.
In their political and social con-
dition there is but little difference.
I'hey average not above fifteen
thousand in number. They ace di-
vided into separate towns and cor-
porations, seldom long united even
by the loosest confederation, and
the petty jealousies, quarrels and
wars, are no less common, amongst
towns of the same tribe, than be-
tween these aliens.
The most fruitful causes of dis-
I pute are land boundaries, women, and
; traffic. No surveys or formal fixing
I of territorial limits are knowu. In
! the numerous migrations which
have taken place, the parties who
cleared the original forests are held
to be the rightful proprietors ; but as
! in a tropical country, land if left un-
i disturbed is speedily overgrown, it
242
Yoruba,
[August,
is easy to see how such titles may
come to be disputed. For women
or wives, betrothment money, to the
amount of about twenty dollars in i
cash; is given to the father or Patri-
arch of the wife’s family, each man
procuring as many women, or
rather females of all ages, as he is
able. This of course leads to most
ill assorted marriages, and the run-
ning away of women with those
whom they may chance to like bet-
ter than their husband, is of frequent
occurrence. In such cases, the
money originally paid, with interest,
is demanded, and extreme, means
are taken to compel its immediate
payment. The seizure and confine-
ment of parties belonging to the
offender’s town or family, to stop-
ping of all intercourse, are the com-
mon expedient.
Traffic is the source of many dif-
ficulties The coast people, and
those of the interior, are mutually
dependent. The former do not pro-
duce enough to supply their own
immediate wants, while the latter
must have salt, and all articles of
foreign production from the coast.
The people in this region beg the
agents for this supply to take care
to levy very high duties; and the
strife to lower them on the one hand
and raise them on the other con-
stantly produces disputes and in-
terruption of intercourse.
Yoruba.
Ibadan is an African town in
Yoruba, containing about 60,000
souls, a hundred miles inland from
the west coast of Africa. The only
missionaries there are Mr. and Mrs.
Hinderer, and the Rev. J. T. Refer.
Mr«. H. has written home a journal
of the mission, from which I have
now given our readers a few ex-
tracts.
Let us lo'ok into her dwelling
house :
“ The scene,” she says, “ would
be amusing, in our little native
dwelling, with its mud walls and
thatched roof, with no ceiling, no
doors or windows ; and yet we feel
as secure as if we had bars and
locks. People are too much afraid
of us to steal, even if they were so
inclined. Many comforts surround
us, and we are quite as happy as
though we were in a palace, though
not perhaps quite so comfortable.
For instance, it is raining : patter,
patter, it comes on your head, and
you must move : it is soon put to
rights again, and as soon you find
it coming down in another place.
But it is a variety, and often affords
a little amusement. It has not
spoiled anything yet, and when the
roof gets thoroughly soaked — which
it will soon do now, as the rain
comes in good earnest — we shall
not have these disturbances. Now
and then a frog hops in to take a
survey— but, being taken by sur-
prise, it is generally glad to hop out
again, after a little scream from me,
and some long, worm-like looking
things, with at least a hundred legs.
But my greatest enemies are the
mosquitos ; they are too fond of
biting.”
The cruelties practised by the
chiefs are most horrible. “ My hus-
band,” says she, “told us a sad
story. A cruel chief once lived in
a house we saw. One of his wives
having committed a trifling offence,
the rest of his wives were called
out — at least many of them — and
had to stand in a circle ; he then
cut oflT the offender’s head, and made
them all drink of her blood. My
hand trembles as I write of such
cruelty; but I could tell you of far
1855.J
243
Funeral of an African Chief
more barbarous ads. We went to
the son’s house : the cruel father is
dead. The son is not so bad. My
husband pointed out a spot where
an immense ditch had been dug,
and kept open fordead bodies killed
in this way. This cruel man was
head chief — a perfect tyrant: no
one could conquer him. His house
Funeral of an
Extract from the Journal of Rev. H.
R. Scott, Episcopal missionary at
Cape Palmas, taken from the Spirit
of Missions.
Weir, the King of the Cavalla
towns, died to-day. He was a man
of great weight of character, a friend
to our mission, and an advocate for
peace. He believed the gospel to
be true, but said it was too late for
him to attend to it. Great prepara-
tion is bein^ made for his funeral,
which comes off day after to-mor-
row. Went to his house this after-
noon, where I witnessed a scene
which can better be imagined than
described. As is the custom on
such occasions, the women related
to the deceased were collected
around his body — to the number of
forty or fifty — rolling in the sand,
and making the air resound with
such lamentations as I have read of
but never before heard. Some
doubtless felt what they expressed
but with the great majority it was
the expression, with very little if
any feeling of grief.
December 15. — A great number
have come to-day from various di-
rections to attend the funeral. Guns
are being continually fired and a
drum beat.
December 16. — The body of the
deceased king ^vas taken this morn-
ing to an open plain in the vicinity
of the town, where an arbor was
erected over it, and a table placed
near it on which was his hat, two
was fortified. His own death was
awful, like that of Herod, and more
horrors than we have recorded in
scripture of Herod. But now the
blessed gospel has entered this bar-
barous place, and what may it not
effect ? Oh ! God, send out Thy
light and thy truth !”
African Chief.
umbrellas, a stool, a bottle, and a
few other articles from his posses-
sions. Then the regular exercises
commenced, by some one or two
hundred of the men, in full war-
dress, performing around the body
military evolutions peculiar to the
heathen, and keeping up a constant
firing over and upon the body, dan-
cing and hallooing, and making ad-
dresses to the deceased — all seem-
ing to be striving to drive away
everything like serious reflection.
These warriors were smeared all
over with a species of black paint,
and had a great number of skins of
wild animals hanging around their
waists, and a frightful head-dress
made of feathers, skins, deer horns,
&c. Altogether, they presented
such an appearance as we might
imagine to belong to fiends, rather
than to human beings. Besides
these, there were collected perhaps
a thousand persons, of all ages and
sexes — all, with few exceptions,
manifesting the greatest delight at
theexhibition. About twelve o’clock
the naiive schools from Rocktown,
Mt. Vaughan and Cavalla, being
all at this place, to attend a cele-
bration— all marched down in pro-
cession, with their banners, when
Bishop Payne delivered an appro-
priate address to the large audience
assembled. After this they con-
tinued firing, and playing around
the body, and having mock battles,
for about two hours. They then
244
African Pic-nics,
[August,
sent word to the Bishop that they ]
were about to inter the body, 'and !
requested that he should come and |
address them again. Being engaged |
in the examination of the schools, j
he sent the messenger to me, and 1 j
went down and delivered them a
short address. After which, a broth-
er of the deceased made him an ad- ;
dress ; in w hith lie alluded to the i
difficulties which had occurred be- !
tween them, and said they were all !
settled now, then concluded by |
pouring water on two or three;
sticks of wood, whi'ch were burning
at one end, and throwing them
away. The body was then conveyed
to the grave, and interred with a
quantify of rice, jialm oil, beef, and
I rum, for the use of the spirit on his
visits to the grave.
From this dark scene I returned
to my home, feeling that there is
nothing better calculated than a
heathen funeral to lead the Christian
to realize and cherish the blessings
of the gospel.
Central African Pic-Nics.
I arose at sunrise, and leaving :j a cloud of dust that little except red
Achmet to have my baggage re- ;| caps and horses tails w^as visible, un-
moved, walked through the town '| til we came out upon the open plain.
(Khartoum) to my head quarters at
the Consular residence. I found
Dr. Reitz^s horses saddled in the
where our cavalcade made a show'y
and picturesque appearance.
