labor, and is of more value than anything America can produce from your labor in twenty years. Everything grows abundantly. It is a fine country for cotton, corn, and rice, though cotton is not much planted as yet. There is a market for your produce in Monrovia. Beef sells at 10 cents per pound; turkeys from $4 to $5 a pair; chickens 25 cents a pair; eggs from 15 to 37 cents a dozen; rice from $1 to $2 a bushel; sweet potatoes 75 cents a bushel.

17. "You can also salt down beef, pork, and fish. I would in particular recommend farmers to emigrate to that country. If you go there to labor by the day, month, or year, you will not make much, for laborer's wages are very low. I would advise emigrants to take as much house-furniture as they need, for everything they want here they want there, besides a little money, if they can. Mechanics may find work, though wages are low. Men of capital, as mechanics, can do well, and are much wanted."

CHAPTER LXIII.

THE CHESAPEAKE AND LIBERIA TRADING COMPANY.

1. THE Liberia Packet was built in 1846, and sailed on her first voyage in December of that year. She was sent out by the Chesapeake and Liberia Trading Company, which went into operation under a charter from the State of Maryland. The building of this vessel was an era of no little magnitude in colonization operations. It was with great difficulty that funds could be raised for the purpose, and at her completion only $16,000 of the $20,000 necessary were subscribed. To show the condition of affairs at that time, we copy a programme of operations contained in the October number of our Journal-1846.

2. "This charter was obtained in the hope and belief, that an amount of stock, sufficient to put one vessel in operation, would be subscribed for by colored people of the United States and Liberia; as such a measure would tend much to disabuse the minds of the colored people here of the false impressions, which they have heretofore entertained, with regard to Liberia, and bring them and their transatlantic brethren nearer together. This hope, however, has not been fully realized. Many among the colored people, who were most anxious to have the thing established, have declined making good their subscriptions; and the result has been, a subscription for a majority of the stock necessary for building the Packet, by several white gentlemen favorable to the scheme. All such subscriptions, however, are made on the condition of a transfer of the same at its fair market value when it shall be desired by any colored person, either in the United States or in Liberia.

3. "The whole amount of funds originally obtained on subscription to the Cape Palmas Packet,' has been invested in the stock of this Company, in the name of the Maryland State Colonization Society, as it was believed the present plan would prove equally advantageous to the Society in its general results, and more economical. A very liberal subscription has been made in advance by several prominent citizens of Liberia, which we doubt not will be increased, on the first voyage of the Packet, to the amount desired: viz., one half her value. It is intended to keep the vessel running regularly between the ports of Baltimore and Norfolk, and the several Liberia colonies, making two, or three, or even four voyages a year, these depending in a great measure upon the amount of freight or emigrants, offered by the Colonization Societies.

4. "It is not intended to take freight for other parties, unless the Missionary Societies having stations in the colonies, should see fit to guarantee a certain amount of freight annually, as the Colonization Societies have done; in

which case, the same facilities for regular shipments would be granted them. Cabin passengers, to the extent of the accommodations, will be taken at the usual rates, and every attention paid to their convenience and comfort. The under officers and crew of the vessel will be colored men, and it is intended to put her in charge of a colored man as master, as soon as one competent can be found. Letters and packages will always receive attention, and be delivered as directed, if practicable.

5. "In many respects we fell sadly short of the mark. We soon found it idle to think of over three voyages per year, and from occasional detention on the coast of Liberia, waiting freight, and, in the United States, awaiting emigrants, we found it very difficult to fix any particular time for sailing; consequently, great disappointment was the too frequent result. We failed also to increase the subscription of colored people to the stock, and were often obliged to take the stock of original subscriptions at par; so that, up to this time, only $3,325 of the $25,000 worth of stock is held by colored people, and of this amount only $375 in this country, although it has paid a cash dividend of ten per cent. per annum, since the Company went into operation.

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6. Again, we failed in getting a colored master and colored officers and crew. For a time we succeeded in getting good colored officers; but, after trying in all the Northern ports, could not find a man suitable to take the place of Haley, first officer, should he be promoted to the command. So the project was for that time abandoned. Nor have we any hope that a suitable colored man to command a foreign trading vessel, could now be found in this country; the soil is unfavorable to the production of the man. He must come from Liberia.

7. "But notwithstanding our failure to do all that we anticipated, we can confidently say, the six years running the Packet between this port and Liberia has done much good. Her quick passages have brought Liberia nearer

to this country, she having several times made passages in but a few days over the month, and twice within the month. Her superior accommodations rendered the passage of emigrants far more agreeable than ordinary trading vessels heretofore chartered. Her regular return to this port enabled many of the Liberians to visit the United States, thereby increasing business relations between us; and enabled hundreds of others, whose circumstances would not permit their again crossing the Atlantic, to send letters and packages to their friends.

8. "The visits of the Liberians to this country, which have no doubt been quadrupled in consequence of the establishing of the Liberia Packet, have done more to excite an interest in Liberia among the free colored people of this country, than all the speeches and writings of the friends of colonization since the Society commenced operations. One important advantage to colonization has resulted from the operations of the Chesapeake and Liberia Trading Company, not promised or estimated in the outset: viz., the cheaper transportation of emigrants. In the contract between the Company and the Colonization Societies, the Company bound itself to carry all emigrants offered at certain rates, and these rates were rather below the average rate at which emigrants had been hitherto

sent in transient vessels.

9. "This was all the Company asked; and, had the Society been bound to furnish a quota at certain times, the expenses of transportation might be supposed to be about the same as they had previously been. But the case was far otherwise. The Societies could not guarantee any fixed number. The Company has often prepared for a larger number, say 150, and when the time of sailing arrived, perhaps fifty would not be ready to embark, thereby rendering it necessary for the Company to procure freight from other sources, or sail an empty vessel. Again, few emigrants would be offered, and not enough freight solicited, or merchandise purchased, to fill the Packet;

but when the day of sailing approached, the number of emigrants would often be doubled, and the Company obliged to put their own cargo in store for another voyage.

10. "The Colonization Societies, therefore, have been gainers by employing the Company as agents for carrying on their operations. Without the Company's aid, they would often have chartered larger vessels, and been obliged to send them out half filled, or embark in a commerce not legitimately within the scope of their operations. The Company has also not only chartered, but bought and even exchanged vessels, when emigrants were offered out of the Packet's time, and transported them at the established rates. We claim, therefore, that the operations of the Chesapeake and Liberia Trading Company for the past six years have been productive of incalculable advantages to colonization, and in no respect detrimental to it. 11. "The Company is not now (January, 1853) the owner any vessel. The first three years of the operations of the Company proved conclusively, that the Liberia Packet was entirely too small for the purpose intended. The increase in the number of emigrants, the increased quantity of their effects consequent upon the movement of a better class, the increase of freight offered by different parties to their Liberian correspondents, required a vessel of near, or quite, 500 barrels capacity, and it was determined to sell the Liberia Packet when opportunity offered.

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12. "In the autumn of 1851, the American Colonization Society had a choice lot of emigrants, from the valley of Virginia, and a steam saw-mill, to send out. A vessel of suitable size could not be readily found in this port to charter, and the Company purchased the barque Morgan Dix, a vessel of 276 tons, for the purpose. She made one successful voyage, and prepared for another. When nearly ready for sea, the number of emigrants increased so much that she was judged too small, and she was exchanged for the barque Ralph Cross, of near 4,000 barrels capacity. This vessel was put in first-rate order