tle and chief property as a sort of common stock, to which all had an equal right. When an individual killed an ox or a sheep, the slaughtered animal afforded a common feast; and the person to whom it belonged had as little food in his house on the next day, or the day following, as any of his neighbours. The same practice, it may be observed, obtains still among the Caffers, the Bushmen, and the Namaquas. If a dozen of people leave a kraal to hunt game, and one only is successful, the fortunate individual shares his provision with his less successful companions of the chase. I never have been able to discover from my intercourse with the natives, or from any other source, that this nation had ever attained any distinct notion of a Supreme Being, or that an idea of a future state of existence had at any period prevailed among them. Africaner, the most intelligent savage I have ever met with, declared that, previous to his acquaintance with the Missionaries, he had no idea of a Spirit, Creator, or Supreme Ruler.— In his intercourse with the colonists, he had heard, as he observed to me, "that they had a God; but he never saw him in the winds, in the thunder, in the lightning, in the heavens, nor in any of his works; and so contracted were his views on this subject, that, by the God of the white people, he only understood something under that name which they might carry about with them in their pockets.' Being asked if it never occurred to him to inquire how the world was made, or who formed the sun and the stars and the clouds, his reply was, 'I was always so engrossed with my cattle and my wars, that I never lifted my thoughts so high; or if, at any time, a question arose in my mind on these subjects, the difficulty of solving it was so great that it no sooner presented itself than it was dismissed.' But the conclusive argument on this point is the fact, that neither they nor the Bushmen had any word in their language to express the Deity. The only name which the Hottentots have for him (and this is by no means general) is Thuike, or Utika, an appellation of which the derivation and meaning are very uncertain.* "But whatever their opinions may have been on this subject, they were not entirely without moral restraints. Before they were corrupted by their intercourse with Europeans, adultery and fornication were considered among them as crimes." (To be continued.) Letters from the African Institution. The following letters have been received from the African Institution, in reply to Communications soliciting the late Reports of that Society, and * The Missionary Brownlee, who is a respectable authority, states, that the Caffers have some idea of a Supreme Being, whom they call Uhlanga; but that until the Missionaries went among them, they had no conception of a state of future rewards or punishments. suggesting the mutual benefits which might result from a regular exchange of publications and a friendly correspondence. } AFRICAN INSTITUTION OFFICE, FLUDYER STREET, LONDON, JUNE 2d, 1829. SIR, I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 19th April last. The pamphlets by order of the American Colonization Society, which you mention, have not yet been received. I very much regret to find that a letter written by the order of the Board of Directors of this Institution, dated the 14th July last, acknowledging your favour of the 1st December preceding, had not been received by you. I now enclose a copy of that letter, together with a few copies of such Reports as appear not yet to have reached you. I beg leave to thank you for the letters and pamphlets you have now sent, and to assure you that any communication from your valuable and interesting Society will prove highly gratify. ing to the Directors of this Institution. I shall not fail to transmit to you copies of any publications of this Institution; and requesting a continuance of your correspondence, I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient Servant. ROBERT STOKES, Dep. Sec. OFFICE OF AFRICAN INSTITUTION, JULY 14th, 1828. SIR,-I hope you have received our Reports subsequent to the nineteenth: they were forwarded immediately upon the receipt of the letter and the pamphlets with which you so kindly opened your communication with the African Institution. I was absent from London, in consequence of ill health, at the time of the arrival of your letter; or, together with the Reports, I should have transmitted to the Directors of the American Colonization Society, those assurances of cordial esteem and co-operation with which, on the part of the Directors of the African Institution, I am instructed to acknowledge this welcome testimony of your earnestness in our common cause. We have watched the progress of your settlement at Liberia with great anxiety, and congratulate you upon its success. We rejoice at the favourable growth of public opinion in AmerThe African Institution, in consequence of the deficiency ica. and lateness of the parliamentary papers, and of other general information respecting the present slave-trade, has published no Report this year. Confident that ere long the labours of our two Societies must be brought to a successful close, and sincerely gratified by the opportunity of mutual information and encouragement which your most friendly Institution affords us in furtherance of this important object, I have the honour to remain, Sir, Your obedient faithful Servant. W. EMPSON, Secretary. Extracts from Correspondence. A whole year has elapsed since I hoped to have given you the information which I now communicate, of the organization of a County Auxiliary Colonization Society. Unfortunately, some