The company consisted of Abd-
court, and himself walking in I he gar- | el Kader Bey, Mousa Bey, Musaker
den. He was greatly surprised to see i Bey, Ali Bey, Khasib, Abou-Sin and
me, not having expected me for an-
other week. After the first greetings :
were over, he informed me that Abd-
el Kader Bey, the Governor of Kor- ■
dofan, w'as about leaving for Obeid, ^
and his friends intended to accompa- ■
ny him as far as the island of Mous- ^
sa Bey, in the White Nile. During
my absence, Mahommed Kheyrhad
Owd-el Kerim, the Shukoree Chiefs,
Ali Effendi Mahommed Kheyr, Dr.
Reitz, Dr. Peney and myself, besides
a number of injferior officers end at
least fifty attendants ; in short, every
body of consequence in Khartoum,
except the Pasha, who was represen-
ted by one of his Secretaries. The
Beys w’ere mounted on fine Arabian
presented Dr. Keitz with a fine Don- j stallions, Dr. Peney on a tall drom-
golese horse, which he offered to i edary, and the Arab chiefs on mules
that I might participate in the ;j and donkeys, while tin
me,
festivities. While I was at the Cath
olic Mission, relating my adventures
to Dr. Knoblecher, a messenger
came to annouce that Abd-el Kader’s
boat had left, and that he, with other
chiefs of Khartoum, were ready to
set out on horseback for the White
Nile. We rode at once to the house
of Moussa Bey, who had quit recov-
ered from his illness. The compa-
ny was already mounted in the square
grooms and
pipe-bearers ran behind on foot,
i I shall long remember the brilliant
I picture of that morning. The sky
I was clear and hot, and the palm rus-
I tied their shining leaves in a light
! wdnd. The fields of beans lay spread
: out before us and the river, their j»ur-
I pie blossoms rolling in long drifts
' and flakes of color, and warm, vo-
I luptuous perfume. The red caps,
the green and scarlet housings of the
before the house, and only awaited horses, the rich blue, brown, purjile
our arrival. We dashed through the i and violet dresses of the Beys, and
lanes ofthe slave quarter, raisingsuch i the snowy robes of the Arabs, wiili
1855.J
African Pic-nics.
• 245
their crimson borders thrown over
tlie shoulder, j)rojected against the
tawny hue of the distant plains, aiUi
the warm blue of the sky, formed a
feast of color which, in iis entire
richness and harmony, so charmed
my eye that the sight of it becante a
luxury to the sense, as palpable as
that of an exquisite flavor to the pal-
ate.— Away we went at full gallop,
the glittering array of colors dancing
and interchanging to the rapid mu-
sic, as our horses hoofs tore the bean-
vines and flung their tniling blos-
soms into the air, until we reached
the banks of the White Nile, where
the B -y’s vessel was just coming
to land. Here the Arab shekhs and
the greater part of the inferior offi-
cers embraced Abd-el Kader and re-
turned to Khartoum.
The rest of us crossed over to the
island of Mo*u?s I Bey and walking
over the thick green tmf to a large
mimosa tree, of the variety called
araz, where the carpets were spread
on the ground for us and the slaves
were ready with our pipes. We lay
there two or three hours, in the pleas-
ant shade, talking, smoking, and la-
zily waiching the motions of the at-
tendants, who were scattered all over
the island. An Albanian in a scar-
let dress shot a wild goose, and Dr.
Reitz tried to bring down an ibis,
but failed. Finally the showrmeh —
an entire sheep stuffed with rice —
appeared, garnished with bread,
onions, radishes, and grapes. We
bared our right arms and buried our
hands in the smoking flesh ‘vithsuch
good will, that in half an nour the
dish contai^ied nothing but a beau-
tiful skeleton. Abd-el kader Bey
honored me by tearing off a few
choice morsels with his own fingers
and preseniing them to me. A bowl
of rice cooked in milk and sweeten-
ed, completed the repast. At noon
we went on board the sandal, and
[ after being shipped to the other side,
; look leave of Abd-el Kader with an
embrace and “God grant you a pros-
perous journey!'’ to which he re-
plied : “ God grant it !” He sailed
off”, up the White Nile, for Tura,
with a fine breeze, and we turned
j homeward. The wind which blev
I across the plain in our faces, was
I as hot and dry as the blast of a fur-
: nace and my head reeled under the
; terrible intensity of the sunshine. —
S The Beys took every opportunity
I of displaying their horsemanship,
I dashing over the bean-fields, in wild
I zig-zags, reining up in wild career,
; thro\v'ing their crooked canes into
! the air after the manner of a jereed,
j and describing circles and ellipses at
i full gallop. The finest of all was my
I handirome Albanian friend, Musa-
! ka Bey.
I I called upon the Pasha the same
I afternoon, to give him an account of
I my voiage up the White Nile, and
I was obliged to remain and dine with
liim. He w’as very much interested
! in my adventures wdth the Shillooks,
i but gave me to understand that the
I negroes had great fear of his power,
I and that if they had net known I
i was under his protection they would
l! certainly have killed me. When I
I spoke of the giant statue of the Shil-
I looks he confirmed what I had al-
I ready heard, that the Kyks and Baris
j| are full seven feet in height. He al-
ii so stated that his predecessor, Ach-
I met Pasha Menekleh, had captured
I in the regions beyond Fazogi thirty
jj blacks, who were nine feet high and
j! terrible to behold. They were
i brought to Khartoum in chains, he
I said, but relused to eat, howling like
j beasts and died in paroxysms ofsav-
i age fury. When 1 remembered that
the Pasha had already told me that
there was a subterraneous passage
from Alexandria to the Fyoom (a dis-
tant of two hundred miles,) made by
•24U
African Women.
[Auf,'ust,
Alexander the Great, and that the
Sultan at Constantinople had an ape
which grew to be twenty feet in height,
I received this last communication
with a grain of allowance. He fully
believed in the existence of the
N'yam N’yam,(a horribly suggestive
name ) or cannibals, who [ have no
doubt, are a fabulous race. Dr. Barth
heard of them in Adamowa, south of
Lake Tsad, and Dr. Knoblecher in i
the Bari country, but no one has ever
yet seen them.
The expedition of Lattif Effendi
had met with many delays, but on
Monday, the *2d of February, every-
thing was ready for its departure.
It consisted of two large nekkers or
trading vessels, each armed with a
cannon, and carried six soldiers in
addition to the crew. It was also pro-
vided with interpreters, who spoke
the language of the different tribes.
Fat Abou-Balta, who was the own-
er of one of the vessels. Dr. Peney,
Dr. Reitz, and myself, made up a par-
ty to accompany Lattil Effendi the
first stage of his voyage. We took the
same little sandal in which I had sail-
ed, and pushed away from Khartoum
at sunset, followed by the nekkers.
The relatives of the sailors were
crowded on the bank to bid them
good-bye, and as the vessels weigh-
ed anchor, the women set up the
- &\\n\V‘lu-lu-lu-lu-luf which they use
to express all emotions, from rapture
down to despair. We had a light,
but favoring wind, and at 9 o’clock
reached a long, sandy beach about
five miles above the mouth of the
White Nile, where we came to a
halt. The vessels where moored to
the shore, fires kindled, pipes light-
ed and coffee made, and we gaiher-
ed into groups on the sand, in'lhe
light of the full moon. At midnight
the customary sheep made its ap-
pearance accompanied by two bot-
tles of claret, whereat Abou-Balta
affected to be scandalized, so long
as any Moslem attendants were in i he
neighborhood. When the coast was
clear, he sprawled out like another
Falstaff, his jolly face beaming in
the moonlight, and took a sly taste
of the forbidden beverage, which he
liked so well that he no longerresent-
ed the wicked nickname ^'gamoon
elhahrf (hippopotamus,) which we
bestowed upon them. We tried to
sleep a little, but although the sand
was soft, the night air was chilly, and
I believed nobody succeeded but
Abou-Baito, whose enormous belly
shook with the force of his snor-
ing, as he lay stretched out on his
back. By three in the morning
everybody was tired ; the fires had
I burned out, the meats of the banquet
had grown cold, and the wind blew
! more freshly from the north. — Lattif
I Effendi called his sailors on board,
and we took leave ofhim. The two
nekkers spread their huge wings and
sailed off in the moonlight for the
land of the Baris, while we made our
slow way back to Khartoum, where
j we arrived at day Journey
1 to Central Jifrica^ by Bayard Taylor.
