Western Africa.-Cape Montserado. 339 ple strict orders not to be the aggressors, but if they should attack us, to charge them boldly; set fire to their town in the vicinity of the gunpowder, and then make our escape before the explosion. Mr. Nicholson took the lead, our five coloured people in the centre, and I brought up the rear. In this order we started, and then commenced the most horrid scene of confusion: the bells rung, the war horns blew, and the shrill war whoop proceeded from every mouth such was the noise that we could with difficulty make ourselves heard at any rate. As we passed through the town, I discovered our two Kroomen sitting in a hut under guard. I stopped to talk with them, but could not persuade them to start with us: while engaged here, I got separated from our people and lost sight of them; I was surrounded by a great many natives, but they kept at a very respectable distance from both Nicholson and myself. I passed on to the skirts of the town, where I found Mr. Nicholson waiting for me, but none of our people were there. We went back to search for them, and found them near where I had separated from them; one stood with his rifle between his legs, and as many as could get hold had secured each end of it. John Fisher, being very tall, held his gun perpendicularly out of the reach of those who were round him trying to pull his arm down to get hold of it. As Nicholson and myself approached them, with drawn swords, they immediately dispersed, and in no case did they come within reach of us. At this time, king Peter sent me word that if I would come back a few minutes, and make out a list of the goods on hand, and specify what was deficient, we could then go away peaceably, and the palaver would be ended. Wishing much to avoid all disputes with them, I thought it best to make another attempt to settle the business before I went away. Mr. Mill is their scrivener, and they will make no book without his being present. After 1 had returned to the palaver ball, search was made for him, but he could not be found. The king said, as Mr. Mill was gone, the busi ness could not be settled that evening; but, if I would stay till morning, he would send for him, and we would have the business settled. It had now become quite dark, and I thought it better to yield to his solicitations. No sooner was it known that I had consented to stay all night, than all confusion ceased through the town, though it was still kept up through the woods for some time after. They then appeared to strive with each other who should be most accommodating. The king gave me his best house, and pulled off his royal robes to make me a bed. In a short time supper was set for us, consisting of rice, plantains, banannas and fowls nicely cooked. The utmost harmony and good will appeared to subsist among all classes. These people are possessed of a truly amiable disposition, where they have not been vitiated by an intercourse with the miscreant whites who have traded on the coast. The next morning, the king sent a message for Mr. Miil to come and make out the list of articles. Several of the kings likewise visited Mill and old Carrey. The day passed off and Mill did not come. I spent this day in a very interesting manner, viewing their customs, their games and exercises. Shortly after the kings had returned from old Carrey's, I was told they had formed a plan for carrying me inte the interior of the country, and there keep me until captain Stockton should return. I at first gave no credit to the report. I sent one of our Kroomen to the island, to inform our people of every thing that passed, and gave them directions to keep a strict guard, and be ready to come to our assistance, if we should stand in need. In this way the day passed, without seeing any thing of Mr. Mill. Next morning the intelligence was strongly confirmed, that they intended, if they could, to make a prisoner of me, and take me into the interior. I was likewise assured that this was a plan of old Carrey's, whose island was within musket shot of our's. He feared, if I returned, I should destroy his town, in revenge for the insult I had received from his people, who were very active in the fray of the first evening. As Mr. Mill did not come this third morning, I addressed a note to him, telling him I understood that our difficulties with the kings originated principally with him and old Carrey; that I had waited all the day before for him; and if he did not now come, he should answer for it at his peril. This message brought him forth. I at this time believed Mr. Mill to be our enemy, I have since had reason to doubt its being so, and now I believe he is as friendly to our cause as any person. After Mill came, I saw no disposition in the kings to bring our cause to an issue; I therefore sent one of our men to the island, to fetch as many of our men as could be safely spared, and to let them be well armed. After I thought this messenger had had time to arrange things on the island, and be on his way back, I sent word to the kings that I had waited on them a long time, and nothing had been done, I would now wait two hours longer, and if they did not come and settle our business in that time, I would start for home; and if I received any molestation on my passage, I would cut off the heads of every king present. This brought them forward at once. King Peter and king Willey came into my tent and said, that in rolling the barrel of rum up from the beach, a stave broke, and the rum was all