But to return to our history. The little town Edina, which we left in the barricade, soon began to enlarge. The hardy pioneers, joined by the families they had left behind, one after another ventured out of their little circumvallation, and erected as a more permanent place of residence, upon the lots drawn from the Government, such buildings in kind and size, as best suited their means and convenience. Thus house has been added to house, and one thatched building after another has given place to the framed dwelling with shingle roof, until now, according to the best information, there are upwards of a hundred framed houses in this town, and about three hundred inhabitants; besides the very flourishing settlement of Bassa Cove, upon the opposite side of the St. John's river, and the little town of Bexley, lying five miles up the St. John's. Edina is situated on a tongue of land between the Atlantic ocean and the confluent waters of the St. John's, Mechlin's, and Benson's rivers. As a town, from natural causes, it must remain circumscribed. The ocean on one side, and the waters of the above named rivers on the other, forbid much enlargement in width; and being brought to an angle towards the southeast by the meeting waters of the ocean and river, on the northwest skirted by lowlands, (though now effectually ditched and drained,) prevent great extension lengthwise. But the natural position of these two sister settlements, Edina and Bassa Cove, at the confluence of these three rivers, seem clearly enough to predict their destiny and relative importance to the adjacent country. These streams, coming from different directions, and ́of different degrees of navigableness, are destined from far and near to bear upon their bosoms, to these markets upon the ocean's shore, the valued products of an inexhaustably rich interior. Here will be the residence of the merchant, the mechanic, and the man of business; while the fertile lands that line the elevated banks of the St. John's and Mechlin, will at tract the industrious, gratify the taste of the farmer and ruralist, and form the delightful retreat of the man grown gray and weary in the service of his country. And what is of great importance to the christian philosopher is, that from these settlements, as above hinted, the lines of christianity can, and we sincerely hope will, radiate in as many directions as from any other seat of civilization on the coast. In building here, on this little neck of land, one important post of the enemies of Christ has been stormed and taken. A devil's-bush, in which is concocted and set on foot almost every fell and degrading custom that characterises the natives of this coast, not long since, had its growth on the honored spot more recently consecrated by our Baptist brethren to the worship of the true God. At the roots of a tree that now shades that house of worship, many a poor victim has paid with his blood the debt due to the violated laws of his country, for revealing the secrets of the devil'sbush, or dispelling from the mind of some poor female, the illusions constantly practiced upon that sex, by the cunning and address of the other; and a most insufferable stench has been exhaled from the human flesh that hung and putrified in its waving branches. Thus the cause of Christ is triumphing over that of the wicked one-a circumstance that ought to encourage the faith and arouse the energies of every christian in these Colonies. It should be, and we believe is, borne in mind by most of the intelligent people of this commonwealth, that Liberia is of consequence, chiefly so far as it serves to elevate the mind and morals of the natives of Africa, and forms a suitable home for the man of color. Every thing ought to be done to promote christian feeling, and encourage christian effort. It is "righteousness that exalteth a nation." By this we stand. Without it we fall. PROBITAS. Edina, March 14, 1841. TREATY WITH THE FISHMEN. WE are happy to announce to our readers, the successful termination of the long pending difficulties between this Government and the Fishmen of Bassa Cove. Below will be found a treaty of peace concluded by His Excellency, with the chiefs and head-men of that tribe, on the 29th ultimo; the faithful performance of which, on their part is guarranted by all the neighboring kings, chiefs, and head-men. It will be remembered that immediately after the arrival of Governor BuCHANAN, in this country, in April, 1839, he made a formal demand upon the Fishmen for the surrender of the only surviving murderer of Governor FINLEY, which after considerable opposition was acceded to. On this agreementa conditional peace was granted them; but until its fulfilment they were forbidden any kind of intercourse with the Colony, and it was stipulated that if within a given period they should fail to deliver up the murderer, they should be treated as enemies and expelled from the territory of the Colony on which they resided. On the expiration of the time specified, they applied for an extension of time, on the ground that the criminal having fled the country it had been impossible to apprehend him. Desirous of avoiding a resort to arms, and deeply solicitous to bring the murderer to justice, the Governor granted this request, and extended the time for several months longer, the chiefs again solemnly pledging themselves to use every exertion in fulfilling the agreement. Whether sincere in this, is doubtful, but a considerable show of zeal was manifested in the business; canoes were despatched to Grand Sesters, and several of the chiefs were long absent