[From the Cavalla Messenger.]
African Women.
It is commonly said that in hea-
then countries woman is ever degra-
ded to the level of slaves. This can-
not be said in strict propriety of wo-
man in this part of Africa. It is true,
that a certain sum is given as betroth-
meni money, by every husband to the '
ii wife’s father or headman. But the
li wife repels indignantly the idea of,
being bought : and it is a remarkable
fact, that the oldest son of every wo-
man, claims from his mothey^’s farnWy^
a wife or her value, in return for be-
trothment money received on her.
1855.]
Maine Colonization Society.
247
account. The influence of woman ;
is far from unimportant. In the j
disposition of her daughters she ,
must be always consulted. Thehus* |
band too must see to it that he pleas- |
es her, if not altogether for /ove’^sake, j
yet to save himself from the potent ]
spells, or sorceries, which woman is I
supposed especially to wield. Her j|
supposed power in this respect, ||
causes her to be consulted in case of ||
war, the idea being, that if she is not ji
favorable to the war, she has the pow-
er of causing the death of her hus- j
band or friend in battle. i
Vanity, too, in the husband often ,
contributes to the good treatment of
woman. Each man is ambitious,
especially in the dancing season, to
have his wives make as much dis- j
play of dress and ornament as possi- j
ble. Gay colored clothes, and a |
profusion of beads and trinkets on |
the legs and arms, .are given accord- j
ing to the ability of the husband, at j
this time. Nor is it the wives only j
who must thus be conciliated. Fe- |
male cousins, relatives even the most |
distant, make large drafts u^onAta, |
or else by common consent he is a !
bad man. |
The labor, too, is more equally dis- |
tributed between the men and wo- 1
men, than is generally supposed. ,
The men prepare f^rms, in all !
cases for cultivation, and assist the j
women, in their cultivation. The 1
men also build houses, make canoes, |
and do most of the trafficing. |
But the woman has her share of }
labor. She chiefly cultivates the soil,
after the rice and cassada crops have
been planted. She makes salt by
evaporatingsea water in brassor cop-
per vessels,^and has to make fre-
quent journies to exchange this and
other things, to supply food for her
household. When the rice has been
harvested, it is put in the upper part
of her house in the straw, and she
must beat it out, and cook it daily
as needed.
At the close of day, she must have
w'ater ready for bathing, and food
for her husband to eat. She must
be ever ready to receive, and pro-
vide in a similar manner for stran-
gers.
But “ troubles must and will be-
fall” the best, and much more poor
heathen African women. Even a
slight impropriety often draws down
upon them the rage of their lords,
and the rod, or fire, or the cutlass,
or the more dreaded gidu, ('sassa-
w'ood,) at his discretion, can alone
appease. But, indeed, African wo-
men are habitually guilty of more
than improprieties. They are un-
principled, and often very vicious.
Not more so than their husbands,
perhaps, but this is only to say that
they are wicked heathen, after all.
And although in their outward ap-
pearance they are in general light-
hearted and pleasant, at heart they
are without principle, and indulge
in all manner of vices peculiar to
heathenism. This is their misery.
[From the Christian Mirror.]
Maine Colonization Society.
The official account of the first annual
meeting is given below by the Secretary.
W e regret there is no report of the speeches,
so full of reason, humanity, life and point,
as they were. It certainly was not the
least interesting of the meetings held du-
ring the week. The sentiments uttered
commended themselves to the philanthro-
pic and Christian heart. It is a matter of
real congratulation that the interest in this
cause has begun to revive among us. We
trust It will take strong hold, and spread
till it pervades the community throughout
the entire State.
Rev. Messrs. Robinson and Farrington
appeared as delegates from the West
Maine Conference of the Methodist Epis-
copal Church,
248
Hems from the Liberia Herald.
[Augitsi,
Resolutions, expressing cordial sympa- j;
tby, were presented from the East Maine ji
Conference. j
('Published on page 236. 'I jj
T he first annual meeting of the Coloni- J
zation Society of the State of Maine, was !j
held at the rooms of thf^ Young Men’s ;j
Christian Association in Portland, June |;
^th, 1855. Rev. J. W. Chickering, one ij
of the Vice Presidents, in the chair. The ji
meeting was opened by prayer by Rev |
W. F, Farrington. On motion of Rev. W. |i
F, Farrington, |i
Vbied io amend the constitution of this 'i
»ocie5y,so that the Executive Committee, !
and the Corresponding Secretary and |'
Treasurer shall be chosen by the Society
at the annual meetings. Ij
that Rev. C. W. Morse, George j
Barker and Samuel Tyler be a committee
to nominate officers.
Adjourned to meet at the High Street i
•church this evening. j!
Thursday evening met at the High |
Street church pursuant to adjournment. j;
PIoK, Etheh Sheplet, the President, on
taking ihe chair, addressed the meeting, ^
and vras followed by Rev. Mr. Gurley of |
Washington City, Rev. J. W. Chickering, i
John T^eal, Esq., and Rev. H. S. Carpen- |
ter of Portland, Rev. Mr. Copp of Chel- |i
sea, Mass., and Rev. J. Maltby of Bangor, jl
Rev. Mr. Morse from the Committee on
BomiTintions, made a report which was i;
accepted, and therefore the following per- j,
sons were chosen officers for the ensuing |
year : |
PIo3f. Etser Sheplet, of Portland, ,
President. I
flee Fresidenis and Jlfanagers : Hon. j
Albion K. Parris, Portland; Rev. Leonard
"Woods, D. O., Brunswick ; Hon. George jj
Downs, Calais ; Nathan Cummings, |j
Portland ; Rev. John Maltby, Bangor ; j
Hon. Josiah Pierce, Gorham ; Rev. W.
T. Dwight, D. D., Rev. A. Burgess, of i|
Portland; IJon. W. P. Heines, Bidde^ord; j
Hon. Thomas Robinson, Ellswoi ih; John j
Ham, Esq., Bangor ; Rev. W. H. Shailer, 1
D. D. , Rev. H. S. Carpenter, Phinehas 1
Barnes, Esq., Portland ; Hon. Edward i;
Robinson, Thomaston ; A. H. Boyd, Esq., i
Saco ; Rev. Caleb Hobart, North Yar- j
mouth, Rev. E. Robinson, Saecarappa ; A.
Masters, Esq., Hallowell ; Hon Joseph ij
Tiicomb, Kennebunk ; Dr. Moses Gould, i!
Bridgton; Rev. Phinehas Fliggins, Hamp-
den; FVeeman Clark, Esq., Bath; Ed-
ward Fenno, Augusta ;‘'Rev. J. A. Doug-
lass, Waterford ; H. C. Busw'ell, Esq.,
Fryeburg ; Nathan Nye, Esq., Fieeport ;
John Kelley, Esq., Dennysville ; H. J.
Libby, Esq., Portland; "Woodbury S.
Dana, Esq., Portland ; Rev. J. W.
Chickering, Portland, Cor. Secretary^
Philip Eastman, Saco, Recording Secretary;
Eben Steele, Portland, Treasurer.
