but two weeks supply of provisions, instead of the usual supply for six months.

3d, An unusually large proportion of the late emigrants are improvident, and reluctant to betake themselves to agriculture.

4th, In some instances among the late emigrants, families without male heads have been sent to the colony-and, in many instances, the great mortality in the colony, during the last year, has deprived families of their male heads, and left them to the humane and expensive provisions of the government of the colony.

5th, The supplies of the colonial store have not been ample, as they ever should be. This deficiency, however, is not to be charged to improvidence in the Board of Managers; but to their pecuniary inability to do on this subject what they were very solicitous to do. This deficiency has made it necessary for the government of the colony to purchase at 100 to 200 per cent. profit, large amounts of supplies from merchants in the colony, and from vessels touching at the colony.

In view of the existing pecuniary embarrassments of the Society, the committee advised that the Society send out no emigrants the present year, unless under very especial circumstances, and when the Society would be put to comparatively small expense, in sending out and provisioning the emigrants. To guard against such heavy embarrassments in future, they advised also that the Society do never, except in the extraordinary cases above referred to, send out emigrants whilst they are under a debt exceeding $10,000; and that the Board of Managers, as soon as the means at their disposal will allow, so far furnish the colonial store with goods and provisions, as to preclude the necessity of purchasing them on terms so disadvantageous as those above referred to. This necessity having existed for the last two years particularly, and which has been unavoidable on account of the large disbursements of the Society for the expenses of emigration, has swelled the debt of the Society to an amount many thousand dollars greater than it would have been, if the necessity had not existed.

The committee stated that the Board of Managers are contemplating measures for bringing within ascertained and the narrowest limits, the compensation made to the officers of the Society residing in the colony-and also for avoiding the surprise of large drafts upon its Treasury.

The following is the organization of the Society, adopted for the ensuing year:

President.

JAMES MADISON, of Virginia.

Vice Presidents.

Chief Justice MARSHALL; General LAFAYETTE, of France; Hon. Wм. H. CRAWFORD, of Georgia; Hon. HENRY CLAY, of Lexington, Kentucky; Hon. JOHN C. HERBERT, of Maryland; ROBERT RALSTON, Esq. of Philadelphia; Gen. JOHN MASON, of Georgetown, D. C.; SAMUEL BAYARD, Esq. of New Jersey; ISAAC McKIM, Esq. of Maryland; Gen. JOHN HARTWELL COCKE, of Virginia; Rt. Rev. Bishop WHITE, of Pennsylvania; Hon. DANIEL WEBSTER, of Boston; Hon. CHARLES F. MERCER, of Virginia; JEREMIAH DAY, D. D. of Yale College; Hon. RICHARD RUSH, of Pennsylvania; Bishop McKENDREE; PHILIP E. THOMAS, Esq. of Maryland; Dr. THOMAS C. JAMES, of Philadelphia; Hon. JOHN COTTON SMITH, of Connecticut; Hon. THEODORE FRELINGHUYSEN, of New Jersey; Hon. Louis MCLANE, of Washington City; GERRIT SMITH, of New York; J. H. M'CLURE, Esq. of New Jersey; Gen. ALEXANDER MACOMB, of Washington City; MOSES ALLEN, Esq. of New York; Gen. WALTER JONES, of Washington City; F. S. KEY, Esq. of Georgetown, D. C.; SAMUEL H SMITH. Esq. of Washington City; JOSEPH GALES, Jr. Esq. of Washington City; Rt. Rev WILLIAM MEADE, D. D., Assistant Bishop of Virginia; Hon. ALEXANDER PORTER, of Louisiana; JOHN MCDONOUGH, Esq. of Louisiana; Hon. SAMUEL L. SOUTHARD, of New Jersey.

Rev. James Laurie, D. D.; Hawley; John Underwood; Bradley; Dr. Thomas Sewall.

Managers.

Gen. Walter Jones; Francis S. Key; Rev. William
William W. Seaton; Walter Lowrie; Dr. Phineas

Rev. Ralph R. Gurley,

William H. Macfarland, Secretaries.

Joseph Gales, Senior, Treasurer.

Phillip R. Fendall, Recorder.

In our next, we shall probably be able to add some authentic information relating to the present condition of the Society's affairs, and to the measures adopted at the late meetings for the correction of errors which have apparently arisen, in a great measure, from the increased efforts recently made to fulfil the benevolent ends of its institution, occurring simultaneously, as to the effect of this effort on the Society's funds, with an almost unexampled pressure in the money market throughout the country. This circumstance has prevented and delayed large contributions, and has necessarily had no less effect on the condition of Societies than of individuals, and probably much greater. The $10,000 proposed to be raised in this state some months since, was thus intercepted in transitu, and circumstances were in much the same train at New York and Philadelphia.

The resolution of Mr. Smith looks to the raising of $50,000 in sixty days, or before the 20th of March, and it is exceedingly to

be desired and hoped that the friends of the Society will exert themselves to that end. If, however, the pressure above alluded to should prevent this prompt action, it will still remain to relieve the Institution of its temporary trouble by one generous and energetic exertion; and such an exertion, we confidently trust, will be made.

AFRICAN SKETCHES.

We have received, from our friend the Editor of the Liberia Herald, files of that paper down to November 4th. We extract the following interesting editorial letter:

TO DANIEL NOYES, Esq. Boston, Mass.

