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sition to award small and approse priate premiums, to such plantations and farmers as should best deserve them.

The Methodist and Baptist Sogcieties, are each building a house of worship, sufficiently extensive to contain, singly, three times the whole number of people in the colony. I have assigned to each, a town lot for a building site, the grants subject to the ratification of the Society..

to ripen. The culture of indigo is about to be undertaken on a more extensive scale than heretofore. The crop bears ten full cuttings. in the year.

The official arrangements respecting the distribution of lands, published during Mr. Gurley's visit, have heen long since carried into full effect, to the entire satisfaction of the people.

The report forwarded to the Secretary of the Navy, will inform the Committee in what way the publick funds have been applied, the labours accomplished, and the publick buildings and improvements which have occupied, and continue to engross so much of my attention. To the same paper perimit me to refer the Com

It may be gratifying to the Committee to be informed, that we have constantly in operation a town school for boys; another for girls, a third, in the evening, for adults, a singing school, and two Sabbath-schools-one for the children of settlers, the other for native children residing in the co-mittee for particular information lony. The organization of our militia, and particularly of a volunteer corps, is a great addition to the military character and

er strength of the place.

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The discovery of the indigenous coffee of this part of the coast, is an event that cannot fail to be productive very shortly, of important results. I have the honour to transmit a sample for the examination of the Committee, and have sent a dozen others to different individuals. In these samples, I assure the Committee, there has been no selection whatever. They are directed to the care of E. I. Coale, Esq. Baltimore. The crop is just beginning

respecting the captured Africans,
the provisions and supplies on
hand, and the addition which has
been made to
to our disposable
funds by the destruction of two
slave ships near the Cape, one Spa-
nish, the other French. Our pre-
sent supplies will easily reach to
the last of May, and the means are
in hand of completing (plank ex-
cepted,) more publick buildings
than I could else, with the utmost
economy, have begun.

But the richest blessing of all, remains to be acknowledged—a blessing, without which, I venture to say, the complexion of this paper would have been materially different.

[Mr. Ashmun here proceeds to give a very interesting account of a strong religious excitement, which occurred in all the month of September, the effects of which, we trust, will be permanent,

ciety, by making many of them devout christians, and engaging the hearts of his own people to serve him more fervently. Blessgreatly conduce to the temporal prosed religion! which yields the perity of the colony, and by the influ- fruits of holiness, humility, and ence of examples and efforts, uniformly a peaceful life; having the proproduced by christian principle, secure nise of the life that now is, as the happiness, present and eternal, of well as that which is to come. "About thirty of future generations. I have thought it expedient to our colonists," says Mr. Ashmun, “of all embody my remarks on a number ages and characters, indiscriminately, have, as the fruits of this work, publick- of important subjects, and present ly professed their faith in the Redee- them to the attention of the Commer. They have thus far walked as the mittee, in nearly a dozen sepatruly regenerate children of God."] rate papers, all of which I forYou know, (he continues,) how ward. To all of them, I beg that to appreciate, and how to inter- the attention they may deserve, pret spiritual blessings. By ma- may be separately given, at an ny, this precious dispensation of early period. The transcript of Providence must be regarded as the Journal, together with the ofof little importance. But poor ficial communication to the Navy Africa will think otherwise-and Department, more than once reto the days of eternity, a countless ferred to in this paper, connected host of her children saved, will with those notes, will, I conceive, look back and date from it, the leave nothing farther to be inquir first effectual dawning of that hea-ed for, by the Committee. venly light, which shall at length My own health yet continues have conducted them to the fold, as good as so long a residence and the city of God. It is diffi- on the coast allows any foreigner cult to enumerate all the benefi-to possess. It would be better if cial effects of Mr. Gurley's visit my duties were less to Montserado. His affectionate The people have suffered much and pungent addresses to the people, left impressions which none have entirely disinissed. And in exhorting them to an orderly and dutiful conduct as members of a civil community, he did not forget the interests of their immortal natures. God has been pleased to render them good members of so

severe.

from troublesome, but not very dangerous complaints, of which, far the worst, is ulceration of the feet and ankles. But the cases of this nature, have been reduced from twenty-five to eight, since the sailing of the Porpoise. Two only of these, subject the patients to confinement.

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that about 20 M feet of 3-4 inch planks, and nails in proportion, should arrive for the express purpose of erecting a large building for their accommodation during the first six or eight months-and a neat and airy hospital.

The Committee will please not to confound this suggestion, with my proposition for timber, per Fidelity, submitted in a paper of this date.

With sentiments of profound,
and dutiful respect, I remain the
Committee's obedient servant,
J. ASHMUN.