Executive Committee : Rev. James Pratt,
Rev. W. F. Farrington, Nathan Cum-
mings, Esq., Samuel Tyler, Esq , Byron
Greenough, Esq., Portland ; Freeman
Clark, Esq., Bath; A. H. Boyd, Esq.,
Saco.
The following Resolutions were unani-
mously adopted :
Resolved That in view of the truly
patriotic and benevolent character of the
American Colonization Society in seeking
by the wisest means the highest good of
the greatest number of the African race,
we deem it worthy of generous and uni-
versal support ; and that it be earnestly
recommended to all Christian societies or
congregations in this state to take up col-
lections for this Society on the fourth of
July, or on some sabbath as near as con-
venient to that day annually ; and that
where this cinnot be done, some friend of
the cause is earnestly requested, by pri-
vate solicitation to procure a subscription
to this sc worthy tribute to humanity on
that national birth day.
Rtiolved, That inasmuch as it is under-
stood that the American Colonization So-
ciety is in want of a suitable vessel or ship
of proper dimensions and construction to
be exclusively under its control, and in its
service for the safe and comfortable con-
veyance of emigrants to Liberia, a Com-
mittee of seven be appointed to devise and
secure the means, and by building or
purchise to obtain a suitable ship for the
Society.
Geo. F. Patten of Bath ; Samuel Tyler,
of Portland ; Joseph Titcomb, of Ktnne-
bnnk ; John Ham, of Bangor ; A. R.
Stetson, of Damariscotfa ; William Chase,
of Portland ; and Thomas Harwood, of
Bath ; were appointed this Committee.
Adjourned,
Philip Eastman, Ree. Sec.
Items from the Liberia Herald.
Thf. New Tear." — We Lave fairly en- |l has passed away, and is now, “ with tl’e
tered upon a new portion of time. The Ij years beyond the flood.” We are at the
year iS54 with all its joys and sorrows — i[ threshold of 1855, whose contingencies
all its expectation's and disappointments, Ij lie stil! in the unknown and mysterious
1855.]
Hems from the Liberia Herald.
24P
future. We may live to see its close, and
we rr>ay not. Who can tell the changes
and revolutions that may be produced by
a year, a single year? But no matter
what occurs, let us endeavor to be found
among the uncompromising adherents of
truth and righteousness, and we shall |
assuredly enjoy, what we wish all our ;
readers — a happy vew year. i
In reviewing the past year, we find ,
abundant occasion for praise and thasks- i
giving to the sovereign of nations by i
whose kind guidance and protection our !
little Republic has been preserved, and I
still continues to maintain a national atti- j
tude.
While disease with its poisonous breath j
has carried devastation into various parts ,
of the earth, depopulating in its dreadful ]
march, cities, towns and villages ; while j
destructive and sanguinary war has caused j
the blood of thousands to irrigate the soil, i
laying its ruthless hands upon the beauti- i
ful and magnificent works of art, and I
desolating in an hour the productions ofj
the industry a)id labor of many years ; |
while infernal commotions, insurrections i
and political 'dissensions have disturbed j
the harmony and arrested the progress of |
various nations, Liberia has enjoyed a
remarkable and grateful immunity. We !
have been protected from the “ pestilence j
that walketh in darkness, and from the j
destruction that wasteth at noonday.” |
Peace has been tlie boundary line r^f our i
habitation, and prosperity its pleasant in- j
mate. i
In the various departments of our moral !
and social organization we have been on j
the advance. Churches have been erected
in different localities ; new fields for evan- 1
gelical labor have been opened, and the ■
spiritual laborers have entered upon their |
work of mercy ; while several portions of i
the Lord ’s vineyard have enjoyed a season ;
of refreshing from His presence.
Our educational facilities have not di-
minished. The school master is abroad,
and our youth are enjoying the wholesome
influences of those whose “delightful!
task ” it is,
“To rear the tender thought
And te.ach the young idea how to shoot.”
The Press has received a valuable aux- |
iliary in a new periodical — the Liberia {
Sentinel f whose publication reflects no
little credit upon the enterprise of its
proprietor. While we do not endorse all |
the .sentiments that have been advanced in
Its columns, we hail its appearance among ;i
us, and wish it success and perpetuity as ;
another vehicle of instruction and intelli- ii
gence to the people of Liberia ; hoping
that the effect of more than one element in
our moral and political atmosphere will be
to purify it.
The scenes to be witnessed on our rivers
and the growing interest so generally
manifested in the enlargement of agricul-
tural operations, afford encouraging evi-
dences of the advancement of Jigricullure —
the only true basis and unfailing source of
national prosperity.
The vessels of various nations that con-
tinually arrive in and depart from our
ports evince the thriving state of our com-
mercial department.
This branch of industry, so essential to
the life and activity of a community, so
necessary to our country, for the stimula-
: tion of our people to the developement of
the natural resources of the country ; so
important to our enjoyment of the advan-
tages derivable from regular intercourse
with the civilized and enlightened world,
is obviously not behind the other improve-
ments.
Upon the whole, a retrospect of the past
year cannot fail to excite within us emo-
; tions of gratitude to the Divine Ruler for
such manifestations of mercy and goodness.
But while the aggregate of our affairs
shows a gradual and general advancement
we are not without cause to quicken our
steps in order to keep i ace, in a moral
point of view, with this progressive age.
In the various reformations now on foot
I in the civilized world we have taken but
I comparatively little part. In the temper-
ance reform, for instance, it cann it be said
that there has been any decided progress
' during the past year. In some places
1 there has been an advancement ; but gen-
erally there have been painful indications
j of non-action, notwithstanding the dire
I effects of intemperance often witnessed
among us. We are not without encour-
. agement however, in this respect ; our
; people are now awaking to their duty, and
i strenuous efforts are makingforthe suppres*
I sion of the demoralizing influence of alcohol
j Let us go on from one improvement to
another until a pure and permanent refor-
mation shall be effected in our midst; and
the benighted natives around, coming un-
I der its salutary influences, shall be recov-
ered from their ignorance, superstition,
and degradation, and standing on a level
with the most favored portions of mankind,
enjoy with them “ par value and consid-
eration.” Januai'y 3. B.
The Ladies’ Dorcas Society of this
city celebrated its anniversary on Thuisday
the 11th inst. at the M. E. bhurch. The
250
Items from the Liberia Herald.
[August,
annual report of ilie Society, read on the
occasion by F. Payne, Esq., showed that
it has not been negligent during the past
year, in carrying out the object to which
It professes to be devoted. Its expendi-
tures had exceeded by far its receipts, and
yet there was a good amount remaining in
the treasury. The Address, highly inter-
esting and instructive, was delivered by
Rev. J. W. Horne, Principal of the Mon-
rovia Academy.
A peculiar interest attaches itself to this
Society, Its charities, while they have
not been ostentatious have been eminently
beneficial to the community. Through its
exertions and benevolence the first asylum
for the poor, was erected in this city ; and i
it has, since its erection, though never
destitute of inmates, been sustained by
them. It IS now in a state of delapidation
and the inhabitants, beneficiaries of the ;
Society, are subject to great exposures. —
The ladies, we learn, intend giving a
“ Subscription tea ” in order to raise suf-
ficient money to place the asylum in a
habitable condition — We wish them abun-
dant success in this effort. Jan. 17.
Temperance, — We take pleasure in J
stating for the encouragement of the !
friends of Temperance throughout the Re- i'
public, that a law for the suppression of ;|
the use of all intoxicating drinks has been
passed by the Legislature. A duty of one
dollar per gallon has been imposed upon
all spirituous and malt liquors, to take ef-
fect next May.
This is surely the beginning of better
days, and the lime is near, we trust, when
the monster Alcohol shall not be seen
among us. When he
“ Shall no more stalk with footstepsgory ;
No more trample down and slay ;
And the blooming and the hoary.
