unenlightened population of a mighty continent, knowledge, civilization, dignity, all the blessings and hopes of a Christian people?

J. MASON,

W. JONES,

F. S. KEY,

E. B. CALDWELL,

JAMES LAURIE,

Acting Committee.

C.

The exertions of midshipman R. R. McMullin, while upon the African coast were most meritorious. Though suffering severely by fever, and deprived of all the white men of his crew, he persevered in guarding the coast in the Augusta, until she became entirely unfit for sea. While the Captain, sailors, and Dr. Ayres, were sick on their passage home in the Fidelity, though extremely weak himself, he took the command, and by exposures which hazarded his life, and by great energy of conduct, secured, it is believed, the safety of the vessel and passengers. We are happy in paying this tribute to a gallant young Officer.

PAPER D.

Extracts from Mr. Ashmun's Letter, dated Monrovia, May 15, 1823.

Cape Montserado, May 15, 1823. Capt. Spence left the walls of the Tower raised above the foundation, (which consisted of heavy stone work,) about 11 feet; and had prepared most of the timbers for the platform, or gun floor.

Being much worn with cares, and fatigue,—and Mr. Seton offering to superintend this work-after organizing the labouring force of the colony, I went on board the " Augusta," on the 21st of April, and sailed for Seltra-Kroo; about 200 miles S. eastward, for the purpose of conveying to their own country about 40 Kroo-men, who, in consideration of their pas sage had laboured for us three weeks.

Owing to the illness of Lieut. Dashiell on board, to contrary winds, and accidents which befel the Schooner, we did not return till the 13th of May;-after an absence from the Cape, of 21 days. Among the Schooner's accidents were, the loss of her stream anchor, and kedge, through carelessness; and

the carrying away of both her top-masts, which had injudiciously been retained from her old spars.

One century ago, a great part of this line of coast was populous, cleared of its trees, and under cultivation. It is now covered with a dense, and almost continuous forest. This is almost wholly a second growth-commonly distinguishable from the original, by the profusion of brambles and brushwood which abounds amongst the larger trees, and renders the woods entirely impervious, even to the natives, until paths are opened by the Bill-hook.

The native towns are numerous, but not large. The peo ple raise their own rice, cassada, and palm-oil; and procure their guns, powder, cloths, tobacco, knives, cooking utensils, and luxuries, from French slave traders. We saw at least three vessels of this description.

I observed, on this excursion, several situations, which, in point of local advantages were obviously preferable, as the seat of a colony, to Grand Bassa; but none, which I did not judge far behind Montserado. I was surprised to find the place selected at Bassa for the site of the colonial town to be a low peninsula, having an impassable swamp stretching along its rear for several leagues, and terminating sea-ward, in a sluggish creek!-King Ben, in anticipation of the arrival of our people, had built here, a large house, which shows to a great distance in the offing.-With this King, I had repeated conversations; and frankly explained the true reason why the contract of Messrs. Andrus and Bacon was not confirmed by their fathers in America; and told him that our nation, like England, could not, according to their laws, have any agency in carrying off the poor people of Africa. All this he seemed

perfectly to comprehend; and after a few moment's silent reflection, coincided that he could not blame the Americans for observing their laws, and refusing to settle at Bassa. He should not persist in requiring it.

The conversation then reverted to the death of his son. I explained to him the cause and circumstances of his decease, as I had learnt them. That Messrs. A. and B. had treated him with paternal tenderness, till their arrival at Sierra Leone; when they placed him under the care and instruction of one of the best of white men, to be instructed in whatever was most useful-that GoD visited him with a disorder which the most skillful men could not cure. He stated in reply, that he was satisfied that "God killed his son;" but that "Messrs. Andrus and Bacon promised to take his son to America, instead of Sierra Leone." Of that, I knew nothing; and told him, that one of the men was dead, the other had left the country,-perhaps King Ben had misunderstood them; or they him.

"Well," ," he rejoined, "White men don't come settle Bassa. No palaver for that. God kill my son. True:-but what you pay me for my son die in your hand?" I told him, white men had no such custom; and could not understand paying for a dead man. He soon observed, "That be true: white men can't sabby black man's fash. I say then, God kill my son. No palaver for that. But he die in your hand. That make my heart sorry. Now, what you give me to make my heart glad ?" This was coming to the point.-I promised him a small present, provided he sent for it to Montserado. This he promised to do; and repeatedly expressed his wish, that the most perfect amity might forever subsist between his people and the Colony.

Every tribe, indeed, visited on this trip, declared by its Prince, or head-men, its intention to preserve with us a good understanding, and to trade freely to the colony. The particulars of our late war, especially the result of the two engagements, have been reported far and near, and given to the colony a character for strength and invincibility, which must, in different ways, contribute greatly to its advantage.