Jupon human affairs, must they not sup

den the heart, and that sympathy lives only in the breasts of barbarians. Rejoice they must, that the fair planets roll so far above the unholy and contagious influ

ences of our world. What multitudes of human beings on this shore, have been immolated on the altars of avarice-how many have wished to die, as they bade a

night had spread over it her sha-pose that knowlege and civilization hardows-silence reigned, broken only by the sound of the distant, dashing, waters. As the bright and beautiful constellations moved through the Heavens in their illustrious and unchanging courses, evidences of invisible glory-of an eternal and immutable God-final farewell to their lovely homes, and what scenes of horrour-of relentless cruelty, said I, have ye witnessed, along the whole border of this afflicted, this injured land. -Here, every day for centuries, has the human body been bound h, i in chains, the ties of kind fellowship, ́of nature's strongest affections, ruthlessly sundered, and hope, which smiles in death, made to perish by living agony. Here, has manly courage been subdued by torture-parental love punished as a crime, and female tenderness been rewarded by the keenest sufferings. If the pure spirits which inhabit you, can look

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saw for the last time their wives, children, and friends! My God! who can describe the miseries of those crowded to death in the dungeons of a slave ship? But shall everlasting night cover this land, and the records of African history forever contain nothing but mourning, lamentation, and woe? Heaven forbid it. The Omnipotent will not suffer it. A universe beautiful, harmonious and grand, arose at his word from chaos; from the ruins of human virtue and hope, his wisdom is displaying a new moral creation, and the exile, sufferings, and degradation of the Africans, may be succeeded by their return, felicity and honour.

SPECIMENS OF AFRICAN GENIUS.

In the year 1822, Lieutenant presents to the different chiefs, Laing, of the British Navy, pro- | Lieutenant Laing departed from ceeded under instructions from Gambia the day following, on his the government of Sierra Leone, way to the great encampment of far into the interiour of Africa, the Solimas. visiting several distinguished chiefs and powerful nations. The ollowing account is from the Royal Gazette, published at Sierra Leone.

One day's march brought him to a place called Konkundi, a village of farms belonging to the people of Melicouri, where he remained during the night, and early on the following morning entered the town itself, which is a place of considerable importance, covering about a square quarter of a mile; it is walled round, with loop holes for musquetry, and the passages or defiles through the town.

so that, according to the pop-gun mode of African fighting, this place may be pronounced impregnable. Lieutenant Laing states, that the country in the neighbourhood of Melicouri, is abundantly productive, and in a high state of cultivation; that corn, barley, Carolina rice, cassada and cotton, are to be found growing in great profusion, and that he passed several hundred acres of well-clean

"On the tenth instant, Lieutenant Laing arrived at Gambia, in the Scarcies, where he was met by the King and several of the headmen of Kookoona; all of whom had assembled there for the purpose of terminating a war, and bringing about a pacific arrange-are all perforated in like manner; ment, between Famare (the ac knowledged chief of that part of the Timmance country,) and a headman named Belaissa, who had set himself up in opposition to the former. On the 11th, Lieutenant Laing called a grand palaver, at which he explained the footing on which the people of this colony wished to stand with the natives, the great wish that his Excellency always entertained, to see them living in peace and harmony, theed ground. mode of cultivation which would On Monday the 12th, Lieutenbe most advantageous to them-ant Laing proceeded to the camp, selves and to Sierra Leone, with several other matters, to which they appeared to pay great attention, and with the explanation of which, they appeared perfectly satisfied. After making suitable

which is situated about seven or eight miles north of Melicouri, and about three hours south of Fouricaria, where he arrived about eight in the morning. The drums and other warlike instru

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chiefs, under an ample tent, seated upon a lion's skin. He kindly invited Lieutenant Laing to take a seat by his side. This was in the midst of the camp. The following song was then sung by a minstrel :

SOLIMA SONG.

A stranger has come to Yaradee's camp

Whose bosom is soft and is fair; He sits by the valiant Yaradee's side,

And none but the valiant sit there. Like the furious lion Yaradee comes And hurls the terror of war;

ments were immediately set in motion, and by ten, about 12,000 people were assembled in a large square, in the centre of the spacious savannah on which this immense army is encamped, and a grand palaver commenced, which 0 did not terminate 'till four P. M.: the result of which was, that the chief of the Solimas (Yaradee,) declared himself to be perfectly of opinion with the Governor of Sierra Leone, that he would see the country at peace before he went His enemies see him, and panic struck home-the war only spoiled his own and other countries, and therefore he would have none of it. After some conversation with Alimamee, Sanassee, and Yaradee separately, the result of which was perfectly satisfactory, Lieutenant Laing returned to Melicouri, and the day following set off for Sierra Leone, where he arrived on the evening of the 19th.

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The above particulars we have merely received by verbal communication, from Mr. Laing; we trust, however, shortly to be enabled to furnish our readers with a

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To the woods and the desarts afar. By the side of this hero, so valiant and brave,

Sits the stranger whose skin is so fair; He lives on the sea, where he wanders at will,

And he knows neither sorrow nor care. Then look at the stranger before he departs;

Brave Yaradce touch his soft hair: The last note of my harp swells to Yaradec's praise,

While I gaze on the stranger so fair.

We are informed by Captain Laing, that the great deeds of the Solima Chiefs, as well as the his

more precise description of history of their wars, are handed
little tour, and of the Solima
camp; to witness which, he says,
would be worth a journey of a
thousand miles."

down to posterity by means of the Jelle or Singing Men, in songs much after the manner in which those of Ossian are recorded in the Highlands of Scotland. King Yaradee is one of the most We have been favoured with the warlike of the African Monarchs. following, which is sung on all When Lieutenant Laing was in-public occasions before Yarader, troduced to this warriour, he found to commemorate an advantage him surrounded by his brave gained by that chief over the

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