No more fall beneath his sway.”
^ Fire. — On the evening of the 9th inst.
our little city was the scene of a melan-
choly catastrophe. About 7 o’clock, P. M.,
a lire accidentally broke out at tlie resi-
dence of Rev. Alexander Crummell during
the absence of all but the children, and a
servant girl. The alarm being given, per-
sons from every direction — men, women,
and children — flocked in eager crowds to
the spot ; but before any assistance could
be rendered the fire had made extensive
progress, it spread with amazing rapidity
over the building, nor ceased in its des-
tructive course until the large and valuable
edifice was reduced to ashes.
By the magnanimity and exertions of our
fellow citizens, ever ready to sympathize
with the sufiering, a good portion of Mr.
Crummell ’s effects wer# rescued from the
devouring element. We learn, however,
that Rev. Mr. Green, and Mr. Samuel
Williams, residents in the family, have
sustained severe losses.
This is indeed a sad occurrence ; but it
has, no doubt, impressed upon the minds
of our citizens a lesson as to the necessity
of extreme carefulness in the use of that
dangerous element, which they will not
soon forget. The generosity and gallantry
manifested by our citizens on that distress-
ing occasion are worthy of high commen-
dation ; and we take pleasure in giving a
.«!pace in our columns, to the following tes-
timonial, and expressions of gratitude
from Rev. Mr. Crummell, which appeared
early on the next morning after the fire :
“ The Rev. Alex. Crummell and family
take the earliest opportunity of returning
their heartfelt thanks to their fellow citi-
zens and townsmen, for their generous,
self-devoted conduct and bearing amid the
sad catastrophe of the last night :
To the “Johnson Guards,” for their
prompt appearance on the ground, and for
their zeal and watchfulness :
To the gentlemen of the Town Council
for their early presence, and for their earn-
est hearty exertions :
To his fast friends — “The Wardens,
Vestry, and the active sympathizing mem-
bers of his Congregation,” both male and
female ; their kindness and labors can
never be forgotten :
To the “ Young men of the town ; gen-
erous, gallant, self-forgetting, self-sacri-
ficing— they performed prodigies !” “ may
the Lord remember them for good forever. ”
Never have we witnessed more noble da-
j ring, more real heroism, more generous
j enthusiasm. The young men of this town
are made of the stuff, which, if rightly
used, will make them Patriots for their
country and Heroes for C H R I S T.”
The Gold Medal Again. — We took
i occasion some time ago to inform our lite-
rary fellow citizens of the liberal proposal
made by Martin F. Tapper, Esq., a well
known English poet, and an unwavering
friend of Liberia, for the encouragement
of science and literature in our land. We
stated that it was proposed by him to pre-
sent a gold medal to Liberia to be award-
ed annually to the author of the best lite-
rary production in prose or verse. The
medal is now ready and awaits competi-
tion.
As Mr. Tapper wishes to make the first
award himself, copie? of the compositions
1855.]
Hems from the Liberia Herald.
251
will be transmitted to him at Albury,
Guildford. England. Several manuscripts
have already been forwarded by President
Roberts ; but some have unfortunately
been lost in transit, as Mr. Tupper writes
that he has only three in his possession.
It is not absolutely necessary that com-
petitors shall sign their names to the man-
scripts they send ; they may, if they see
fit, sign by a cypher or motto.
All copies may be sent to the Herald
Office until the 15th of April next, whence
they will be forwarded ; after that date we
shall give further notice.
We hope our aspiring fellow citizens
will avail themselves of this fine opportu-
nity, and that many will enter the field of
competition : so that, whether successful
or not, they may show that they are not
indifferent to the kind proposal of our lib-
eral friend, or insensible of the importance
of the spread and diffusion of science and
literature in our land.
January 17.
American Squadron — Shall the .Ameri-
can Squadron on the Jifrican Coast be with-
drawn or not ? This is a question of no
little interest, and is at present engaging to
a considerable extent the attention of the
American public. It is said that the
matter was taken up by Congress during
its last session, and that the committee on
foreign relations of the Senate reported in
favor of its discontinuance ; but we do
not think that this is the general feeling of
the American public; on the contrary,
judging from the earnestness with whicli
the subject has been discussed in various
quarters, it would seem that the great
importance and necessity of the squadron
on this coast are strongly felt ; and any
one at all acquainted with the state of
things here, cannot fail to see, that its
withdrawal would be followed by the most
disastrous consequences. If it be with-
drawn, and the American Government
continue to deny to other nations the
right of searching vessels bearing the
American flag, the English and French
Squadrons on the coast would be greatly
crippled in their operations, and rendered
inefficient. The American flag' would
certainly be resorted to as a protection in
the nefarious traffic ; and in the presence
of these squadrons, the cruel trade would
be resuscitated with all its horrible con-
comitants of wars, robbery, bloodshed and
death. This would cause the utility of
their continuance to be questioned by
their respective governments, and they
would perhaps be withdrawn also ; hand-
ing over the entire coast to the tender
mercies of practical slave-traders.
I Perceiving the diminution of the risk
j attending the traffic, unprincipled persons
! who now have not the remotest idea of
; engaging in it, may be induced on account
j of the enormous profits arising therefrom,
I to enter into it. Legitimate commerce
I will be left unprotected, and piratical
I crafts may take the places vacated by the
• men-of-war, and be the means of disturb-
ing and injuring the Christian settlements
j along the coast, by whose salutary and
j growing influence, the slave trade must
> and will be effectually suppressed. Libe-
! ria has done something towards the des-
[ truction of the commerce in human flesh,
I “upon that curse of curses a deadly blight
I has fallen, as far as her influence extends,”
j but she has been receiving “aid and
I comfoi’t” either directly or indirectly from
I the squadrons. She is yet feeble, the
: number of her citizens is small, her re-
i sources are limited, and should she at this
time be deprived of the powerful protection
I and encouragement o^ armed vessels, she
j would certainly suffer great annoyance and
j detriment, from the thousands of aborigines
, in her vicinity, and their foreign abettors,
I anxious to revive the sanguinary traffic.
I It is indeed difficult to tell whence the
idea of the withdrawal of the American
Squadron from this coast has arisen.
The Commodores, and most of the
: officers of the Squadron, as well as intelli-
j gent visiters who have been on this coast,
; have invariably insisted on the importance
I of its continuance, urging the American
; authorities to increase its efficiency by the
j addition of steam vessels. Commodore
Lavalette, in a letter dated July 17th,
1852, addressed to a gentleman in Phila-
delphia, says :
“I trust the squadron may not be with-
drawn, but that it will be kept up, and
instead of half a dozen sailing vessels
being employed in this service, there may
be sent to the station three or four steam
vessels, that will more effectually protect our
commercial interests in this quarter, as well
! as more certainly suppress the slave trade. ’ ’
' Commodore Mayo, now in command of
the squadron, wrote in December 1853.
“The withdrawal of the American
Squadron, would be attended with most
injurious results. Our trade on this coast
would certainly be destroyed, our flag
would be prostituted to the purposes of
the slave trade, and the Liberian colonies
would lose the valuable influence which
the presence of our ships of war exercises
upon the minds of the natives.”
Commander Lynch, who about two
years ago paid an official visit to this
coast, on his return to the United States,
said in his report •
252
hems from the Liberia Herald.
[August,
“Apart from the supression of the
slave trade, our commerce with the west
coast of Africa needs the protection of an
efficient force — efficient more in its power
of locomotion than in the number of its
guns.”
It is to be sincerely hoped that the
squadron will not be withdrawn ; the
motives and arguments in favor of its
continuance are numerous and weighty ;
and no advantage real or imaginary, that
may arise from its discontinuance, will
ever be efficient to atone for the evil there-
by done and the amount of good prevented.