ostensibly in pursuit of the culprit. In the mean time the Governor, not trusting entirely to the honesty of the men employed, secretly secured the servics of other agents, and at one time there was good reason to believe that PRINCE, of Trade Town, would succeed in catching the murderer. But every effort failed, and at last the chiefs declared it was utterly impossible to fulfil their agreement, as the man was either dead or had gone "to some long country," where he could not be found. As no reasonable hope remained of accomplishing his first chief purpose, and, as the people of Bassa were subjected to considerable inconvenience from the existing state of things, he consented to change the conditions proposed to the Fishmen, and gave them peace, on suitable indemnity being made for aggressions committed on the Colony, and satisfactory assurances being given for their future good conduct. After repeated visits to Bassa Cove, and frequent long and wearisome palavers, a treaty was finally concluded on this basis, which fully vindicates the authority of the Government, and establishes its jurisdiction over the Fishmen, and the whole country occupied by them.-Liberia Herald. ARTICLES OF A TREATY OF PEACE. ARTICLES of a Treaty of Peace made on the 28th day of March, anno domini 1841, between His Excellency THOMAS BUCHANAN, Governor of the Commonwealth of Liberia, and the Fishmen residing at Bissa Cove. ARTICLE 1. BLACK WILL, GRANDO, JACK SAVAGE, BOTTLE OF BEER, and JUMBO, chiefs and head-men of the Fishmen, do agree for themselves and their people, to pay, as an indemnity for their aggressions and spoliations made upon the people of the Colony during the recent hostility, to the Governor of the Commonwealth of Liberia, the sum of one thousand dollars-viz. to pay down the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars, and the residue in three yearly and equal instalments of two hundred and fifty dollars each, commencing with the date of the articles. ARTICLE 2. The above named chiefs, for themselves and their people, do further agree, and solemnly bind themselves, always to recognize and maintain the lawful rights of the American Colonization Society, to all the land lying between the present colonial settlement of Bassa Cove and Tabacconee, said tract of land having been formerly ceded by the rightful owners, to said Society, in the year 1836. And they, the said chiefs, while living on any part of the aforesaid territory, agree at all times to be subject to the laws and authority of the Colony, and to perform all such duties as may be legally required of them by the constituted authority of the Colony. It is expressly understood that the slave trade is forbidden by the laws of the Colony, and that death is the penalty of either buying or selling a slave. The chiefs aforesaid, solemnly bind themselves, in case any of their people should be guilty of buying or selling slaves, to deliver them up to the authorities of the Colony. ARTICLE 3. In consideration of the foregoing stipulations on the part of the Fishmen of Bassa, the Governor of Liberia hereby agrees to give them peace and to allow them to continue as residents at Bassa Cove, so long as they faithfully fulfil the obligations of this treaty. ARTICLE 4. Duke WILLIAMS, YOUNG RUSER, YELLOW WILL, JUMBO CESAR, Prince JAHWAY, SOFTLY JOHN, King JOE HARRIS, King BOB GRAY, King PEGRAY, alias BIG BEN, and WE SOLDIER, do hereby agree to guaranty the faithful performance of the articles of this treaty, and to respect the rights of the aforesaid Society, to the territory described between the colonial settlements and Tabacconee. ARTICLE 5. The commerce of the country shall no longer be carried on by bars, but in the proper currency of the Colony. Given under our hands this twenty-ninth day of March, it the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fort one. THOMAS BUCHANAN, Governor of Liberia. Black WILL, his X mark. JACK SAVAGE, his X mark. BOTTLE OF BEER, his X mark. JUMBO CESAR, his X mark. Prince JAHWAY, his X mark. SOFTLY JOHN, his X mark. Kings and Headmen of the Fishmen at Bassa Cove. Signed, sealed and delivered, in the presence of PETER HARRIS, jr., YOUNG PRINCE, his X mark, (natives.) LOUIS SHERIDEN. FROM THE NEW YORK EVANGELIST. THE SACRED SEAL. SCENE SIXTH. CHANNEL OF MOZAMBIQUE.-The storm and the slaver-An hour before daybreakDon Liugo-State of matters in the hold-Story of Loango and Almeda-The deckLincoln Gray. I. "Six hundred wretches-rather closely stowed! Through these wild nights of tempests and of sins: "Just fifteen less That hold is one foul scene of wretchedness: Slow comes the light, Liugo-let me tell The tale in which these strange forebodings dwell.. II. "Far through yon sky, where equatorial plains Of Syria stood exulting; by the rills Learned the wild wisdom which Almanzor knew; Enraptured scanned those orbs of grandeur o'er, III. "Such were the scenes Loango oft surveyed, A star, that'owned some yet unfathomed law: Thy tale, Sebastian, is too long by far, Melt at a story, which but proves the more Their hearts must break, as others have before? IV. "Twas sad to see the proud Loango lashed For fiends to mock the form his fetters gashed. Trembling and shrinking 'mid their cruel glee! And laughed as insult to dishonor grew, Loango wrung his agonizing chain With strength shot wildly from his maddening brain! Burned, boiled, endured! until her fainting cry Struck through each nerve unearthly energy: Then did he teach his tyrants how to shrink- Where heads were thickest hurled each severed link- "Down to the hold, my queen! our friends unbind, |