lost; and rolling up the tobacco, a stave broke, and one third of the tobacco was lost, although the barrel stood at my elbow, entirely whole in its staves, but one head out and nearly all the tobacco gone. I pretended to give credit to their assertions, and told them I would make them a present of the tobacco which was left, to be divided among all the kings. In a few minutes we made out the required list, and they began moving the goods to the beach, and we started for home. On our way we met our people coming with fixed bayonets, and well disposed to use them if occasion required. Peace and harmony being restored, trade flowed in upon us from all quarters. I was daily solicited by kings from different quarters, to quit that place and to go with them. They said they would give me as much land as I wanted. I found that the objection which had been raised to our settling on the Cape, applied only to that part which laid between a line drawn opposite to our island and the point of the Cape, and arose from a peculiar sanctity supposed to be attached to that place on account of its peculiar formation. Below this spot, which is called the Devil's Bush, they had no more objection to Western Africa.-Cape Montserado. 341 our settling than on any other place, and here I determined to build our town. My attention was first turned to making a vault to secure our powder. This was done by turning an arch of stone over a small vault. The natives were struck with great surprise at this; they would sit by the hour and look at the workmen. They would say, Well, who ever heard before of thatching a house with rocks! Well, white man does beat the Devil! King George lived at the foot of the mount, and laid claim to the whole of the Cape as his lawful right. Although this tract was included in our first purchase, I thought it would be better to purchase a right of him, separately, at the price of a few gallons of rum, than to have any noise about taking possession of it. I therefore contracted with him for a settlement below the Devil's Bush, and immediately commenced working on it. Sickness, though not of a very serious character, commenced early in February, and but few of the colonists escaped. In the month of March, Dr. Ayres went to Freetown, and having made a final settlement of his business there, sailed again for Cape Montserado on the 2d of April, with the remainder of the property and colonists. On arriving at the Cape, he found the natives and colonists had been engaged in a quarrel, which arose from some measures the former had adopted to assist the officers and crew of a British prize vessel which had put into the river for water. One of the British sailors having, unauthorized, shot two of the natives, the next day they collected their forces, and a skirmish took place, in which the colonists lost the greater part of their provisions, tools, clothing, and all the muskets but those in their own hands. The natives now stopped all trade; and in this state of confusion Dr. Ayres found things on his return from Freetown. Hostilities having ceased, a convocation of all the kings was called. Africa as well as Europe boasts of its holy alliance, and all difficulties between nations are settled in a palaver of kings. On this occasion, our Boson, king of Condo, and king Brister presided. Boson had arrived at old Carrey's with his twenty wives before my return: he brought 200 men as far as St. Paul's, to be in readiness to make war in case he could not succeed in procuring peace. The other kings arrived at king Peter's town, and many days passed before they could be prevailed upon to venture over to Carrey's town. They were equally afraid of our guns and of Boson. They at length ventured over after repeated assurances from both of us that we would not disturb them. After sitting several days in palaver on their own business, on the 24th of April our cause came on before seventeen kings, and between thirty and forty half kings. They called upon me to state why I had called the palaver. I gave a succinct account of all that had passed since my arrival in Africa, and a particular one of all our concerns with king George. He was then called upon to answer the charges brought against him. This he failed to do: and having spent the whole day in hearing the cause, the answer of the kings was promised to be given the next morning. The interpreter informed Dr. A. that the answer would be that he must go away, and then fold another palaver, and continue thus to consume time," as long as they can get tobacco and RUM to support them!" As was anticipated, the kings told them in the morning that they must go away; but I was determined to bring the affair to an issue at once, and in a determined manner told them I had purchased the land twice over; I had once paid king George, and in part paid the kings in the first place that now I would not go away; the land I would have, and if they thought they could drive me away, they might make the attempt as quick as they chose; that I had not made war yet, but if they attempted to drive us from the land, I would show them what fighting was. I would bring ships and batter down all the towns of those who opposed us from Cape Mount to the Line. While making this speech, I narrowly watched the countenances of kings Brister and Boson. Brister showed evident signs of concern, but Boson shook his sides very heartily with laughter. By this I found I had touched the right chord, and I did not spare invectives. The other kings