ed to our present state, and submit them to the Board. We are again destitute of stationery, and are very much in want of animals for draught work on farms."

11. It is much to be regretted that suitable working animals, with wagons, carts, plows, and drags, had not been early introduced into the Colony. With these, agriculture would have advanced rapidly, and buildings would have been erected with comparative ease. To substitute the hoe for the plow, in agriculture, and manual labor for teams, in conveying building timber from the forest, and stone from the quarry, was tedious, expensive, and discouraging. That so much has been accomplished under such privations ́and disadvantages, excites our wonder.

CHAPTER L.

A LYCEUM-PAPER CURRENCY.

1. HAD the colonists been enabled, in 1825, to use the plow and drag in cultivation, they could, for the last ten years, have furnished provisions for all the emigrants as they arrived. Dr. Taylor wrote from Millsburg in August: "With regard to the last emigration, it must be said they have done wonderfully well. They are all at work with very few exceptions. I hope and pray that the Society may soon raise her head; that her coffers may be filled to overflowing. I think that if the bitter opponents of the colonization scheme would only come to Millsburg and look at the prospect, and see that all that is wanting to make this a splendid place, and the people independent in means, they could but say, I will give my support to this enterprise; though I advocate the elevation of the man of color in America, I am now convinced that this is the place where he can enjoy real freedom.”

2. The Rev. B. R. Wilson, who was engaged in the manual labor school at Millsburg, and at the same time was pastor of a church in that place, consisting at first of but nine members, wrote as follows: "We have now a well-organized church of about seventy members, and a fine school of native boys and girls, some of whom begin to read, and several profess to have religion, and have joined the church. I am more and more pleased with Africa."

3. A colonist wrote, from Edina, to his former master: "You wish to know my situation, and how I like this part of the world. I am doing well, I have two good houses and three lots, also forty acres of land, ten of which are in culture coffee, cotton, cassada, plantains, banana, beans, rice, yams, papaws, and melons, these grow all the year here. One acre of land is worth two in the United States. In a word, sir, no man can starve that will work one third of his time. It is a beautiful country indeed. I would not return to the States again, to live, on any con sideration whatever, even if slavery were removed. But, sir, we are freemen here, and enjoy the rights of men. What shall I say about want? Why, sometimes we want sugar and tea, also butter and meat. But time will remove all this. I have plenty of milk, and make butter, but there are a great many who have not cows and goats in abundance.

4. "You would do well to send out some brandy to preserve such things as snakes, scorpions, and other things, as spirits are prohibited here, and hardly used among us, and can not be bought for money. I have the satisfaction to inform you that this is a flourishing settlement indeed. The people thrive. All my children are well, and my wife has good health. The children are good English scholars, and James is studying medicine with Dr. Johnson." A lyceum was formed in Monrovia for the diffusion of knowledge throughout the Colony. A committee was appointed to collect specimens of natural and artificial curiosities.

Two of each kind were to be forwarded to some scientific body in America or elsewhere, one retained, the other described, labeled, and returned at the expense of the lyceum. The president and corresponding secretary were to communicate with similar associations in the United States and elsewhere, and invite their aid and coöperation in advice, book, specimens, and whatever else might contribute to the object of their association.

5. It was stated in the Liberia Herald of the next month, that since the formation of the lyceum, some few collections of shells, rocks, minerals, and plants had been made, that arrangements were on foot for a commodious room, in which the specimens could be kept and displayed to advantage. The question for the next debate was, "Whether it was good policy to admit indiscriminately persons of all nations and color to become citizens of Liberia ?"

6. Since the foundation of the Maryland Colony, it has been the object of the Board to send regularly a spring and fall expedition. The spring expedition brought out thirty-six emigrants by the Columbia, of Baltimore, and the fall expedition, fifty-three emigrants by the Oberon, with Dr. McDowell and Dr. S. F. McGill. Dr. McDowell had practiced medicine several years in Liberia. Dr. McGill, who is a colored man, had resided there from his childhood, with the exception of the last three years, spent in acquiring a medical education at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, where he received his diploma. He brought with him an excellent medical library, and it was expected that by practicing with Dr. McDowell, he would become qualified to succeed that gentleman as colonial physician, at the expiration of the year for which the Board had engaged his services.

7. Dr. McGill was instructed to select one or more young men of suitable capacity, and commence instructing them in medicine, with a view of having them sent to the United States to attend the necessary lectures. In this way it was hoped that permanent medical skill could be

secured in the Colony. It was evident that nothing was wanting but care during the first few months of their residence, to make this as healthy to the colored people as any place from which they emigrate.

8. The paper currency was found to answer fully the purpose intended, and it was with none more popular than with the natives themselves. While the system of barter was in vogue, a native scarcely ever sold an article to a colonist, and received merchandise in exchange, without being obliged to divide a portion of it among such friends as happened to be present when the bargain was struck; but when he was paid a piece of paper, this partnership of profits could not take place. This was perfectly understood by the natives, and hence the popularity with them of the paper currency.

9. Governor Russwurm wrote to the Board: "The direct tendency of the currency is to draw all business to the Society's store, and to induce the colonists to put by a part, instead of taking up, as formerly, every cent of their earnings. I think our next step will be a savings bank, or a benefit society for mutual relief in cases of sickness."

10. Of the new code of laws which had been prepared with great care, the Governor wrote: "We are all much pleased with the new code of laws. The powers of the judges are well defined, and will save, among an ignorant community, much contention. I have not heard even a murmur against the code, though it strikes at the root of many preconceived opinions." He added: "The people are civil and orderly. No properly established law of the Colony has ever met with open opposition; no violence has ever been threatened to the lawful authorities. No instance of riot or general uncontrollable excitement has occurred, and no instance of open quarreling or fisticuffs has come to my knowledge, directly or indirectly, since the first establishment of the Colonv."

CHAPTER LI.

MONROVIA.

1. MONROVIA, which contains about 300 houses and 2,000 inhabitants, is built on a depression of the ridge which sweeps inland from the cape. About midway the length of the principal street the land swells up like an earthwave, and sinks immediately down the street, crossing the summit and following the declivity. On the summit is Fort Hill, where, in December, 1822, in the infancy of the settlement, the heroic Ashmun, rising from his bed of sickness, with thirty-four brave colonists repulsed an assault made by 800 savages.

2. The houses are detached, being built on lots of a quarter of an acre each. They are of good size, some two stories, but most of them one and a half, consisting of a single story of frame resting on a basement of stone, with a portico front and rear. Many of them were neatly, and two or three handsomely, furnished. There were twelve houses under construction, mostly of stone; and there were, besides, a few which looked in good preservation; but most of the frame dwellings presented an old and dilapidated appearance, owing to the humid climate during half the year, the scarcity of whitewash and paint, and the ravages of the beeg-a bug-a destructive species of termite. For the last reason, all the new houses not built in the native fashion-of wattles, mud, and grassare constructed of stone, while the old frame ones are abandoned to decay.

3. In almost every yard there were fruit-trees-mostly the lime, the lemon, the banana, the pawpaw, and the coffee-tree; sometimes the orange, and now and then the sour-sop and the tamarind. The oranges were good, but scarce, and the lemons large and fine. The cocoa grows