In the midst of so much commotion, as was dreaded by every one, from the decease of good King Tom Bassa, of Little Bassa, to which we have already alluded, we know not what allayed the coming storm, and placed Co Bai peaceably on the throne, unless some wish had been intimated to his elders by the deceased monarch; for great is the regard of the Bassa people to the dying injunctions of their monarchs about the succession. Such was the case upon the accession of Tom Bassa.

This great obstacle to the interment being removed, (for until it was settled the corpse could not be put in the ground,) a grand council was held, and judgment pronounced on the deceased in the form of orations by the elders of the people, and Kings, of the neighboring tribes; and everything being prepared, an American coffin having been furnished by the Government, at Edina, at their request, Tom Bassa was committed to his mother earth, on the evening of July 15th, 1833, to the universal regret of the whole country. Preparatory to this, however, sundry rites had to be performed, which we have described at length in our account of Bai Cai's interment. In the present case two bullocks were slain, and one placed at the head and the other at the foot of the grave, into which were also put two large chests of dry goods in the same position, and one high post bedstead and mattrass, a present from a slaver; then the CORPSE, dressed after civilized mode with a hat, two umbrellas, and shoes; then a kettle of rice, two large pots of rice, one at the head, and the other at the foot, two large looking glasses in the same position, coral beads, pipes, tobacco, mugs, decanters, washhand basons, swords, cutlasses and one hundred native mats; when a general filling up took place. Outside the grave was placed a large slave pot to receive donations from the pious.

Tom Bassa was not a native of the Bassa country, but from the long bush, or interior; and it is probable, was sent by his parents in early life to the sea coast, to learn the fashions, language and manners of civilized life; for strange as it may appear, it is usual for the kings and headmen in the interior, to send their sons and relations to some friend who resides near the sea coast, to see life, and catch the manners, living as they rise,' or in other words, to learn the English language and fashions; as the English language may be considered the final polish of a native prince's acquirements; and so universal is it, on the western coast, that even slavers have to learn it in order to communicate with the Kroomen and natives. So greatly at the time of Tom Bassa's election was prized a knowledge of the English language, that he had a decided advantage over the other candidates in this respect.

In his young days, Tom Bassa was considered a warrior of the first grade, and his services for his adopted country were not underrated by his fellow citizens. Of late years, his good sense, moderation and love of justice, for which his situation daily called for a display, even against his own children, won for him the esteem of all Americans, who had the honor of his acquaintance. It was enough to satisfy any one of them, if his word was pledged to see them righted. When compared with the Grand Bassa and other Kings around us, Tom Bassa stands preeminent-his love of country, solicitude for the welfare of his people, and the deep respect in which he was held by them, exceeded anything of the kind. It was his misfortune not to live in more peaceable times when those fine qualities of the heart might have shone with redoubled splendor. Continually assailed by Boatswain's warriors, he had always to act on the defensive; as he knew not, even if his enemy were repulsed in one quarter, at what hour, or where his next attack would be. Nor do we conceive, that his war qualities have been overrated by his cotemporaries, when we view him maintaining his ground successfully for so many years against Boatswain, the Napoleon of Africa. We are certain, that the very name of Boatswain was, and is to this day, a terror to every other tribe in these quarters; and when his warriors overran the Gola and Dey countries a few years ago, the consternation in every other quarter was general, and natives from these territories could be seen flocking to the colony for shelter against a captivity which was always sure to terminate in foreign bondage.

Tom Bassa had been sick for many months, during which, great solicitude was felt by all Americans doing business at Bassa; as in the event of his death, a civil war was likely to ensue, from

the many competitors for his seat. As soon as his death was known, a general lamentation took place throughout the country, and it is said, every absentee is obligated to perform this cry, no matter how many years elapse before he returns to his countryit being viewed in the light of a religious duty. It must have been an affecting sight indeed, to see a whole nation bewailing the loss of their father king; but outward lamentations are mere forms, which all nations adopt on such occasions; and the Bassa people were shortly after seen indulging themselves in the firing of guns and drinking to excess, with the greatest nonchalance in the world -all, too, in honor to the deceased.

It remains to be seen what result will follow from this melancholy event. We can only say at present, that it has been much to the detriment of our camwood trade with that nation, as, from the imbecility of the present government, the interior or bush people are afraid to bring in camwood, from the fear of being seized and sold indiscriminately as slaves. Several have already been seized, and nothing will compel others of them to venture to the beach, with this foreknowledge.

So sensible is the present king, Co Bai, of his want of power to curb his unruly headmen, that he has offered already to resign his power; but the majority of the nation are unwilling he should, and are determined to support him in putting down all opposition. With half the resolution of his predecessor, he may yet live to be a blessing to his country.

We know but little of the religious belief of the Bassa natives. They seem to have a confused idea of a good spirit, who made all things, but they appear to reverence far more an evil spirit or devil. They believe that in another world, men will follow the same pursuits as they do in this. They believe in witchcraft and charms, and so highly are those manufactured by the Mandingoes prized, that no money will tempt them to sell their principal gregrees. The Mandingoes, in order to increase the sale of their gregrees, do not hesitate to assure them that no harm can reach them while they wear them about their necks. One had the assurance to say to us, that his was powerful enough to shield him even from the effects of a cannon ball; and it was under this belief, that in our first native war, the bravest of them would rush up to the cannon's mouth, though loaded, and foolishly embrace it. Before you enter any town, you can generally see some gregree hanging over the main path, and before their houses, but whether dedicated to a good or evil spirit, we know not.