appeared uneasy and said one to another, Oh, look, white man getting mad; white getting mad! Boson, to second the impression I had made, sent one of his people round to circulate a report, that there were four large ships a little way to the southward, making into the harbour. This was pronounced to be commodore Mends, who was daily expected with his squadron from a cruise to the southward. This threw all into confusion, and it was with difficulty we could keep the kings together until the business was settled. King Boson now came forward for the first time and spoke. He said it appeared in evidence, that we had not been to blame in the war; that we had bought the land and paid for it; it was therefore ours. That they said I must go away, and I said I would not go; that it was useless to multiply words about it, but he should like to see the man who would attempt to drive me away. The kings retired a few minutes and then returned, and said :-IfI liked the Cape I might have it, they would not receive any thing for it; but I might go there, because I liked that place better than the island. They asked what would be done in case another vessel should be wrecked? I told them that we should protect the crew and property; that our principle was to help all people in distress, let them be who they would. They then asked, if there should a slave vessel come into our port, and be attacked by the British, if we would protect the slave vessel ?—I told them no; the slave trade was condemned by all the nations of Europe, and I would not protect any vessel that was trading contrary to the laws of the country to which it belonged. They said during the remembrance of the oldest of their kings there had been no such thing known as war between black man and white man, and to prevent any such disaster in future, they had decreed that old Carrey and I should be brothers, and that king Peter should be our common father. If any of Carrey's men should do any thing wrong to me, or to any of our people, I should not make war on that account, but should lay the case before king Peter, and he would settle it without war; and the same thing should take place if Carrey received an injury from any of us; and if any disturbance should arise with any of king Peter's people and ours, then king Brister was to be the umpire-that in any case there should not be war between black inan and white man. Thus these politicians of nature have provided a balance of power. I then asked them if they had any further demand against me for the land, or if they expected at any future time to demand any further pay? They said, No. Having now settled our business, I received a hearty shake of the hand from most of their sable majesties. They having got over the panic from the report of the arrival of a squadron, our island was soon filled with kings, lords, nobles, &c. &c. &c. all begging for rum and tobacco. The next day, 25th of April, we took formal possession of our land, by hoisting the American colours, and firing a salute, in the presence of all the kings and people. The kings then retired to king Peter's town, to settle other concerns, and to try king George for his misdemeanors in the war. They sentenced him to pay five slaves, twenty baskets of salt, and to move away with all his people, or have his head cut off. He chose the former conditions, and left the place. The rainy season now set in, and it was thought most advisable to leave the Cape for Sierra Leone, until the season would admit of their return with safety, as their houses were not finished, and there was reason to apprehend the scenes of Campelar might be again experienced. The colonists, however, concluded to remain, and Dr. Ayres, having made all necessary arrangements, left them, and returned to the United States, to lay before the Society a full account of the situation and prospects of the colony. Before we close this article we must notice one feature in these proceedings which deserves the severest and most unqualified censure, and against which we must again bear our testimony. From the manner in which rum is mentioned in the report of Dr. A. there cannot remain a doubt but that the Society have authorized its use as an article or barter with the ignorant natives! This being the case, we would inquire of the Managers if they have thought seriously of this thing; and whether the supplying of the natives with this intoxicating poison is the result of their deliberate judgment? Can they expect the blessing of God on their labours, if "they do evil that good may come?" Can it benefit the poor African to change the mode of destroying his own soul? And shall a Christian bear to him the cup of temporal and eternal death? Better, far better is it that he be left to roam on his own native hills and plains, and worship the gods which his own hands have made, than to add the sin of drunkenness to that of idolatry: for no IDOLATERS nor DRONKARDS shall inherit the kingdom of God. UNITED STATES.-REVIVALS OF RELIGION. WHILST we have to lament over the desolations of Zion in our own city, and mourn for the destitutions of many parts of our land, there is cause of joy and thanksgiving for the numerous tokens of the Lord's faithfulness and mercy to his Church. To record these testimonies of his tender love and forgiving grace, forms the most pleasing part of our labours, and renders our pages, indeed, the HERALD of good tidings to our patrons. In several towns in Vermont, the churches have been refreshed and increased |