other matters, much to be regretted, diverted my attention from it. When the difficulties connected with these had in some measure subsided, there came a succession of claims upon our active charity, which rendered it imprudent, so far as the Presbyterian Church was concerned, to broach the subject. Having sounded the feelings of the people, however, and found good hopes of success, I drew up subscription papers, and had the pleasure to see, in a short time, about thirty of the most respectable names in the town upon the list. A meeting was then called, and a Committee appointed to draft a Constitution, in order that it might be presented and adopted on the Fourth of July. The day was unfavourable, and we were obliged to adjourn to another day, the 18th inst. On this day the friends met, and the Society is organized, auxiliary to the State Colonization Society. From the comparative ease with which this Society has been formed, among a people of widely differing sentiments on almost every other subject, a proper estimate may be made of the growing popularity of the Parent Society. I think the time is not far distant, when the power of public opinion will bend the attention of our Legislatures to the important inquiry, what can and ought to be done to relieve our country from the burden and the stigma which have been entailed upon it by the malpractices of an age, that has now happily passed away. From a Gentleman in Kentucky. Almost all persons in Kentucky are nominally, at least, in favour of Colonization, and I hope that prudent and steady efforts will do much to remove the evil of our coloured population. From a Gentleman in Connecticut. Yesterday our national Anniversary was celebrated in this town, under the auspices of the Windham co. Temperance Society. The business of the Society occupied every minute of the time until dinner was announced, so that it was impossible to be heard in behalf of the Colonization Society, although several gentlemen present were anxious to urge its claims. At the table, however, a good opportunity offered. Not only ardent spirits, but wine was found be excluded from the repast.When, therefore, the moment for introducing toasts, &c. had arrived, one of the Committee of Arrangements addressed the President, and having alluded to the reason why the customary provision of wine had not been made, proposed to the company, as a far more delicious gratification than the best juice of the grape, that they should give the price of wine to the relief of that unfortunate class who could not sympathize in the rejoicings of the day. A hat was immediately passed around the table, and about twelve dollars were collected for the Colonization Society, which will be forthwith transmitted. Another gentleman immediately arose and said, he wished something more might be done by us in the cause of the injured Africans. After some pertinent remarks, he proposed that immediately after the table should be dismissed, a meeting should be held of those who were disposed to form a County Colonization Society. A meeting was accordingly held -a Society was formed, and efficient measures adopted to diffuse through the County all necessary information, and awaken an interest in the cause of the blacks. I hope we shall realize all that our beginning promises. From a Gentleman in Kentucky. I have to inform you that on the 4th instant, an Auxiliary Colonization Society was established in this place. It has been but a short time since any thing has been said upon the subject; but the zeal and alacrity already manifested, leave it unquestionable, that information only is wanting, to unite in the work of colonization, the efforts of Christians, Patriots and Philanthropists of all sects and parties, either religious or political.— I think I hazard nothing in saying, that a large portion of us, who are even slave-holders ourselves, are looking forward with pleasing anticipations to that period when slavery shall no longer be a blot upon the escutcheon of our Republican Institutions. From a Clergyman in the State of New York. I received, a short time since, the first number of the African Repository for the current year, to which was prefixed your circular. I have for some years been acquainted with the objects and progress of the American Colonization Society, and have felt an interest in its prosperity. I have the feelings of a northern man on the subject of slavery. My views on the subject, if expressed, would probably meet with the approbation of very few in your part of the country. From what I learn on the subject, I conclude that there is some diversity in the views of those who are the active members of the Society, with respect to the objects which they wish to have accomplished by its operations. I would look upon it as a Christian philanthropist, who believes that the whole human race are dead in trespasses and sins, lying under the wrath of a holy God, and incapable of being saved except through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether the operations of the American Colonization Society will ever free our land from the curse of slavery, I know not. I think, however, that they will accomplish an immense good. The Colony established at Liberia will undoubtedly be sustained. A civilized and christianized community, will exist on the coast of Africa. Those who emigrate from this country, and settle in the Colony, will have their condition in every respect essentially improved. Liberia will be a radiating point, from which the blessings of civilization and christianity will be diffused to the African nations generally. The slave-trade will in time cease, |