B.
Mr. Editor : — Will you allow your
humble servant a place in your colum.ns to
make a few remarks on politics
1 deem it not improper in addressing
young men, to make a few observations
respecting politics. It is well for the stability
of our Republican Institutions, that the
people are divided into parties. This leads
to a strict scrutiny of our public function-
aries ; to the exposition of their faults and
a commendation of thei.*- wisdom and virtue,
and all this has a tendency to keep them
faithful in the discharge of their duties.
There are two prominent evils in regard
to politics, against which young men
should be upon their guard. The first is
tiie changing from party to party for the
purpose of obtaining popular applause, or
office of endowment ; such conduct be-
trays an entire destitution of moral prin-
ciple and rectitude. If you adopt these
motives as the basis of your political bias
and proceedings, it is quite certain, al-
though you may be successful for a sea-
son, that your object will eventually be
discovered, your character and influence
wall be lost, and all parties will despise
and neglect you. A shuffling time-serving
demagogue,;or political weather-cock, veer-
ing in the direction of every wind that
blows, without regard to principle, is a
most despicable character ; unworthy the
privilege of a freeman.
The other evil to which I allude is upon ^
the contrary extreme, a blind and servile
adherence to party ; an infatuation by
which every measure, however dangerous,
is supported that is dictated by the leaders ;
the wire pullers of the party, and every
principle however valuable and salutary, |
opposed and condemned whenever they I
give the signal ; an infatuation under the i
degrading influence of which, men aban-
don their birthright, of freedom of opin- -
ions, are willing to see with the eyes, and J
hear with the ears, and understand with \
the judgment, of those whom they permit j
to lead tiiem ; this servility to party tactics, :
party measures, and party men, is an evil
greatly to be deprecated, it is rife with
danger ; dangers that reach the very vitals
of our fi-ee Institutions; should the 'day
ever arise when this degrading party servi-
tude becomes general when it winds its
enslaving chains around the great mass of
the people, the sun of this Republic will
wane to the horizon, and early set in
clouds and darkness.
Mr. Editor, the strife and clamor, and
bitter acrimony that convince society of
the approach of important elections, are
caused mainly by the struggle between the
“ins” and the “outs,” between those who
are in office and wish to keep in, an 1 those
who are out and desire to get in ; were it
not for the contention of these two classes,
the clangor of political battle would be
hushed ; and the people would calmly and
peaceably adopt the proper measure to con-
tinue our institutions in their purity, and
keep the wheels of government in well
balanced motions ; young men should be
aware of these things, that they may
i “see through” the sophistical and bom-
i bastic declaiationsof political Demagogues,
i “Measures and not men” was the motto
; of the founders of this Republic ; and it
; still remains the popular cry of all parties.
; But it requires only a single glance at the
, proceedings of politicians at this present
1 day to discover that with too many of
, them, this maxim has become reversed
and their great object is men, not measures.
I Young men, avoid all party measures,
I that are not plainly and strictly for the
I benefit of the whole body of the people ;
, understand me, I do not object to political
! parties in a Republic like this ; there must
I be parties while men continue to differ
I honestly in opinion. But 1 object to that
; degrading attachment to party, by which
! the judgment is so blinded as to consider
I the interest of the party paramount to all
I oilier interests, that dai gerous infatuation,
i which says “ the party must be sustained,
at all hazards !” Let it be your highest
ambition to be a Republican, in the broad
' and true acceptation of that word, a lover
of enlightened and well regulated liberty ;
of equal rights and privileges, a supporter
of the rise or fall of parties, or none.
When measures are brought to your con-
sideration ask not by what party are they
I elevated or overthrown ; but only ask, are
I the proposed measures called for by ex-
i isting exigencies — are they consistent with
! the genius of our free institutions — are
' they compatible with republican principles
j — are they calculated to enhance tlie pub-
i lie welfare } If, after strict and candid ex-
j aminations, you can answer these inqui-
: ries in the affirmative, support the mea-
1855.]
Interesiing donation from Jifnr.
253
pures ; but if not, reject them entirely.
And when an individual is held up for
public station, let not the question be by
whom was he nominated — or to what
party does he belong, but ask, what are
iiis piinciples, his abilities.? ^pply
of the patriot Jefferson, is he capable, is
he honest, is he faithful .? Never give him
your support until you are perfectly satis-
fied upon these points. Let the young
men of this Republic free themselves from
all debasing manacles, from every im-
proper bias, and pursue an upright, man-
ly, independent course in regard to poli-
tics, and the evils that are now sapping
the foundation of our Republic will be-
come annihilated.
It devolves upon the young men of this
Republic who are now coming upon the
sta^e of action, to diffuse abroad a love
for political independence and purity.
I am yours, W. M. C.
Monrovia, Januarxj 12tli, 1855.
Politics — We invite the attention of
our readers to the communication of W.
M. C. on our second and third pages.
There is hardly any subject of more im-
portance to the people of Liberia, and on
which they^need more instruction than
that on which our correspondent has writ-
ten. When the reflecting and patriotic
mind contemplates the present condition of
affairs, it sees just cause for apprehension.
The desire for office and the spirit of elec-
tioneering seem to be advancing with
rapid and fearful progress. And many
seem to think that the majority of our
people exercising the right of suffrage, are
not the most enlightened in the world, not
most wealthy, not the most morally culti-
vated, and that it is, therefore, no diffi-
cult matter for any cunning and design-
ing aspirant, to obtain their votes ; and in
order to do this they suppose that he need
only like Craessus the ambitious Roman,
lavish thousands of dollars upon them ;
he need only spread sumptuous tables and
invite them to partake freely of his boun-
ties. Let him make them promises to do
great things for them should he obtain an
influential position in the government, let
him apply the “So/’t Soap” of adulation and
they are certain he will meet with entire
success. We should take care, fellow citi-
zens ; we should see to it that men of prin-
ciple and integrity are placed in positions of
trust and responsibility in the Republic,
“men capable, honest, faithful.” If at this
crisis we make a mistake in our advance-
ment on the road to national lability and
respectability, it may require a long time
before we recover. Let us then with a uni-
ty of feeling, and as far as possible a con-
centration of effort, endeavor to perpetuate
our glorious institutions. Feb. 21.
Interesting- Donation from Afar.
In our receipts will ‘be found the ac-
knowledgment of a donation from some
English ladies on the Himalayah moun-
tains in North India, amounting to §56 40,
which was forwarded by the Rev. Joseph
Owen of Allahabad in Hindostan, from
whose letter we make the following ex-
tracts :
Allahabad, ^pril 20, 1855.
To the Secretary of the Jim. Cvl. Soc.
My Dear Sir : — Some months back, a ;
pious lady, wife of a Judge here in the ;
East India Company’s civil service, was !
conversing with me about the slaves in !
America. She very sensibly remarked j
that talking alone would not help them —
that something should be done, and that |
she and her sister, the wife of an officer !
in the Company’s army, were in corres- 1
pondence with each other on this very i
point. I took occasion to speak to her of |
the venerable Colonization Society, whose j
labors on behalf of the African have been
so abundant and so successful. She ap- ,
peared very much pleased ; and wondered '
that she had never heard of tins excellent
Society before. Shortly after, she left the
station where she was then residing, and
went to live at a station on the Himalayah
mountains. You may judge of my agree-
able surprise on receiving a letter from her
the other day, inclosing an order for 120
rupees, contributed by herself and sister
and a few other ladies at the station of
Mussorie on the Himalayah mountains,
who appear to have formed themselves into
a society for this purpose. I am sure it
will gratify you and all the friends of the
American Colonization Society to hiow
that your labors are appreciated in this
distant land.