During this trip, I collected 230 gallons of palm-oil-an article of the first necessity here; answering the double purpose of lamp oil and suet. The means of lighting our houses in this latitude, where the sun is, 12 hours out of every 24, below the horizon the year round, are necessary, not as a matter of convenience only, but of necessity. Besides supplying their own wants with the valuable article just mentioned, the people about Montserado prepare little or none for sale. Down the coast it is abundant and cheap.

1 likewise engaged 25 Kroo-men as labourers—perhaps, eventually as settlers near the colony. The wages allowed this company, are 3 bars, or about 5 pounds of leaf tobacco, per man, for the month. The customary wages are 4 bars.

At the river Sesters is an English factory. Here I purchased 1500 feet of boards, at a very high price. But the unfinished state of the Agent's house, and some other uses for which this article must be had, overruled the extreme reluce tance with which I submitted to pay more for this little lot of Jumber, than it was worth to the seller.

Returning to the colony on the 13th instant, I found Mr. Seton, the young gentleman from the Cyane, mentioned in my last, very ill of the fever. But apparently convalescent. By "convalescent," when applied to cases of fever in this country, is by no means to be understood that the patient, if he be a white man, is in the way of a speedy recovery.

The colonists working under the superintendence of one of their number, have continued to raise the walls of the tower.

K

The battery platform is laid, and the walls carried a few inches above it. Under the hands of the 25 additional labourers, the work now proceeds more rapidly.

The season for planting and sowing the seeds of such ve getables and grains as produce only an annual crop, has now commenced, and will continue until the middle of June.Most of the seeds on hand, having been in a damp store house for nearly a year, are, I fear, spoilt. Our people, I regret to say, have not commenced preparing their plantations; nor, for obvious reasons, would it be proper to impede the progress of our works of defence by withdrawing any of the labourers, even for agricultural purposes.

June 5th.

The English have established a regular packet communication between Sierra Leone, and Cape Coast. The distance is little short of 1,000 miles. The "Intercourse" Schooner commonly makes a trip, including the return, in about 2 months, and has made Montserado one of her touching places. May 31st, she arrived here from the lee ward, and proceeded on to Sierra Leone on the 2d instant, taking from Montserado about 20 Kroo labourers. It is customary for public and private vessels to accommodate gratuitously this class of people with passages to and from their native country, and the different European establishments on the coast, to which they resort for employment. They are regarded as a sort of common property. Every body employs them. To-day they will assist in getting a cargo of slaves on board a Spaniard, to-morrow, will aid an English cruizer to capture him; and no umbrage is given or taken. They never deal in slaves, and by common consent, the obvious dictate of interest, are never enslaved by Europeans. Hence, they come aboard of any vessel with an air of fearless confidence, and every indication of feeling themselves entirely at home.

With ordinary success in trade, on this coast, I can clear at least four times the sum which I shall ever ask or expect either of the Government or Society. And the business would not, to say the least, be more arduous, than a faithful discharge of duty within the colony. But my wish is, so long as the Society shall require my services, to lend them to the cause, unless compelled to resort to some other employment.

I feel unworthy of the vote of thanks passed by the Board for endeavouring to perform as well as I could, the arduous, and perilous duties connected with the defence of the colony. But, to know that any part of my conduct merits their appro bation, is, I assure you, sir, among the most powerful motives, for endeavouring in future to deserve it.

The valuable present of clothing which I have received, has proved doubly so from the seasonableness of its arrival. But I need not say that it derives in my estimation, a much higher value from the occasion of the donation, and the enlightened source from which it proceeded. The grateful sentiment it has inspired, will long survive the period when the articles, themselves, shall have ceased to be of any value. June 20, 1823.

I have only a few hours notice of the intention of Captain Weightman, of the Oswego, to sail immediately and direct to the United States.

Mr. Seton's return by this vessel, will supersede the necessity of adding much. We have many cases of sickness amongst the new comers, and some deaths; which are, however, to be attributed to other causes than the badness of the climate, the deaths of the two children excepted.

I trust you will receive more favourable accounts by the next conveyance.

E.

Review of the Reports of the American Colonization Society, from the Christian Spectator.

The Reports of the American Society for colouizing the free people of colour in the United States.-1818, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23.

To the government exercised over us while we continued in a state of colonial dependence, our country owes the greatest blot which stains her annals, and the greatest-almost the only curse, with which providence has seen fit to afflict her. The pittance of honour which England has acquired, or even the stupendous amount of glory which she claims, as a reward of her efforts against the slave trade, can never atone for the crime of introducing into her colonies without their consent, against their wishes, in defiance of their remonstrances, a population of slaves-a population which even if it were not literally enslaved, must forever remain in a state of degradation no better than bondage-a population whose relative increase is, and always must be, a positive dimunition of national strength and wealth, and on whose character, and prospects, the philanthropist must for ever look with commiseration, and the patriot with fearful forebodings.

The bare mention of the institution whose reports are now before us, directs, with an impulse which we find it difficult to resist, towards a discussion of slavery as it exists, in the