The contribution thus forwarded is from
Mrs. Christopher W. Fagan and other
ladies in North India. I have seldom
had greater pleasure in the performance of
any duty than of the one which the.se
ious, excellent ladies have given me the
onor of discharging. 1 heartily wish this
example might be followed by many
others of our English friends.
Wishing you, my dear sir, and all the
friends of the African every encourage-
ment, and abundant success in your laoor
of love, I remain, your.s very truly,
JosEi'H Given.
254
Receipts.
[August,
Receipts of the American Colonization Socie'tys
From the of June to the 20th of July, 1855.
MAINE.
By Capt. George Barker ; —
Yarmouth — Cash, Cash, each 50
cents 1 00
Searsport — Capt. Jeremiah Meri-
thue, to constitute himself a
life member of the Am. Col.
Soc 30 00
KennebunJc — W. B. Sewall 3 00 i
Portland — Rev, W. T. Dwight, i
an. donation, ^5 ; Rev. Ezekiel
Robertson & Rev. A. Cum-
mings, each $1 7 00
Fryburg — Rev. Carlton Hurd.... 1 00
42 00
VERMONT.
Montpelier — Vermont Col. Soc.. 40 00
West Milton — E. Herrick 1 67
41 67
MASSACHUSETTS.
Falmouth — Miss A. Lewis 5 00
Mwburyport — Part of legacy left
the Am. Col. Soc. by the late
Wm. B. Banister, deceased... 80 00
85 00
CONNECTICUT.
By Rev. John Orcutt : —
Bridgeport — Mrs. Thos. C. War-
din, |30, to, constitute herself
a life member of the Am. Col.
Soc. ; Rev. G. S. Coit, Mrs.
Silvanus Stirling, Eben Fair-
child, each ^10 ; Mrs. Wm. P.
Burrall, ^8; T. C. Wardin,
Mrs. Allen Porter, Mrs. Sam-
uel Simons, Mrs. Ira Sherman,
F. Wood, S. B. Jones, Mrs.
P. T. Barnum, Mrs. N. S.
Wardin, H. Lyon, each $5 ;
S. J. Patterson, J. C. Loomis,
each f3 ; E. Birdsey, Misses
Ward, H. Brewster, Isaac
Sherman, Dr. Judson, Mrs. G.
F. Hussey, E. J. Staples, each
^2 ; S. B. Ferguson, Cash, R.
Lewis, P. E. Lockwood, Thos.
Lord, D. H. Sterling, S. B.
Ferguson, Jr., J. H. Wash-
burn, R. B. Lacy, J. Gregory,
N. D. Birdsey, Cash, Mrs.
Eliza Sterling, S. M. Middle-
brook, Rev. W. Preston, each
$I ; Mrs. Abby Lewis, H. F.
Hatch, each 50 cents 149 00
East Bridgeport — Collection in M.
E. Church 4 00
Stratford — Mrs. Mary Bronson ,
$10, in full to constitute her-
self a life member of the Am.
Col. Soc. ; L. H Russell, $5 ;
Mrs. S. B. Linsley, Mrs. J. R.
Sands, each $2 ; A. T. Curtis,
50 cents 19 50
Stonington — N. B. Palmer, $10 ;
A. S. Palmer, C. P. Williams,
each $5 ; Mrs. Gen’l Williams,
Mrs. Dr. Hyde, Jr., J. F.
Trumbull, D. S. Hart, C. G.
Williams, each $2 ; Mrs. Jon.
States, Oliver York, H. Smith,
N. Smith, C. T. Stanton, each
$1 ; E. Chesebrough, 50 cts.,
Mrs. Dawes, 10 cents 35 60
Greenwich — Jonathan A. Close.. 2 12
Winsled — Dr. Lyman Case, E.
Beardsley, each $5 ; Norman
Adams, $3 ; J. J. Whiting, P.
W, Smith, Cash, L. Clark, R.
Cook, Charles Cook, J. R.
Cook, R. L. Beecher, G. Hall,
Mrs. W. S. Holabird, M.
Camp, Mrs. W. H. Phelps, ,
Samuel Shepard, Cash, W. S.
Phillips, Dr. Welch, C. J.
Camp, each $1 ; Cash, 25 cts.. 30 25
240 47
NEW YORK.
Cazenovia — Collection in the First
Presbyterian Church 22 00
DELAWARE.
Wilmington — Collection in the
Hanover street Church, July
1st, 1855, $60 ; James Mor-
row, Rev. A. D. Pollock, Geo.
Bush, each $1 ; Judge Hall,
$10 ; old balance, $1 ; by Geo.
Jones, Esq., $74 ; Chas. Bush,
to constitute himself a life
member of the American Col.
Soc., $30 104 00
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
Georgetown — “A Friend,” $25;
J. Ramsburg, $5 ; H. L. Of-
futt, $2 ; Cash, $1 33 00
Washington — By Rev. J. N. Dan-
forth : Ladies of Trinity Ch.,
to constitute Rev. George D.
Cummins, a life member of the
Am. Col. Soc., $30 ; Col. Tull,
T. Blagden, Chas. Mason, J.
Atkinson, each $10 ; Com.
Skinner, Com. Morris, Gen’l
Jessup, each $5 ; members of
• McKendree Church, $5 90 00
123 00
1855.]
/
Receipts.
255
VIRGINIA.
By Rev. J. N. Danforth : —
Alexandria — O. W. Fairfax, $10 ;
Messrs. Shinn, $10 ; F. Mar-
bury, J. B. Dangerfield, each
$5 30 00
NORTH CAROLINA.
Marion — Rev. Thos. N. Paxton. 5 00
Watson’s Bridge — Rev. Samuel
Paisley 10 00 !
15 00 j
GEORGIA. i
Eatonton — A. Cuthbert, Jr 20 00
FLORIDA.
Madison — Mrs. Ann B. Reed.... 10 00
LOUISIANA.
By Col. J. G. Richardson : —
St. Mary’s Parish, — Wm. Kil-
gore, $30 ; F. D. Richardson,
John Moore, Marshall Sorrell,
Benjamin Hudson, each $20 ;
Thos. H. Thompson, J. G.
Richardson, Eugene B. Oliver,
Charles Oliver, W. T. Palfrey,
Mrs. Porter, each $10 , Nich-
olas Loiselj Ursin Provost,
Friend, Octave De Lahousaye,
Alexander De Clouette, Appo-
line Pattout, J. A. Frere, W.
S. Harding, J. A. Dumastrait,
R. A. Wilkins, J. J. Rice, R.
C. Caffery, J. E. Lacy, Oc-
tave Corney, Mrs. N. P. Bra-
shear, Mrs. A. Harris, 0.
Carlin, E. Carlin, J. B. Mur-
phy, Henry Gibbon, G. L.
Fusilier, each $5 ; M. C. Ren-
Irope, $4 75 ; Adelaide Carlin,
M. S. Robins, each $3 ; J. H.
Thomas, Archille Bernard, J.
Levy & Co., T. D. Hine, C.
M. Charpentier, Isaac Bow-
man, J. N. Waford, A. Como,
D. Como, J. Bateman, Mr.
Bonte, A. L. Fields, ea. $2 50 ;
J. H. Duminel, L. De Lahou-
saye, Cash, J. Millott, J. B.
Bernard, L. Grevensburg, H.
H. Smith, E. Devlin, Wm.
Porter, Thos. Wilcoxon, Eu-
gene Smith, Amicus, J. H.
Bedell, A. J. J. Barns, Mrs.
Parkerson, Ursin Perret, Mos-
sy, Cosimer, M. C., each $2 ;
Mr. Hays, $1 50 ; T. J. Fos-
ter, N. E. Dicks, W. H.
Cook, J. M. Charpentier, A.
Dargus, Eugene Payrent, W.
H. Baskenville, A. Felterman,
Friend, each $1 362 25
TENNESSEE.
By Rev. John H. Brurner : —
Hiwassee — Collection in the fol-
lowing places, viz : Athens —
$10 50 ; Loudon — $5 50 ; Cleve-
land—$2. 18 00
Lebanon — T. C. Anderson 5 00
23 00
OHIO.
Columbus — Pinney & Lawson.. . 10 00
Enon — Mrs. Mary Galloway.. . 10 00
Dallasburg — Union Colonization
Society, collections by Thomas
Dickey & David Morgan, viz :
Thos. Dickey, $2 50 ; George
Shields, David Morgan, each
$1 50 ; F. G. Hill, Joseph
Smith, Wm. Ramsey, James
] Hill, James Walker, John
I Spence, each $1 ; Wm. Hill,
j Wm. Swank, Thos. D. Wal-
[ ker, Margaret Coburn, each
50 cents, Mary J. Shields, 25
cents 13 75
Cincinnati — Cash 25
Cedarville — Collection in Rev. H.
McMillan’s Chui ch, 2d July,
1855 :. 15 00
College Corner — John Buck, $5 ;
Rev. Peter Monfort, $5 10 00
Lebanon — John F. Gould 60 00
119 00
INDIANA.
Jeffersonville — Thos. Stevenson. . 5 00
MISSISSIPPI.
Louisville — Mrs. D. G. Godden. 40 00
Centreville — Collection at a cele-
I bration, on the 4th July, at
I Midway Ch., by Rev. Wm.
j Winans, D. D 50 00
; 90 00
MICHIGAN.
! Battle Creek — Collection by Rev.
John A. Schultz 4 00
MISSOURI.
Jefferson City — Martin D. Noland. 10 00
CALIFORNIA.
San Francisco — Edward P. Flint
& George H. Kellogg, each
$5; Rev. E. W. Syle,$10.... 20 00
INDIA.
Allahabad^ Hindostan — Donation
from Mrs. Christopher W. Fa-
gan and other ladies, at the
Mussorie Station on the Hima-
layah Mountains, North India,
by Rev. Joseph Owen 56 40
Total Contributions $1,342 79
Receipts.
[August, 1855.]
•2n6
FOR REPOSITORY.
Maike. — Caltds-X. McCullough,
^2, to July, 1855. Js'orth
Wclerford — Amos Gage, $3, to
September, 1857. By CapL
George Barker : — Yarmouik —
Otis Brown, Capt. J. C. Hill,
each §1, to' June, 1856 ; Capt.
Levi Blanchard, S2, to June,
1857 ; Capt. Thaxter Prince,
$1, to June, ’56. Gorham —
Hon. Toppan Robie, §1, for
1855. South Windham — X.
Burnett, ^1, for 1855. Free-
port— Dr. John A. Hyde, §,2,
for 1855- ’56 ; Ambrose Curtis,
$6, to January, 1857. Sears-
port — Capt. J.Merithue, Capt.
David Xichols, each ^3, to
January, 1856. iS'orth Yar-
mouth— Hon. W. Buxton, 81,
to January, ’56. Bangor — E.
Coe, §2, to August, leo5
New Hampshire. — J^Iount Ver-
non— Timothy Kittredgp, ^2,
to January, ’56. Suncook — ti.
A. Osgood, to July, 1855. .
Vermont. West J\lill07i — -E.
Herrick, Si >33, to Jan 1856..
AIassachusetts Oxford E.
E. Harwood, s2, to July, 1856.
CoxxECTicur. — Derhy — Dr. J. J.
Howe, $5, to October, 1855.
Winsted — Dea. T. Watson, SL
to July, 1856. Stoningtoji —
O. B. Grant, Si, to July, 1856.
Xew York. Oicego J. L,
Pinney, SL to June, 18.55.
Albany — John N. L. Pruyn,
$10, to January, 1855
Pen'nstlvakia. J\'etcba7'gh — J.
M. Means, $2, to Jan. 1856.
Ckntkam-OlWer Alison, slO 50,
to July, 1855. J^Iarrietta-Ylrs.
8. A. SlcCahon, $1, to Jan. ’56.
Delaware. Wilmington — -A.
Stephens, $5, to August, 1855.
V iRGiNiA. — PuUonsburgh — J. An-
thony, SlO, to January, 1855.
Fredericksbur gh — J. L. Alarye,
$8, to January, 1856. JUartins-
hurgh — D. H. Conrad, SlO, to
January, 1855. Abingdon — T.
S. Harris, $3, to January, ’56.
Tye River Warehouse — Mayo
Cabell, S5, to July, ’56. Berry-
ville—Mi's. S. E. T. Stribling,
$5, to January, 1857. Hatnp-
sftad — Mrs. J. B. Alexander,
$1, to April, 1855. Waterloo —
S R. Marshali, SlOjto Jan. ’55.
North Carolina. — Salem — Dr.
A. F. Zeverlv, $3, in full.
j Gold Hill — Dr. Hugh' Kelley,
$4, to August. 1855 7 OO
Georgia. — J\Iacon — J. J. Gres-
ham, $3, to January, 1856.
Savajinah — Samuel Bolds, ^1,
to July, 1856 4 DO
Alabama. — Blakeky — 0. Sibley,
55, to January, 1856 5 UU
j Kentucky. — Hai'rcdsburg — Mrs.
Maria Davis, $1, for 1852, by
Rev. A M. Cowan ; James
j; Taylor, $2, to August, 1855.
E.klon — .1. A. McReynolds,
S4, to^ January, 1856. Lex-
|i i?tglon— John Ward, SlO, to
|i January, ’55. Louisville — W.
I Richardson, S3, to March, ’55 20 00
I Tennessee. — Straicberry Plains —
I Daniel Meek, $3, to June, ’56.
Durhnmville — Maj. R. F. Mac-
lin, $5) to September, 1855.
Lebanon — T. C. Anderson, $5,
30 00 'i to January, 1855 15 00
Ohio. — Cincinnati — J. W. Shep-
pard, $3, to January, 1858.
Finley — F. Henderson, §2, to
4 00 1 January, 1856. Kenton — R.
Aloodie, $2, to January, 1856.
1 33 Columbus — Pinney & Lawson,
56, to January, 1356. Union-
2 00 tovm Rev. Wm. Taggart,
$10, to Jan. 1855. Xenia —
Daniel Holmes, $1, to July,
1856. Chillicothe — Wm. B.
Franklin, $10, to Jan. 1859.
7 00 Dallasburgh — Geo. Shields, $2,
! toAlay,le55. X'orth Kenton —
Jacob Best, $1, to July, 1856.
J^liddltbury — John S. Gilcrest,
11 00 $3, to January, 1856. Woos-
ter— Levi Cox, $5, to January,
1856. Bolivar — D. Y'ant, $5,
to January, 1856... 50 00
Indiana. Greensburgh Wm.
13 50 Speer, $3, to May, 1856
Illinois. — Princeton — Rev. A.
5 00 B. Church, $3, to June, 1856..
AIississippi. Columbus Mrs.
Elizabeth B. Randolph, $2, to
January, ’55. Woodvillt — E.
H. Wailes, $5, to Alarch, ’56.
XTatchez—S. R,. Marshall, $9,
to January, ’56 16 00
Missouri. — Cravensville — Lewis
3 00
3 00
%
52 00
H. Witten, $1, to July, 1856..
1 00 i:
Michigan. — BeUtle Creek — Alon-
^ A
zo Hill, $1 to July, 1856
1 00 -
Total Repository
250 33 ‘ V
Total Contributions
1,342 79 M: ‘
Total Legacies
80 00 '
Aggregate Amount $1,673 12
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